The oldtime banjo blog from Kiel

Nachdem der Dollar-Kurs für uns €-User zur Zeit Recht günstig ist, kommt der eine oder andere schon mal auf die Idee, sich evtl. eine Martin LX1 aus den USA zu bestellen. Mark hatte sie beim Kiel Retreat dabei. Eine schöne kleine Reisegitarre mit einem erstaunlichen Sound - und in einem Format, das selbst in den kleinsten Kofferraum oder in die Gepäckablage im Flieger passen sollte. Also mal bei den amerikanischen Anbietern rumgesurft und nach Preisen geguckt. Und dann auf den deutschen Zoll-Seiten versucht rauszufinden, was denn wohl der Zoll zu so einem Geschäft sagt. Das Ergebnis seht Ihr hier . (Ich brauche wohl nicht extra zu erwähnen, dass ich keinerlei Garantie für die Rechnung übernehme, oder?) Bei einem Kaufpreis von 299 US$ und Frachtkosten von 185 US$ (so die Webseite des US-Lieferanten) belaufen sich die Gesamtkosten auf 403,23 €. Zoll und Umsatzsteuer (gesamt 74,11 €) sind gar nicht der größte Posten. Die Frachtkosten sind in diesem Fall das Problem. Wenn man ohnehin mal i...

What will it be that we will remember when we think of this weekend in a few months? Fun, Fun, Fun (we should have tried this Beach Boys song with the banjos!) Sunshine from morning til evening (in Kiel !, never would have believed that), blue sky blue sea („Deep Blue Sea“) the house on the loch (hint, hint, Dick) good food („Philly Cheese Steaks“, served with noodle salad) good drinking comfortable rooms lots of Banjos lots of frailing a clarinet with 9 banjos lots of singing Fun, Fun, Fun Shady Grove at the not at all shady beach Frailing above the sea (on the pier) Frailing all night long (first night until 3:30 a.m.) Large ferry boats and container ships, beautiful sailing boats and yachts, all passing along at a hands reach. (Pulling the curtains aside in the morning just in time to see a huge ship crossing the windowsill, well nearly) Hearing Geordie songs and impressive Woohoos Discussing the use of drop thump Seeing beautiful instruments AND playing them A bunch of guys in the ...

September in Kiel can have beautiful weather. But days like we had are rare. It were the greatest summerdays ever! And not only the weather was fine. 10 musicians made the First Kiel Retreat an unforgetable event. I´ll tell you later, for now be assured: I am happy having met with these guys and gals.

Good advice for the wild bunch: Today you better go to bed early, in case tomorrow ...

The mother of all retreats is being prepared in Crisfield , but it´s smaller sister in Kiel tries to follow in it´s footsteps. Throughout Dublin, Newcastle, Hannover, Bremerhafen, Mainz and Kiel guys (and girls) are thinking about what to take with them, what to leave at home, how to get there, how to share rides. Mails are being exchanged, google groups is used, everybody is longing for the first frails ringing over the beach at the Kieler Förde . Just got news that hopefully we can be assisted by a berimbau on Friday evening. Never heard one in real live before. Must be fun to have this combined with the bump-ditty.

Time is near. One more week and we will start the first "Kiel Retreat". We will be 10 folks of all ages and (nearly) all parts of Europe. Well, ok, at least Ireland, England, Germany – but we´re just starting :-) Once we were more, but a few of the wild bunch chose to visit our big sister in Crisfield (have retreats sisters or brothers?). Have fun there, guys! We would have loved to go there too, but such is live... We will have fun here. As a foretaste of what we will be doing, Hartmut from Hannover took my banjo file of Soldier´s Joy and added his mandolin to it. I´m really looking forward to play with you guys together! Those who applied for the retreat have already got an invitation to our google group so that we can exchange our thoughts about bringing things to Kiel, what to take with you and the like. Communication has just started there. Longing to meet you (punks included!)

This is not the Kiel Retreat Jug Band, but who knows, with a little practicing...

As informations and pictures about the retreat in Kiel are spread across this blog, here are a few links to some of the earlier posts: What shall we do about not daring to go to a retreat Here we are , this is where we meet the villa Informations