Radio = the soundtrack of your boring life

There's a little chat on the radio with some dude that talks about his 3 favourite songs. We get to hear a CURE song, a DEUS song and a PREFAB SPROUT song. Afterwards, the radio host says to the guy : "You have a very varied record collection!".

He was deadly serious.

Moron.

God Damn Tiresome Rock 'n' Roll !!!

Two bummers this week. Firstly, THE CRAMPS who played a very conventional set without any highlights at the Lokerse Feesten earlier this week. Secondly, while visiting a record shop, what sounded as a dreadful record by a third-class grunge band turned out to be the latest SONIC YOUTH album. Like my friend Danny says : "The old rockers are getting older and older and the young ones play for 50 people at the Pits, that's the future of rock 'n roll in Belgium, probably Europe...". Hopefully, the upcoming GREEN ON RED reunion show in my hometown will prove us wrong.

Reggae Geel

The Congos

What do you get when you put PRINCE JAZZBO, CORNEL CAMPBELL, TAPPA ZUKIE, LINVAL THOMPSON, TRISTON PALMER and THE CONGOS on the same bill? Right, my favourite festival of 2006! Although Prince Jazzbo played one of my alltime favourite Jamaican tracks ("Harry Skank"), every song was put to an abrupt ending after 1 or 2 minutes with his many annoying "Pull up's" and "Take It Down's" shouts. I especially enjoyed Tappa Zukie, Linval Thompson (wonderful set) and The Congos (brilliant harmonies). Jah Mali and Sister Carol were also very good while Buru Banton turned out to be a public's favourite. Next are The Cramps on Wednesday. Right on!


Linval Thompson

I'm ready for the retirement home!

I spent the afternoon with some three hundred grannies & granddaddies in a marquee. Last year, my elderly neighbour aroused my curiosity when he told me about this convivial little folklore festival at a retirement home in my hometown. A couple of weeks ago, I checked the line-up and decided to give it a try. Well, I had a great time at what the organisers announced as 'a grandiose garden party'. Not only were the entrance free and the Trappist beers dirt cheap, the bands were great fun too!

The first band, KHUKH MONGOL from Mongolia, treated us to some great throat singing and exciting sounds that came out of traditional Mongolian instruments like the yoochin, a dulcimer with 13 double-wire strings. One piece was played on a string instrument by a young woman who sang like a 90-years old boozer. Cool!

The second band was SPANDAN SANSKRUTIK TRUST from Northern-India and began their set with a chant dedicated to the victims of a very recent bomb attack in their hometown somewhere near the Pakistan border. Besides the 4 musicians (a real Qawwali line-up with a great harmonium), there were some 20 young dancers and some beautiful Indian girls. They had a lot of fun while doing their folkloric dances and the audience loved them too!

The greatest fun was when RAIZES from the Brazilian northeast took the stage. Three young musicians played some wild roots music that reminded me a lot of the music on the Globestyle album 'Brazil: Forro - Music for Maids and Taxi Drivers'. Again, a bunch of young dancers took the stage and showed us some real hot dancing.

The golden-agers loved it and so did I. I left the place during the last band, LOUS TCHANCAYRES (men and women on stilts from the Landes region near Bordeaux, France). The band members looked rather boring and the folkloric element was overemphasized.

It was kinda weird to see all these young people from different parts of the world amusing themselves together with some three hundred Belgian old-timers. I hope this garden party will still exist when I'm an oldie myself!




LINK TO THE RETIREMENT CENTRE