Nov 19 2006Delirious, with all there support behind them, ended the tour of Europe in Paris, Euro Disney village. In a big tent that looked as if it should be on tour with cirque de soles, with its huge circular centre and pitch black interior, I could already see the sound bouncing around this vast space and at nine am I tried my very best to understand what the local crew were telling me and waited for the truck to arrive from the very long drive we had just made from Winterthur, Switzerland.
The Delirious Production truck had a trailer packed from front to back with everything they needed to be heard, seen, smiled and cheered upon by the thousands of faithful fans that I have seen over the 26 show dates.
Paris was no exception and there was also some very strong support for Delirious's touring support act, Reuben Morgan.
Now when you tour with rock bands like I do then you get to see and do some very strange things and in the trade we like to do, what is somewhat of a tradition, a little thing called prank night, usually at the last date of the tour but sometimes second to last night. The guitar technician told us that seeing that we had ended up in Euro Disney that it would be a good idea to dress up as a Disney characters and do all our changeovers in costume. I didn't really take him seriously but should have because when I saw him walk onstage wearing a Minnie mouse outfit I couldn't stop laughing. While the two Stu's, Jon and Tim tried to keep a straight face Martin asked the crowd if they had seen Minnie Mouse. From about halfway down the arena to the back there was a cheer, if you were anywhere near the front row the sight was a little scarier than Minnie Mouse.
With all the laughs put aside the Delirious show, on and off stage, is as professional a production as any I have seen, earning them great respect with not only me and my counterparts but also thru all the venues form sports halls, churches, arenas, tents and theatres from Belfast to Vienna. I applaud the boys, wish them well for the future and thank them for the fond memories I will carry thru my next tours. Kia kaha, Be strong.
Nov 18 2006Ich hatte das Vorrecht delirious? auf ihrer Europatour live in Winterthur (Schweiz) zu sehen.
Ich kam mit hohen Erwartungen und einem offenen Herzen zur Location. Im Wissen, dass ich delirious? bereits vier Mal gesehen habe und sie mich noch nie enttäuscht hatten, wuchs die Spannung zusätzlich. Ich würde delirious? ausserdem zum ersten Mal mit ihrem eigenen Soundmaterial und ihrer eigenen Lichtshow sehen.
Reuben Morgan und seine Band eröffneten den Abend auf eine spezielle Art und Weise. Mit seiner ziemlich ruhigen Art und mit wenigen Worten schaffte er es, die leidenschaftlich wirkenden Besucher ruhig zu machen. Er führte das Publikum in eine intime und Gott fokussierte Anbetungszeit. Seine Musik bewegte mein Herz zutiefst.
Die Tonqualität der jungen Band aus Australien hätte nicht besser sein können. Die Tontechniker haben in der ganzen Halle einen genialen Sound abgemischt! Was den Auftritt zusätzlich speziell machte war die Tatsache, dass dies Reuben Morgans Schweizer Premiere war.
Nachdem sich die Australier von der Bühne verabschiedet hatten, fiel ein leicht durchsichtiger schwarzer Vorhang vor der Bühne von der Decke herunter. Dies gab den Technikern und Roadies die Gelegenheit die Bühne bereit zu machen. Kurze Zeit darauf betraten Martin, Stu G, Stew S, Jon und Tim in weissen Anzügen die Bühne und begannen ihr Set mit ?Here I Am Send Me'. Nach ein paar Akkorden fiel der Vorhang herunter, was dem Publikum die Gelegenheit gab die d:boys genauer zu mustern.
Delirous? schaffte es sofort die Herzen des Publikums zu packen indem sie eine unglaubliche Atmosphäre kreierten. Die Kombination zwischen Worship und Show war phänomenal und ihre Bühnenperformance strotzte mit kleinen Details und Finessen. Es ist bemerkenswert wie die Qualität ihrer Show gar besser schien als diejenige auf der brandneuen Live-DVD ?Now Is The Time: Live From Willow Creek'. Einer der berührendsten Momente des ganzen Konzertes war als Martin mit Hilfe eines Scheinwerfers während dem Song ?Now Is The Time' die Zuschauer beleuchtete.
Die D:boys spielten Songs von all ihren Alben und auch ihre üblichen Klassiker liessen sie nicht aus. Ein Song muss an dieser Stelle hervorgehoben werden: ?The Happy Song'! Die Bühnenroadies brachten mitten im Set fünf kleine Keyboards auf die Bühne und delirious? präsentierte den Song auf eine moderne, erfrischende und lustige Art und Weise. ?Dieser Song wurde von so vielen Fans immer wieder gewünscht, aber wir haben uns viele Jahre lang geweigert ihn zu spielen', erklärte Martin den Zuschauern. Dann fragte er Tim, ob er erklären könne wieso, worauf dieser in perfektem Deutsch antwortete: ?Weil es ein Country- Song ist!' Es war sehr amüsant die Jungs in einer Reihe stehen zu sehen mit denselben Instrumenten. Eines steht fest: Ich könnte mich durchaus daran gewöhnen!
Eine perfekte Zugabe nach dem normalen Set war der Song ?Take Off Your Shoes'. Ich denke dieser Song hat einer der tiefsten Botschaften, die delirious? je geschrieben hat. Das Konzert hätte nicht besser enden können!
Dieses delirious?-Konzert hat mich einmal mehr sehr geprägt. Jeder Song hat mich zu Gottes Thron geführt und liess mich seine Gegenwart klar und deutlich spüren.
Ich finde kaum Worte um das zu beschreiben, was die delirous?-Musiker bei jedem Konzert zeigen. Gott hat ihnen viel Talent geschenkt um Musik zu machen, die ihn ehrt. Es war schon immer ein Geschenk Teil der delirious?-Mission zu sein und hautnah mitzuerleben, wie sie viele Menschenleben beeinflussen. Jede Show scheint für mich in meinem (geistlichen) Leben ein neuer Schritt vorwärts zu sein.
Möge Gott euch fünf D:boys segnen! Danke, dass ihr uns Schweizer immer wieder daran erinnert, dass wir Historymakers (=Geschichtsschreiber) in Jesus Christus sind. Kommt so schnell wie möglich zurück! 
Nov 17 2006Today was a good day! It started early as Stew and I got up to wish our girls (Sarah his wife and Kaitlyn my eldest daughter) a happy birthday. so here's an official Happy Birthday from us all!!
2 dates from the end, and I'm starting to get in reflective mood! The Mission Bell has resounded in 24 different venues so far, each one holding different memories. Tonight we rang it loud in Lemgo. There are already a great number of memories from this tour. One thing I will take away with me is what a fantastic team we have. You start with an idea, you give it to Ian Cattle and like a master builder he draws it all together pulling from the industry's finest. We have grown to love and respect them all, not least because they work their butts off everyday to help us bring our dreams into reality. It has been an honour also to travel with Reuben Morgan and, in the UK, Tim Hughes. Along with their bands we've had a brilliant time!
We've met some extraordinary people along the way. People like Brother Johannes Lechner in Vienna a Catholic Monk and a man devoted to living a different way than most of us. I will never forget sitting, chatting with him, asking question after question about his life and how to apply some of those things to our incredibly noisy and busy lives. He encouraged us to sanctify our time and spend a couple of minutes in silence everyday. So today for 5 minutes we sat around the candles in our dressing room and did and said nothing! We then took them on stage and lit them during Miracle Maker specifically sending prayers up for my dad who is battling cancer, Matt's dad who's fighting Parkinsons, Tim from Mai Day whose dad is also having treatment for cancer. We all had people we were thinking about.
For the 2 hours on stage we live a very public life and it's a privilege to share it all with you.
See you in Switzerland.
Nov 16 2006One of the best parts of the day has to be after the show and a little get together with the R Morgan boys as it was Jared’s birthday, 24 years old, I reminisced and gave advice and remembered that when I was 24 we started Cutting Edge, it was to be the beginning of something that would change our lives and hopefully a few others along the way. My advice…
Nov 12 2006david schwarzbauer - music editor for YOU! Magazine, host and Vienna city guide for Delirious?
Spanische Hofreitschule, Arthur Miller und Delirious?
Nicht wie jeden Sonntagmorgen sind meine Frau und ich zum Gasometer gefahren, um dort die Jungs von Dilirious? abzuholen, um ihnen eine Ahnung davon zu geben, was an Wien eigentlich so großartig ist. Wir entschlossen uns, in die Stadt zu fahren und sie dort ein wenig herumzuführen: Stephansdom, Peterskirche, Graben, Hofburg, Heldenplatz und ein Wegweiser zur Spanischen Hofreitschule (genau, das sind diese weißen Pferdchen, die auf ihren Hinterbeinen stehen!) waren dann scheinbar doch nicht so interessant, dass diese uns im Freien hätten halten können. Aufgrund des feucht-kalten Wetters beschlossen wir also in das Wien der späten 1940er zurückzureisen: Wir gingen in das Hawelka, eines der letzten der großen zentraleuropäischen Tradition entsprechenden Literaten- und Künstlerkaffeehäusern überhaupt.
Sowohl Einheimische als auch Touristen sind hier über die Jahrzehnte hinweg abgestiegen, um sich im Rampenlicht von namhaften Berühmtheiten, wie die Schriftsteller Friedrich Torberg, H.C. Artmann, Arthur und Henry Miller, Pop Art Ikone Andy Warhol, Dirigent Nikolaus Harnoncourt und Architekt Friedensreich Hundertwasser beispielsweise und seit kurzem auch Delirious? natürlich, sonnen zu können.
Nach einer großartigen Zeit mit unfreundlichen Kellnern (Martin, wenn du einen Cappuccino willst, fahr nach Italien!) in authentischer Wiener Atmosphäre, einem Haufen Melange und österreichischen Buchteln (leider kein Apfelstrudel!) war es wieder an der Zeit, ins Gasometer zurückzukehren, um das zu machen, wofür Delirious? eigentlich nach Wien gekommen waren: Anbeten.
An jenem Abend waren Delirious? der Hauptact des ?Key 2 Life 4 Peace" Events, das vom katholischen Jugendmagazin YOU! und der Erzdiözese Wien veranstaltet wurde. Unterstützt durch ein paar österreichische Bands (?Find Fight Follow", ?Mek MC", ?Fresh"), ?October Light" aus Kroatien und Rueben Morgan von Australien haben Delirious? die Bühne erobert und fast 2000 junge Menschen aus Rumänien, Kroatien, Ungarn, Tschechien, der Slowakei, Deutschland und natürlich Österreich in die Gegenwart Gottes gesungen. Gewaltig! Die Halle, in welcher in ein paar Tagen Evanescence ihre Seele aus dem Leib rocken werden, während Oasis, Maroon 5 und Avril Lavigne das schon hinter sich haben, wurde in eine Kapelle verwandelt, in welcher Menschen erneut beschlossen haben, Geschichteschreiber (History Maker) zu werden und Gott baten, in ihr Leben zu kommen und ihnen zu helfen, Apostel der Liebe und des Friedens Christi sein zu können. Unglaublich!
Die Musik, die Botschaft, die Art, wie ihr Jungs das Evangelium lebt. Einfach nur atemberaubend! Noch einmal Danke, dass ihr unsere Gäste ward, dass ihr eure wunderbare Musik und eure Botschaft nach Österreich gebracht habt und dass ihr ein wenig österreichische Kultur mit uns zelebriert habt.
PS.: Tim: Ich auch habe keinen hund. Und keine kase und brott in fruh weil du alles hast essen in abend. Aber wie auch immer, du hast Recht: Gott ist gut!
Danke noch einmal für alles.
Nov 11 2006Stuttgart, Germany
Ich heisse Tim Jupp und ich wohne aus England in der nahe von Worthing. Ich bin fierzig jahre alt, aber wenn ich zwolf jahre alt sein, habe ich Deutsch in die schule nur fur drei jahren gelernt. Meinen Deutsch ist nicht so gut und ich kann nur ein bistchen Deutsch verstanden. Ich habe einen schwester und einen bruder. Meinen fruenden sind Stu G, Stew, Martin und Jonathan. Meinen frau heist Becca und ich habe vier kinder. Ich habe keinen hund.
Heute sind wir in Stuggart. Wir sind in der BGG gemeindschaft . Das fruhstuck ist sehr gut. Wir haben kase und brott essen und ich habe kafe getrinken. Spater, haben wir viel lasagne essen- schmeckt gut! Heute abend haben wir einen konzert in die kirche. Die konzert sind zehr laut. Die menschen haben sehr gut gesungen.
Jetzt bin ich im tourbus und ich muss jetzt schlafen . Ich kann meinen Deutsch nicht verstanden, das ist nicht so gut. Auf wiedersehen meinen freund! Gott is gut!
Nov 10 2006I woke up in my bus bunk at about 9 am today. Last night we were in Germany. This morning when I stepped off the bus with my wash bag to find somewhere to clean my teeth, I realised we're definitely in Holland now. There were bicycles everywhere.
The venue tonight is a large sports hall. Lights were loading in, the stage was there, and by about 2 pm everything was set up and pretty much ready for the sound checks to begin at 4. That gave me 2 hours with nothing to do. That hasn't happened much on this tour so far, so Matt (Front of house engineer), Owen (system tech) and myself set off into town to explore.
Barneveld is a nice town. It definitely had a Christmas vibe to it today. Lots of coats and scarves and gloves and everyone has a bicycle. Matt almost talked himself into buying one, but settled for a very nice pink flying V mandolin/guitar instead. Just his colour.
Sound checks went well. I've been running monitors for Reuben Morgans band on this tour as well as Delirious which has been more work than usual but fun. Jon decided since he's not actually worn his in-ear monitors for any soundchecks in the last 5 or 6 shows, he'd try out a wedge on stage tonight just for a change. When I caught up with him afterwards his words were "mmm the grass is always greener" so it will be back to normal tomorrow.
We had about 2500 in tonight. It was a great show. The end of Miracle Maker was extra special tonight with Martin on his back on the floor almost pleading with God. Just before one of the songs someone handed up a home made banner saying "Stew Smith - you are the best drummer in the world" It got taped to the front of the kick drum for the rest of the set.
We had a very helpful load out crew tonight which is always good, so it was a quick shower and back on the bus by midnight and straight in my bunk for an early night. Next stop Stuttgart, Germany.
Nov 08 2006
Nov 05 2006I went into breakfast seeing stars and attempted to muster a few thoughts together, while Stew kindly administered the antiseptic wipes and the germolene protective skin.
I’m on a quest to discover more about King David at the minute, you know stuff like when he played his harp and Saul’s demons left him, I believe that music can be that powerful still. So I’ve been reading the Psalms and Psalm 63 struck me again. I found out that he probably wrote that when he was fleeing for his life from his own son Absalom (the story’s in 2 Samuel 15). His first reaction was to go to the mountain to worship. Now I wish I could say that when I banged my head, my first reaction was to go to the mountain to worship and that what came out was amazing prayer poetry, but you’d have to ask Jon to find out my true reaction!
But all in all today was a good day! And now we sit at the airport waiting for our flight back to the UK for a couple of days off at home, reflecting on this weekend. Our first on the European leg of the tour, grateful for great crowds, great gigs and a fantastic crew that we love being around as they help us do what we do.
We’re all a little achy from our on the road fitness club but I’ll let someone else talk about that!
See you in Geneva
Nov 05 2006tonsberg, norway
Today I was woken up with a lovely gentle stroke on the arm from Ian
our tour manager. He informed me that breakfast was inside and that we
had a seminar to speak at in 20 minutes. 20 minutes?! (shout this
loudly for full effect). Now I like to prepare for this sort of thing
but today, no chance! So I got up, got dressed, danced on one leg for a
while as I couldn’t get my sock on, grabbed my stuff went down the
stairs launched myself towards the open bus door then......banged my
head!
I went
into breakfast seeing stars and attempted to muster a few thoughts
together, while Stew kindly administered the antiseptic wipes and the
germolene protective skin.
I’m on a quest to discover more about King David at the minute, you
know stuff like when he played his harp and Saul’s demons left him, I
believe that music can be that powerful still. So I’ve been reading the
Psalms and Psalm 63 struck me again. I found out that he probably wrote
that when he was fleeing for his life from his own son Absalom (the
story’s in 2 Samuel 15). His first reaction was to go to the mountain
to worship. Now I wish I could say that when I banged my head, my first
reaction was to go to the mountain to worship and that what came out
was amazing prayer poetry, but you’d have to ask Jon to find out my true reaction!
But all in all today was a good day! And now we sit at the airport
waiting for our flight back to the UK for a couple of days off at home,
reflecting on this weekend. Our first on the European leg of the tour,
grateful for great crowds, great gigs and a fantastic crew that we love
being around as they help us do what we do.
We’re all a little achy from our on the road fitness club but I’ll let
someone else talk about that!
See you in Geneva
Peace
Nov 04 2006Konserten
var fantastisk!!! Jag hade varit på en Delirious? konsert en gång förut
när jag var 16. På den tiden brydde jag mig inte så mycket om att leva helhjärtat för Gud, men sången ‘History maker’ lämnade en bestående
stämpel på mitt hjärta den kvällen nästan 8 år sedan. Gud har använt
den sången för att påminna mig om att Han har en plan för mitt liv.
Idag är jag en history maker och berör många ungdomars liv som
ungdomsledare. Det var en väldigt stark upplevelse att höra den sången
igen och höra orden som Martin sade till tonåringarna som var där! Jag
fick tårar i mina ögon när Martin talade
med den tioåriga tjejen och började sjunga ‘You’re not too young to
sing this song, you just need to dream...’. Samma uppmuntran som jag
själv fick
för 8 år sedan under er konsert gick ut till dagens tonåringar den
kvällen. Sveriges ungdomar behövde det! Genom hela konserten satte ni
Jesus i centrum och det är därför jag älskar det ni gör! Er musik är
cool och fräsch. Ert uppträdande, med alla ljus och
kostymer och screen shows, är så proffsigt och imponerande. Men utan
Jesus i centrum skulle det inte fungera. Den ödmjukhet jag såg i er
under hela dagen var likväl där på scenen och det är häftigt!
Vad kan jag säga... Gud rörde vid många liv genom er musik den kvällen!!! Budskapet om att mission bell (missions klockan) ringer kunde inte ha passat bättre ihop med budskapet som gick ut under hela konferensen. Jag tror att många unga människor fattade beslutet under konferensen att stå upp för Jesus oavsett vad som händer. Jag är helt tagen! Och så glad att det finns ett kristet band som spelar den coolaste musiken man kan be om men som inte kompromissar med att stå upp för Jesus. You guys rock!!! Det var en ära och ett privilegium att välkomna er till vår församling här i Uppsala! Tack att ni kom och Gud välsigne er i allt ni gör!!!
Nov 03 2006Martin var i topform - og sammen med resten af bandet gav de los, og spillede en både salvet, men også fed rock-koncert i bedste stil. Deres engagement og store lyst til at spille og samtidig lave sjov og show blev udvist i Martin's akrobatiske megafon-sang med en fod på en publikums skulder og en anden på et vakkelvornt scenehegn.
Men mest af alt var stemningen intim, tæt og familiær. Publikum var i alle aldre, hvilket gav intensiteten kant og fællesskab. Dette blev på alle måder også hjulpet på vej af Delirious' fantastiske sceneshow. Mange sange havde custom-made bagtæppe produktioner, der både hjalp, men så absolut også inspirerede én til at forstå, hvad det var, man sang med på.
Delirious' velsignelse og gave ligger i deres kombination af at spille lovsang og rock, latter og alvor, show og intimitet og meget mere, men alt med Jesus som centrum. Det var en helt igennem forrygende oplevelse at være deltagende i Delirious' kun tredje koncert på dansk jord (så vidt jeg er informeret), for det var netop det man var - deltagende. Det var ikke et upersonligt og fjernt show, men et show med alle som V.I.P.'s.
-lea and david, dk.
Finally, Delirious planned their tour, so they would include little Denmark. I would say that almost all of the Danish Christian youth had looked forward to this gig. And for those who were able to get in, they were not disappointed. Delirious fans had come from all over the country expecting a great gig and in great numbers (Danish standards at least). KulturSalen (the CultureHall) was almost sold out and there were times when Martin would say 'jump' where you could do nothing but jump. It has to be said that Reuben Morgan warmed up the crowd extremely well with his amazing worship songs full of heart and encouragement. Martin and the rest of the band did extremely well, and they played a full-blown anointed rock'n'roll concert. Their desire to be there and play but at the same time have a good time was obvious especially in Martin's acrobatic performance with a megaphone, standing with one foot on the shoulder of a trembling and random guy in the audience and a wobbly stage fence.
But most of all, the atmosphere was intimate, up-close and familiar. The audience were both young and old, which gave the intensity that extra edge and fellowship. This ambience was accompanied by Delirious' incredible multimedia productions on the backdrop that not only helped, but inspired you to understand what it was you and the band were singing about.
The blessing and gift of Delirious lays in their ability to combine worship and rock'n'roll, laughter and honesty, show and intimacy and more, but all with the same centre - Jesus. It was an altogether great experience to be part of Delirious' only third performance on Danish soil (as far as I know), and that was excactly what you were - a part of it. It wasn't a distant and impersonal show, but a show in which everyone was a V.I.P.
-lea and david, dk.
Nov 01 2006Now, I know where you think I'm going to go with this. You reckon I'm going to link into a point about how last night's crowd in Reading were equally generous with their praise and appreciation of the band. Well, I'm not. I'm simply saying that there's a misleading ATM out there that needs to be dealt with.
And I can't tell you much about last night's gig either. It had been a stressful day, I was tired, late and only managed to arrive just before the band went on. And then I left before Martin had even taken his jacket off. So this isn't going to be much of a review.
Actually, this is going to be the mother of all reviews. If you don't mind I'm going to give it all I've got and indulge myself in a double dose of blatant opinion-mongering about that weird phenomenon that is a Delirious gig.
So many gigs, so many highlights. Having been around the band for plenty of years I'm glad to say that a good chunk of my memory banks is given up to recollections of watching Delirious play live. The first time of seeing them lead worship as Cutting Edge in their home town school hall I was left feeling unusually quiet yet unseasonably warm inside. I felt the same when my soul got whacked with the debut of the bare-knuckle fist otherwise known as I'm Not Ashamed Of The Gospel. There was the carnival atmosphere that rolled out from the gigs on Littlehampton Beach Green and how, sitting up in the stands, it was easy to see the way the crowd moved like a Roman legion at the Wembley Stadium gig. As those few thousand people migrated round to the side of the stage where the band had set up, it was clear that Delirious meant something hugely significant to an army of believers. Not long after, with the band main stage at an outdoor festival, I abandoned my usual stationary position at the side of the crowd and piled in to join in with the chaos down there at the front and center. I remember the gigs in muddy fields, tiny venues and the perilous state of the balcony at the Shepherd's Bush Empire that seemed destined to collapse under the weight of all that jumping. I remember Martin on crutches, scarred yet healed, singing 'All I Want Is You', with me echoing the words with all the passion and sincerity that I could muster.
These are all good memories and ones I'm grateful for. But there was one moment that burned its way deeper into me than all the others. It was another gig, I can't even remember the tour or the year, but as I stood in the balcony and turned away from the stage I was captivated by the looks on the faces of those we mistakenly call 'the audience'. Something profound was going on, and it finally made sense to me. I'd always wondered what it was that made a Delirious gig so powerful - apart from the obvious. Looking out on the audience, on you, it became clear. More than any band I'd seen before, or since, Delirious offer something significant to those that come and watch: the chance to belong, the chance to be united, to be passionate and proud and present when thousands or hundreds or tens of others are standing alongside you. It's there on the smiles and in the eyes of the departing crowd that you can see the real after show party. It's the tales of someone getting fired up about their faith, of people leaving determined to try harder, of hopes restored and new dreams implanted for a bolder future... those are the gig reviews I think matter the most.
