This is my first show of the year. It has become a bit of a
ritual to come to Berlin and see my friend Silvana, go to the annual Pothead
show and hang out with the band. The guys are so cool and I really enjoy
hanging out with them. You were never are quite sure what they are going to
play in the old days as the original drummer (Sebastian) knew all 160 pothead
songs but the new drummer, Robert, he has limited them in that sense so they
play a lot of the same sets. Last year I had talked with the guys about playing
Year of the Rat, and one of my faves, Run. Little did I know that they would
play both!!
The band has recently re-released the Pot of Gold EP from
1999 (See my review soon). Brad went back to the original tapes and made new
mixes. They would introduce some
of those songs tonight including the unreleased track Bettina.
Anyway, the show tonight was not quite sold out but there were
still a lot of people. Silvana and I got up in the front by Brad. I had a foto
pass so I could go in and out of the barrier to take fotos and shoot videos. I
think the band played about 30 songs in a quite long concert. To my great
surprise, they did play Year of the Rat (it is on the Pot of Gold EP) and also
Run. Run is a hard one for Brad to sing as it the register is really high so
they had a guest female singer named Nina C. Alice, who helped sing this one (she does not do the high parts though). She
actually sang with him on the actual album! So cool to finally hear this one
live!!!
There were probably 15 different songs from last year. I was pleasantly surprised. Brad had been sick during the week after catching something at his daughter’s day care so he was still not 100% he said. A keyboard player, Kaj came out and played with the band on 3 numbers, I think. Burning Bridges, Little Sister and Bettina. The band has a great sound, cool light show with a few projections as well on a couple of songs like Constantinople. It was a great and varied set (See below). The audience liked it a lot and like I said before, they introduced quite a few new songs and some stables like Henry and Mabel, which they had almost always played had been dropped.
There were probably 15 different songs from last year. I was pleasantly surprised. Brad had been sick during the week after catching something at his daughter’s day care so he was still not 100% he said. A keyboard player, Kaj came out and played with the band on 3 numbers, I think. Burning Bridges, Little Sister and Bettina. The band has a great sound, cool light show with a few projections as well on a couple of songs like Constantinople. It was a great and varied set (See below). The audience liked it a lot and like I said before, they introduced quite a few new songs and some stables like Henry and Mabel, which they had almost always played had been dropped.
Silvana and I hung out backstage with Brad a lot. Brad has some great stories about hitchhiking
around in Europe in the early 90s. Always hard to get a ride in France! He also
talked about the old days with the pre-Pothead band, Son of Man. They opened 3
times for Mother Love Bone. Sounds like
they had a lot of funny and stoned times back then as well. It was a great
night but we went home at 1 so the band could get some rest for tomorrow. We
needed it as well.
2nd Show
I met up with an old college friend, Billy for dinner and
then we all went to the show. He had never really heard this band Pothead
before. We arrived and got our coats into the coat check just as they started
the first song. IT was the same show as
the night before and we again up in front of Brad but not right on the barrier.
I did not take any fotos this evening. Brad was singing even better tonight and
seem to have more energy and was really having fun. He even surprised the band
a few times with some slightly more improvised and wild solos, especially on
the track Rude, when Jeff and Robert both looked at Brad like what the fuck was
that??? That was cool, man… The place
was totally sold out and packed but the audience is well behaved and people are
mostly just into it and not talking lots of cell phone pictures and shit like
that.. A few songs really caught me this night like Twisted Tomato, …….. After
the show we met Tom again and it turns out he knows my friend Billy.. Far out…
Billy loved the show and was totally blow away by Pothead. It was even better
than the night before.
I bought the Rumly Oil Pull 2LP on vinyl and Siggi gave me a
sticker for my car. Afterwards we hung out backstage again with Brad, and
Jeff’s father in law. The conversations were very much more about history and
politics tonight. Such a great guy and he really entertains us, I just hope we
do the same. I had a great time but was so tired as we did not leave until
nearly 4 in the morning…. I will get to see the band’s studio tomorrow! Another really successful Pothead Berlin
experience. Look forward to the next time. Pothead, one of Germany's best kept secrets! Rock and Roll!!!
Set List:
C’Mon, Rock Child, Appreciate, Fire, Rock On Lets Rock, Emotion of the Potion, Wild Weed, Twisted
Tomato, You should Talk, Catch 22, Stadium, Year of the Rat, Burnin’ Blue,
Frame in your Mind, Funkenbus, Constantinople, Chess, Remember, Rude, Valley of
Fire, I’m a Sinner Too, Run (w/guest singer Nina), Indian Song, Bettina (with Kaj on piano-keyboard),
Bombay, Satisfied, Toxic, Rock Satellite, Magic Lantern,
Encore: Black War, Tacoma, Planet of the Apes, Detroit
Encore2: Burning Bridges (with Kaj on piano-keyboard)
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