October 18th 2003
October festivals
Jos had informed us that the band would be on stage
around 10.30 pm, so we thought we’d have an early night. It turned out quite
late after all, what with the travelling time and all, but we think our
favourite band is well worth a little discomfort. We had agreed to meet at the
hotel at 20.00 pm. After ordering a round of drinks, Agnes, Mark’s girlfriend
came down and joined us at our table. She travels with the band as often as she
can, so she was able to tell us some hilarious on the road stories. Soon after,
the band members dropped in one by one and everybody was busy chatting. Alan
said he always gets confused by the appropriate amount of kisses one is supposed
to exchange in each country, so he decided to do it the French way. Four kisses
on the cheek and absolutely no air kissing! Rob preferred a firm handshake and a
slap on the shoulder anyway. Alan gave us a print from an Internet page, about
which he was NOT AMUSED, and rightly so. Via this site people could reserve
tickets for a Seventies concert, featuring among others The Rubettes Featuring
Bill Hurd (Not the genuine Rubettes). They had made the unforgivable mistake of
putting a photograph of Alan himself on it. We could understand Alan was not
pleased with this (by the way, he did say it was a good photo of him). Then
there was Mick’s band member profile. We had sent Alan an e-mail asking him to
tell Mick to bring his profile to Haelen with him, under the threat of us
putting the ugliest mug shot we could find of him (Mick) on our website if he
did not comply. Alan mailed back that it might be a better idea to bring a
profile with us, as Mick never does as he is told! When Rob approached him with
the profile, Mick smiled sheepishly and promised to fill it in right after the
gig. My feeling was seeing first and then believing… Mark sat down on a
barstool and asked us what had been happening with us in the past weeks. An
interview the other way round. Of course his own news is regularly updated on
his own website. Desiree (the driver of the band) started gathering the band to
get into the van. Agnes and us would drive behind them in our own cars. When we
arrived at the venue, there was some confusion about one band arriving in three
vehicles, but all this had been arranged in advance with Hans, the organiser of
the event. The poor bugger who was put in charge of who was allowed access to
the artist’s parking lot hadn’t been notified about this arrangement.
After our arrival the band was busy preparing
themselves for the gig that gave us a nice opportunity to have a chat with some
old and new friends. It was freezing cold outside! Jos came over to welcome us
and he said that there would not be enough space on stage for my wheelchair, but
we could enter the tent through a side entrance and sit in front of the crush
barriers. He told us to go inside where it was warm at least three times, but we
were having too much fun outside. Mark even supplied us with some drinks. When
it was almost time for the Rubettes to go on, we went inside. John was busy
preparing his drum kit. It looked rather comical, as he was already in his white
stage suit, with a hooded cardigan on top of that, so he looked a bit like a
monk. At last Hans introduced the band. The tape with the begin tune started,
John started drumming and….. Alan’s guitar refused to work. While the
technicians and Alan feverishly tried to solve this problem there was nothing
else to do but for John to give an enormous drum solo instead of starting of
With Foe Dee O Dee. We didn’t mind this a bit, but after a long while
even John couldn’t improvise any longer, so he got the entire audience singing
Tulips From Amsterdam along with him. All the while we could see Alan’s
face turning redder by the minute. He was getting seriously annoyed. At last the
problem was solved, be it only on a temporary basis as it turned out later. The
show could start! The guitar kept giving little problems, but I doubt if anyone
noticed. When they were to start the a capella part of the show it was with
obvious relief that Alan could put his guitar aside for the time being. As usual
it was not easy to get the crowd quiet for After The Goldrush, but when
they started Barbara-Ann everybody could sing along to their hearts
content. And they did, loud and clear!! The Taiko drum act was a big success. We
could see that they are still perfecting this routine, as it gets better every
time. As far as I’m concerned, they could fill a whole evening with this act.
It was nice to see this act from the front for the first time, as we could
clearly see John coaching the guys. It starts off reasonably quietly, but as
soon as they burst out into the real explosive part of the act, the audience
joins in. The Taiko act is a beautiful interaction with the crowd. Because John
stirs everybody up with the Mantra “GAURANGA!!!”, every time the drums fall
silent you hear the crowd scream this mantra at the tops of their voices. After
this act there was nothing else for it; Alan had to pick up his reluctant guitar
once again. The roadies had to tinker about with it for a bit longer. John,
alert as he is stood in front of his mike for a bit longer, so there wouldn’t
be a void in the show. He even resorted to singing “Drie
kleine kleutertjes” in Dutch! Shortly hereafter
they could start the Sha Na Na Song, announced by Alan as a track from
their first album. He should know by now that this song is featured in their
second album!! That notwithstanding it was an enormous success. Sometimes the
audience doesn’t pick it up at all, but this time it ended up in a complete
cacophony. The soul medley went down just as well. After the Jukebox Jive
the band said goodbye and left the stage. Of course every die-hard fan knows
that they are still owed Sugar Baby Love, so “We want more” was heard
loud and clear. Alan was carried back onto the stage on Hans’s back, which was
a comical sight. But of course, after Sugar Baby Love it is really over.
Alan drew people’s attention to Gino, who was setting up his merchandise, and
promised the band would come back for autographs in a minute. In the end it was
only Alan and Mark who went back in. John is always so exhausted after playing a
gig, that you really can’t expect him to come in for a chat afterwards. I only
hope you will all understand this. As for Mick, the reason he didn’t show up
was our fault. We almost literally tied him down to a chair with his profile. We
didn’t even give him a chance to change first. So I recommend you all to check
behind his name, because AT LAST all the profiles are there.
We politely waited outside the dressing room to give
them all a chance to change before going in to say our goodbyes, also because
the dressing room was too small to swing a cat, even for four people. Alan told
us off about this. “Next time you just come in straight after the show for a
chat, because I don’t want you to stand out here and catch a cold!”. He also
said as far as he was concerned this was one of the worst gigs he ever had to do
because of the blasted guitar. I said I liked it this way, because it shows
their talent for improvising, doesn’t it? Alan at first misunderstood my
remark and thought I was gloating. I had just enough time to explain what I had
meant before he would have strangled me. He promised to do all his next gigs in
the same way in future and we laughingly said goodbye to everybody and left for
the long journey home.
Of course there are a number of people who deserve a
heartfelt thank you for this wonderful evening. First of all Alan, John, Mick
and Mark, Golden Music Events and last but not least Hans Horne and his team,
who have made this night possible.
Nannette