AUTHOR: PAM
PUBLISH DATE: 29th April 2002
Taking a stroll in the Village 
MINE'S A KOSTRITZER!

Chris Farlowe & The Norman Beaker Band
In Worpeswede, The Music Hall / April 5th, 2002

Sound Check Before Dinner		 Worpswede is a tiny village, nestling amongst woodlands of pine, silver birch, and alder.

It is a thriving artists colony with small art galleries tucked away down little alleys and paths, a great cake shop, luxurious hotel (The Village) and the guy in the tourist information office speaks better English than I do! 

Furthermore, the Music Hall is a remarkable venue, to which people travel from miles around to have a good time and watch the visiting artists.
As well as the main hall, there is a smaller bar or 'pub' where owner, H.D's collection of signed photographs of artists who have appeared at the Music Hall are proudly displayed. Of course there is one of Chris on display! 

They serve great beer here (Koztikter) and one or two glasses of this were consumed during the course of the evening by the Band and ourselves.


There would be two sets tonight, therefore the Beaker Band opened with a single number, 'Option on You Baby' - a track that just seems to get better each time you hear it and it certainly got the audience in the right mood.

This is my Beer

The acoustics in the hall really seemed to suit the band and it was nice to hear a mix which didn't favour one instrument too much over the others. A real treat for us was to hear Chris sing Ray Charles', 'Peace of Mind' for the first time- a great song and Chris' interpretation made it his own. 
Feelin alright Norm? How's this then? This'll cure it!

The first set ended with 'Stormy Monday Blues', always a popular number and featuring more great sax playing from Dave.

The ensuing break gave everyone fifteen minutes to catch their breath, get a refill of Kozstikter and purchase one (or more) of the excellent CD's on sale.

The second set began with the Beaker Band's  'A Little Hollywood' and Chris came back on with 'Lonesome Road', where he searches 'all over Worpswede' for ladies (without any success I might add - though Chris puts it a bit more bluntly than this)!! The undisputed highlight of the evening was 'The Guitar Don't Lie' featuring Norman Beaker. 
Thanks for all the Beer,
we will be back again  next year!

We must have heard Noman play this dozens of times and each time, you think - that is the best, he'll never better that, and you know what, somehow he does! This number is a great vehicle for Norman and the audience noisily showed their appreciation, to which Chris said "Stop…I'll have to pay him more money if you do that"! He then joked that he pays the Band very well; saying "I paid Norman a thousand ost deutschmarks"!! To which Norman replied "I bought this plectrum for my guitar with that" !! Chris was in really great form tonight, ribbing Norman (The Sperminator) Beaker about his six kinder! 

Next, 'Shaky Ground' had everyone dancing and grooving and this was followed by the 'definite', definitive' version of 'Handbags and Gladrags', which Chris claimed to have recorded whilst only seven years old! 'Out Of Time' brought the set to the end and the audience showed their appreciation with the loudest encore yet, stamping, clapping, shouting and whistling. 
Cheers & Goodnight
The band came back and played 'Miss You Fever' followed by another treat, 'Whose Been Sleeping In My Bed' a really rocking blues number from 'Lonesome Road' which hasn't had a live airing for a while and really got the audience going. So there was third and final encore, the soulful ballad, 'In Your Loving Arms' which gently brought everyone back down to earth.

 This was a really special gig and I'm sure that everyone who was lucky enough to be there would agree (oh and sorry Kris for keeping you awake in the small hours back at the hotel - it was all Norman's fault)!
Dave, John, H.D, Paul, Adrian, Kris & Norman
with a table full of Kostritzer beer - thanks H.D.
All photos by Adrian & Pam
Set 1 Set 2 Encore
1. Option On You Baby *NBB
2. Blue As Blues Can Get
3. I Don't Wanna Sing The Blues No More
4. Tough On Me, Tough On You
5. Peace Of Mind
6. All Or Nothing
7. Stormy Monday Blues		 8. A Little Hollywood *NBB
9. Lonesome Road
10. The Guitar Don't Lie
11. Shaky Ground
12. Handbags & Gladrags
13. I Think It's Gonna Rain  Today
14. Out Of Time		 16. Miss You Fever
17. Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed
18. In Your Loving Arms