Sioen

Been a busy few weeks again. Not that I am complaining. It's just the way I like it. My friend Martin invited me along to a gig at the Paard last night. This is the same person who has introduced me to VHS or Beta and Dredg live plus many many other new bands and artists, so I tend to trust his instinct when it comes to music.

We got there as the opening act was half way through. Had a few beers and waited. The band consits of the usual bass, drums, guitar, piano and somehow typically Belgian a violin.
Sioen is the last name of the singer/songwriter Frederik, who once they were finally set up and ready to go sat at a piano front and centre stage it started with just him and yes the violin player for two songs. He does not have a mind-blowing voice but is charismatic and can sing sweetly enough to not let it be an issue. They are all quite talented and according to Martin even tighter now as a band since the first time he saw them over a year or so ago. The songs were well written and presented flicking between sweet pop and somehow Deux influenced chords and style.
All in all, a really nice way to spend a Thursday night and 12 euros. Well plus 15 if you add the new CD I bought from them, Ease Your Mind which is really quite good after only one listen again this morning.
Other CD purchaces this month include:
The New Pornographers Twin Cinema, talent oozing as usual.
Matthew Good's newest In A Coma, which is a complilation of his career in a great package of 2 CD's and a DVD. CD one has 2 new songs one of which might have some of the catchiest lyrics yet "Oh be joyful, cause that shit spreads".
CD two is 9 acoustic versions of his songs from the past 10 years and two of his little EP releases, one (Loser Anthems) of which has some of my favorite Matt songs on it. Oddly enough I had not had the chance to sit down and watch the DVD yet but I am sure to be impressed as I have only seen maybe 2 of his Videos not being exposed to many Canadian Music station on television here, that also being something to look forward to.
And on my stereo now is David Grays latest Life in Slow Motion, which at first listen is really nice and typically David Gray which is certainly not a bad thing.

Up coming gigs: Buck 65 at the Paradiso in Oct and Jasper Steverlinck The singer from Arid in November again in the Paard, and being very tempted by the 2 day Music in my Head festival at the Paard which has quite a good line-up. Other than that nothing else of the top of my head. Although I am sure to get provoked by Martin at some point and be introduced to yet another new musical experience. Cheers mate!

Bon Jovi

Last Friday night I had tickets to see Bon Jovi in concert, only one of 3 shows in the world to promote his new CD and it was the first time since 1986 that I had seen them when they were on their Slippery When Wet world tour.
It was kind of fun to be singing along to the songs that I knew, and not so fun to be there for the songs I didn't. But all in all not a terrible way to spend a Friday night, especially after a great shopping spree and dinner at my favorite Irish Pub before hand.
Anyway there were a few songs from the extensive repertoire that were not played but in the end it was a listening party for the new album Have a nice Day so I guess they were obliged to play some of the new tracks. Which to be honest are not really my thing any more.
The one thing I can say after seeing more than one nostalgic blast from the past in the last few years is that they have aged well at least from the 20 meters back where I was standing.
I am not what one might call a fan, certainly not compared to come of the people that were there on Friday night, I even saw hair there that made me think back (and cringe) what mine might have looked like in 1986... Ladies that much hair spray is not good for the enviroment let alone your hair. But speaking of hair, the question that has been niggling away since Friday is....
WHAT HAPPED TO BON JOVI'S CHEST HAIR? Did some stylist come along when he was trying to break into the movies and say, you know Jon the ladies would really love it if you took it all off and became as smooth as a babies bottom, forget that macho stuff from the 80's lets heat up that wax....



















Oh well does it really matter, thankfully his leather cod pieces went away with time as well as he is in dam fine shape for his age.

dredg

Last week I went to a concert at the Melkweg in Amsterdam on the recommendation of my friend Martin, who had a few months before gone to see this band and had been blown away by them.
I had already heard the music and was a little concerned that it might be a little to proggy sounding for me.
But first I must mention the opening band Miss. Antartica who I thought were quite good, they reminded me of a nice Placebo. No one else who was there with us thought they were any good but I guess that is what makes the world go round, the simple fact that we are different.
The singer of Dredg has one of those very high voices like he might have taken classical training and then to watch him on stage was like someone had torn a page from the Jim Morrison book of stage craft. And dam near impossible to take photos of cause he is constantly moving with an energy that that of an autistic child.

The rest of the band (guitar, bass and drummer & keys) were all intense guys in their own right and seemed to be set apart from one another. There was no interaction between any of them on stage aside from the guitar player facing the drummer once in a while but he could have easily been listening to his amp, they did their parts and that was that. The singer also played a slide guitar set on a table, he teased the strings with different objects such as a drum stick and what looked like a knife. But this allowing him to not at all interact with the audience.
The show was quite good there is no denying their talents, and entertainment value was high. At the very end of their set they have their 2 roadies come on and start disassembling the stage as they are playing. The drums get taken away, the bass guitar and then the guitar and the singers mic when all their is left is the drummer (without drums) playing his piano with single minded intensity.
I think it is good to get a taste of new music once in awhile and I am glad I went on a Tuesday night to see them. I will probably not again but not because they were bad but because they did not grab me like they could have.
The opening band was a Dutch one that is worth mentioning. They reminded me of a nicer Placebo, and I thought they had something to bring to the club as well.

Coolest brother ever!

Check this out. My brother made this for me from one of my own photos... If I could just figgure out how to upload it to my profile all the time. Sweet.

Usedom (Uznam): 27-28. 08. 2005

It is always nice going to the Sea U Site parties. You can almost be sure that everyone will be a great mood, your friends will come from all over an you get to see a corner of the former DDR (GDR) that you might not ever see otherwise.
Now If I am not mistaken I have attending 6 Sea U Site parties in 7 years, sadly only missing last years 2nd Ruegen Island party due to unforeseen circumstances.
2 x KÜHLUNGSBORN
1 x NEUSTRELITZ
1 x RÜGEN
1 x SCHWEINRICH
and this time USEDOM .... even more photos click here.
The last few years my dear friend Jacco has come along and we have had a grand time, singing and being silly in the car or commenting on all the beautiful people.
My plan was to sleep a night in Bremen at Guddi's and after shopping for food, packing the van we would be on our way Sat morning. We did not bad and were on the road by 12:40. The drive takes quite a few hours in an older VW bus like hers, but we had Anna to keep us alert and awake by her non-stop (for 6+ hours) squeaking and barking. Thank the gods I have ear plugs!
Just after Rostock at a rest stop we met with Gunner, Toby and a friend from Hamburg in their VW bus and we decided to caravan to the Island Usedom together, but not before I embarked on a highly dangerous guerilla mission into a mini-mall for bananas.
Just as we crossed the blue bridge to the island, Jens called to let us know that the police had already blocked the entrance and that we should find a place to park near Peenemuende and take a walk on the beach and wait for further updates. We pulled into a small parking lot about 2 km from the entrance with many other people and decided to have a look around.
According to http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Peenemuende this was during WW2, an extremely important site for the testing of the V1 & V2 rockets, after the war according to agreements the Soviets said they destroyed the whole area, but this many years later the forest that surrounds the old site is quite beautiful and quiet all the way down to the beautiful beach. Go through the link for more info, it is really quite fascinating.

The police I think were being quite reasonable, but not knowing what to do with the many hundreds of people who just kept showing up and invading their little island.
Guddi and I after exploring the beach, meeting with a few others walked back to our parking spot to meet with Jacco who had just taken a tour of the whole Island and had ended up in Swinemünde at the Polish border, because apparently there is more than one blue bridge on Usedom.

We then sat and chatted with the Hamburg boys while they Feasted on Fleisch (BBQ’d) and drank some wine. Guddi went to bed and Jacco and I headed to the party place with the boys, our sleeping bags and a airmattrass with the idea how nice it would be to sleep under the stars.
The movie theater was open and the bar, and then later some music was coming through the trees, we sat on the beach and had some drinks, and not to much later fell asleep under the stars which was great until I woke up.
I was not being able to feel my right side of my chin, it was as if I had been to the dentist the night before and had some dental work done, as we made our way back towards the bus I got bit by a mosquito under my eye and it started to swell up until I felt I could see my upper cheek Waah, for a short while I was a very unhappy girl. But we got back to the bus and made coffee and breakfast and gave Dirk his Birthday presents, he was so happy with his two pairs of sunglasses that you could not help but smile along with him.

After freshening up Jacco, Guddi and I headed back to the party area and spent some time on the beach first just watching the beautiful scenery, chatting with friends as they came and went and then watched the police helicopter circle over head almost the whole afternoon, what a waste of police resources! We were discussing how one might catagorize the kind of techno music that is played at these parties because people often ask me what kind of music it is. Guddi came up with MFT (Mädchen Freundlich Techno) which I thought was a really great way to describe it, Girl Friendly Techno music.

At some point a U site person came along and asked everyone on the beach to come to the dance floor and “Greet” the police of course to stay calm and friendly during the time they are here. So we packed our things and headed over to the wonderful little meadow where the dance floor was built and waited. The theme song for this event was appropriately the Beastie Boys: Fight for your Right (to Party), the whole dance floor was hopping and jumping and generally in a great mood.

Sven told me there was a girl from Canada there and brought her over to meet me. She was not only from the West Coast but from Cortez Island. How small is the world really. I forgot her name (sorry) but it was nice meet someone who maybe has some idea why I love both countries so much. And she had a great eye for fashion and recognised Guddi's "Holy Souls". Peace on West Coast girl, good luck with your life in HH!

When the police finally arrived I had the feeling that it was more an excuse for the Police chief to have his squad practicing with their riot gear than anything really serious, they were not even carrying weapons, they took ages suiting up and then walked in a somewhat orderly fashion over and behind the DJ stand and apparently had a discussion. I was up on the top of a dyke so I could take some photos but could not really see them through the trees it all seemed very civilized. Having been once before at a Sea U Site party where both the police and crowd got a little too aggressive I wanted to keep my distance “just in case”.
But it seemed they were discussing terms, and with full agreement of everyone there we were allowed to keep dancing until 7pm and must leave the property before 10am on the Monday morning. So off went the police, dogs and chief back to their vans and we continued to dance and have great fun until 7pm. When it was over. I wanted to go back for more drinks and something warmer to put on, so Jacco, myself, Dirk and Sven all walked back to the cars to pick up supplies so we could be nice and cozy on the beach later, as per tradition.
The usual suspects where at the party Sandra, Jens, Matthias, Andre, Marco, Jenny and a surprise to me, Irene; who I know I have not seen since at least last years Fusion.
Anyway we headed back towards the party with drinks in hand and met back with Guddi and a few others and headed towards the beach for more drinks under the stars and good company.
After some time I had the inability to keep my eyes open and headed off to sleep, sadly I would have loved to have stayed up longer and enjoyed the environment but I just could not. At some point in the night I woke up to find two more people in the tent with me, Sandra and an unknown sleeping bag and body. Quite funny.
When morning came I made my way back to the parking place to have coffee and get ready to go.
The rest of the Guddi and HH boys were all going for a swim in the ocean before heading back, but Jacco and I decided that because of the 8+ hour ride ahead of us we better get going as soon as possible. Guddi made us a wonderful breakfast and we basically said our goodbyes. I actually don't remember feeling quite so sad at saying goodbye at a party like that before, it was just all so nice and cozy and I wish it could have lasted longer. Oh well until the next years Fusion at the latest.
This site has even more great photos and links to the NDR News website and other great links.