This tour, Balkan connection begun from an offer from Koumanovo, Macedonia, the promoter knew I performed many years ago in capital city Skopje. He contacted me with additional two concerts in Greece and one in Bulgaria.
Then I’ve got offer from an Albanian musician named Genti based in London, he likes to arrange shows in Pristina and Tirana. Afterwhile, I contacted promoter friend sound carrier Kornel in Zagreb, as I remember he was saying he’d like to arrange a show in his city next time I come near. (Anyway if Zagreb is near to all those place, I doubt about it.) During my illness period, resting at home Kornel visited me in Cologne that pushed me to arrange show there.
So, since an offer came from Koumanovo, its get looks like A tour. Remembering, one of my last concert before I get illness (September 2014) was in Slovenia. A very beautiful place called Tolminin Slovenina…Balkan area. Balkan area of Europe is very complicated in its history. On this Balkan tour, I found, it’s very interesting, countries like Kosovo and Albania, we don’t have much information, if there’s one…then not positive one, rather negative. Anyway I don’t trust in media, so this is great opportunity to experience by myself, see with my own eyes, experience with my body and soul!
I arranged to all those local promoters to pick me up and attend through this tour due to my random health condition as I didn’t find anybody to attend me on that point. This is a relative long tour for a person just three months before released from hospital. So, this will be my proof stone, how I can survive. (Sound like 3rd person is saying this) First thing I’ve done for this sense, is fly to Athens a day before the performance as I avoid stress…anyway there wasn’t flight that fits arrive on the first performing day. Sine few years, a kind of my ritual is enjoy food at Sushi bar before departure from Düsseldorf airport (some times at arrival) relax and comfortable before get into gate. I know this Sushi bar in Düsseldorf city centre since almost 30 decades, fortunately few years ago they opened this filial. Since then this is good start for travel. Superstition? Let’s say start with positive stomach! Therefore I prefer, departure from Düsseldorf more than from Cologne, even much near from my home. (to Cologne/Bonn airport 23km, to Düsseldorf airport 63 km)
I arrived in the (heat) night, as we made agreement, a guy picked me up from airport brought me to the hotel few minutes walk to the venue. (this is important now, the accommodation have to be near to the venue, before/after performance anyhow I can relax.) I was getting hungry middle in the night, it’s really difficult to find place to eat, especially if you don’t know where you’re exactly and that late. Heat night like now, not bad idea to walk a bit, I didn’t like take taxi to get nightlife scene, I just need a small thing to eat. Took long, but finally I found a food cart, I’ve got a hotdog. Now I can sleep better. If I’m hungry, impossible to sleep, I might dream looking for food, reach food, food disappear, then look again for food whole night long…a nightmare….this pattern continues and result is bad sleep. Off course, I know, it’s not healthy to get food short before sleep. You know, my life is not well-balanced, you know already.