Well, I have been to Dortmund. Instead of the soccer stadium I checked the Christmas market that brought me more than expected. Mulled wine brings pleasant mood, yeah expected. But my panic level jumping to max was totally unexpected though happened thanks to the lamest pick up attempt of the year. Hanging around the Christmas market I found a guy next to me who I had noticed earlier standing near me while I was sipping my mulled wine. It does not mean anything, so I thought and kept walking around. But the guy showed up again. Ok, it was time to take it seriously so I started to zigzag on purpose paying attention to avoid any eye contact with him. When the guy showed up yet again I was sure he was following me. By that time we got to the crowded shopping street where we had to walk around the people to keep forward. At one move he got ahead of me, for his bad luck, because from that moment I made sure to stay behind him and he could do nothing but glance back to see if I was still there. The solution came from the left. We reached a mall, the saver of women: numerous entrances and exits, security staff. Just to mention features of most value at that moment. So, with a sudden turn I entered the mall. He did not follow me there for my relief. After that, well, a bit shaking but I returned to my hotel to get ready for the concert.

I was not the only one not being in a hurry to reach the venue. A nice mass was still looping toward the entrance ten minutes before the official beginning. Slowly but surely I got in, too. With a little help I found my seat that was unexpectedly close to the round stage. Not on the side, of course, which the main attraction was to face but the Maestro and his band made themselves at home on the top of the cake that was even revolving, so everyone could be seen.

The philharmonic orchestra took its place first so they could start a short introduction while the band walked in and then finally the Maestro arrived, too. The orchestra and the band walked by me to the stage. All but the Maestro. He took the opposite side to walk up on stage. Dangerous (youtube video - sunlight526 – Mannheim) was the first song to found the mood followed by Superstition of Stevie Wonder. It must have been a goal of the Maestro to be seen by everyone in the hall since he immediately walked down the cake on our side so the people sitting behind the orchestra could see him up close, too. Thanks Maestro!

The next song was Viva La Vida and then Let It Go (youtube video - sunlight526 – Braunschweig) from Disney’s Frozen. Of course, the Maestro told stories between the songs. Before Let It Go he talked about how it felt strangers criticizing his private life and how he dealt with it. He was given a huge applause. It might have been the first but definitely was not the last time during the concert when the audience assured him of their love.

Kashmir of Led Zeppelin came as an old friend and was followed by Ghostbusters (youtube video - glorylove82 – Braunschweig) in the spirit of fun. That huge ghost was blown up right next to me.

Fun off, work on. The Maestro transformed the introduction of the next song into a mini training course on classical music to prove that everyone knows some classical melodies even without being aware of it. He played a couple of bars from Symphony No. 5 of Beethoven, Symphony in G minor of Mozart and Toccata and Fugue in D minor of Bach. And what came after the training course? The first movement from the Piano Concerto in B-flat minor of Tchaikovsky (youtube video - sunlight526 – Braunschweig).

When the audience calmed down they are no strangers to classical music, the Maestro demonstrated what the virtuosos of the genre are capable of. He chose Furious (youtube video - sunlight526 – Braunschweig) for this. A cameraman was standing in front of him on the stage aiming his camera at the violin so the audience could see on the screens how the Maestro played. In addition the staff was shown at the top of the screen and just like in karaoke the notes he played were highlighted. The staff kept going so fast it seemed running, it was hard to follow even with eyes. And he actually played it! If he keeps this up, he will set his violin on fire one day.

Then he stepped aside not to take a break but to give the floor to Editha who joined him on stage to sing Marathon (youtube video - Free Engel – Dortmund). Basing on the info crumbs I could decipher from the introduction words with my poor German, this could be the song that was not used for the album of his sister and ended up at him.

Adventure Island was next as a tribute to movie soundtracks then came the title song of the CD and the tour: Explosive (youtube video - Free Engel – Dortmund).. And that is when the dancer girls arrived wearing net tights and costumes looking like S&M dresses and danced in a way matches their costumes. Even Laocoön and His Sons would be unable to keep up with them. Well, I get the idea to present the atmosphere of the music video made for this song but even there it was so sad that only the two extremes of all the different female attributes were depicted in the shape of the ballerina and the pole dancer. I take the risk of saying that the dancer girls would have no complaints either if this twitching was no longer be a part of the choreography.

The last song before the intermission was Purple Rain (youtube video - Simone180978 – Dortmund) of Prince where the Maestro hit the electric strings. He has got the soul of a rock star, after all. And that was the first time when I realised that providing the base of music was not the only contribution the orchestra made to the show. Though it cannot be seen in the video, the strings took their bows off the strings with a spectacular gesture exactly the moment when the Maestro touched the electric ones with his. It was not a rebellion, though, more like a show for those sitting behind them since this song is one of the few when the Maestro does not walk around on the top of the cake.

During the intermission something, I had not noticed before, caught my attention. It is that so many children visit his concerts. So far, I have only noticed the hordes gathering in the hope of catching the prey but finally I had a glimpse of the future generation. One of them was holding a red, heart-shaped sign unfortunately too far from me to read what was written on it. Another one walked around the hall with a bouquet of flowers in the hand which must have been successfully given over in the second half of the concert.

Round two started with Summer (Storm) of Vivaldi and turned into a party with Nah Neh Nah (youtube video - glorylove82 – Braunschweig) of Vaya Con Dios. The dancers were not the only ones moving to the beat, even some members of the orchestra got on their feet, too. Of course, they focused on playing the music not moving to it but the spirits got high.

Live And Let Die of Paul McCartney was next followed by another adaptation: You’re The Inspiration (youtube video - sunlight526 – Mannheim) of Chicago. The interesting thing about it was that the Maestro walked off the cake to the audience and took a long tour in the hall before he got back on stage. Along the way he sat down on an empty chair beside someone and shook hands with others. An enthusiastic lady leaped to him at this concert, too. As far as I could see it not to cling to him, she looked like photobombing. Maybe there was someone taking a picture of them “together”.

The party went on with a nice sirtaki, Zorba’s Dance was next  (youtube video - glorylove82 – Braunschweig). All members of the band gathered up at the front of the cake for this short jam session that was washed away with Lose Yourself (youtube video - schnesi2004 – Braunschweig) of Eminem.

Sitting at the concert I did not know which songs of the CD were chosen for the programme, so I was really happy to hear Midnight Waltz. I would have felt sorry if this sweet waltz had been left out. At the end of it the Maestro walked out of the hall which was hard to understand why at that moment but everything made sense a bit later. The introduction ceremony was coming. At first, only his voice could be heard as he introduced every single participant. When there was only one more name to say, his own, Frank grabbed the mic to say it. Hearing his name the Maestro showed up at a different spot in the hall playing Fix You (youtube video - sunlight526 – Mannheim) while he walked up on stage. By this time something in the audience broke through. Drumming their feet and the applause kept on for long minutes. They simply did not let the little Maestro speak and he just did not know what to do in his sudden embarrassment. The video was taken in Mannheim. In Dortmund he tried to speak up three times when finally the audience let him go on with the show.

The violin-guitar duel (youtube video - Maya15711 – Braunschweig) was next for which the Maestro grabbed his electric violin again in the name of equal opportunities. Then came How Many Times (youtube video - Gabriele Stephan – Mannheim) where Editha returned to the stage to sing.

The rocker self of the Maestro lit up with the adaptation of yet another rock-metal classic, a song of Rage Against The Machine this time, Killing In The Name Of (youtube video - Le Ni – Nürnberg). It is clearly shown in the video that this tour is not short of flames either but definitely cannot boast with as much as the previous one. Some pop after rock. And who else but Michael Jackson? They Don’t Care About Us (youtube video - schnesi2004 – Braunschweig) was the next song and the audience gave longer and longer applause.

Music (youtube video - Sandylein2702 – Braunschweig) of John Miles was performed like a finale with confetti sprinkled over the audience and some firework at the end. The show earned a standing ovation, of course, the audience wanted some more. And the musicians were generous enough to add an encore. One Moment In Time (youtube video - glorylove82 – Baunschweig) wrapped up the concert. The Maestro played the final notes while he was walking out of the hall. It made me think of Farewell Symphony of Haydn. Why not? We are talking about training on music, right?

There was no chance for another encore, so everyone headed for the exits. A huge mass of people piled up at the subway since there was a soccer match in the neighbouring stadium that night but nothing could wipe the full moon smile off my face.

And to make the patient readers smile, too, here are some more pics from the concert: