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Diary November 19 2007 : Amsterdam

Hello again,

When last we met, I was on my way to Amsterdam with The Pointer Sisters for our second show of the tour of Europe. There had also been a little drummer drama and, we were going to get the chance to hear our 3rd drummer in 4 days. I was already feeling tired. The train ride from Antwerp to Amsterdam was amazing. The country side was beautiful.

We arrived in Amsterdam around 1 o’clock in the afternoon and I wanted to take a walk. I was leaving the hotel when I ran into the lady’s. They were ready to go shopping and ask if I wanted o tag along. Now, I am not that shopping dude:-0 I like knowing what I want and, going to the mall to get just that. But, this time I said why not give it a try. So, off we went. Not 20 minutes into the trip, the lady’s found a dress shop and wanted to go in. I waited outside for another 20 minutes before I decided to move on.(No shopping with women, thank you).

I walked around Amsterdam for a few hours before going back to the hotel. Nothing exciting was going to happen tonight.

The following day turned out to be a sleep in late good time. By the time I was ready to leave the room it was time for our sound check. The drummer Eric was great. Eric did not get a cd of the show until Saturday night and, by Monday he had memorized the whole show. That is crazy. We are talking about 15 or 16 songs. I for one was very impressed. There was no need to worry about this show.

After sound check I went back to my room for a quick nap. The venue that we were playing is called the Prasidio. It’s a very famous hall. The Beatles and The Stones are among the acts that have performed at this historical place. It reminded me of a House Of Blues type of hall. There were very few seats and, none on the main floor. There are two balconies. The hall seats between 1,500 and 2,000 people. When our care pulled up there was a line stretching down the block. This place was packed to the rafters. Because there were so many people the show was delayed for 15 minutes to make sure that everyone could get in.

I’ve played a lot of concerts in my life but, this one as far as the energy of the crowd was unmatched. They were yelling and screaming from the moment the band took the stage. It was an incredible feeling. I felt like the Beatles at Yankee Stadium. I could hardly hear the band or the ladies! What a rush.

The whole show was a blur and, I felt great about it. The audience was singing so loud that the lady’s were barely heard above them. It was great.

After the gig, I met a few wonderful people. We talked for a while and I went back to the hotel where I met the rest of the band in the bar for a few beers. After the bar closed, we all went to our rooms but, I could not sleep. So, took a taxi to The Street of Dreams. Some you may not know this but, Amsterdam is famous for it’s red light district. And I thought that it would be a shame to come all this way and not take in at least one tourist site;-) So, there I was at 2 AM walking the streets of Amsterdam’s famous red light district. I had a great time watching all of the people and taking in the sites. Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. And it was really beautiful tonight. I only walk the RD for about 20 minutes before catching a taxi back to the hotel where I had to pack for a 5 AM departure for the train station. We are taking the train to Paris today, where we will do a show tonight.

I will say goodbye for now.. The train is moving and I want to get a little sleep before we get to Paris.

Take care, and remember to stay funky like three day old fish :)

JV