Kadir

Everyone - please meet Kadir (the man with the mo). He's pleased to meet you too!

We met him not long after our move to Berlin. The apartment we moved into, lucky for us, is above a cafe and Kadir was, and still is, working behind the counter serving up food with his charm and smile.

Our grasp on the German language was limited at the time (an understatement) and he quickly realised we weren't exactly from around town and started speaking to us in English. Since then, we've become great friends with him. He is much like an older brother to us. Always making sure we're healthy and asking if 'everything is ok'?

Here is a man that has led a very interesting life indeed. I don't want to go into too many specifics but in the last ten or so years his life has dramatically changed. Years ago he was helping manage construction works in northern Africa and was surrounded by family. Lets just say he's had to start again.

Kadir is Turkish and when we mentioned we were playing a show in Istanbul, back in June, his eyes lit up and it became his mission to join us. He hadn't been back there for fifteen years and had lost touch with many of his friends.

It turned out he couldn't afford a flight and was going to drive all the way there! I had a friend who worked at an airline and upon enquiring if there was anything she could do for him, replied she could get him a return flight from Berlin to Istanbul - for free! It was a gracious gesture, to say the least, from her end - she had never even met him but still made the effort.

So our big bro joined us in Istanbul for our show with Placebo, held at a beautiful venue on the Bosphorus Sea. The night before the show we went out for a big dinner and was shown around by a wonderful host (Ziya - also in the shots) who is Kadir's friend from childhood - hadn't seen eachother for fifteen years. The next night, after the show, Ziya organised for us and Placebo to be taken out on a boat for two hours around a most stunning harbour that is Istanbul at night. We then docked at a club with an entrance off the water and went clubbing - with Kadir!

It was quite surreal being there with him and seeing the affect this trip has had on him since - he's a different man. There is a belief in him that life, no matter how old you are, will always have something to offer. Perseverence and belief in the human spirit will keep you going.