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Europe has always been part of how we thought about our music and words. What a history we share. From the beauty of the renaissance to the savagery of many wars, the highs and lows have been there as an ongoing and ever evolving influence.
This new album follows in the footsteps of days in europa as a celebration of friendship and shared experiences. The cover shows the brilliant Joseph Beuys striding towards us from his base in Düsseldorf full of confidence and optimism believing that we can do the right thing for the people and the landscapes that surround us. He is a philosopher, an artist, but most importantly a human being, a hero who never hid from the challenges of life.
He has always been an inspiration to me. from that inspiration came this album of anthems.
Thank you for supporting the band for all these years. What a journey. Sometimes it feels like it's just beginning. Here we go again!
Richard Jobson 2023
Destination Düsseldorf came about after an extensive period of touring the UK. After all the lies and false promises of Brexit my thoughts dwelled on the second Skids album Days In Europa. The recordings, dreams and ambitions of a better future for a continent still recovering from two wars was one of my favourite periods in the Skids journey. I wondered if it might be possible to update our sound and vision, and create a new collection of songs that could capture the mood of the times which are definitely less optimistic.
Oddly, the end result was a series of anthemic songs that have a lingering feeling of hope. The words seem like a nudge, a push, a search for affinities. Songs that look forward rather than looking back over our shoulder at the last decade. It was almost the opposite of what I set out to do. Only one song looks back, which is the spoken word ‘The Things We’ve Seen, which is a testament to my life in Berlin in 1979/80. I lived in an apartment near the Wall, amidst a nihilis- tic destructive culture. The song mirrors what we did on Days in Europa by ending the album with a spoken word music poem. They are connected at birth.
I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved with the album with our limited resources. We seem to work better with less help - the DIY ethic remains paramount. The starting point of every one of the songs was the words. Düsseldorf was the home of my favourite artist, Joseph Beuys, and the impressive film-maker Wim Wenders, who are both big influenc- es on the way I think about the world. Beuys is on the cover and ‘Wings of Desire’ is taken from the title of my favourite Wenders film.
‘How to be Free’ again references Berlin - walls keep tumbling down. A song of hope against a bleak future for all of us. There’s something going on, I know it, I feel it is the opening line of ‘Tidal Wave’ which gets the blood flowing. And then ‘Open your Eyes’ reminds us.
You know nothing is easy, You know nothing is free, You are in with a chance now, Open your eyes and see.
It’s not a bad way to start the day.
I regard the people who take an interest in the books and gigs as my friends. We seem to have been together for a long time and our relationship is way beyond the simplicity of fandom. It’s been quiet an experience, joyful, life-affirming, at times tragic, but full of passion and pride. I have nothing to complain about and refuse to allow the music and words to become old and dusty.
Onwards pray the angels forward we set sail.
- Richard Jobson March 2023
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Richard Jobson Vocals
Bruce Watson Guitar / Backing vocals
Jamie Watson Guitar / Backing vocals
Gil Allan Bass
Nick Hernandez Drums
Martin Metcalfe Guitar / Backing vocals
Liam Saunders Keyboards
Backing Vocals Siggi Komoll, Martin Zyweck 'Kribbelmeier'
Spoken Word Silvia Ivanoff-Holste
Produced by Bruce Watson and Liam Saunders at Loopmaniac Studios, Dunfermline
Logistics Gordon Smith
Equipment Allan Moir
Cover Artwork Alan Grieve
Design Colin Cassells
Booking Agent Peter Barton Management
Songwriting Credits
Open Your Eyes Richard Jobson, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson
Tidal Wave Richard Jobson, Martin Metcalfe
Don't Stop Richard Jobson, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson
Destination Düsseldorf Richard Jobson, Martín Metcalfe
Here We Go Again Richard Jobson, Martin Metcalfe
How to Be Free Richard Jobson, Martin Metcalfe
Wings of Desire Richard Jobson, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson
Things We've Seen Hugh Cornwell, Richard Jobson
{CD only} Greatest Prize Richard Jobson, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson, Liam Saunders
℗2023 Last Night from Glasgow © 2023 Skids
{LP}
Side A - Open Your Eyes - Tidal Wave - Don't Stop - Destination Düsseldorf
Side B - Here We Go Again - How to Be Free - Wings of Desire - Things We've Seen
{CD}
1 Open Your Eyes 2 Tidal Wave 3 Don't Stop 4 Destination Düsseldorf 5 Here We Go Again 6 How to Be Free 7 Wings of Desire 8 Things We've Seen 9 Greatest Prize |
