Shtip - Struga - Tirana

For the third time we played Dom Na Mladi in Shtip, this year open air! Boshko, the owner of the club promised us to play another open air stage underneath a giant mushroom next time. There used to be big hippie festivals in the 80s. Boshko is still running the venue and doing a great job! Again we stayed at the Banja, thermal springs with 60°C hot water. Double relaxing when you're stoned and drunk.

Next day we rushed all across Macedonia to arrive in Struga in time which didn't work out of course. There was a 100km bike race around lake Ohrid that is partly in Macedonia and Albania. We we were supposed to play after the winner celebration. Due to the first rain on our vacation we could not set up our equipment. Just when we decided that our instruments don't mix so well with thunderstorms the weather turned better. Too bad it was already late to start building up.

So we made the stage clear for a famous Deutsche Schlager band called 'Elbtalherzen' (Video coming soon!). They need only very few equipment and the music goes very well with thunder and lightning. Their concert was great, Struga's people loved the Bratwurst Beats! Though we were a little sad to miss out a show we enjoyed a great evening at the lakeside and celebrated our first off-day with new friends and local drinks.

Because of missing signs along the racetrack there are still bikers cycling around the area. If you see one of 'em they will be very glad if you can help to find the way back to Struga.

We all were as excited as can be about Albania. None of us has been in the country before and especially Tirana was calling for us. Incredible to describe with words. The only city with a 'George W. Bush' boulevard we've been to. Julietta, Rubin and the Tirana Ekspres crew welcomed us very nicely and we felt like coming home instantly.

The backstage was huge because again it was open air. We even had cows there! Still crazier: The stage was built on three bunkers that were turned upside down. Some crazy dictator called Enver Hoxha put 700 000 of em across the whole country in the last century. We love this country! See you next year!