See it all here: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

You have an unbelievable collection of photos with some real greats. Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed looking at the Mick Karn and Kraftwerk ones.

Some truely unique pictures there, i especially like the ones with John and Midge.

I loved the Midge ones (there's a surprise! )....thanks for sharing them.

Can't believe I missed these. What a great set of pictures. Some real heroes in there!

Keep on getting in there!

H

See my Steel City Tour photos here: http://personal.inet.fi/cool/places/steelcitytour/

Especially nice to see Martin from ABC!

I always like the off stage pics from Mr Normal.

Mr Normall, will you be putting in an appearance at Ye Olde Citrus Club on April 10th?

Hammersmith 24.4.2009 pictures are now there: http://personal.inet.fi/cool/encounters/

FANTASTIC FOTOS Mr. Normall!!!! I have already downloaded them to my hard disk and will not hesitate showing everyone who walks into the office throughout the day!!

So nice to meet and chat with you! Excellent outfit, we loved it!!! Hope you got home fine.

Our paths shall cross again one day, I am sure.

It was a pleasure to meet you =]
And you got some fantastic photos; flicking through them brings back some wonderful memories!

Nice photos, keep up the good work Mr Normall.

Fantastic shots my Finnish friend. It was a pleasure to meet you & have a picture taken with you.

Thanks for your nice comments!

You can find my Roundhouse pics now here: http://personal.inet.fi/cool/macchina/ultravox/

Ex-Ultravox guitarist and John Foxx collaborator Robin Simon were a member of our after after party posse .

The Roundhouse gig was a week ago and Hammersmith gig two weeks ago, but I still can't think much else than those wonderfull nights. I was lucky enough to meet all the members of Ultravox and met many fellow Ultravox-fans. I wish Ultravox will do a gig (or several) in London in the future again.

~ Mr Normall (aka Tapio J)

Bravo Tapio!!! Well done! So you were well accompanied, too, this time, I heard!

Hahaha, can't forget your words "Mr. Normall with 2 'l' - so not so normal".



I also took a quick look at your John Foxx photos - wow, he really looks good, huh?!?

I am so jealous! Amazing collecton

I have "re-werked" the Kraftwerk-page on my Close Encounters Of The Third Kind gallery after last weeks Krafwerk gig in Helsinki. It has now pictures of their each gig in Helsinki: 1991, 2004 and 2009.

1991: The Kraftwerk lineup was already the same as through '90s and '00s until Florian Schneider left quite recently. Stage set-up is very different from what it is now and you could see them actually play their elektrik instruments, even percussion.

As far as I can remember 1991 photos are mostly taken by a very tall guy called Arto Marjoniemi who was with us to see the mighty Kraftwerk play live.

2004: We sat so far away from stage that there were no point to take "on stage" pictures. I took "close encounters" pics instead. Ralf Hutter signed four CD-covers and an after party flyer but said "no pictures". We were nice/stupid enough and didn't take any pics of him. It was lucky that I met Florian Schneider before he left Kraftwerk.

2009: This was last thursday. I think here is some very nice pictures. My favourites are Schaufensterpuppen pics and especially the last one where Ralf Hutter is alone on stage and plays last notes of 'Musique Non-Stop'. For me as a Kraftwerk-fan since 1981 that last picture is enough to make me a bit sentimental.

Excellent stuff, Mr N. Looks odd seeing them on stage without Florian though.

Mr Normall - as i've told you before - love your site - you certainly have some amazing adventures!

Ex-Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy live in Milan 5.10.2009. My pictures here .

Yer a class act, Mr N.

I was to London few days two weeks ago. Originally I was going to see live two of my most "left field" favorities Sheep On Drugs (which I liked in early '90) and Martin Degville's Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

Sheep On Drugs gig was cancelled but there was "invitation only" Marc Almond gig for the same night. I had a very good luck and got a free access to the gig (Thanks to Michelle and Wesley D).

The gig was at the 100 Club which is a small place and there was maybe 150 people in. The crowd was surprisingly enthusiastic given that they were not the fans who had bought their ticket to see their favourite artist. Marc Almond looked very good and seemed to have fun on stage. He even walked off the stage into the middle of the audience on one point. Neal X (Sigue Sigue Sputnik) played guitar.

Here's my pictures:
http://personal.inet.fi/cool/concert/almond2009/

Sigue Sigue Sputnik was my #1 favourite band for years. It all started when I saw Love Missile F1-11 video on TV in February 1986. I was sold.

I didn't see SSS live first time around but saw them in December 2000 when the lineup was Martin Degville, Tony James & Neal X. I was going to see that lineup again in September 2003 but the band split up just before their UK tour. Tony James & Neal X did the tour without Degville. It just wasn't the same.

Martin Degville gigs and releases "internet only" records under the name Sigue Sigue Sputnik nowadays. The main reson for my recent trip to London was to see Degville live on stage again. He is on stage like no-one else. The night was like SSS song says: Success!

See pix here: http://personal.inet.fi/muoti/mrnormall/sputnik2009/

~ Tapio aka Mr Normall

Excellent pictures again, Tapio. Have always enjoyed listening to the first two SSS albums but lost track of them after that. Will do some looking over Christmas to see what has been going on since then.

Only ever bought the first Sheep On Drugs album ("Greatest Hits" from memory) so must do some research on them as well.

Glad you got to see Mr Almond as well.

I was ill in bed the first time I heard Love Missile F1-11 & thought It did grow on me though. Have you ever heard Pop Will Eat Itself's version?

The one & only time I saw SSS was in 1986. They were the first band to play a live gig in my hometown. A local band which included 2 lads I was at school with were the support. It was at the time of their Stock/Aitken/waterman phase & there were about 350 people at the gig. I really enjoyed it despite one of two local mindless morons trying to spoil it by trying to pick a fight, not with me but in general.

The Things That Dreams Are Made Of. That's the best way describe last Sunday. The last official (surely not..?) Voxgate at 100 Club and then Ultravox at Hammersmith Apollo.

See pictures here:
ULTRAVOX - Return To Eden 2 - London 2010

Amazing! I agree! What an amazing day/night! Will never forget it! Thanks for all your pics Tapio!!! You're a star!

Good to see you in the "thick of it" as ever, Tapio! And you've managed to get a background shot of me as well - bad luck. Apart from that, terrific pictures as ever.

Mr Normall is the boy alright!
Great viewing. The man has legendary status in Piggy's book.

It's fun and laughter all the way...

Thank you. BTW, I'm nowadays in Facehook as Tapio Normall.