Heaven Up in Haarlem

Patronaat show in Haarlem 10/1/06

photos by Miranda Termaat

Yesterday was a dream, a seeming seminal culmination of 16 years obsessively plowing the furrowed lowlands of Holland on tour, must have played at least, oh, 60 times here since 1990--averaging 3-4 times a year...which doesn't count the many many occasions I would make Amsterdam the base, the hub of myriad European solo tours--check my liner notes to "The Universe of Absence"-- whence I would seek refuge in the convivial Dutch corages on offer with many splendid comings and goings in and out of this most beautiful city over the course of a single tour, lightning forays into Belgium Switzerland Germany France etc. etc. so after a week spent under unbelievably balmy weather here I was gifted with a Sunday morning broadcast over the Dutch National tv channel VPRO on their program "Free Sounds" with a good half hour's interview and performance in the company of my estimable friend and collaborator lutist "Big Joe" Van Wissem...enjoy for yourself here, I think it is some of our best playing ever captured for all time...plus it was nice they referenced that "Ice Cream for Crow" clip--and Jeff Buckley's sublime recording of our song "Grace", which choked me up upon hearing it again...

Needless to say, there was much recognition afterwards as we were feted on the street, in the railway station, walking the blue fields o'er the canals, by the warmest of warmest Dutch fans...I would remind you that this was the first country to take my guitar and my music to their massive collective bosom in a big way, a fact driven home once again last night as we faced an adoring overspill crowd in Haarlem last night on the outskirts of Amsterdam in the re-jiggered remodeled Patronaat, famous rock club on the order of Amsterdam's Paradiso (hey, shambolic shaman gathering Moss Pete Doherty and Babyshambles are due there in a couple weeks) where I've performed many times solo, and with Gods and Monsters...and what a cross-section of attentive listeners!

"Well the old folks boogie/'n the young folks too..." ("You Ain't Too Old", Slim Green and the Cats from Fresno, one of Don Van Vliet's favorite sides)...and man it was packed in the Patronaat...

So I'm buzzed buzzed buzzed this morning, just waking up and getting ready to split back to NYC for a day before heading up to Montreal--and just want to say that

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE HOLLAND...

and hey Cosmo just called from London to say that BBC One played an advance white label of our forthcoming 12" "Music Blaze Up" last night on Rob Da Bank's radio show--it's coming out under our nom de groupe Wild Rumpus (myself, DJ Cosmo, and guest toaster Brother Culture) on Colleen's Bitches Brew label later this year--check it out here.

xxLove

Gary