It wouldn’t be a complete story if I didn’t include my wonderful journey to Copenhagen to do two shows with my old pal Brett Perkins who has lived in Denmark a number of years and now is a new father with his Danish wife. The first show had me as the special guest at a writer’s night featuring several other very talented singer/songwriters. The Copenhagen music scene is very vibrant and alive. The level of evolved talent was really surprising and so enjoyable with most of the people I saw being young performers. I was welcomed with open arms and felt really at home amongst the “locals”.
My host for the 5 day visit was another well established singer/songwriter/comic named Michael Bodesen whose comfortable house has accommodated other American friends of mine like Tom Kimmel and Dana Cooper. Part of Michael’s “deal” when ya stay in his songwriter’s quarters is ya have to write a song with him. Since he was totally swamped putting together a couple big shows for the upcoming weekend, he handed me over to Klaus Capriani who collected me mid day on the day after I arrived and took me on a walking tour through the heart of Copenhagen with its beautiful, old buildings and incredibly interesting history. At the end of our walk, we went back to Klaus’ apartment on the 4th floor overlooking the city. I met his lovely partner Laila who is an artist and very use to Americans coming thru their door. We sat in their living room and talked, and I kept nodding off from exhaustion. Laila noticed and offered to lay out a huge, vibrating blanket where I spent hour napping before a wonderful meal my hosts cooked. Afterwards, they walked me back to the Metro which I took back to Michael’s house.
That week began the international Climate Control Summit that Obama would attend. One of the protective measures in terms of Obama was to close the bridge between Copenhagen and Sweden just across the river which wasn’t altogether joyful for either country. However, neither Denmark nor Sweden wanted anything to happen to the US president on their watch, so ten million crona were spent on added protective measures.
Just about everyone in Copenhagen rides a bike and/or takes the metro train and busses. It’s a highly mobile city with great transportation resources, and I learned in my five days there how to get around pretty good for a southern boy from Tennessee.
The next day, Klaus came to Michael’s house, and we spent a couple hours in the songwriter’s bedroom writing a song called “For All The Wrong Reasons”…a title his partner Laila had come up with when she was telling me about someone who stayed in a relationship for all the wrong reasons. I spotted that as a potential title, and Klaus and I turned it into a pretty cool song.
An impromptu appearance for me at a Wednesday night writer’s night proved exciting hearing a couple young girls and their bands doing great sets. I borrowed the guitarist from one of the bands and played a sizzling little set for their dining and dancing pleasure followed by songs by Klaus using my guitar…and I met a bunch more cool cats and chicks.
The second gig Brett Perkins gig I played featured another American who is a protest singer and was there participating in the mass protests about climate change and the fact that the talks were really politically driven and, in the end, virtually non-productive. That night was an in-the-round sort of writer’s night which also featured an early twenties girl who used an electronic drum machine along with a guitar player to present her euro-technotic brand of music that’s all over the radio over the radio over there. All 3 of us played VERY different styles, sold some CDs and met lots of new faces. It really felt good to open a new market in Denmark for what I do.
I also managed to sneak in a train ride to Malmo Sweden to meet, for the first time, with my “old” friend and music associate Peter Holmstedt who has been a champion of my music for a dozen years and who, for the last two tours, has handled publicity in Europe for me. Great to put a face with over a decade of “knowing” Peter.
My whirlwind Denmark/Sweden journey over, I flew back to London where my pal Geoff Haves hosted a house concert for me Friday night before my return to the US the next day. We had a great night of music with a fabulous Welsh singer/ songwriter Jack Harris opening the show before I played a set on own then was joined on guitar by my WhatEverly Brother Geoff “Fill” WhatEverly. I’m The Donn Everly 🙂
All went well…plenty of Kronenbourg, pretty girls and old friends…what more can a Tennessee hillbilly ask for on his last night in England. A 10 hour flight to Atlanta ensued the next day followed by a two hour layover there and a two hour flight to Austin. Home by midnight…in my own bed for the first time in 56 nites. YES!!!
I’ve been back over a week now and am on a plane to Memphis for the holidays with fading memories of the long, wonderful tour on my mind. It’s funny how quickly the past gets covered up by the present and future. I can say, though, that this tour was the best yet with so many new friends being made and such an impact made on audiences from start to finish.
My new UK booking agent, Julian Lewry, is already on the case for next year…so keep yer eyes on my bobcheevers.com web site for upcoming info as to when and where that will all take place.
Thanks again to everyone, ESPECIALLY Dominic Finley, who made the tour fabulous. As usual, it’s the people as much or more than the music that makes these long tours so wonderful, and I’m so grateful for the experience. Thanks and happy holidays to you all.
Bob
Picture URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobcheevers/sets/72157622970628033/