in
Rotenburg an der Fulda, Germany - 18 May 2001

This was the very first performance of SAILOR featuring their new Nickelodeon player, unbelievable accordionist, ex-SAILOR fan and supremely gifted all-round musician and vocalist Rob Alderton - as a very special surprise for all the fans.

Event: Meirotels Oldie Night
Location: Meirotels-Halle
Admittance: 5.30 pm
Beginning: 7 pm
Bands: Harpo, SAILOR, Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich, The Equals

Photos by: Katrin Wagner, Karsten Wagner, Christel Müller, Horst Götz
Video by: Katrin Wagner

Surprise, surprise:
SAILOR have got a new band member: Rob Alderton who replaced Anthony England in May 2001!!
(left to right:) Grant Serpell, Rob Alderton, Phil Pickett and Peter Lincoln

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon

Rob and Phil at the Nickelodeon

SAILOR during the "full monty"

SAILOR at the end of the show

The songs that SAILOR played in Rotenburg an der Fulda:

A Glass Of Champagne
La Cumbia
Give Me Shakespeare
One Drink Too Many
The Old Nickelodeon Sound
Vera From Veracruz
Mack The Knife
The Secretary
Pop Music
Girls Girls Girls
Latino Medley
Champagne Reprise

encores:
The "Full Monty"

A concert review by Michael Schieferstein:

On the 18 May 2001 I saw the band (in the line-up Peter Lincoln - Phil Pickett - Rob Alderton - Grant Serpell) for the first time at an Oldie-Night (Harpo, Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich, and the Equals also performed there) in Rotenburg / Fulda.
After their performance I managed to get their four autographs.
Harpo ("Movie Star" - "Motorcycle Mama" - Horoscope") performed first, dancing barefooted in front of approximately 2000 people. And only one hour later Grant Serpell appeared on the stage in order to check his drums, while other people worked on the Nickelodeon.
Together with Karsten and Katrin Wagner and the other SAILOR fans I waited for the SAILORs right in front of the stage, and then they finally started their show in front of an excited crowd ("A Glass Of Champagne" followed by "La Cumbia").
The audience didn't want to let SAILOR leave without an encore, so the "Fab Four" returned for a strip (to the playback of "In The Navy" - Village People) in SAILOR-outfits. Suuuuuuuuuper.
My subjective impression was that the audience enjoyed SAILOR more than the other bands. But the performance of Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich (without Dave Dee!) was a great experience too ("Bend It" - "Xanadu").
Copyright by Michael Schieferstein, 2001

A concert review by Katrin Wagner:

At 1 pm work is finally finished for today. At home I meet up with Karsten and our friend Horst from Obrigheim in order to drive to the Oldie night with SAILOR in Rotenburg an der Fulda. Horst has never seen SAILOR live before, and so he is looking forward to seeing Grant, Phil, Peter and Anthony for the first time today.
At 3 pm we arrive in Rotenburg and decide to search for SAILORs hotel in order to wait there. SAILOR finally arrive at 6.30 pm. But then something strange happens: We can only see Phil, Peter and Grant - so where is Anthony???
The three SAILORs welcome us and tell us that they will have a very special surprise for us tonight. They also tell us that Anthony has missed his flight and that he will hopefully be here later. After this shock we don't even have time to wonder who that other guy is who arrived together with our boys and that we have never seen before...
While Phil, Peter and Grant go to their rooms, Karsten, Horst and I decide to drive to the concert hall "Meirotels-Halle", where the Oldie Night will start soon. Inside the concert hall we meet another SAILOR fan: Michael Schieferstein. A short time later the Oldie Night starts with the performance of Harpo.
A short time after 8 pm (much earlier than usual) the stage is prepared for SAILOR. Finally the last two fans, Christel and Ute, arrive too, so that we can now go in front of the stage and wait for our favourite band. We start to wonder whether Anthony has arrived in time and what the great surprise might be...
At 8.45 pm SAILOR start their show with the usual background music of Edith Piaf. Then they come on the stage: Peter, Grant, Phil and..... and - the guy from the hotel instead of Anthony, dressed in the usual Henry Marsh outfit. All the fans start looking at each other and wonder what has happened, while SAILOR just smile at us during their first song "A Glass Of Champagne". Very strange!
During the performance it turns out that this new guy is a very good keyboarder and accordion player. At the end of the show Phil introduces him as the new SAILOR member and says that his name is Rob Alderton.
After the show the four SAILORs come in front of the stage in order to sell their album "Live In Berlin". Many people want their autographs too. We talk to the boys for a while and welcome Rob in the band. They tell us that Anthony had to leave because he had too much other work with all his theatre projects.
A short time later Karsten, Horst, Christel and I drive back to SAILORs hotel, where we spend a nice evening together with the boys while listening to "Checkpoint" and "Hideaway"...
Copyright by Katrin Wagner, May 2001

SAILOR fans together with Peter and Rob:
(left to right:) Katrin, Peter, Rob, Karsten, Michael

Concert Photos