Gigs

Yesterday we did a gig in Ottersum and the day before in Enschede. Both were great. The Enschede gig was in a bar that does Blues, Jazz, Americana, etc. I've heard that the Dutch are reserved except for when you get a few Grolsh in them and then they show you the uninhibited side. So they weren't exactly off the hook but they did let their hair down a bit. They bought us drinks & got us trashed. The 2 hour drive got us back around 4 am and we left for Ottersum at 11. That's like 5 hours of sleep. The Ottersum gig was great though. It was in a huge building that had been a school-convent and then a boarding hospital for autistic children. It was left empty when the hospital moved, and squatters moved in. The current owner bought it, repaired it, and has been turning it into a cultural center. They have classical concerts in the chapel and folks like our Rock & Roll String Band in the "Nightclub Room". Afterward they fed us a terrific dinner complete with raw Herring which was terrific (seriously, it was really good). We got back early last night and went to bed early.

We have 2 days off now. We're going to rehearse and then go into Amsterdam today. I'm not sure yet we'll do tomorrow. I heard the tulip fields are in full bloom, and we may go seem them. Then it's 4 days of gigs including the Blue Highways festival, and then we fly home Monday. I can't wait to get home and see my girls.


These are of the gig in Enschede, at the NiX BBBlues club.


They've got a ton of amps & guitars in the club and are happy to have you play any of them. I chose an old Fender Bassman. It had a great growl from overdriving the tubes when I pulled hard on the low strings.

See how smoky the bar is? In July they won't be able to smoke indoors here, but they're still going strong with it right now.

This is the Nightclub Room at the gig we did in Ottersum. I was sad to realize I didn't get any pictures of the outside of the building. It was impressive. But here's the room, anyway.