Serendipity

I wasn't a massive fan of U2 when they were first around. I quite liked 'New Year's Day' but that was about it. Then I saw them perform 'Bad' at Live Aid and liked that a lot, so I bought the album, 'The Unforgettable Fire' and that was more interesting but I still wasn't hooked.

That all changed a few years later when they released 'Achtung, Baby', which is an astonishingly good album. The following tour was stunning and I was lucky enough to see it at the G-Mex with Kraftwerk supporting (possibly the only support slot they ever did). I was a big fan of the follow up album, 'Zooropa', too, but then my interest waned and I haven't bought a new U2 album for well over twenty years.

Which makes it all the stranger that I have never unsubscribed from their mailing list. Every so often an email from them arrives in my Inbox and I delete it and think "I really should get around to unsubscribing from that list".

It happened again on Wednesday as we were sat in the pub before going to see The Wedding Present. I'm not sure why I chose to read this particular email: possibly it was the mention of 'Achtung, Baby' in the subject line. Anyway, open it up I did, and I saw a mention of an exhibition at Hansa studios, where the album was recorded, celebrating its thirtieth birthday. You could order a ticket for free, you just had to get yourself to Berlin!

I couldn't quite believe my luck and was still trying to get my head around it as I booked a ticket. You could only book one ticket at a time ,though, and by the time I went around for a second time to get one for the Minx, the tickets for the session I was going to were all gone. So that was a bit disappointing.

Anyway, today we took a 'hop on, hop off' tour bus around Berlin, disembarking near Hansa Studios so that I could go to the exhibition while the Minx waited in the restaurant next door. To be honest, it wasn't that great. There was a Trabant (see Extras), a car model that featured heavily in the 'Achtung, Baby' artwork and subsequent tour, and a video and some text, and that was about it.

I did get the opportunity to buy some Hansa merch, though, including a piece of a mixing desk that had been retired, allegedly the one that was used by David Bowie, but of course you'd say that.

After that, I joined the Minx for some lunch and then we enjoyed the rest of the tour, finishing up just as it got dark. I took my main photo as we walked back to the hotel. This little waiting area for trams is below our hotel window and it's lovely hearing them clattering in the evening and early morning.