Departure
On August 13th 1981 Seppel, Bine, Jutta, Katharina, Geigi, Manfred, Gogo, Hermann and Ivan the dog are leaving with the bus.
It was noon. Some friends had gathered in Malkes to say goodbye. The last things were packed up frantically, and some separated in tears from their friends. Hermann had hidden behind the curtains in the back of the bus and waited with a bad mood finally to drive, which was incomprehensible even for him.
After about 100 km driving they met an old friend In Usingen in the Taunus. It was already in the evening.
At the River Rhine near Rüdesheim, they spent the first night somewhere off a small country.
It was decided to go to Rüdesheim for the next day to play for the first time on the street. The 450, - DM, which were in the cash register, should not be touched, unless one was in need.
14.08.1981:
Rüdesheim was not a good place to play. The city was full of tourists, but there was no pedestrian zone or place.
They continue to Koblenz and had their first performance on that trip. Very little response. They had no real program yet, and by the still existing shyness only chaotic stuff came out. They decided to go to Cologne to play in the evening on the Domplatte.
Hermann calls his parents and asks to meet them in Cologne.
But even in Cologne there was little resonance. During the final fire-show Hermann swallowed some of the fuel. Cough and nausea plagued him later that night.
The same night they continue to the Dutch border.
Right before the border, Geigi demonstratively burns his military service papers. A symbolic act to turn Germany's back.
The Dutch customs discovered that the group was carrying some old looking instruments and they did not allow them to pass the border because they suspected that they wanted to sell the instruments illegally. After long discussions the bus was left in the parking lot between the borders.
15.08.1981
Early in the morning the customs officer let the bus pass trough after a further assessment of the instruments, .
They left Germany and went to Nijmegen, sleepy and angry.
The bus is packed and ready to go.