Crossing Border Day 3

Day 3 started with an interview of the 4 authors who were chronicling the festival http://www.crossingborder.nl/chronicles_en.php. Having met most of them it was nice to see them speak about their experiences. And later hear them read from their works.
The Cave Singers

After that I popped over to the NTG for yet another hairy band The Cave Singers, who were cool in a weird way, it occurred to me that almost all the bands I saw on that stage during the weekend with the exception of the Ra Ra Riot were hairy men generally coming from the vicinity of Seattle.. very strange coincidence indeed.
I left that to pop upstairs to see Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and the True Loves. Great swing band from the deep south of the US. Great energy and a pity really that they were not playing the bigger stage so people could move to the beats (which were considerable).
First Aid Kit

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and the True Loves

Chris Killen

After that I ran back over to the main theater where First Aid Kit were playing in one of the small rooms. Wow! These girls from Sweden were the youngest singers at the festival and they wowed the audience with their beautiful harmonies and musical skills. I was sad to leave but more music and Chris Killen who was one of the Chronicles authors awaited. Chris read the first chapter of his forthcoming novel to the audience which was really great and well received. Then came Liam Finn. What can I say about this little power house from the land of the kiwis. It was incredible and amazing to watch the energy that was created on stage by just two people and they had the crowd from the get go, really great set. Of which I popped out to check out Pete Molinari in one of the tents and then back for the end of the Liam Finn set which ended with them using some effects and a thing that looked like a joy stick while they both were screaming like lions into the microphones. Hell of a performer.
Liam Finn

After that I had a little break while waiting for The Black Keys, chatted with our new found photographer and journalist friends from London and watched the crowd fill up the room with ever more anticipation for the band.
The Black Keys

The Black Keys are a two piece band, Guitarist/ singer and Drummer. They also were so energetic on stage I could barely take my eyes from them. Loved the set and almost reluctantly left to see Kathleen Edwards who hails from my countries capital city. She was solo on guitar but had a great presence with the crowd and told some nice stories. At the end we got her back for an encore and I yelled out for the song Hockey Skates which she played. So in the end it was worth me leaving the Black Keys for. We had a little chat afterwards and she was gracious and sweet. Actually the perfect way to end a wonderful weekend of music and words.

Kathleen Edwards

Only it was only the photography that was over I was headed over for the after party, Having attended every night of the festival it was bound to be a great night as everyone was winding down from the end of all their hard work. Quite incredible really how many people work in such an organisation and of course all the journalists, photographers, musicians and authors as well as all the hangers on.
What started out fairly sedate, chatting with the cool people you have met over the weekend and then I hit the dance floor cause the music was starting to really pick up. Helen and I were having a grand time they were playing Kashmir from the Zep and ACDC and then next thing I know is we were slam dancing with the singer from the Black keys and a bunch of other lunatics that were there.
Having switched from wine to whiskey part way through the night I had the feeling this was going to be the longest night yet, having left the after party ever later each night. I think we rolled in around 7 am this morning. But with smiles on our faces happy memories as we fell into bed exhausted.

Crossing Border Festival day 2

This was the day I was most looking forward to of the festival. The Swell Season, and how could you not want to see them if you have seen the movie Once. Being a big sucker for romance, music and the eternal love story it was great to see Glen and Marketa in real life and perform the songs they did so well in the movie. Of course I can see now that they were just acting themselves. But it did not bother me as I think Glen is a genuinely beautiful person and a pleasure to watch on Stage.

The Swell Season with The Frames

The Fleet Foxes The rest of the night was a mix of The Fleet Foxes. Which were nice but I had to leave as the overpowering stench of sweaty men was getting to me. After that I went out the back door and back in the NTG. Disappointing because they had let way too many people in and there was already overfilled to capacity for Fleet Foxes and then the huge line up inside and out for Ben Folds. Not allowing others in to see the other acts in the different rooms. Poor Martin, hopefully next time huh?
Then went back to the main theater for Tindersticks and during that I slipped out to see Tom Baxter in the small room at the top. And was more than pleasently surprised and how lovely it was. Happy to leave the Tindersticks after a couple of songs as they all started to sound the same to me.

Tom Baxter

After that the after party was a nice laugh and we got to chat and meet a few new folks which is also nice... as well as having a chat with Tom Baxter who informed me that yes they can hear people in the audience when they chat and talk.

Now shortly onto Day 3.

Tonight I'm looking forward to Kathleen Edwards and The Black Keys.

Crossing Border Festival 2008 - Day 1

Last night was the first night of the 15th Crossing Border Festival in The Hague. I have only ever attended once when it was held in Amsterdam, where I got to see my hero author Douglas Coupland speak about his love of musc and literature.

So last night I started the night with the Scottish Band Frightened Rabbit, which was in one of the small tents. After this we went over to check out Cass McCombs and then onto Ra Ra Riot which were great large band from NY State.

Ra Ra Riot
Stef Kamil Carlen's Bob Dylan Tribute
Carolina Chocolate Drops
then back over to the Main Theater for the fabulous Carolina Chocolate Drops. And finally back to the NTG for Death Cab for Cutie. Which if I have not already complained about I will here. They suck live!!!! I loved Transatlanticism but I have seen then a twice in the last 6 months and both times I have walked out because of boredom, annoyance and bad sound. Blah! But the rest of the night was great! Looking forward to tonight even more.

The Adventures of Chairman Meow

Once upon a time there was a little kitty named Chairman, she was the cutest kitty in all the land. All the girls fussed and pampered over her. played with her and competed for her affections. And yet she yearned for something new and exciting.

One day she saw a opening in her world and she decided to venture into this new unchartered universe. This new universe was sparse and uninhabited, little Chairman felt lonely and sad with no one to play with or preen over her, nor were there any warm and soft furniture to curl up upon, but she could not make it back through the secret passage way home. Many hours later her good step-sister Mozilla woke to find her sister missing and went to investigate. She was not in the living room, the hall or the sleeping room of the two house slaves. She started to worry and tried with all her kitty power to wake up the two slaves by any any means possible; purring loudly, poking her face in the hands and faces of the sleeping slaves and still not giving up even after she was put outside the door by meowing so loudly the female slave started to wonder what was wrong, and even had the notion it was strange that Chairman was not also there joining in the antics. When the male slave got up from his resting place, the female slave said it was strange indeed the Chairman had not made yet an appearance even with his food being put out for him. When the male slave went to investigate he could hear faint meowing and as he came to the front door the meowing got louder. He discovered Chairman has spent the night in the sparse and cold universe all on her own with only a welcome mat to keep her company. However after many apologies, pets and fresh food little Chairman Meow seemed to have forgotten the entire episode and was back to chasing her sister around the house, over the furniture and demanding to be preened over like nothing at all had happened.

The Hague Todays Art Festival

Last night The Todays Art festival started as it happens just outside my front door. As I look over the central station and through the corridor of ministries, city halls and court houses, I was struck at how interesting this festival is at incorporating everyday objects into the celebration.
It started with the trains and trams that come and go trhough the station imagine the tracks have been laid out with the equivelent of a music box ribbon... it was quite a noise. Here is more from the artists website.
This performance is not just any performance. It uses instruments, but highly unusual ones; the instruments are trains and trams, bicycle bells and the Central Station-building itself, including all the people present. As a part of the performance, in cooperation with NS (=the Dutch railroad company), a whole range of trains and trams will enter the station in a strict choreography called The Tsunami, with all the train and tram engineers working together. Sounds from travellers will also be amplified through microphones as part of the performance. Achim wollscheid will use computer-driven magnets that play the bicycles in front of the Central Station like a toposonic typewriter.

Then H and I headed down the corridor (check the map for the interactive route) to find a go cart race in progress in front of the ministry of VROM... I'm not kidding for those who get the haha about that one. Onwards we passed the ah grocery store and were forced to weave in and out of large blue triangles laid out on the ground. Their significance to be reveled later,
this is the first time we came across the bunny in the sky, a projection project that ended up following us the entire night through in the form of the artist Pictoplasma on a large bakers bike with projector, generator and laptop in tow.

First came a green house filled with costumes, although I am not sure what the meaning was it was quite funny.
Then the skaters and breakdancer area outside the city hall. Half-pipe, obstical course and a premiere of a skate movie projected on the city hall.
Onwards past other greenhouses with bars and snacks to the main plein Spui where the side of the library and city hall had some amazing projections that transformed the tiles to 3d objects. We saw some modular dresses that could react and change to sound, and found out the blue piramids were for a infared cctv camera that was showing people weaving in and out of the passage way without seeing the blue piramids at all.
We further wandered onto the Grote Markt street which was also part of the Blue Light District where we came accross a van with DJ's for the Langeweiliskeit festival and a bunch of people creating grafitti with tape on the ground.. to be honest I think the Grote Markt Street was the most dissapointing, other than hearing some great music being pumped down the corridor there was nothing else happening all the way till the end and it was filled with the same drunks and drugged kiddies on their way home as you would find on a normal Friday night.

We then made a slight detour to the As If Festival held at the Interfacility which was a student gallery where we walked in on a show that was pretty interesting for about 2 min of sounds and frequencys made from hand-made instruments. I found the multimedia exhibit by Palestiniaan artists far more interesting. The most moving was a young artist who painted all his/her pictures in the bottom of cardboard boxes that were then hung on the wall.. quite moving. This symbolised the mental effect being kept caged can do to a person, even if there is no actual bars the wall that was built was having the same effect on many of the people who had to live with it day in and day out. Quite something and by far the most moving thing I saw all night. It is a conflict that never ceases to amaze and astound me, that the super powers in the world turn a blind eye.. is it beacause there is no oil?

We then went to the Grote Markt and watched a video from a web TV company which was very interesting to say the least. I am trying to remember the name still.
And then back through the street to the Spui where we caught a artist with two giant electricity conductors that lightning lept between the two balls to music.. people loved it!
Back along the corridor to the skaters on the half pipe, past the go carts and home made for a pretty interesting and cultural evening.

Song stuck in my head

As many of you know I "heart" music. Lots of different sounds and experiences. I was just tidying up and came accross a bunch of old ticket stubs from concerts I have attended.. some of these date back as far as September 1983 when I saw Platinum Blonde on their Standing in the Dark tour in the Memorial Arena in Victoria.
Also quite dated was the Black Crows in the Forge night club also in Victoria close to a decade later when they were on their first major tour to promote Shake Your Money Maker about 1991.
More recent ticket findings were Buck 65 (good fun), The Dears & Ambulance Ltd (I was having a bad night and did not enjoy, I really do like Ambulance Ltd), Porcupine Tree, Marillion and h, Band of Horses (so/so), Death Cab for Cutie (would have rather stayed in and listed to the CD) BUT Styrofoam were great and a few festival wrist bands and tickets thrown in all from about 2004 till now. Some of these were Live & Coldplay, Black Mountain,Caribou, Marilyn Manson & Metallica, The Frames, Elbow, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Supergrass, Tokyo Police Club, Lamb (their very last show in Amsterdam) & so many more.

I even found a couple of set lists: Do you know who this is?
Giant
Auto
Fall of Man
Life Beyond
Machine
Time Bomb
Influence
Suburbua
Lets Get it On
Rico
xRated
Strange Days
DG
Load
Flash Dance
APP
BTK
sigh! That was a kick ass show!

Anyway, I have seen a TON of shows in my life. I remember Pearl Jam opening for Alice in Chains at Harpo's in Victoria way way back then. Eddy landed on my head stage diving!

I have left very few concerts because of bad performances (Guns and Roses, Death Cab for Cutie) and I have left many wishing it would not end (Depeche Mode, The New Pornographers and Peter Gabriel just to name a few).
I am also looking forward to seeing some new live gigs, The Swell Season, Kings of Leon spring to mind.
My last concert was out in Vancouver with my brother at The Faint which was super cool (and the beginning of a epic night out with the Dude) The opening band's lead (and I use the term loosely) singer should never ever have been given a mic and been encouraged to make that horrific noise, but what can you do?!
I bought tickets yesterday for the Crossing Border festival here in Holland for November and am looking forward to seeing The John Dear Mowing Club for free tomorrow at the Haag's Uit festival should be good.

So enough of me waffling on.. but check out this The Cold Cut blog for more serious music reviews.. he has a nack for picken'em.

Check out the cool illustrations from the super cool Exploding Dog website.

Soundwave 2008

About a month ago I had the pleasure of heading off to the Soundwave Festival in the wilds of the West Coast of Vancouver Island with my Brother Eric. It is a long drive from anywhere to there, but well worth it just for the scenery alone.

We camped on the beach, met great people and danced until we could dance no more.

Respecting the wildlife we made sure not to feed the bears or gorillas, but happily shared out habitat with them.

The stages and bars were made with natural resources such as driftwood found on the beach and it was a wonderful place to enjoy the party especially since the sun shone non stop the entire time. I have been told in the past it has also been known as Drownwave, and having lived up in that area for a time would not be surprised that it can get really really wet at times but lucky for us it was the perfect weekend with great tunes, people and fun. One of the best parts was catching up with my super duper cool buddy John after all this time and meeting the lovely Sarah in the process.

Since I have been going to parties in Germany like this for many many years, I was thinking nothing could impress me in the back woods of Canada. I was wrong!

The party had first class music, laid-back people and great scenery, even the Girls of Soundwave calendar crew were there to head things up before Fame Corp met for their annual stakeholders meeting.

The music came from far and wide. Dirt Crew from Berlin, Death to Sexy from Victoria, Ink Well & Long Walk Short Dock from Vancouver and many more that impressed me greatly. Unfortunatly we only arrived on Saturday afternoon so had already missed a whole day of fun.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a few new people with whom I hope I will be friends with in the years to come. Perhaps is it just because it was my own country and language but it seemed people were much easier to talk to and get to know.

Either way it was a great weekend and I hope that I will make it back for the next one.

Hopefully see you at the next one.

Xavier Rudd

Last night I went to a concert at the Paard van Troje in The Hague at the urging of my friend Martin. Martin is always on top of great music and keeps me in the loop so I was happy to oblige.

Anyway last night was Xavier Rudd from Australia. He had an amazing set up with percussion instruments, guitars, didgeridoo (3), and some other noise making things. He also had a drummer on stage with him for about half the show it was pretty great and you could tell from his songs and style he was speaking about a much bigger issues in the world, Martin later told me he was an enviromental activist & Surfer. His quieter songs reminded me of Paul Simon. I was very impressed and will be looking out for him in future.

Anyway I just wanted to put this out there and ask the question to the few hundred Cloggies that attended, 'why do you feel the need to chat and talk all the way through the gig?'
I can think of better uses for paying money for a ticket and to have a musician from the other side of the world come in and you chit chat like he is just the background music for your conversations, and it is bloody annoying! I hate to say it that it was not just this gig but every gig I have ever attended in Holland that I have been in the audience that people feel it is alright to chat their way through the shows. It is rude and shows a complete lack of respect to the artist and musicians on stage. Grrrr!

Anyway if you want to hear more and perhaps missed his songs last night due to the extreme rudeness visit his My Space for some tunes http://www.myspace.com/xavierrudd

The Music in My Head Festival Day 2

The Music is Dead, sadly the last day of the festival is also the last day of the Festival for ever, The Music is now Dead. Either way the music rocked and Supergrass ended the show in great style. Please respect the photo copyright is mine.

Joan as a Police Woman

Fanfarlo

The Charlatans

Tokyo Police Club

Supergrass

The Music in My Head Festival Day 1

A few weeks ago I got a great chance to take some photos at The Music in My Head festival.. here are the results. Please respect the copyright that is Mine.

The Notwist

Steven Malkimus and the Jicks

Sinead O'Connor
(as if you could not tell)