Greetings, Everyone,
May you be having a wonderful End of Summer, this 2011.
Here is a story about the one concert we played in Norway this past summer tour. On July 30, we flew to Bergen from Helsinki. (That's another story!...) It was evening and we flew into the setting sun over lush green valleys, deep blue harbors and lakes, and smooth grey-white glaciers spread like creme fraiche on the highest mountain peaks.
Eight days before, Norway suffered a terrorist attack with the car bombing and shooting that took the lives of dozens of people, most barely beyond childhood. The letter included below, I wrote to the band and crew the morning after our arrival, the day of the concert in Bergen.
To give you a bit of background, On 9/11, 2001, I was in Manhattan staying on 77th between Lexington and Broadway in the middle of my first tour with Joe. We spent the next three days in the city due to the bridges and tunnels being closed (again, another story or three), until leaving on the morning of the 14th to make a show that night in Boston.
There was some question about whether we were doing the right thing— if we should go on, if we should give it a break, but speaking for myself, just a few notes into the set, I knew this is exactly where I wanted to be, exactly what I needed to be doing. It was one of the most emotional concerts I've every done. At the end of "A Little Help From My Friends", when the band breaks down and the girls are softly singing the gentle whoops over the organ line, Joe sang an opening line I will never forget:
"We just gotta rock on..."
Tears flowed freely as my fingers found the keys on their own for a spell.
In that spirit I was moved to write the letter below to my tour family, the morning of our show in Bergen, Norway:...
July, 31, 2011
Dear Friends, Tour Mates, Citizens of the World!...
Want to share with you a bit of a letter I received a few days ago, written by a friend who lives in Oslo.
So you are heading this way soon....
If you have watched the news at all the last week,I guess you know what has happened here,and it´s quite a special time to come here now.
These attacks are the worst thing that has happened here since world war2,and it feels so unreal that things like these are taking place here...but so it is...
The bomb was placed between "your" hotel and my place,a very short walk from here,it´s completely crazy!
And then he shot and killed 68 kids and young people who were participating in a political summer camp...
I must say,this has been so painful for all of us,and I think that everybody has been crying...
Which is good,of course,and what we see is that there is already good and wonderful things growing up from this horrible thing,people do react strongly WITH LOVE,it is amazing!
No one is mentioning hate or revenge,everybody on all levels are just talking about love and care and open hearts, and this has been, and is a very, very beautiful thing to experience.
In this way we can create a meaning out of this sad situation.
That must be the purpose of it all.... Of course, you cannot talk about a higher purpose and a meaning to people here these days, but I´m sure there is one or more of them.
Seems like these attacks took the whole country to a higher level of consciousness, people are opening up, and there are hidden blessings in all things, you know.
Well, enough of this for now, probably, and hopefully you will not notice much at all, coming in, and leaving the next day...
On that note, I hear there's a Big Rock Show tonight! Feelin' the Love over here!...
Peace, NM
Arriving in Norway last night:
Thanks, for listening. Here is the audience from that evening in Bergen:
Thanks for listening...
In Love, Light and Blessings,
Nick
PS...
Visit Milomon.com and the What's New page for past Updates, Cocker.com for more tour info, photos and what's coming next.
As always, if you wish to be taken off the update list, just send a reply stating your wish, and it will be done.
No comments:
Post a Comment