Thank you Jan and Kay for such a lovely time… what a magical kingdom you both have forged with Hark to Towler. Both shows were some of the best, especially with everyone singing to Brave New World. Most of the people from both shows had apparently attended the Manchester show two weeks back, and now had that song in particular on their minds. Many people had made long drives to come and you have my gratitude for making the journey. Also to the three couple’s who confessed to having ‘Stronger than Steel’ be their wedding song… I am honored. The Network seems to have touched many lives and I feel proud to have had the pleasure of performing and living beside such good men as Dan, Brion, Blake and Melvin.  It was and is my foundation… and not forgotten. I look forward to returning to the Manchester/Bury area soon! The late night jam session was priceless, and the laughter shared will be remembered for years to come. Sebastian… keep those parents of yours in line!  And finally it is good to see such respect and hope for Mr. Obama… the world is inspired by him winning this election, and the light has been turned on in the hearts of so many that had lost faith in American politics… beautiful. 

Jan, thank you for your passion to have put this show on, and I appreciate you already getting to work booking more shows throughout Norway in April. What stood out most at the Oslo performance was the number of musicians attending, some who are quite successful in Norway. To hear all your loving comments about the past and the present was deeply inspiring. Music can be a powerful force for good energy… and to have these very talented musician’s support puts me beside myself. Thank you to all who made it to the show and also those who made the trek long distance to attend. The next day I was able to spend the afternoon alone traveling to the castle and fortress on the waterway, the old city hall building decorated with massive painted murals of the labor and joy the people of Norway have put in to forging their nation. I will post some photo’s here soon from this wandering. It was breathtaking. I am looking forward to returning in April and possibly doing the big concert the musicians suggested… could be magic. 

Stockholm was yet another warm evening of great energy and good emotions. It was pointed out by an audience member that it was 20 years to the date that Dan Reed Network first played in Sweden at the club then called Melody… it has since moved to another location, I hear… yet holds the same name. Like the Marquee gig in London, our first in the UK, the Melody Club show in Stockholm was unforgettable. Now 20 years later to return, the first show in almost 13 years, was a great experience. I was able to see many old friends… also many I had been conversing wtih on Myspace and Facebook… and even had the joy of connecting with Robert Hultman, who once worked for Polygram and was the guiding force in our past success in this most beautiful country. The train ride from Goteborg to Stockholm was calming as the serene lakes and endless forests and farmlands wheeled by through the misty air outside the windows of the train. Ahh… to live in the countryside of Sweden in my next life would be a peice of heaven for sure. 

Thank you to AEG, the most helpful staff at Berns… especially Caroline! Ulf and Micke for the desire to do some photos, to Brollan for running sound, to John and Bo for coming to the show, Suzanne for your undying faith, to Rebeca for un-expectantly turning up the light in my heart and soul, to Nathalie Olsson for your kind heart… congratulations on the upcoming marriage! Alfred… not sure if you made it, but hope you enjoyed the new songs. Thank you to Classic Rock Radio with Ian and Ima! Renne… what a suprise!! Vanessa a joy to meet you and your mother. And to my dear friend Teresia… my deepest apology for the mess up on the list. I was honored to see you again, and was happy to hear the music moved you… the crystal is magic and the book from many years ago is appreciated more than you know.  

See you all in April… it has been a true joy returning to Sweden. 

Like the UK shows, the audience in Goteborg was wonderful! Seeing old friends was such a loving feeling, and the comments after the show once again re-inforced my reasoning for writing this collection of new songs. One couple of women said perhaps the most inspiring comment to date with regards to the new songs. They mentioned that they had been experiencing difficult times and were considering seeking physcological help. They said that hearing the new songs  lifted their worries and said “All we really needed was to hear these lyrics and all was better.” As I remember back to traveling India, I had written a mission statement as to what I had hoped to accomplish with writing new songs. The statement summary is “These must be love songs to our soul, to our friends and family, to whatever we believe the higher power is, but most of all they need to be love songs to ourselves, to remind us that life is short, but precious… challenging, yet beautiful.” I may have penned the words and formed the chord progressions and melodies, but I truly believe the songs came from somewhere else inside that is inter-connected with all those who have been hungering for simple, yet uplifting music. Thank you to all the wonderful people whose smiling faces in Goteborg made it a true welcoming back to Sweden.

Especially my thanks to Nathalie for working hard on the show, and big love to Kim, a new friend that was most gracious during every moment of my stay in Goteborg… thank you for helping me find my way and for your humble assistance.  And to Anders and the Magic Ollson Sister’s… it was GREAT to see you all and congratulations on all the new children in your respective families!  Nathalie… my humble gratitude for making the journey from Malmo. 

 
I will say the crowd in London was by far the most vocal of the five shows in the UK, singing almost in Chorus to all the old songs, often making me forget I was suppose to be singing too… it was startling and at the same time I was overcome with a deep appreciation for the past and a vision for what is to come. I met Alex who traveled from Spain to come to the show, and a lovely couple from France that made the journey as well. The five shows booked through Live Nation were an amazing re-entry back in to the live music word in Europe and I am most grateful to all who came to support, re-live the past, and listen to the future of the music. Thank you Mick for the interview, George for all the video and camera work and especially Andy Copping and Toni Metcalf for making these shows come to fruition and believing in me once again. I am more inspired than ever… and I realize that I have come home to music, never to retreat again. See you all again in April. Words cannot describe the emotion of joy everyone has given me… so I will say simply ‘Thank you for believing and for never forgetting’.

And yet another beautiful show in Nottingham thanks to the all the lovely souls that attended. I so appreciate the attention playing solo acoustic  I have been utterly blown away by the love and comments after the show, and the smiles during. Thank you for all the hugs and supportive comments during the signing afterwards. I feel truly blessed to have been able to come back to this magic city of good energy and meet so many passionate souls and for sharing your stories with me. Thank you Rescue Rooms for the nice food and good vibes. See you in April!