After a whirlwind tour of Germany there can be little doubt in the minds of those who attended regarding who is the real Smokie. Both long service and access to the trademark take care of those arguments but there is more, very much more. After many tours of Germany I can say we have finally laid the ghosts to rest and the current band has thrilled audiences in a way that previous versions of Smokie, after the 1970’s, struggled to achieve. This is due partly to the huge catalogue of music created since the departure of some founder members but also due to the musicianship and humour with which the set is now served to the public. The show really rocks, entertains and takes the audience through a musical journey that could only be delivered by a band that has stayed together for the last three decades (longer for some of us). It just proves that there is reward in sticking with one thing, doing it well and continuing to do it regardless of the obstacles. That is a very familiar story in the music business and is the best advice I can give to any young musician starting their career today. The last six shows in Erfurt, Chemnitz, Dresden, Munich, Halle and Cottbus revealed audiences that were out to have a good time and happy to see us still touring. While everything in the world around us changes maybe we can be one of the constants on which people rely and the good time band that people really need to see to divert their attention away from worldly matters. I’m sure we all need that at times.