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LOOKING BACK...
It was April 21, 1999. I just wanted to meet my friends of Canned Heat at their german tour and was looking forward to spend time with people I really like plus getting some good live music to hear. What else does one need to be happy?! That night offered me one of the most impressive live performances I've ever seen, given by the headliner of this package tour: Mr. ERIC BURDON.

Another true Blues legend who cruised all paths and crossroads of the strange and wonderful but mainly unfair and merciless music business. In fact he obviously (and fortunately) survived to come out of it with full power, energy, wiseness and a good heart & soul. When thinking on the many ones who tragically lost their lifes at similar trips I am grateful someone special like Eric still is "with us" - and wild enough to go on to sing us the true and honest Blues.

A voice who knows what's all about...

IMPRESSIONS...
Some time before the show I crashed into a man on my way backstage when hurrying up the stairs, being happy to finally again to meet Fito and the boys (Canned Heat). On the half way up he took the stairs (more slowly as me, of course). When I wanted to overtake him he stopped. With a friendly face he looked at me, saying "Hello!". It was Eric. A very surprised "Hello" I could reply when he straight laid his arm around me. "He's mixing me up with someone he knows" was my thought, while enjoying his nice gesture. It made me so confused, I only was able to mumble some silly stuff about "the sign at the entrance of the club has written your name in smaller letters as Canned Heat's" or something like that (well, ERIC was the headliner, not Canned Heat). - God, he must have been thinking I've totally lost my marbles! Nevertheless he asked where the sign was, and who knows, maybe he later had a look at it...

I really was glad he joined the conversation between Fito, me and the other C.H. "boys" in the dressing room. Hopefully it gave him a better picture of me! He seemed to be pleasently surprised when I asked him to sign his biography (finished 1986), which unfortunately is out of print since a long time but (as a fan of auto-biographies) I have bought it when it was released in Germany 1988. Although I never was a fan of Eric or the Animals I always was interested in what and how he's doing. Today I wonder why I never went to see him live and could kick me "somewhere" for that! Not many musicians knock me out off my shoes, but he's one of those. Seeing him on stage that night, listening to his voice and words - I was hooked in the first minute. By the way, seems it's the story of my life, I am always very late exploring "things". Mostly the so called "great times" have happened already, when people's works become meanful to me (even if I had recognized their existence when I was young). In this case I got the strong feeling, there's more to come. Eric Burdon reminds me on a good old solid and reliable car (or engine) which runs better and better with every mile it takes. A hippie maybe would say: He is like a flower which became kicked down again and again but always returned back to bloom after a while, stronger and more beautiful as it was before.
Not many ones like him around these days...

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LOGICAL RESULTS...
Believe me or not, in the following 4-5 weeks after above mentioned show I have added 33 Burdon CDs to my record collection (which still is growing) as well as got it managed to get hold of his movie "Comeback" (which I love) and the "Finally..." video, a great documentary about Eric's musical history. I do spend much time to listen to Burdon and / or Animals albums of various eras. Although there is a lot of great stuff from the "old days" and some really astonishing material of Eric's years afterwards, it's fact the Official Live Bootlegs 1 & 2 (from 1996/97) spin in my car's cd player as well as at home endlessly. F***ing great stuff! Raw and honest, full of dynamic and perfectly performed by a brilliant band and the best Blues singer around (my opinion). A definate Must Buy (available at the concerts) for anyone who is into music which is made by "real musicians on real instruments". Now I am eagerly waiting on the release of Eric Burdon's 2nd book and gave the first one another read. It always fetchs me because of its honesty. Sorry if I bore you with all this, it simply is impossible to hide my happyness about not being too late to get the chance to enjoy Eric Burdon live and alive. Never again I will miss a Burdon show in my area and if my financial possibilities will allow (hopefully soon) I also will fetch some of his gigs in America, that's for sure. I hope and wish he will never stop and always enjoys to sing and travel the world for people like me.

As a little thanks to Eric, Dean, Aynsley, Dave and Martin I straight started doing some promotion at my bands websites. In the meantime it came out as getting too big for staying a kind of "tip" only - at the moment I am working on a Burdon discography including tracks and covershots, also lots of photos were made at the gigs - it leds to the decision Eric & The New Animals deserve to have their own "area" in Gabi's Music Club. It can't and shall be no competition to Eric's official website nor to other Burdon pages on the net but a small addition to all this which hopefully helps to fetch more recognition for this outstanding man and his band.

TO THE NOTICE OF ERIC (if he really keeps the promise to check my webpages out)...
Thank you so very much for the "Good Times" - and two more special (and memorable) days in my life. I wish I would have been able to come to all your german gigs. It was very nice to spent some time with you and the boys.
I'm looking forward to see you again. Whenever, whereever - Anytime & always.
PLEASE TAKE CARE
(A GOOD SOUL NEEDS A FIT BODY TO LIVE IN) & NEVER STOP DREAMING!