24 February 2022

Dear friends in Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ukraine and wherever else we met, talked, drank, shared music and unforgettable, quite often magic and special moments.

I'm devastated, I'm paralysed with fear and anger about what's happening just now. I grew up in a time when borders were dividing Europe. I was like many other people of my generation lucky enough to see them vanish. I've seen the Berlin Wall and the iron curtain come down, I've seen how a whole new world open up. A world that subsequently turned out an unbelievably inspirational one for me as an artist. Performing for people who were just a few months before as far away and unreachable as the moon. One to give me the chance of exchanging ideas and work together with some of the finest artists I met throughout my career. When I started touring, we, as a band, still went regularly through thorough checks on European borders. It's been one of the most beautiful and relieving things to see all this disappear, to get the chance to travel with my music. To meet you.

I'm just now, as the pandemic situation finally allows it again, concerts in Poland and Czech Republic ahead, concerts in places with people who became friends in the course of time, feeling absolutely, totally helpless. It scares the shit out of me, seeing what's happening in Ukraine. It scares the shit out of me, knowing this might be just the start of an epic catastrophe. One that will throw us all back into the darkest times of recent history if it goes on the way it just started. It's beyond any scenario I thought I could imagine that because of the sheer madness and irresponsibility of some few individuals with too much power at hands everything that made this life worth living is at stake. I did never expect it to be an easy life, but it's mine, and it's yours, and it's been so far worthwhile living. It must not end because of some psychotic, wet dreams of a handful of lunatics. May music shine a little light in this darkness. May there be songs to change some minds. May love, peace and friendship prevail.