07-Nov-1995 - Köln, Luxor

Klaus Kluge, Germany, 8-Nov-95
(from a posting to the White-House mailing list)

Just returned from another mesmerizing Bobo concert, and I found I wouldn't mind seeing some more concerts on this tour. Although it was basically the same as two days before in Oberhausen, it's interesting to find the little differences. And you always find something new, even more then when listening to the same record again and again. But I probably won't be going to one of the other, further away shows, unless someone manages to talk me into it. :)

To my disappointment the Luxor wasn't sold out. In May, even Sara Craig attracted more people, a canadian singer/songwriter who I thought was completely unknown over here.

In my last report, I already mentioned the small stage of the Luxor, and my fear that Bobo won't have enough space with 5 more musicians and their instruments. Well, I forgot that she is the boss. :)
She had enough space since the band was positioned either far behind or on the very edges of the stage.

The good thing about this club and it's stage is it's intimacy. It's pretty low, and the audience can stand right before it. Someone only slightly taller than me could stand on eyelevel with Bobo, only two or three feet away. Scary thought. Definitely a reason for me not to go on stage (apart from that I can't sing).

The set list was exactly the same as in Oberhausen. I noticed how much Bobo and band have grown in the last years, musically. The variety in songs and arrangements was impressive. Three years ago your choice was basically either a loud or a quiet song.

Bungee had a very Devo'esque feeling for me this evening (from the drum and keyboard lines). If you promise not to tell anybody else: I even put on two old Devo records after I returned home. :)

I still don't know the title of the very last song, that orchestrated cover song I mentioned before. I managed to look on the set list that the girl in front of me snatched from the stage after the concert, but I just couldn't read that handwriting. It started with "How ...". Not much help.

Comparisons between Bobo and Björk had been around for quite a while, and I never really subscribed to that view. But on this last song I now can understand it. It's a song Björk could have covered, with a very similar arrangement, and Bobo's singing style was definitely influenced by Björk. Still don't hear much of Björk in the other songs.

So it's probably "Goodbye Bobo" for this year. I'm hoping that we don't have to wait too long for the next tour.

Hmmm, how about next May? :)