Thursday, March 13, 2008
During this evening, me and Luuk are trying to install the new monitor screen of our computer. Earlier this week, thunder and lightning struck our house and the screen and modem were destroyed. While being busy with cables and stuff, the door bell rings. Luuk opens up the front door. There’s moi aka idiotbs! Weeks ago he said he’d come, but since then he got silent, so this is a bit of a surprise to me. He has a present: a triple vinyl album of six bands playing; each band taking an album side. There’s Yes ánd the Mothers Of Invention on it!
We finish the installation of the monitor screen and have a drink. Then moi and I go to the FoolZ rehearsal room. The route is via the nearest hamburger joint. Tonight the FoolZ are rehearsing with ke and the new drummer Erwin, but without guitar master Remco. We hear them play and conclude that Erwin has integrated into the group in a fantastic way, so tomorrow at the Festival we’ll hear lots of electric stuff. Ke’ doing a wonderful job, both acousticly and electric.
After the rehearsal, we take ke with us to my place. We have a few beers and watch The Who documentary ‘The Kids Are Allright’, which pleases moi a lot. Then it’s time to go to bed.
Friday, March 14, 2008:
Last preparations for the festival and meeting lots of friends:
I wake up around 08.30, have a quick shower and start doing some shoppings. After that, some hot olives need to be prepared.
Robert, our sound technicean for the weekend, arrives around noon. We have lunch and then Robert takes Luuk and me to the place where the equipment is stalled in Radio Kootwijk. ModifiedDog and ke will travel later with hidihi and Auke tot he festival.
Luuk is a great help carrying all the gear and we’re finished quickly. Our road to Overasselt takes a lot of time, partly because of the traffic, partly because of Robert taking the tourist route.
We arrive at Het Buitencentrum at 14.30. “Here comes the gear, lads!” is a way of greeting all our friends. It’s so nice to see everyone again and there’s many hellos and hugs.
Robert and Luuk start to install all the sound equipment, and everyone else is preparing the reception of the guests. It’s 15.30 when the first guests arrive. It’s the British! Some guests appear to have problems with tickets, but in the end all is well en everyone is welcome.
When dinner is served at 17.30, most guests have arrived. We have our meal in the dining room. A three course dinner, and everyone payed for their eating card too!
The FoolZ:
BowTieDad opens the festival by singing a special version of ‘Uncle Remus’. He’s backed by the first band of tonight: The FoolZ from Apeldoorn. Their first set is mainly acoustic, and ke is featured on viola. Erwin, the new drummer is doing a terrific job. The story goes that he practiced with the band only five or six times, and he really sounds like he’s fully integrated into the band already!
“There’s an irritating buzz in our monitor,” says Lex. Robert tries all his buttons and finds out it’s ke’s violin. I shout out loudly: “Het is die klootviool!” which is not nice to translate here.
Their second set is more electric and ke rocks with amplified viola solos. Lots of highlights in this set! ‘Echidna’s Arf’, ‘Eat That Question’ and a hilareous version of ‘Montana’. There’s even a third set!
I find myself being the lighting engineer. Robert has some simple lighting devices, very analogue and I can only choose four different modes. Besides switching them on and off, I collect glasses and clean up tables. And serve some hot olives.
Blurp!:
Blurp! onstage! No one ever heard any material by these young dudes from Limburg. Usually they play britpop and punk, but they’ve rehearsed a Zappa-only set especially for this festival. The band has dressed up like women and there’s a huge pile of rubbish next to the stage; all kinds of stuff that will be used during their performance.
Their set starts off with ‘I’t Can’t Happen Here . During their first real song with instruments, the bass player breaks a string. FoolZ bassist Pedro is very helpful and lends the unfortunate Blurpist a new string.
What a setlist we get! The repertoire they’ve chosen is highly interesting: mainly very old material from the first Mothers album, and even before that one. We hear multiple vocals and Billy finally knows how to play the kazoo. There’s ‘Wowie Zowie Television’ and rubber chicken abuse. Billy drops down his skirt and gets a sandwich with peanut butter into his face, and drummer Weasel takes over the guitar when it comes to ‘WPLJ’.
When the Blurp! show is over, I find out we had some visitors. The city council has come by, shocked by the news that a true festival is happening here in their community. They were afraid of hundreds of thousand drunken festival guests partying their way through the streets of the neighbourhood. Besides that, the police have fallen into the building, because of noise troubles. We had to stop playing music at 23.00, but the owner of the house had told we could “go on for a little time”, so it’s not totally our fault. Anyway, some organizers have a nice conversation with both the council and the police, and there are no real trouble.
It’s kinda late when I find my bed.
Saturday, March 15, 2008:
Les Jeux Sans Frontières:
We wake up at 08.10 and are even on time to have breakfast twenty minutes later. Ob and I announce the rules and regulations of Les Jeux Sans Frontières, that will take place this morning. Ob’s doing the talk in English; he has asked me to translate in the beautiful language of Olanda. When Ob tells the people they have to gather at “the only hill in The Netherlands” a loud “Boo!” is shouted from the Limburgian table. Ob is very enthousiastic about the special prize for the winner of Les Jeux: a bottle of Manchester Port, in a subtle way translated to Dutch as “paardenzeik”.
We gather at 11.00 on the only hill in The Netherlands. Let ‘Les Jeux’ start! Luuk and I open the games with a demonstration of ‘egg throwing’. Everytime we catch we do a step backwards. The team that reaches the widest distance before the egg breaks, wins. After long debates (The English team wins the game and gets one point, but the Dutch invented it and get one point for that), we decide that the final game will show us the Winner. Ob introduces the balloon contest. Everyone blows his balloon and at the signal releases it. The balloon that flies most far wins. NotPedro’s balloon is that fortunate and he wins the framed picture of FZ and the bottle of Manchester Port. In his final speech he tells us to “Fuck the Swedes”.
Cucurullo Brullo Brillo:
Just before lunch, Cucurullo Brillo Brullo arrives. They’ve brought along a special guest: Jeff Hollie, the man who played saxophone on ‘Joe’s Garage’. (My joking remark to Billy: “I thought this was to be a white festival!”)
Also the recording crew of Uncle Meat shows up. The three young dudes unload a shipfull of professional digital equipment for recording audio and video.
I have a very quick lunch. The French lady complains: “Diz is terrible! Lunch iz exactly ze zame az breakvazt!” She seems really upset about this. “Do you really eat the zame zings wiz lunch az with breakvazt?” Sniff our culture, sweet lady, and remember: “There is no hell, …”
Back at the concert area CBB is soundchecking. The UM recording crew is helping Robert out with some technical problems. It doesn’t take me long to conclude: “This is going to be loud!” Unicrayon takes me to his bedroom. He’s got this idea of a tombola with collector’s items as prizes. Fanatastic idea. During the day, he will sell the tickets and all profits will be for the Festival costs.
Loud indeed the sound in the concert room is. When CBB start their performance, we have to close the window panes and doors in order to avoid causing too many noise.
CBB give us a solid set of FZ crowd pleasers in rock style. They’re a good band, steady as a rock. I’ve seen them before, and the only thing I do not like that much is the two singers walking on the stage while they’re not singing, and guitarist Derk taking his guitar solos a bit too far into noodling.
As soon as the concert is over, we open the large doors to get fresh air into the stage area. Outside, I witness a small conversation between UniMuta and Jeff Hollie.
UniMuta: “Nice to see you play so well with this band.”
Jeff Hollie: “It’s nothing. I don’t know any of the songs, but I just play some notes. That’s all.”
The Muzquitos:
The Muzquitos take their time building up their set. They have brought along a wide collection of instruments. Violin, saxophones, accordeon and the more usual keyboards, guitar and drums.
Before they start playing, I have the unpleasant task to tell them they only have one hour and fifteen minutes left to play. We really got to stop at 17.30 for dinner is served at that time, exactly. After some argument, we agree that I will give them a sign at 17.15, so they’ll know when they’ve got fifteen minutes left.
The band have rehearsed a 90 minute Frank Zappa set that includes ‘Deseri’ and a vocal version of ‘King Kong’. They’ve put the material into their own style. We hear folk, reggae, South-American style and much more. It’s fun to hear them play the music in their own way.
Again, the temperature is rising tremendously, and I do have to leave the hall and go outside to get some fresh air. There I meet the musicians of Uncle Meat. I speak to Willo and we agree that Uncle Meat will be onstage at 21.15, so they can stop at 22.45.
Back at the concert area. The Muzquitos have fifteen minutes left and I give them the signal. They’re so enthousiastic in playing their whole set, that they ignore all my signals. I’m getting very annoyed by the band leader and when they stop in between two songs, I have to do what I have to do. The public doesn’t agree; they want to hear more, of course. But the time slots are very strict. Too bad.
I’m a bit stressed when I go to have dinner. I can’t eat that much and I leave the dining room soon.
The Wrong Object:
Now the stress and time pressure really sets in!
There’s some things to consider. We have to stop at 22.45, so I want Uncle Meat to be onstage at 21.15. Uncle Meat has gotta be the big ending of the festival. I want them to perform in full splendour. They did bring along the sound and video recording crew. We just can’t say that they have very limited time to play. The band needs thirty minutes to build up their set when the stage is empty, so the stage must be cleared at 20.45. Which means that The Wrong Object has to stop at least at 20.30.
It’s 18.30 now and the guys from The Wrong Object don’t seem to understand the hurry. It’s even worse: they have a problem. Due to some miscommunication matter, they didn’t bring along their guitar and bass guitar amplifiers. It takes minutes before they’ve made themselves clear in their rotten French accent English. Meanwhile, the band takes all the time for their soundcheck and time is running out. Now where do we get the missing equipment?
And there they are, the bass player and guitarist from The Muzquitos, enjoying a drink in the evening sun, just outside the stage area. I explain them our problem and that problem is solved within two minutes. Thankz guys, that was really really friendly and helpful of you! Have I told you I just love The Muzquitos? All my anger from before has disappeared. Can I have some more coffee, please?
It’s 19.15 when finally The Wrong Object start their set. They know they only have 70 minutes to play.
But what a concert we get! I truly love their klezmer version of ‘Eat That Question’. The band gives us their technically high standard jazz Zappa. Their line-up is expanded with Olandese sax player Frank van der Kooij.
It gets so terribly hot inside, and the jazz noodling goes on and on, so the crowd gets thinner. Most people find some fresh air outside.
At the end of the concert the IdiotBastard is onstage again to recite his King Kong / Apes-Ma poem.
The Wrong Object play a compact set, mainly because of their late start.
Uncle Meat:
The Umbaupause is filled with unicrayon and Linnea doing the tombola. Unicrayon has framed some nice pictures and FZ-beer labels. UniMuta wins the main prize, but gives it to Hasi, who has bought forty tickets. And the main prize is the series of three full bottles of Zappa-beer.
And then, at 21.10, Uncle Meat is onstage!
I do the announcement and when they play their first not, all pressure and stress fall from my shoulders. It’s accomplished. Time for my beer now!
As I expected, Uncle Meat plays a fantastic concert. Weird guitar, loud horns, a very tight rhythm section and a gorgeous singer. Their repertoire is a mixture of funky crowd pleasers (‘I’m The Slime’) and more obscure jazzy stuff (‘Big Swifty’). In between Kees ’t Hart recites Dutch versions of ‘Evelyn, A Modified Dog’, ‘Tiny Sick Tears’ (hilarious!) and ‘Cheap Thrills’ (‘Op en neer’).
Meanwhile, I serve hot olives and Turkish goat cheese.
The audience likes Uncle Meat a lot; the band is very well received. The instrumental ánd vocal version of ‘Sofa’ is the final tune. When it’s done, it’s 22.35. Uncle Meat is a band you can make an agreement with. Their encore is a steaming version of ‘Pygmy Twylyte’ and there’s even time for another short one: ‘Big Leg Emma’.
My final announcement is full of thankyous to the people who deserve some.
After the Uncle Meat concert, after the festival, Saturday night:
The stage area is cleared pretty quick and it’s time for some late night party. Unicrayon takes over all bar services. He gives me a framed FZ picture for my efforts in helping organize the Festival. It’s gorgeous and I’m very moved by this present. (It has got a central place in the living room in the bazbo house!)
Ob is distributing some Manchester paardenzeik. The party goes on and on, but there comes a time to get a little sleep.
In the middle of the night, suddenly the fire alarm goes off. Eelco wakes everyone up; we do have to clear the building. When we are all downstairs, lots of commotion is going on. The fire alarm is defect, and it’s a mixture of stress, fear, insecurity, impulsivity and alcohol in the group of freakz that are still awake that caused someone to push the big red button to call the fire brigade.
We all know it’s a false alarm, but the firemen rush in with sirens. Meanwhile, the guy-in-charge-of-the-house has arrived too. Some guests are very agitated, and some take the opportunity to decide to leave and go home immediately.
After fifteen minutes we all can go back to sleep and is everything nice and peaceful again.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
We wake up at 08.30. Showers are cold, so I just fresh-up a bit.
I manage to break into the locked kitchen and make some coffee. First sleepers are awake and gather in the courtyard, where I serve them some coffee.
Breakfast is served at 09.30. Where’s the box with all the bar income? Soon we’ll find out that it’s BowTieDad who’s put it in a safe place. It’s up to the British team to clean up this time. After that, we all make ourselves ready to leave and clear up the kitchen and concert area. Lots of goodbyes. At 11.30 the truck is loaded with gear and Robert, Luuk and I leave to Radio Kootwijk.
We’re at home at 14.00 and exhaustion attacks us. The bed is a good place to be.
Thank you:
All Zappateers involved in organizing the Festival and doing all the work on the spot. You know who you are!
Au3 for being the centre of everything.
Zymurgy for advice and unicrayon for the tombola and fantastic designs.
Our volunteers Linnea, Eelco (the Bacardi guy!) and Luuk for their tremendous hard work behind the bar.
Robert for excellent sound. You did a great job, man! Congrats for that!
The staff of Het Buitencentrum for cooperating so much all the time.
The community council, the police and the fire brigade for their unexpected visit.
The friendly Arfs. (“Nein, wir wollen kein Konkurrenz von Zappanale sein.”)
Ob for initiating ‘Les Jeux’, for his lovely present (another rubber chicken for the collection!) and for being one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
YoungPumpkin for delicious sea banquet with the exquise bouquet.
Unholm for being the light in the dark.
LudzNL for all his videos on YouTube.
Hidihi and Auke for transport services.
The guitarist and bass player of The Muzquitos for lending us their amplifiers.
All the bands for their excellent concerts! Without good music a festival is boring and quiet.
Blurp! and The Muzquitos for their special FZ set they rehearsed for us.
Monty And The Butchers for helping to keep the Festival costs low.
Uncle Meat for cooperating so professionally and smoothly during the road to the festival.
The recording crew that Uncle Meat brought along for the great assistance during the Saturday.
Yara, Jeroen and Willem of ‘De Pers’ for their great article and photography in their daily newspaper.
And finally (last but certainly not least): ModifiedDog for being the secret behind myself. Thankz, love!
bazbo – April 2008
