Slade in Skoerping

Saturday the 6th of October Slade played in the town Skoerping, Denmark, a 3 hours train ride away from Odense where I live. I went on my own this time while my daughter Tea stayed with some friends.
I arrived in Skoerping at 5.30 p.m. and with a little help from some fans I managed to find the venue, a sports centre. Don was there and as he had already finished the sound check we had a little time to talk I got rid of my bag and coat in the dressing room and half an hour later Hanne arrived with some friends. Don, Hanne and the crew went to have dinner at the venue whereas the friends went to town to eat. I had already eaten in the train so there was not much for me to do except hang around.
Slowly people started to arrive when the doors opened at 7 p.m. Most of them had been eating at the sports centre where you could get a fantastic meal for £ 7 if you went to the concert. Actually 550 people had been eating there! Anyway, I said hello to hardcore-fans Per and Kirsten and a few others whom I knew. Then the friends came back from town and around 8 o’clock Slade had finished eating. They went to the dressing room to get changed while Sweet went on stage. By then the venue was packed with people.
When Sweet left the stage 1½ hours later Don went on to set up his drums. Mikael Helmuth and most of the cast from the “Oliver T.” musical at the Team theatre had arrived at that time and we talked for a while. Don finished his business with the drums and then hid behind them out of sight of the audience and waited to be introduced.
Slade went on stage at 10 p.m. and the set list was the same as the day before. This time there was a lot more banter from Mal. He was great introducing Mama Weer All Crazee Now, rolling his r’s like Noddy used to do and his mocking “She’s so young” during Gudbuy T’Jane was hilarious.
Dave was funny, too, singing la-la-la-la-la-la like a little schoolboy during ‘Coz I Luv You.
Unfortunately I had to go to the ladies room during My Oh My and out there I met a lady who said, “Slade? I hate Slade! The only song of theirs that I like is My Oh My and now that they are playing it I’m stuck here in the toilet!” It was so funny!
Back at the concert Don was showing off, sticks in the air during Get Down, and when Dave introduced MXE by saying, “We’ve had a lot of great times in Denmark, a lot of good memories,” I don’t think anybody in the audience hated Slade! The applause was enormous and it got even bigger when Dave appreciated the many new young fans who were present that night.
After the concert Don waved me over while leaving the stage and I went with him and Mikael Helmuth backstage. I told Don about the lady at the toilet and he found it so funny. He said it reminded him of one time when a guy had come up to him and asked if he was Don Powell. When Don said yes the guy told him, “I think you’re crap!”
Backstage I talked a bit to Hanne, Don, Robin, Mal, John and Dave. Mal and John had been to the Team theatre Thursday to see the “Oliver T.” musical and they both liked it. Mal furthermore assured me that the English resume that I had been writing for the foreign audience was quite professional. John and I talked hair lengths and John said that he wanted to grow his hair long again. My daughter will be pleased, I’m sure!
My train left at 12.30 a.m. and as I won’t be seeing Slade in concert again until next year I went off with kisses and hugs from all. I hooked up with Per and Kirsten and at the station we met one of Per’s colleagues and her friend. They turned out to be the ones who had helped me find the venue in the afternoon. It’s a small world!
Well, Per works for the Danish rail and that came in handy. We got seats in the first class compartment, which was good, as the rest of the train was really crowded. I wasn’t back in Odense until 4 o’clock that morning, but again it had been nice seeing Slade. Thanks for a good time and thanks too to Per for letting me use some of his photos.