On account of a performance at Rock Am Ring (TYFC: not far from Cologne) it was not legally possible for 16 Horsepower to surface earlier in the Cologne region, and therefore this gig had to be pushed back to the end of the tour. Tonight the band presented itself worn out accordingly; the sound-technician and bassman suffered from more or less serious injuries, the small and agile female violinist, who could still be admired at the Orange Blossom Festival, was missing completely and to a certain extent the same could be said about the inspiration.

So it wasn't a grandiose, merely a good concert this evening. (It's impossible to have a terrific concert in the smudgy/dim Gebäude 9). Thinned out due to the absence of said violinist 16HP played a by comparison homogeneous set without special highlights or depths. For some it may have been too homogeneous, because we sure enough have already experienced this band more dynamic. Nevertheless, all along the line, this was a highlight of the Cologne rock-summer. Not because there's no supply, but because 16HP, even in average form, still makes damn hot music. Admirable as ever the nature in which the entire band, David Eugene Edwards in front, threw themselves into the songs. Well songs, they're all hymns, dramas and epics anyhow. As usual the band succeeded in striking the right balance between songstructure, sound and noise, only the energy-level was somewhat uniform.

Also as customary bassman Pascal Humbert, who provided an enormous pace despite a broken foot, provided the accents. We can look forward to his upcoming solo instrumental album (shortly on Glitterhouse). Only drummer Jean Yves Tola didn't quite live up to the expectations. As said above, the band was not in its best form. After a relatively short set there were relatively many encores and after David Eugene - as he normally does - had blessed the audience, there was peace and quiet. It's perhaps worth mentioning that next the whole band mixed easily with the crowd and cheerfully chatted and signed autographs - by no means to be taken for granted with acts travelling in overnight buses. This too underlined that 16HP is one of the coolest bands at the moment altogether. And really always worthy of a concert-ticket.