Germany tour part one; Birmingham-Cologne

Tuesday 26th April 2016 

6am train from Birmingham International to London Euston. Excellent sunny landscapes through the window, rather nice bacon bap. 

Arrived London Euston and headed down to the Tube to make our way to St Pancras. We were catching the Eurostar at 8.55 and had left ourselves plenty of time in case of problems with check in, delayed trains etc. 

I should explain that "we" is me and Connie. This trip to Germany consists of four performances and as Connie could join me and the gig schedule was not really heavy we decided to combine the visit with a bit of a holiday. It's a first visit for both of us, and as well as being charming company Connie also has GCSE German, the usefulness of which I looked forward to testing... 

At the last moment I became nervous that there might be some issue travelling with my guitar as part of my luggage allowance. Despite assurances from

not only the Musicians' Union but also Eurostar's own website that a guitar can be included as part of a two bag allowance as long as it's in a case I spent some time picturing a jobsworth check in person refusing to let the guitar past. I even printed out the screen shot from Eurostar's website in order to argue my case if needs be. Rock and Roll. 

St Pancras is quite the statement station with very impressive architecture. The Eurostar check in bit was predictably airport like, and as I was getting ready to put my bags in a tray for the X-ray scanner thing a lady approached from the wrong side of the metal detector tunnel and not only moved in front of me but stole the tray I'd just lifted up onto the desk ready to receive my guitar and suitcase. She stole my tray and I couldn't get to a new one as she was stood in the way. She was being absent mindidly oblivious to the world around her rather than rude I think, and it made me smile. Once past her I said "thank you" in passive aggressive protest and made sure I beat her to the passport check queue. 

Robert, Connie, bags and guitar all through without problems and soon enough were boarding the Eurostar. Through the tunnel, into France. Bottle of water and some Pringles. As we arrive in Brussels the weather gets moody, rain and hail. The city itself looks beautiful in the grey light; as if nature has found a particularly compelling Instagram filter. 

An hour transfer in Brussels and we availed ourselves of a 50 cent wee and a baguette before getting on a Thayls train for the final leg of the journey into Cologne. This was a posh train; big and clean with free wifi. Outside the window Belgium becomes Germany and the view was forests, picture book villages and towns with very pretty pointy houses.

On exiting Cologne station we were greeted with the world famous Cathedral, its size and dominating presence almost beyond words. Work began on it in 1248 and was then halted in 1473 with a massive crane left atop the south tower for 400 years. Work resumed in 1842 and was completed in 1880, making a 632 year building project. Seemingly work continues as it is currently flanked with some very impressive scaffolding, although that doesn't take away from  the impact of the dom (cathedral.) 

We were booked in the station hostel which naturally enough is not far from the station. With a rough idea where we were going we set off, stopping at one point to check the map on my phone. Within seconds of doing this a passerby had stopped to ask if we needed any help and confirmed we were heading in the right direction. What a nice passerby!

We found the hostel and checked in, the lady at reception was happy to show us on a map where the venue for tomorrow night's gig, Kulturekafe Lichtung, was and how to get there. Either via the metro or taking a walk along the Rhine. What a nice lady! Our room was pleasant with it's own bathroom. There's free wifi in the bar downstairs and the place feels very cool and friendly. 

After chilling out for a bit we decided to go for a walk and started with a closer look at the dom. Outside it are some boards with photographs of the area as it looked at the end of World War Two; everything is ruined save the cathedral itself which although damaged remained standing despite being hit serval times in air raids. We had a look inside (only briefly as it was now fairly late in the evening) and the scale and workmanship of the building is truly staggering. 

We wondered through the area around the dom and found many eateries and bars. Checking the map we once again had a helpful local asking if we needed directions, what a nice local! Once pointed in the right direction we were able to set off along the Rhine towards Lichtung. A decent step along that famous river, dodging the bicycles and joggers that sped past. Found Lichtung in a very nice part of town then had a slow walk back stopping for dinner on the way. 

The next day we explored further but didn't go too mad in order to maintain some energy for the gig. We'd walked to the venue the night before but decided that with guitar and other performance paraphernalia it would be wise to use the excellent metro service. However once at the dom underground station we noticed things were eerily quiet and realised that the not only the trams but also the buses were on a 24 hour strike. It was a bit late to do the walk by this point and so we got a taxi. The driver was a lovely fella originally from Turkey who told us his daughter had recently visited London and was desperate to live there, an obsession that had begun through being a One Direction fan. He also corrected our pronunciation of chlodwigplatz, the metro stop directly outside Lichtung. (We were making too much of the ch, it's more clod than chlod.) 

Once at the venue we met the two  Michaels who run the place and learnt more about it; yet another example of a venue/event set up by people passionate about music and attended by audiences who want to support live music and prevent it from disappearing forever. The transport strike may have affected the numbers a bit but the gig was lovely and it was wonderful to make my first performance in Germany and get some names on the mailing list, sell CDs and find out what had attracted people to come along. Perfect night basically. 

Day off followed and now we were able to do some proper exploring; a fabulous day pounding the streets. 

It's a beautiful city with particular highlights including the Hohenzollernbrücke with it's thousands of padlocks and superb view with the dom behind it

The Rhinepark with cute little train 

and the picturesque Hiroshima-Nagasaki -Park. 

Nottingham and Jamming with Tom Walker

Last week was a fairly busy one in terms of gigs.

On Tuesday 19th I ventured over to Nottingham with Andy and Ian and had very nice time at the wonderful Malt Cross, a very unique venue.

Robert, Andy and Ian at The Malt Cross, Nottingham

The next night I turned up at an open mic in Tamworth to try some new songs, and then on Thursday I met up with Tom Walker to have an unrehearsed jam at The Crossroads Blues Club. I sang He'll Have To Go, Tom led us through Old Love and then we were joined by Mick on bass and Mal on drums for a bash through Leave My Kitten Alone.  Tom then suggested we drop in to a jam night at The Old Speckled Hen in Sutton Coldfield and we played Crossroads and Cocaine with the guys there. (Clapton fans, much?)

Tom Walker and Robert Lane at Crossroads Blues Club

Photographs

Over the last couple of months there's been some cool pictures taken of me and the band at gigs stuff, thought I'd share some.

Here are some from a Robert Land Band gig at The Yardbird taken by the wonderful people at Hennessy Davies

John Lennon

A while ago I started a new series of posts about my idols. I haven't got very far, in fact I've only discussed one. As this week has seen the 30th anniversary of the murder of one of my heroes, it seemed a good time to talk about him.

But it's incredibly difficult. I have at various times in my life been near to fostering an obsession about John Lennon. For a couple of years in my youth I was even doing my best to develop some of his mannerisms in the way I spoke. His inspiration on me goes beyond the musical and lyrical, I was pretty much devastated when I finally accepted that my curls and lack of patience would forever prevent me from having any of his haircuts. I mean I wouldn't have wanted some of them, but others were pretty cool...

The best I can do is to offer up some of my thoughts and conclusions from a lifetime of Lennon study and worship.

There were many John Lennons. He was the witty, intellectual one from The Beatles. He was the loving and caring bringer of the message of Love and Peace. He was a yobbish scouse Teddy Boy with a penchant for vandalising phone boxes and mugging English Sailors in Hamburg Night Clubs, he was a devoted family man who took five years out of being a super star to raise his son, he neglected and finally left his first wife and child.

He was the archetypal angry young man, with a chip on his shoulder that was bigger than his feet. He had a tragic childhood, having lost through circumstance or death at least three of the most important people in his life by the time his was 20. (One of them, his mother, he'd actually lost twice) He was violent. He put Cavern DJ Bob Wooler in hospital for jokingly inferring that Lennon was having a gay relationship with Brian Epstein. He admitted to having hit the women in his early life in jealous rages. I think this makes it all the more remarkable that he spent his later years banging on about peace; he managed to change his behaviour. He did, however, maintain that angry, sarcastic streak which could be very damaging to people.

I think he felt less musical than Paul McCartney. When they first met Paul had more ability than Lennon, despite being younger. From the outside it looks as if Paul was always more confident in this regard than Lennon, and John used bluff and sarcasm to guard against his own insecurities. At times Lennon dismissed McCartney as a schmaltzy writer of "boring songs about boring people" I think we can see his true feelings in other stories, such as how Here, There and Everywhere was his favourite song on Revolver. Personally I think that the Beatles, in particular Lennon, thrived because of their limitations. As is the case with most musical innovation they invented a lot because they couldn't quite do what they were intending to copy.

It's a well recorded fact that Lennon was insecure about his singing. If you listen it's pretty obvious. To begin with, compare the vocal on early, confident Beatles tracks with the solo stuff. Beatle Mania John's voice was thick and raucous. Solo John often had a thin, almost timid voice. Don't get me wrong, I love everything he sang. In fact the singing on a track like Jealous Guy is so beautiful because it is timid and heartfelt. His rocky voice changed too. On Beatles Rock and Roll covers he sounds like he might just kill you, and tracks like Mother and Gimme Some Truth he sounds like a man declaring all his inner issues and using them to kill himself.

Throughout his recording career he did his best to change and disguise his vocal. On the solo records he used delay and reverb effects, I've heard one producer say he wouldn't sing a note in the studio until his favourite effect was dialed in. Once the Beatles started to use four track machines practically every Lennon vocal was double tracked to sound thicker, and a little later he instigated the creation of Artificial Double Tracking, simply to save time by electronically beefing up his vocal sound rather than physically recording each vocal twice.

Even before the Beatles used studio tools and tricks to change their sound we can hear how Lennon, despite being ostensibly the lead singer, frequently used George and Paul to harmonise with him for huge sections of songs. In my view this was an attempt, perhaps unconsciously, to cover up his own singing.

Luckily for us Lennon's arrogance and wish to be leader proved to be stronger than his insecurities about singing and writing. For me the fact that the biggest cultural and musical icon of the 20th Century doubted his abilities so much only makes him more fascinating and dare I say it, inspiring.

He may have died six years before I was born, but I love the man.

Balcony TV

On February the 2nd I will be performing on Balcony TV, which is a "leading daily online viral music show that features bands, musicians and other variety acts on balconies around the world."

It's a very cool idea and has featured sets from artists including Ash, The Script, Biffy Clyro, Nouvelle Vague and Dengue Fever.

I'll be standing on the London Balcony, singing one song that I want you lot to help me choose a bit closer to the date...