zondag 27 januari 2013

Gig in The Notre Dame


Although I still got this flu, I decided to try to ignore my sick body because how can I ever let this gig pass up.... ! And besides, my awesome colleague Ingrid offered me to work for me tomorrow so that I can recover one more day ...and so that made it possible for me to get up this afternoon and get dressed.  And so I went to this very special place near Amsterdam.
Yes, today I played in the Notre Dame; the one and only, the Notre Dame of this special village called Ruigoord.

Ruigoord  belongs in a long tradition of artistic colonies where art and daily life are integrated in a social experiment. Ruigoord is an idealistic and idyllic place where artists can pursue their chosen discipline. However, it is the accent on joint collective projects that gives it the character of a contemporary artists colony, answering to the deep human need for interchange and shared experience, expression and ectasy.
This need grows ever stronger as the times grow ever more egocentric and materialistic. The little green oasis that Ruigoord has become answers to the artist’s need to withdraw for a time from the cares of city life, which has always been a reason for the existence of artists colonies
 MORE Info: Ruigoord

Valentijn Steenhuis
Valentijn Steenhuis is the one who makes it possible for musicians to play in the church.
I must say, I was expecting a complete empty and cold church, because of the snow and rain - I didn't care anyway - and yep, I had a hard time for just a a couple of minutes ( I almost started crying)  when I arrived at CS and Mick called me and told me I had to walk to his car for about 300 metres ( it was too far for me in my condition). Fortunately he finally drove his car to the parking place just in front of the ferry behind the Central Station of Amsterdam to pick me up.  But, however, the snow was already gone in just one night, and the sun already started to shine when I crossed the river near Central Station of Amsterdam and Mick picked me up so that I didn't need to walk any metre and the church wasn't thát cold and there was a really nice sympathetic audience  ( sorry, this was a really long sentence).
Arjen, Mick and me drove in this little green car to Ruigoord and after searching for a while ( it's always a bit hard to find the village) the first person we saw walking in the street was the woman who sings her songs with her friend in a band called  the "Ruigoord Rebels". She showed us the way and told us where we could park the car.
When we entered the church there was a fireside and some people were drinking and smoking in a very relaxing way and Valentijn welcomed us very friendly. I heard this singersongwriter playing - I thought he sounded great ( I will look up his name in a minute, okay, he's called Pol Stevenson), and I ordered a cup of coffee to get warm and relax a bit. When I sat down near the fireside I drank my coffee and then I saw Danielle came in with her friend and I was glad she passed by.
Well, we had a little soundcheck and I was surprised that Carlos, the other half of the "Ruigoord Rebels' did the sound this afternoon. I know the Ruigoord Rebels  because they have been playing at the SWANnights I organize every first Wednesday of the month in the Noorderparkkamer.
Carlos
It was such a fun to do this gig. I already knew it was gonna be difficult to deal with the acoustic of the church but Carlos made a party of it. I mean, whatever he did, I heard this ECHO of my voice and I heard Mick laughing and so I started to feel happy and just have fun.

Okay, I got this flu, so I had to quit, otherwise I think we could have played there for hours. Valentijn asked us to play just one more song and so I asked Danielle to sing with me the song 'By My Side' which she did great. I really hope Valentijn will ask us  to come back and that Carlos will do the sound again. I really recommand this place, just go there or try to get a gig and play your songs, or just go there to visit this special village, you will like it !



When we were finished it was the turn of De Hoek, two nice guys who sing their songs in Dutch.
De Hoek
In the mean time I got another cup of coffee and sat next to the fire to listen to the other musicians.Yeah, it was a really nice gig, it seems as if  I already recovered from this flu when I got home. Ruigoord gave me a lot of positive energy !

Pol Stevenson, (2nd from the right)

zaterdag 26 januari 2013

I've got the flu

So how do I get to this little village called Ruigoord...

I feel awefull, my body won't listen to me when I say: Stand up and go ! This is an order !

Got another night to get a little better before I will find my way through the snow. Tomorrow I will play at Ruigoord in a church. The show must go on !

reverbnation






maandag 14 januari 2013

Great ASG party at Roger Hammond's house

Last Saturday I was really f*d up by some stupid ego-problems and so I needed to go out somewhere in the city. Okke, my friend and father of my lovely daughters pushed me to go out and drink, just to forget me, myself and my ego. Actually I already had drunk some red wine when I called Danielle, she's a very active singersongwriter in Amsterdam, and I asked her to come over to get anywhere what was possible that night.
Then she told me about this Amsterdam Songwriter Guild Party at Roger's house and that I was very welcome to enjoy this party. She called Luke Nyman so that I could get a ride to some place called Vijfhuizen ( never heard of it before ) and so I took my  bike to cycle as soon as possible to Luke's place ( I did this in 30 minutes and at the time I arrived I was completely sober again). He and Dirk-Jan (and girlfriend) were waiting for me (they are both singersongwriters ) and then we took this hired car. So we drove to Vijfhuizen and Roger Hammond and his wife welcomed us. There was a fire and food and dranks and I was so happy to be there, because it was nice, cosey and the singersongwriters who played that night were awesome.
Me, I played some songs too, and I was glad Craig also was at the party so that we could play together again ( We had a gig together at Barco's a few months ago), and also Danielle sang some songs with me.
Roger Hammond  playing his songs on the couch
The singersongwriters who played that night were: Danalyze ( Daniëlle), De Hoek ( only Mizza ), Roger Hammond, Dirk-Jan, Max Vanremmerden, Kathy Ziegler, Luke Nyman.
Dirk-Jan playing is songs
Annette Vogel & Craig Latta (photo: M. Vanremmerden)
Max Vanremmerden on piano

Roger Hammond
Danalyze and Roger Hammond playing together
These black/white pictures are taken by Max Vanremmerden:

 Dirk-Jan Smit ( calls himself Dear John)
Kathy Ziegler
Danielle Cornelissen (Danalyze)

Luke Nyman

Mizza Hendrix

donderdag 10 januari 2013

SWAN open mic Amsterdam-Noord


Before I'm gonna report on the SWANblog about everything what happened last night I will write here my report about my own gig last night in the Noorderparkkamer. I mean, that's how it all started: I like what I really am and since I found out I have got at least three nice schizo-personalitys ( teacher, author, musician ) life became just one big party even when I visit hell sometimes. Since I tell myself I am the 'one and only enlightened borderliner', my life changed completely. ( But... to be honest, what I really am is none of all these identitys, because I don't believe you and I really are existing, so whatever is happening it  is all a beautiful illusion.)
Anyway, it all started by looking for a stage where I can sing my songs everyday. If not possible: every week. If not possible: every month. ( I'm pretty flexible.) So this is what happens: first I found - by coincidence - the Tricky Theater ( Barco these days), then I found the ASG ( Amsterdam Songwriter Guild ), then I found Bruno Edsme and then I found The Noorderparkkamer.
In the Tricky Theater I started singing some of my songs, the ASG supported me by  letting be SWAN  their 'daughter', and Bruno offered me to help and to find a stage for singersongwriters in Amsterdam - Noord , and The Noorderparkkamer offered a stage. So now I can sing my songs once a month. Need to cycle just 10 minutes. Well this is my ego-trip, but to tell you the truth, it gives me so much more fun and happiness to listen to the many other musicians who come from all over the world to play their songs in a house with just one room somewhere in the middle of nowhere. And this house with just one room is called the Room of the Northern Parc. ( sounds weird in English, so let's translate this in Dutch: Noorderparkkamer.) Now this is an important thing to realize: Bruno Edsme and I work together by organizing these nights and I love doing this with him 'cause he's a very special person.
What I actually want is to get some rappers in that Room, I know these guys like to be tough and think they need their own scene, but so what. I like free jazz, I like punk, I like Joan Baez and I like rap. In Amsterdam-Noord I've heard some really good rappers.
But back to me. I played last night three songs and I choose the most easy songs for us to play. This is because I've gotta lot on my mind nowadays, (as a teacher on a primaryschool I need to take good care of my lovely 25 kids. ) So when I started I thought this was gonna be easy, but then something weird happened: me and Mick were not tuned,allthough we both tuned in just before playing.The difference between our sound was at least a whole tune ! I couldn't believe my ears but after two measures we stopped and took a second change after tuning in again.
Then we played three songs ( Like a Bird - What I really Am - Why does it take so long) and I think we did allright for now. Although next time I wouldn't choose these three songs together anymore. While I was playing I notices Gareth Evens Jones came in and I was happy he came because I asked him many times and he's a busy man but I knew he would like the place. And I had put him on the list as second performer, so he had to sing after me. So when he started to sing his song about this angel 'you're my favourite angel 'I was happy to hear him again after almost 8 months.
Gareth
Dzuana
 I met Gareth many times at the open mic at the Tricky Theater, we even played together sometimes: me singing and he playing drums ! The host at the Tricky Theater used to be Dzuana and she also came in last night !  She messaged me if there was still place for her to sing her newest song and later in the evening she did play her songs. So Gareth and Dzuana reminded me of the good old times at the Tricky Theater where it all started in summer 2011 for me to be a singersongwriter. ( before that I didn't know I would be one, I am still not sure about me being one actually, because I don't like to play on my own. I do sing at least 25 originals though).
The other songwriters who came in last night were Otto Cepella, Lukas Blom & Vincent Hoftijzer, René de Vries and they were playing so good !  I know they are good musicians because I met them before at different places in Amsterdam and they played last year already several times at a SWANnight. I hope they keep coming back !
For me was Uri Deeper Water a surprise, I didn't know him but last night almost all musicians told me they already knew him for many years. I thought Uri is a great musician and entertainer with a very unique personality. He lives in Amsterdam-Noord so I hope he will show up every month to play at SWANnights. And for sure, I will play with him at his Fridaynightsessions at the NSDM werf one day.
Uri


Then there's somebody else I like to mention on my blog and that is Joan. He is from Spain, Barcelona, and he came all the way from The Haque to play at the Noorderparkkamer.
Joan
 He calls himself El Soll, El Sol, Soll El, or whatever, I can't handle is artistname, untill now he tells me everytime I write the name in a wrong way. I'm sorry, I will look it up later again, but just now I want to tell you that he is such a special guitarplayer and he sings from is heart and I thought he was playing so damn good that - when he told me he wanted to leave because he was not feeling well - I stole wine from the Noorderparkkamer to let him drink as much as he could handle. Anyway, I hope he will return one day, I really liked him.
Otto Cepella, a singersongwriter who let his guitar sing for him  in a beautiful  way
Lukas en Vincent as the Lonely Panda's

Rene as De AS
Ellen the bartender

sweet Marjolijn

 Margreet having fun with Vincent
I told you about the musicians but let me tell you about three woman who really mean something to me, and that are Marjolijn and Ellen. Since Bruno and I organize these SWANnights in the Noorderparkkamer, these two woman were almost always there to help. Marjolijn will leave me now for she doesn't work anymore for the Noorderparkkamer, but last night she came back just to help me out. And I called Ellen just one day before the SWANnight to help me out with the drinks and to get fixed some important things and she came all the way down to help. Thank you, ladies, thank you so much ! Then the third woman who really make me smile is Margreet. She's in the audience but she is so spontanious and enthousiastic about all the singers and I just love her to be in the audience.
Last but not least: I need to tell about Bruno. Bruno took his turntable and I thought that was so cool !
He did a great job with the sound and I think it's such a shame he didn't want to perform last night. He is such a good entertainer and we are a great team together. We went to another café to get drunk of the red wine and talk about the fantastic SWANnight.
Okay, this was my report about last night. Today I will report on the SWANblog and I'll put all the picture I took on it. I will write this report in DUTCH.
Click here:: SWAN



zondag 6 januari 2013

Muziekcafé CC session and birthday


Last Thursday I went to café CC again, because a friend of mine told me there was a jamsession. I thought it was a great night with great musicians. I took some pictures but I don't know the names. When I left I said goodbye to the owner of the café and then he asked me to come back and play at his café birthday party. He runs the café for two years now so he wanted to give a big party. So yesterdaynight I played at CC again, and yes, it was a big party. I will upload some more pictures of this party.
But here are some more pictures of the jamsession last Thursday




the owner of the CC café is called René Barens and he's also a musician. Sometimes he got on the stage to sing a song so everybody had to wait to order their drinks which was not a problem at all ofcourse.
René, the barkeeper
playing the triangel ! 


So last night I went to this birthdayparty of café CC. It was a big party with great artists. Me, Arjen and Mick opened the party 'round 9.30pm and we played 45 minutes. --- now I got problems by uploading pictures, so I will try again later.
Marcus Hayes (Shady Greys)

Catherine Coutoux








POI



I missed some of the performances, but there was also playing a ladies band called "Ladiesjam' and also Ingmar Glerum Band played there. I think this party was great, and I wish René a good musical new year.
Yes, and here is Fritz again, it was so kind of him that he came this early just to listen to our music ! Proost !
Annette on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annette-Vogel/298815123524320?ref=notif&notif_t=page_new_likes#!/pages/Annette-Vogel/298815123524320

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