So it started off as a trying day. Landing in Graifenhainchen with no lodging was definitely one of the bolder moves I've made in life. All hostels and hotels booked up locally, and the only other hotel being almost a thirty minute ride away from Ferropolis, tapped in at a 50 euro cab ride one way. Never will I ever.
When in Germany, walking around lost for hours with a 30 pound backpack on, you follow suit, and camp out. This has been my life the last few days since arriving in Germany. I decided to join the tens of thousands of others attending splash! Music Festival and get my ass a tent. Going through all the craziness that has been navigating splash! on foot, I finally made it to the concert grounds. Only to hear Public Enemy faintly finishing 'Fight The Power". Luckily Flav had something to say....he really connected with the audience and spoke about peace and demolishing racism.
Tic Tac is one of the big sponsors here, and there were two guys from the Public Enemy camp handing them out in the front of the stage, to us on lookers. I asked the security guard if there was a press area I could get to interview the artists. He said no. Lying, but I respect him doing his job. I proceed to scream to the guys handing out Tic Tacs:
"Right here!! I came all the way from New York!"-Me
"What? New York!"
"Yes, and I have a travel website that I wanted to know if I could interview Flav and Chuck D for."-Me
"You coming with me."
"How? The security guard said I can't." -Me
"Don't worry about him. I said you can come. Can you climb over the barrier?"
"Ummmmmm..." -Me
Enter the same security guard who moments earlier said no. He picked my 150 pound ass up the crowd and threw me over the barrier.
"Oh my God, thank you so much." -Me
"No problem. Hi I'm Chuck and Flav's manager."
People, this is how things in my life happen. It's inexplicable but it's real.
This interaction led to me in the backstage part of entire concert, and eventually in the Public Enemy dressing room politicing with both Chuck D and Flav on the state of hip hop in the States, and how it is comparable abroad. The video above is a short snippet of what is soon to come.
Enjoy guys...and Flav you have my respect for life. After our interview he probably picked up that I was famished. Dude gave me his artist meal ticket and I ran though that buffet like I had never eaten. That's love.
