Dark Clouds The Music

Often the way of Life seems to be that when you are down and out, feeling vulnerable and confused, if you don't panic, something will eventually come to cushion you and lift you up again.  A gift appears and everything seems to come together for a time.  It is often also around this time that trouble comes knocking - "dark forces" which seem to be intent on retaining the status quo at all costs.

Those "dark forces" can take many forms, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, but Dave & Kate (and many others before them) are well aware that something seems to not want anything truly new to be born into this reality.

Their second week in Vienna, once they'd recognised now was the time for Music to come into the picture and that a new phase had begun, was fraught with challenges.  It seemed as if a dark cloud had come to rain on their parade and wouldn't budge.  It was all designed to throw them into chaos and make them doubt themselves, sucking the enthusiastic energy in the same way it was sucking money from them.

Almost every item they knew they required ended up costing more than they'd anticipated through a bizzare series of events and even when they got a break - a free tram ride from Sam the Tram Man - pretty soon they'd be stung from another direction.  The flow of the previous week had certainly been obstructed in some way now that what they had envisioned back in Berlin was becoming a reality.

There was also a familiar pattern emerging here.  Just as in their first week in Europe, back in Barcelona, they seemed to be under attack from all directions, as if something didn't want Europe - the first phase - to happen, it now felt as if that same thing was now trying to prevent the second phase - Music - happening.

From Elisabeth Straße To Bösendorfer Straße

The first few days were spent emailing.  They would nip down to the Spar, buy their groceries and do the Work they had to do, taking turns on the PC.  Going out and about exploring Vienna wasn't on the agenda. 

Pretty soon Music began to show itself.  They had checked in on the Wednesday and on Sunday 6th February it was the birth date of Bob Marley.  Late night Saturday going into that Sunday morning Bob appeared for them in the form of an interview with The Wailers on youtube they hadn't seen before.  They watched it all the way through and it felt as if what was being spoken was happening now.

Going into the next week Dave & Kate found themselves watching something music related every night.  They didn't have to go looking, something would always appear and stir their enthusiasm for Music.  The cable TV in the apartment even had a bunch of music concerts on-demand for free.  They watched The Bee Gees and then they watched an old BBC documentary on music presented by Sir George Martin called 'Rhythm Of Life' on youtube.  Dave had this on tape from years back but watching it again brought new meaning.  Much of it was analytical mind stuff but whenever someone spoke truly of Music it would please Dave & Kate.

Their enthusiasm for Music was growing in intensity each day and then a gift was presented to them.  Will & Georgie, two of the SoulJah's, came along with a very generous offer of financial help.  Initially, Dave & Kate were just delighted and grateful that Europe wasn't coming to an end yet.  They hadn't been worried about the fact they would again be checking out of this apartment with nothing (they were so immersed in Music) but they were aware it was on the cards unless something came.  Now that it had they began to realise a further aspect was opening up for them.  For the first time since arriving in Europe they were in a position to look further than survival. 

They realised that this could bring into reality what they had spoken of back in Berlin.  In that period, it became clear to them what they needed to take things further.  All that was stopping them was money.  They had felt it was coming and then felt slightly confused when royalties never appeared.  They couldn't see another way the amount of money they needed could come to them.  Maybe they had been a little too eager and premature.  Jah delivered it a few weeks later.

The first 10 days in the apartment they had been out into the centre of Vienna ONCE.  They didn't feel they were missing anything.  They knew they'd come to Vienna for Music but had anticipated being out and about, soaking up the musical heritage of the city.  Instead they found Music was coming to them direct through their apartment via modern technology.

As Dave sat staring blankly at the map of Vienna one day, he laughed out loud as he spotted a street called Elisabeth Straße which ran into Bösendorfer Straße (named after the famous Austrian Bösendorfer piano).

Prague

Right from the beginning, when Kate said "it feels like we're here on a business trip", it went that way.  The 3 days became a blur and the whole focus seemed to be on getting to Vienna.

This was a new experience for them as even back in Hamburg where they stayed only 3 nights they were able to immerse themselves into the city.  In Prague it felt very different.

It is probably one of the most beautiful cities they've been to but as they strolled around in the cold the urgency to get to Vienna was palpable.  They had no idea why, except that it might be the Music - it was like Vienna had sprung up into the consciousness and made its voice heard, calling them on.

Kate's feeling to enquire about Vienna apartments back in Berlin served them well.  She was able to go through the list and write to them again with new dates.  The cheapest offer was EUR 400 for 2 weeks.  They were happy with this one... or so they thought.  The reservation was made but Dave felt very restless that night about the apartment situation and so at 1am they went back down to the PC at reception.  The next best offer was from the same woman - another apartment in the same area for EUR 450.  Only this time Dave spotted that a PC with internet was listed.  They hadn't seen that first time around.  They quickly wrote to the woman and switched apartments.  Now they could rest as the right one had been uncovered.

Another night in the aparthotel Dave was sitting on the bed absently singing away to himself when the next minute he found himself humming some classical music - a rare occurence.  He turned to Kate and said "that's Strauss isn't is?  Wasn't he Austrian?" and they were sure it was The Blue Danube - titles of classical pieces not being their forte.  And it was.  An anthem of Vienna and Austria.

Soundtrack To The Zion Europa Express!

Way back in late summer 2009, in their Jordan Lane flat in Edinburgh, this became the 'theme song' of what was coming - a new vision.  Dave & Kate had just moved into the flat and Music began to stir again, this time to do it right:

"its gonna take plenty of money to do it right...  its gonna take time... its gonna take patience and time to do it right...".

Brian, Agnes, Will, Georgie & Brother Mark can already testify to that!

The return of Europe & Music!  This song became very significant during the summer of 2010 when Europe was turning into reality:

"...it all makes sense to me somehow..."

"...and its not what it used to be, no, we're suddenly free to let go..."

"...these are times that come, only once in your life, or twice if you're lucky..."

Another song that found them back in the 'incubation period' of Jordan Lane and which Brother Mark reminded them of in January 2011, Berlin.

The song of Movement!  In the last few weeks before leaving Edinburgh, this became THE SONG!

"...Let me tell you if you're not wrong then everything is alright..."

"...We know where we're going, we know where we're from, we're leaving Babylon, we're going to our Fatherland..." 

"...Oh people if you're ready me say get on board now... and then you praise 'fari"

"...Here you're going in the same direction"

"...And where there's a will, there's always a way..."

Back in the 1980s, when Dave was 7 years old, he used to be fascinated by maps and was especially intrigued by the Eastern Europe area and places like Berlin.  He'd listen to the radio with his friends and they'd study the atlas...  they could name the capital cities to most countries in the world.  This song was a hit at that time and for some reason it always made Dave think of Berlin and wonder what it would be like.  To suddenly hear it come on the radio in January 2011 in Berlin was like deja vu.

Dave & Kate laughed as they began to realise they were in the army Now!  They were SoulJah's on the frontline of a 7-strong army and on the look-out for new recruits.  Jah Rastafari!!!

Many a time when Dave & Kate were feeling stuck and helpless this song would appear...

The 'theme song' to the crushing of ego and return to the Natural State...

The money song... 

First heard back in Barcelona and has been a companion to Dave & Kate ever since...

Look To The East!

Dave usually received royalty payments from the music around this time of year.  For the last few years they had been coming in.  Perhaps both of them were counting on it too much this time.  On Tuesday, a few days into their stay, he discovered the payment he'd received was much lower than usual and certainly not enough to get them anywhere after this week.

Straight after leaving MacBeams they stopped off at a nearby bäkerei.  Bob Marley's 'Buffalo Soldier' was playing as they entered.

It was a blow but never affected them too much.  They had been through this scenario enough times now to not be phased by it.  More than anything they were simply curious to see what would happen now.

The following day on turning up at the MacBeam internet cafe Kate received an email from Will.  Some money had come his way unexpectedly and he had passed it onto Dave & Kate.  It would keep this Europe thing alive for another week.

By now Dave & Kate were sure it was either Vienna or Dresden next.  Vienna felt more powerful, they knew they must get there soon but for some reason it seemed like they had to go to Dresden first.  They had never been before and knew little of the place.  By the end of the week they had a train ticket for Dresden and a hotel there booked for 7 nights.

Berlin had done its work on them.  On the Saturday, their last full day in Berlin, they spent some time at the internet point using up their remaining credit.  Kate felt a strong urge to start looking up and enquiring about apartments in Vienna for 1 month's stay after Dresden.  They only had enough money to see them through the week in Dresden.  As she was going downstairs to exit the internet place wondering why the hell she was looking into apartments in Vienna when they had no money this sign jumped out at her...

That night Dave and Kate felt very powerful energies working through them.  It felt as if there was an exchange of energy between them and Berlin, that these energies were being brought out and established for the future and what is to take place there.

The next morning as they left the apartment and walked down to the nearby Ostkreuz train station, Dave turned and looked straight at some graffiti.  It simply said "I love you".  While they were waiting on their train at Ostkreuz and Dave was mentioning this to Kate, she turned and saw the following message...

So the struggle from West to East was overcome.  The map below shows the journey through the city.  The letter 'A' being their starting point of Citadines, the letter 'H' being their final apartment and the letter 'I' being the Ostkreuz train station they left Berlin from.  The red line shows where The Wall once stood.

(Click image to see in detail)

Music & Fashion

Out on the streets nearby the apartment there seemed to be suggestions there was a growing harmony between Music and clothes...

Kunst

At check-in to their new apartment, the guy from the agency mentioned to them that the owner was a German cameraman/filmmaker who travelled a lot.  He would be returning to the flat on the day Dave & Kate were due to check out.

Whether it was the artistic energy, the two Buddha statues, or just the layout of the apartment itself, they immediately felt very comfortable here.  Some places take a little longer to settle into but a few rare ones have that 'right' feel immediately.  It was a lot brighter than the last apartment and had more things in it, plus a raised platform where the couch and coffee table sat and underneath a pull-out double bed.  They had never seen that type of thing before and liked it.

They were now about as far east in the city as you'd want to be without going into the outer districts of Berlin.  A clear sign the next move could only be out of the city itself.  The next sign was when Dave opened the kitchen cupboard and pulled out this mug...

Naturally, a Kaisers supermarket was nearby and now they were really in the heart of east Berlin.  Frankfurter Allee (formerly Stalin Allee under the old regime) was the main shopping street, 2 mins up the road.  They hadn't used a Subway takeaway place since Paris but with everything closed on the Sunday they checked in and no groceries it was there again to get them by.  For the rest of the week they ate potatoes for tea.

Money was just about out (they had enough to last the week) but the prospect of a new influx was promising.  Or so they thought...

11/01/11

On Tuesday 11th January 2011, the signs were abundant.

The song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' came on the radio 3 times in the space of 2 or 3 hours, on two different radio stations.  Dave & Kate had been listening to the radio on and off in the space of that time and it seemed each time they turned it on or changed stations, the song would be there.

Later on, another old friend in the form of song made an appearance - 'I Need A Dollar' - followed by 'Lean On Me'.

Shortly after that, Kate found a small orange butterfly sticker in the bottom of her toiletry bag (with no idea where it came from).  When she came through to the living room to show Dave, he had a huge grin on his face as Bob Marley's 'Is This Love' was playing on the radio.

They had just enough money left after this apartment to secure one more apartment in Berlin for a week or two.  They were sure after this there time in Berlin had come to its natural end for now.  With little effort, the right apartment appeared on the following day, 12th January, with just under a week to go and again, it was slightly further east.  The title of it had the word 'Kunst' in it - German for art.  They got it for 7 nights.

Roses & Rainbows

Shortly after all the festive mayhem had been and gone, Dave was again stopped in his tracks by a song on the radio.  It went:

"Some say love it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower and you it's only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give 
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long 
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows lies the seed 
That with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose"

He had never heard the song before but the last two lines in particular seemed to speak to him about what was happening during these times.

A few days later Kate noticed roses on Karl-Marx Allee and also Will & Georgie had just sent her some photos of roses.

A few weeks later, the day before they checked out of the apartment, Dave was making porridge and while drying the bowls, he began laughing at what he was staring at.  Kate walked into the kitchen at that very moment and exclaimed "a rose!".

They hadn't clicked until now that the bowls they'd been eating out of everyday for the last month had a rose design on them.  That day as they sat eating their porridge the song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' came on the radio.  Later, as they walked up to check out the area where their new apartment would be the first thing they saw as they turned onto the street was this...

That night on tv a programme called 'A Portrait of Bryan Adams' came on German tv and in the background while he was being interviewed was a single rose in a vase...

The following morning, January 16th 2011, as they sat down to eat their breakfast of porridge, the song on the radio was 'The Rose' - only the second time in their lives they had heard it... just before they left the apartment to move into a new one.