December 2015: The crossing border festival

The crossing border festival is my highlight of the festivals in the hague in autumn. Designed as a  blend of music and literature, the musical performances seem to get much more attention.

Mike's favorite, Bianca Casady, designs a mysterious and suggestive parallel world starting from an untuned piano, a dusty typewriter and stacks of poems.

The project is a sythesis of the band with a metamorphic dancer and video. It had its premiere in Hamburg, and was also performed in London and at the Ruhr Triennale

My favorite were the british Kitty, Daisy and Lewis from Durham:

They present a veried potpourri of blues, country, and rock and roll.

They have performed at live shows at many famous festivals like Glastonbury, Lowlands, Rock Am Ring, and as an opening act for Coldplay, to just name a few.

They are all multi instumentalists playing guitar, piano, banjo, lapsteel guitar, harmonica, double bass, ukulele, drums, trombone, xylophone and accordion between them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDoDQTIwyig

Another of my favorites, Samantha Crain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cssvT1W4c8

 

A descendent of Coctaw Indians from Oklahoma, she might have been labled a protest singer in the time when there still were protest singers.

The highlight of the literature part was Ryan Gattis. He read from his latest novel  All Involved. It is based on the riots in Los Angeles in 1992. The reading was accompanied by music of Stef van Es

Bewilder, a dutch band which tries the bridge from country and folk with Indie riffs.

and their guitarist

The guitarist of the babe rainbow from Austalia...

Their debut album is to be released next year

Coming up:

PAARD, Den Haag
FRI, 8.1.          CORB LUND, country-rock from Canada
WED, 20.1.     SASS JORDAN, canadian rock diva, "as if Tina Turner and Janis Joplin walked
                        together..."
FRI, 29.1.       RESERVOIR DOGS BANG BANG, Spaghetti western rock
THU, 11.2.      KING OF THE WORLD, dutch blues by well known faces
SAT, 20.2.       MALA VIDA,  Dutch south european rock
FRI, 26.2.        MARINA & THE DIAMONDS, one of Mike's all time favorites

TIVOLI, Utrecht
SUN, 31.1.     PATTI GRIFFIN, a great voice
SUN, 28.2.     CANTECA DE MACAO, a light version of the Gipsy Kings
WED, 2.3.      FRED EAGLESMITH, folk from Canada

ROTOWN, Rotterdam
SUN, 24.1.     HIDDEN CHARMS, i would not say it sounds like the kinks, but....
SAT, 30.1.      MAISON DE MALHEUR, V11, finest blues rock

PARADISO, Amsterdam
MON, 11.1.    WISHBONE ASH, legendary british rock band

MELKWEG, Amsterdam
THU, 14.1.     ZITA SWOON GROUP, belgian pop
SUN, 14.2.     TONIGHT ALIVE, Punk pop
SUN, 6.3.      10CC, well known

November 2015: Patty Smith

The highlight of October. Patti Smith, 69 years, on the replay of "Horses", he first album recorded in 1975. 

Since 1974, when she founded her band, the guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye.

Patti Smith was a fusion of poetry and music, the origin of the punk movement and, with her book 'just kids'of her time with Robert Mapplethorpe, also a prize winning writer.

On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of Radio Ethiopia, her second album Patti Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida, and fell 15 feet into a concrete orchestra pit, breaking several neck vertebrae. The injury required a period of rest and an intensive round of physical therapy, during which time she was able to reassess, re-energize and reorganize her life. Patti Smith Group produced two further albums before the end of the 1970s.

Even with that, and now being 69, she is still full of energy, and a clearly outspoken message.

 

oday she tours with her son Jackson, of her marriage with Fred Sonic Smith

Other band members today are Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Tony Shanahan on Bass. 

PAARD DEN HAAG

WED 2.12.        Shantal and Bucovina Club Orchestra, eastern european paprika sound
FRI 4.12.           The sleaze express tour with The Deaf, ZZZ and Green Hornet
SUN 5.12.         Julie Scott, frequently compared to Jeff Buckley en PJ Harvey.
FRI 18.12.         Sabrina Starke, a strong beautiful soul voice
FRI 18.12          La Pegatina, latino rock from Spain

PARADISO AMSTERDAM

TUE 24.11.        The Cinematic Orchestra
THU 9.12.          K's choice
FRI 10.-12.12     De Dijk
THU 16.-17.12.  Blof

MELKWEG AMSTERDAM

SUN 22.11.        Kacey Musgraves, coutries finest
FRI 11.12.         Masmo Park
SUN 20.12.       New Model Army, actie since 35 years
SUN 6.3.2016   10CC

ROTTERDAM TOTOWN

MON 7.12.       K's choice
THU 17.12.      De Kift, not to be missed, in the Paradijskerk
SAT 30.1.2016 Maions du Malheur, not to be missed, Tom Waits blues, Location VII

TIVOLI UTRECHT

MON 30.11.      Golden Earring
TUE 1.12.         Texas
TUE 1.12.         K's choice, fresh rock from Belgium
WED 2.12.        Whitensake, the famous old rockers
THU. 4.12.        Bombino, from Niger, the Jimi Hendrix of the desert
SUN 6.12.         Sophie Hunger
WED 9.12.        De Dijk
FRI 18.12          The Nits, 40 years of Dutch Rock
WED 23.12.       Ben Kaplan and the Casual Smokers, crazy mix of writer, country singer and rock
WED 30.12.       Jaya The Cat, dirty drunk reggae

September 2015: The fascination of a Sax

Nowadays every town has to have its festival. The little dump where i live does not want to be an exception. So every year they scratch the money together they can get and organise the Strandwalfestival.

Of course there has to be live music and a couple of bands. One of the stages is in a quite nice location in a clearing in a park. And sometimes they get a real star. This year it was Candy Dulfer, saxophonist and the daughter of.....

And she is great, versatile, and, forever young. And since 35 years accompanied by guitarist Ulco Bed.

If you look at her tour schedule with concerts all over the world it really is a miracle that she would play before a couple of hunderd people in our park 

Candy, influenced by her father, started to play saxophone when she was six years old. And of course she played her first success, ""lily was here", the sound track to the film "De Kassiere", which she played with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. She also played with people like Maceo Parker, Blondie, Van Morrison and even Pink Floyd

   

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJbETMGDeDo


And here are some tips for october:

Paradiso

WED.          7.10.               Public Image
FRI/SAT.     9.10./10.10.    Gregory Porter, The King of Jazz
SUN.           25.10.             Patti Smith, Horses

Paard

SUN            4.10.               Kovacs
SAT.            10.10.             Saybia
THU.           15.10.             Golden Earring
FRI.             16.10.             Hallo Venray
MON.          19.10.             Randy Newman in Zuiderstrandtheater
WED.          21.10./22.10.  Blof
THU.           29.10.             Matt Simmons


Tivoli

SUN.            11.10.            Dee Dee bridgewater
WED.           14.10.            The Cat Empire
SAT.             17.10.            Ricky Lee Jones
THU.            22.10.            Randy Newman
SUN.            24.10.            Patti Smith, Horses

July 2015 Robert Cray and the Jazzdag

The master of the blues gituar, Robert Cray, played full house in the paard last month.

Crays band consists of Richard Cousins plazing the bass, Dover Weinber on keybords and Les Falconer on drums.

And of course he plyed his most famous song, strong persuader
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r46VfVUNUCI

Completely different stuff was going on Rotterdam. The North Sea Jazz festival is coming up and the town needs full two weeks to warm up.

On saturday was the official contest for the european jazz competition. The competition was won by Flash Pig, but my favorite was the open source trio.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3eNVtmDLaw&list=PLNjvztdPahEjbNaxYv-s0To7hEWkXOOo6&index=2

And this was the last act of the evening, Sarah Jane 

The paard is closed in June and July. But the month starts with the Parade festival, which has a good selection of music. And there is still Amsterdam and Rotterdam....

Paradiso

14.07 TUE bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent ... bring your handkerchief
24.07 FRI the legendary Gregg Allman of the Allman brothers

28.07 TUE blues guitarist George Thorogood

08.08 SAT the legendary and last original reggae legend Jimmy Cliff

Melkweg

02.07 THU Franz Ferdinand  .... famous Indie band is already sold out
24.07 FRI the Mission, established rock from the 80ties
09.08 SUN Bad Religion, punkrock dating back to mike's seventies

Rotown

20.07 MON The Growlers, psychedelic pop from LA
22.07 WED Deerhof, a mixture of punk and psychedelic rock
13.08 THU Sunset Sons, are compared by Rotwon to the kings of Leon

If you are into Jazz check out the almost daily performances in DIZZY as part of the North Sea Jazz Festival until mid of July

June 2015 Sophie Hunger

In her home country switzerland she is a star playing to big crowds, in Rotterdam's you hear her standing on the stage in front of you - a stage so small, that the keyboard player has to use your shoulder to climb around his equipment to reach his spot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVr90f343GE

Her broad repertoire from ballads to experimental, almost punk like rock, sometimes everything in one song, maybe as a consequence to her father, who liked to listen to jazz and punk and her first experiences as a singer in the indie rock band Fisher.

Her songs are poetry in english as well as German, french and switzer dutch... no dutch. Young as she seems to be.... she not only is an excellent musician and song writer, but she also writes essays for such outstanding papers as the german weekly die zeit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyUp1rnv7rY

Songs which send the shivers down your back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mUIDQQHE2A

We are getting closer to the vacation period. There is less going in june and there might be even less in july and august:


Paard
TH. 18 JUN ALBERT HAMMOND & BAND
SU. 21 JUN EBO TAYLOR 79 year old Taylor plays jazz Ghana edition
WE. 24 JUN ROBERT CRAY BAND blues and soul, Cray is a frequent guest hereabouts

But this is the begin of the festival season, so remember:
SU. 28. JUN Parkpop
SA. 27. JUN Night at the park, with UB40, DURAN DURAN and the local heroes DE DIJK

Paradiso
TU. 02. JUN THE CHURCH famous rock from Australia which was progressive in 80ties 

SA. 06 JUN CHUCK PROPHET & The Mission Express, pleasant country rock known since the begin of the 80ties

FR. 12 JUN A Night under Eastern Skies: Al-Kindi, Mercan Dede, Niyaz, a wide variety of arabic music

SA. 13 JUN THE VAN JETS interesting rock pop from Belgium 

Rotown

TH. 04. JUN JACCO GARDNER rock reminding of The Zombies, The Lovin' Spoonful en Syd Barrett

SU. 07 JUN THE DUSTBOWL REIVAL an inventive mix of traditionel music styles of gospel, jazz, blues, folk or marching bands... how will they get all this into Rotown

TH. 18 JUN SUNSET SONS popanthems in the tradition of Kings of Leon

Melkweg
WO 03.06 POETS OF THE FALL pleasant rock from Finland.. it's worth watching their video on melkwegs agenda http://www.melkweg.nl/nl/agenda/poets-of-the-fall-03-06-2015


Again, there are some really famous guys coming up, like Jessy J in the Paradiso and Franz Ferdinand in Melkweg, but unfortunately they are already sold out. So think of the concert of KOVACS, the dutch answer to amy whinehouse, on sunday 4.10. will be one of the highlights of the season and sell out quickly

And, do not forget, the event of july:

10.07. THE GANGLIONS are shaking up the Libertijn

April 2015 Greetings from Vienna

Last month Mike enthusiastically came back from Amsterdam where he had listened to the gang of 4. Myself, instead I listened to my own gang of three.

 

I went to Vienna to visit a friend and by chance stumbled into a bar right next to Prinz Eugen's fantastic castle and garden, the belvedere, and right around the corner from where I stayed.. It turned out, the place called Lousiana, is one of the best venues for blues in vienna with live music from wednesday to saturday. And that although it holds at the most 30 people. It turned out one of the women who run it comes from close to where i come from and she took care right away to get me a pleasant spot at the bar.

That night the mudcats were playing. Guitarist Herby Dunkel, drummer Didi Mattersberger and Benji Hösel playing bass guitar did a great show until long after midnight. The atmosphere was not only blue.... it was like being transferred back into the time of endless revolutions in vienna between 1918 and 1938 which is so well described in stephan zweig's famous autobiography "die welt von gestern" (the world of yesterday)

When I came back next night, the owner had already reserved one of the precious spots at the bar for us. Guitarist Erik Trauner was giving a one man show, that is, the crowd shouted a theme, and he played a suitable song. We did not get home much earlier that night.... It's definitely a place to go back when I return to Vienna next time.

And here the owner and her teckel, who had to have a look from time to time....

But here is what is going on in our favourite spots in May:

Paard

07.05. kleine zaal HERITAGE BLUES ORCHESTRA whining guitars, styleful old men, if you like real blues… this might be a photographers dream too  

10.05 grote zaal ALPHA BLONDY & THE SOLAR SYSTEM we had him before, but he does not like photographers…. http://findmypicture.blogspot.nl/2009_11_01_archive.html

15.05 grote zaal GOTCHA! Hard rock from Haarlem

23.05 kleine zaal PORTICO electronic synth pop

29.-31.5. the SNIESTER pop rock festival, Mike would probably like SUE THE NIGHT on friday

31.05 kleine zaal OTIS READING no, not the one of …. (who died age 26) but his son who has soul as well

Paradiso

08. Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba (Mali) who according to the paradise plays the traditional be instrument with the dynamics of Jimi Hendrix

12.05 MACEO PARKER a frequent guest in our area

20.05 DELTA RAE American rock and folk

22.05 NOURA MINT SEYMALI blues form Mauretania

23.05 ZANE CARNEY songwriter guitarist

25.05 ERIC BURDON the legendary….

29.05 JESSE MALIN punk

30.05 THE REPLACEMENTS influential indie rockband from the 80ties  

Melkweg

10.05 MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS…. Unfortunately sold out

22.05 DANKO JONES Canadian rock

26.05 SOL Y LLUVIA well known in Chile since 1978

28.05 HANS DULFER see him before it is too late….

Rotown

07.05 AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR post rock from belfast

09.05 SOPHIE HUNGER the famous swiss singer in a concert in ROTOWN!!!!

23.05 TINARIWEN touareg blues

29.05 ANDREA GIBSON something completely different…. Poetry from colorado

March 2015 Sleater Kinney and JJ Grey

We all regretted that Mike stopped with the monthly account of the "Music in his mind". We urged him to continue, but to no avail. But we are all eager to go to more concerts. So I decided to start a similar blog of my own - in the hope, of course, to sometimes drag Mike out of his hole, because this never can be a replacement for what he did.

I hope this will be on a regular, maybe monthly basis, but don't expect too much. A start is made.

Sleater Kinney is an all girls rockband from Portland, Oregon. After 9 years they reunited and we went to their show in the great Paradiso in Amsterdam.

The band, Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums) can be considered as part of the west coast riot girl and indie rock scene. They are known for their feminist and left leaning attitude.

They were praised the best rock band in 2001 and greatest living rock band in 2015, and really, they know how to scream in high pitch. Anyway, i forgot to take ear plugs and i really was afraid that my right ear, turned to the speakers, had taken irreversible dammage since it was numb and ringing for two days....

Then on saturday, the 28th, quite the opposite. Blues rock from the east coast, JJ Grey&Mofro and Marc Broussard in the Paard. It was their last concert of the latest European tour and JJ repeatedly announced his intention that he would play until drunk enough to have to stop. 

So we were treated with 3 and a half hours of Blues and Jazz Rock at its finest. With musicians great enough that they were actually able to present themselves playing several solos each during the evening. This is something i increasingly miss with a lot of the late contemporary bands.... they play well as a group, but none of them dares to stand out.

We don't think JJ really stopped because he couldn't stand on his feet any more, but we hope that he enjoyed his plastic cups of beer well enough to come back.

So what is going on next month? I have listened through the video clips on the agenda's of a couple of venues and this is what i found interesting. If you have more suggestions, please leave a comment:

Paard

08.04. kleine zaal CARL PALMER'S EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER LEGACY, legendary rock

10.04 kleine zaal MONOMYTH & SHAKING GODSPEED, alternative they call it. I would call it good old rock

11.04 grote zaal THE GENTLE STORM FT. ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN, sounds like one of the good old rock operas

18.04 kleine zaal BABY DEE (PRESENTED BY MUZINE) sounds very much like an  extravagante blend of classical songs and modern songwriters

25.04 kleine zaal TEXAS RADIO, THE AFTERVEINS & THIN PILLOW an evening of psychedelic and punky regional bands

Paradiso

11.04 too late …. the concert of BETH HART is already sold out

17.04 RATS ON RAFTS post punk from Rotterdam

23.04 CITIZENS indiepopband from London

Melkweg

21.04 GANG OF FOUR post punk

26.04 TIKEN JAH FAKOLY African reggae

Rotown

16.04 THE DEAF no comment necessary for this favourite of Mike….

 And, don’t forget, on april 17^th, you can test your knowledge at the pop quiz in the Paard’s cafe