Yesterday Patrick Millard gave us part one of his experience of travelling with The Shutes to Berlin, it finished with The Shutes taking to the stage. Ed
Their first set was flawless.
They played their songs with the usual pounding, driving force that can be expected of them, mixing delicate melodies with strong, solid rhythm.
The crowd around the stage was growing and each applause was louder than the last.
Even the two girls who sat eating their meal at a small table right next to the stage, directly in the path of the bass amp, were enjoying their unique experience.
Crazy Hazy
It gets hazy now, partly because I began exploring the place. It is part bar, part restaurant, part club, part live venue, part pub and part tattoo parlour. And also the band was very generous with their drinks tokens and I was very generous with my requests.
They played again at some point and this set was even better than the last. I can only remember the last few songs but they built up and up before releasing a new song on the crowd that finally saw Chris open up on the drums to display his full repertoire.
His timing was, as ever, perfect and he held long fills well.
Each band member transformed
The whole band were tight and were clearly enjoying themselves. Mike, the small boy holding his head in his hood on the plane earlier that day, was perfectly at ease behind the guitar and in control of every song.
I even saw Rob (Potter – bass guitar) moving and ducking around with a new found presence and at the last note the crowd was screaming and shouting and happy to have seen a band step up their game from already more than accomplished heights.
Consistent admiration
The band were all night long being congratulated and shaken by their hands. Old fans and new fans, a woman from an interested Russian radio station, the increasing praises of the man from Sony, all the attention was for them and it was much deserved.
We slowly wandered back to the hostel at different times, as thoughts of early flights and trains appeared with different levels of urgency in our minds.
It was a long night and there are many things that I will remember from this trip, despite how short it actually was. Mike’s individual approach to flying, Rob’s collection of impeccably delivered but rarely applicable German phrases, and Chris’ impression of a gangster Nazi are just a few.
Lasting memories and hopes for the future
It was an amazing night and I’ll be joining the boys again whenever I can. I will spend my money and lose my health but someone has to be there to remember these things.
These boys aren’t going to be the next big thing, the X-factor is there to give us that once a year for the rest of eternity, but The Shutes will be big, they will be around for a long time, and I want to be there in the front row to see this happen.
Image: © Michael Champion
