tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136003277276161282024-02-19T11:33:02.903+00:00Colin Bass - To Blog Or Not To BlogColin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-84397122790118325452018-02-26T17:40:00.000+00:002018-02-27T13:31:43.658+00:00Warsaw Prog Days Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo: <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Grzegorz Adamek)</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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February in Poland. Minus temperatures day and night. The sky is a huge grey slab of stone. From the window of my hotel room I watch the snow falling. On the other side of a six-lane urban freeway I can see the fresh ghost of a failed shopping mall, full of emptiness, teeming with desolation. In the distance, between that glowering monument to misjudgement and the lonely bus station, hulks a large square building, once a factory, now proudly displaying the words 'Progresja Music Zone', writ very large on the outside. What am I doing here?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWNcUiywWvNSFHuOCGPwr5VBu3PjvACkDR0HRXPZ6mOAIM5K8D_KP72Z3FaDeKITJP6LA-7C3qZve4sa6BHWQ_59bfOFPuyAtGWKA62JeGmy8PvmJp8Zvz_aftmRR9ALm5SjarQcHoAs/s1600/28161821_951314635024329_2417830570906476714_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWNcUiywWvNSFHuOCGPwr5VBu3PjvACkDR0HRXPZ6mOAIM5K8D_KP72Z3FaDeKITJP6LA-7C3qZve4sa6BHWQ_59bfOFPuyAtGWKA62JeGmy8PvmJp8Zvz_aftmRR9ALm5SjarQcHoAs/s640/28161821_951314635024329_2417830570906476714_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michal Wojtas and Colin Bass. (Photo: Dorota Cwiek)<br />
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I'd just arrived in this suburban Warsaw wasteland to take part in the Warsaw Prog Days Festival, due to take place in the aforementioned 'Progresja' establishment in a couple of days time. <br />
I was initially asked by my friend Michal Wojtas, the gifted guitarist and composer of the Amarok Music Project, to pop up and sing on the track I'd recorded with him on the latest Amarok album, 'Hunt'. Then it was suggested I could play my own set too as 'special guest'. I said 'Fab' and next thing my name was on the top of the bill, which was fine I suppose. There were just the small details of what I was going to play and who was going to play with me and whether it was going to be at all possible given that I would only have time for minimal rehearsals. But the admirable Amarok told me not to worry, they would prepare whatever songs I suggested and I could just join them for a couple of days rehearsal before the concert. And indeed they did all that and exceedingly well too, in spite of a last-minute departure of a keyboard player (for personal reasons, I was assured, not because he had to play my songs). Fortunately, the last-minute replacement keyboard player turned out to be Maciej Caputa, who is actually a well-known drummer as well as an excellent keyboardist who worked exceptionally hard not only learning all of Amarok's set but also my stuff too. Chapeau!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsiI1gN-5xvCB2NzGktk7Yy4UoZakHR_0SRYjjLyJkt-tKtL2c-m-QInQwqMOpLfxctgD-Tr3fMNfZFUqd8wUjWaYlvRtP7hxpOULmhZ0Tx2VjcRkTMidOoYH4uwKKOcj6t-sWEiQAQE/s1600/warsaw+setlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsiI1gN-5xvCB2NzGktk7Yy4UoZakHR_0SRYjjLyJkt-tKtL2c-m-QInQwqMOpLfxctgD-Tr3fMNfZFUqd8wUjWaYlvRtP7hxpOULmhZ0Tx2VjcRkTMidOoYH4uwKKOcj6t-sWEiQAQE/s400/warsaw+setlist.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Caputa's charts and setlist</td></tr>
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And more chapeaus (or chapeaux) for the splendid Amarok ensemble, namely: multi-instrumentalist Konrad Pajek (with whom I could swap acoustic guitar and bass playing roles), percussionista Marta Wojtas, drummer Pawel Kowalski and Michal Wojtas on guitars and guiding spirit.<br />
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And in the last but not least department: I also invited my friend Maciej Meller to come and join in. Maciej played on my 'An Outcast of the Islands' album way back in 1998, alongside his colleagues in the Quidam band. These days he plays with leading Polish progsters, the mighty Riverside. Luckily he had time to travel to Warsaw and delight us all with his prowess.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq9aVRaH3lVIZGWguvgEFwRk9MQNDkZ5r7woihg79SxsU63EClaKv9v0-EpnxAin1Ot1LvDE9BnpGHYVU3ayoSoirC68HmkQywXk590LQt1ix6sjERFUmpB1UDOpr1ETsCbHuX5onuAE/s1600/Prog+days+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq9aVRaH3lVIZGWguvgEFwRk9MQNDkZ5r7woihg79SxsU63EClaKv9v0-EpnxAin1Ot1LvDE9BnpGHYVU3ayoSoirC68HmkQywXk590LQt1ix6sjERFUmpB1UDOpr1ETsCbHuX5onuAE/s640/Prog+days+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">l-r: Michal Woltas, Maciej Meller Marta Wojtas and the author. (Photo: <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Grzegorz Adamek)</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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'Twas a great line-up and we all had a very nice time. I was pleased to play some songs live for the first time, such as Walking to Santiago and Nowhere to Run and they seemed to work very well. I enjoyed it anyway. Hope to be able to do it again sometime.<br />
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Also, much respect to the three other bands who appeared and were all exceedingly good in very different ways: Galileous, Here On Earth and Coogan's Bluff. Nice to meet all. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoAM-O3lzIACtoRVBhH23HUPNirzx33jXRcEEG5Y9thIGmEQpaGMzQqqSS63nQD1U7dWauegs8pp4QzAuebg4HlQa15PiUzkAexBNRbang_wo9vQZe73Xx61VYuayNf_6FQcOCuefDkk/s1600/28280050_951314465024346_2473001492361524047_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoAM-O3lzIACtoRVBhH23HUPNirzx33jXRcEEG5Y9thIGmEQpaGMzQqqSS63nQD1U7dWauegs8pp4QzAuebg4HlQa15PiUzkAexBNRbang_wo9vQZe73Xx61VYuayNf_6FQcOCuefDkk/s640/28280050_951314465024346_2473001492361524047_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maciej Meller in the spotlight (photo: Dorota Cwiek)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo: Dorota Cwiek)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaDNO0yjAQ4Pkxx7c7kM01LGF4kdE2FaGIc_kK2ze5sWoe7rrBM5uB4YuuTRE83bUsFvR_QgZudys7XrVUjnxHdqX_Cbmfgk-Ig11b59RU_1rUogV-RE5slw7FA66fMA3YnHkcoGrTWs/s1600/27748158_10215681182371403_5673453189168058026_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaDNO0yjAQ4Pkxx7c7kM01LGF4kdE2FaGIc_kK2ze5sWoe7rrBM5uB4YuuTRE83bUsFvR_QgZudys7XrVUjnxHdqX_Cbmfgk-Ig11b59RU_1rUogV-RE5slw7FA66fMA3YnHkcoGrTWs/s640/27748158_10215681182371403_5673453189168058026_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo: <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Grzegorz Adamek)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo: Dorota Cwiek)</td></tr>
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And it's Good Night from us! l-r: Pawel Kowalski, Marta Wojtas, Konrad Pajek, myself, Maciej Meller, Michal Wojtas, Maciej Caputa and the entire Progresja audience. Thank You! <br />
Big thanks due also to Progresja chief Marek Laskowski and Beate Reizler at Musicom and all the crew. Until the next time!<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-82143306562645795332016-08-09T18:41:00.000+01:002017-04-22T13:00:37.173+01:00Camel in Japan - May 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Camel in Japan - May 2016</b><br />
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It was touch-and-go - like this blog. It almost didn't happen, but thankfully it did. A short tour of Japan. Flagged up to us in late 2015, we immediately fell to discussing the practicalities, the most significant being: who would be the keyboard player? Our dear friend Ton Scherpenzeel, with whom we always have a wonderful time working, is a long-time committed non-flyer and, though he vouchsafed that he would seriously consider a long and arduous journey on the Trans-Siberian railway route, we felt had to look for someone else to take on the task. Thus, through a fortuitous suggestion from a friend of Andrew, we arrived at the virtual doorstep of one <a href="http://www.tigermothtales.com/pete-jones" target="_blank">Mr Peter Jones</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Jones in Tokyo (photo:Lenya Alec Bass)</td></tr>
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Although he lost his sight at a very early age, the universe has compensated him by endowing him with a generous array of musical talents (as well as an irrepressible sense of humour), allowing him to impress us all with his soulfully expressive playing on keyboards, saxophone and guitar (played horizontally). Some may already know Pete through his Tiger Moth Tales project or even his time as a finalist on the TV talent show, X-Factor. A man of many parts!<br />
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From our first rehearsal it was obvious that this was going to be fun and a refreshing throwback to the good old days of real live four-piece interplay. And with Pete so quick on the uptake we were able to condense our usual pre-tour rehearsal time. An initial 5 days in the interesting city of Nottingham about a month before the off and a three-day wash and brush-up in a convenient studio near Heathrow before heading off into the blue yonder, destination Tokyo, where they had obviously already been warned of our arrival.<br />
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It's always a pleasure to visit Japan, to perform, meet friends, admire the ever evolving urban skylines, catch glimpses of contrasting rural scenes from the window of a speeding bullet train and sample once more the endless gastronomic delights. Such as:<br />
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Giant crabs...<br />
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...lovely miso soups (as here, represented in the ubiquitous plastic replicas in many restaurant windows).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraMNFmR2kfhnjT4xB9jxYzucAFw810EGkT8yZBJoux3-sApJjhogGkhsw80v-G4R9XvLITO_YXarbjM29TWEYEq8hzGBqkNQrZprdiR_I18AIZ8gWN_Fyada2PuhyLC3U5qrY-OWM8WM/s1600/supermarket+sashimi+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraMNFmR2kfhnjT4xB9jxYzucAFw810EGkT8yZBJoux3-sApJjhogGkhsw80v-G4R9XvLITO_YXarbjM29TWEYEq8hzGBqkNQrZprdiR_I18AIZ8gWN_Fyada2PuhyLC3U5qrY-OWM8WM/s320/supermarket+sashimi+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...and where else can you pop into a supermarket and get yourself a fresh tray of sashimi for a take-away lunch? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgX_cnPTCF7azHPpF1yTNCe9XUcCqYjUDmB4ISRxzBkaZq88Q_OaviwZtk2m8zEu571fVOcENbjNOaQ2zRLpgHBJ794kDAOfEHI6Xyz7-hZf_LXcAG8FWX84mfRZiXxVtVwk5ywRT28o/s1600/squid+balls+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgX_cnPTCF7azHPpF1yTNCe9XUcCqYjUDmB4ISRxzBkaZq88Q_OaviwZtk2m8zEu571fVOcENbjNOaQ2zRLpgHBJ794kDAOfEHI6Xyz7-hZf_LXcAG8FWX84mfRZiXxVtVwk5ywRT28o/s320/squid+balls+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Takoyaki</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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And when you're in Osaka, try the local street-food speciality, <span class="_Tgc">Takoyaki - Octopus balls!</span><br />
<span class="_Tgc"> described by wikipedia thus:</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">(たこ焼き or 蛸焼 <sup>?</sup>) is a ball-shaped
Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a
special moulded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus
(tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">Excellent! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo7kdMfu9N0tr813u1AruERkrTg4fdslLw_f8J58xL9FKAyda16PxLxQn02oW5AdIX7aZjlCKJEnNF5ELS04JMIRQd85NsdyTze38wELqhQDqXUcKSFju7_TfRXju3-Ujr84mhIqgNDs/s1600/osaka+hotel+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPo7kdMfu9N0tr813u1AruERkrTg4fdslLw_f8J58xL9FKAyda16PxLxQn02oW5AdIX7aZjlCKJEnNF5ELS04JMIRQd85NsdyTze38wELqhQDqXUcKSFju7_TfRXju3-Ujr84mhIqgNDs/s320/osaka+hotel+window.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osaka </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="_Tgc"> </span><br />
<span class="_Tgc">Anyway, of course we came to play some shows, not just eat. And the first stop was indeed Osaka, catching a shuttle flight from Tokyo after the jolly customs formalities to arrive in the evening of whatever day it was. I was glad to get to my hotel room from the window of which Osaka glimmered enticingly. Of course, tired as I was, it's always better to adapt to the time change straight away, so off we went in search of eating opportunities (see above). A good noodle bar and a couple of Asahi beers later, a good night's sleep was had and the next day saw a bright sunny morning.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kZOCd-GfE7tu9fljWj71hihmF9bsyA3JTG0iLuuAbLkx6yLwZYhRWxrBhmje4dT0Kghds4GJfSPzCbpUQt8HkFADdcPuQQ429e_nGweAAXvdQcOWkHlbtQrTGABRuWLLIBLlzuhey0Y/s1600/running+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kZOCd-GfE7tu9fljWj71hihmF9bsyA3JTG0iLuuAbLkx6yLwZYhRWxrBhmje4dT0Kghds4GJfSPzCbpUQt8HkFADdcPuQQ429e_nGweAAXvdQcOWkHlbtQrTGABRuWLLIBLlzuhey0Y/s320/running+man.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous Osaka Running Man</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="_Tgc"> A fine opportunity to wander the old centre with its pedestrian streets and canals. </span><br />
Amongst all the colourful signs, screens and hoardings, the most famous is the Running Man (pictured right). I have a photo of it from a visit in 1990 and he's still running. It is a landmark assignation point and something that simply must be viewed by all Japanese visitors to the city. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjQzhNt4JRf5QrQxl5IuC5pHzi12pekl5mIqbw4bAQ68qQzljQW1X5zzfWlIgwYrskXAIf2XVTOKZBDHDH0p_d60NrOQPoTP1bhdqN4OJsdepmZO4ZbxTJ6NNoBxztysI0RB2bRUkRz8/s1600/Osaka+canal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjQzhNt4JRf5QrQxl5IuC5pHzi12pekl5mIqbw4bAQ68qQzljQW1X5zzfWlIgwYrskXAIf2XVTOKZBDHDH0p_d60NrOQPoTP1bhdqN4OJsdepmZO4ZbxTJ6NNoBxztysI0RB2bRUkRz8/s320/Osaka+canal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osaka, Venice of the East</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fNCbPqX1yl3SBfbpXT64faSGVQnRkeGLjF-2zhetnOobFyfON2u0Qe9iMIrrnHWjx_7xY2qiUEcwBClZNgw7jgzKMocAOZPdXhgU_Zof8ja9xrv2dgOsFMAMj4wUgC0Yq1deBiM3Sec/s1600/camel2017_dvdsnap1_144dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fNCbPqX1yl3SBfbpXT64faSGVQnRkeGLjF-2zhetnOobFyfON2u0Qe9iMIrrnHWjx_7xY2qiUEcwBClZNgw7jgzKMocAOZPdXhgU_Zof8ja9xrv2dgOsFMAMj4wUgC0Yq1deBiM3Sec/s320/camel2017_dvdsnap1_144dpi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On stage at the EX-Theatre (photo: Dave Minasian)</td></tr>
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<span class="_Tgc">After this pleasant perambulation we all convened at the first venue of our four-date tourette, the Namba Hatch, an agreeable theatre with a large stage. We were having time to run-through a few things and try out the hired bits of equipment and get to know our excellent Japanese crew. I'd decided to go back to bass basics, using only passive Fender basses through an Ampeg SVT top with the 8x10 cabine, much to the consternation of our stalwart front-of-house sound technician, Mike 'Bunny' Warren. He was probably right from a modernist point of view but I had been feeling nostalgic for a more uncomplicated age. I didn't realise that simplicity is fraught with complications.</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">Andrew not so much, as he went through every Vox AC30 that could be found before he could squeeze some sounds out that he was tentatively happy with. </span><br />
<span class="_Tgc">In the end all went swimmingly, as can be attested to by the results to be seen and heard on the resulting DVD, named 'Ichigo Ichie'; a Japanese expression that Andrew had found particularly affecting, meaning 'treasure every encounter, as it may not recur' or something similar. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wi2vI8Kv4jhLp4wnOTb1FJdCgPqfhbw4rLr_Tm7_xWUhj2kssjTfiPSNAqybvfpKk_0JNEv5J-ncoirGuwbqRQMmXUlksDYUQ9i9gYWVZOYEEz9jpSMNJN9ZjcFPGWeUz7FpESCi6kw/s1600/David+Minasian+Camel51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wi2vI8Kv4jhLp4wnOTb1FJdCgPqfhbw4rLr_Tm7_xWUhj2kssjTfiPSNAqybvfpKk_0JNEv5J-ncoirGuwbqRQMmXUlksDYUQ9i9gYWVZOYEEz9jpSMNJN9ZjcFPGWeUz7FpESCi6kw/s320/David+Minasian+Camel51.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodnight Tokyo (photo Dave Minasian)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="_Tgc">The DVD was recorded at the second concert - or maybe the third one, I don't know for sure. Both nights were at the EX-Theatre in Tokyo's Roppongi district.The filming was done by our man in Hollywood, Dave Minasian and his team. He did a great job and you too can savour the results in the comfort of your very own home by purchasing it from the <a href="http://www.camelproductions-store.com/" target="_blank">Camel Productions online store. </a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoGbAgcj1UB2ahydGDiQ1d3rGPy_BT-R6KeXFd_86X2oh104x1iTGDFZtZCrZNTzBQwoRcmYls4Xz9hLEC6FCDjA9FGsMFW65p9qXHhQ5M_qdH2z4KDFMaERKaR6fi3QhsQXfJCXTWmE/s1600/David+Minasian+Camel38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoGbAgcj1UB2ahydGDiQ1d3rGPy_BT-R6KeXFd_86X2oh104x1iTGDFZtZCrZNTzBQwoRcmYls4Xz9hLEC6FCDjA9FGsMFW65p9qXHhQ5M_qdH2z4KDFMaERKaR6fi3QhsQXfJCXTWmE/s320/David+Minasian+Camel38.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc">The final gig was the Progressive Rock Fes 2016, as they called it. Held in a nice open-air amphitheatre situated in an urban park somewhere in Tokyo and it was an agreeably sunny day for it too. Also on the bill was Steve Hackett and his redoubtable band. We had already had a chance a couple of days earlier to catch up with bass-playing colleague Nick Beggs and singer Nad Sylvan when they shamelessly gatecrashed the backstage area at the EX-Theatre and ate all our sandwiches. See photo right for proof: from the left, Dave Minasian, Pete Jones having a sit-down, moi, Denis, Andrew and Mr Nick and Mr Nad. Not a sandwich to be seen. I rest my case. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7eo1WYmUBDjv-qrczoe40qK9hMuntZEmHELF2o27gYFXTIteoyg0L2KLQbgME25V7383SWV3EAFCT9IZ8iOFHrQ_q1Aiq_wwK-w9NXUC2pOBef67tG9ZLRfCLoqwU2DiIStEKv2Xchg/s1600/ProgFes2016_Flyer2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7eo1WYmUBDjv-qrczoe40qK9hMuntZEmHELF2o27gYFXTIteoyg0L2KLQbgME25V7383SWV3EAFCT9IZ8iOFHrQ_q1Aiq_wwK-w9NXUC2pOBef67tG9ZLRfCLoqwU2DiIStEKv2Xchg/s320/ProgFes2016_Flyer2.gif" width="227" /></a><span class="_Tgc">Anyway, at the Prog Fes we were the closing item on the menu, taking the stage at sunset after a splendid set from Steve and the Hacketts. I think I can say that, faced with some competition, we really rocked. I hope we'll be doing it again sometime.</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">Thanks to the implacable, irreplaceable, sweet embraceable crew: Derek Haggar & Simon Grocott on the backline, Mike 'Bunny' Warren out the front on extremely sound sound, Derek Jones up in the air with his fabulous lights and the best tour manager, Emma 'two minutes' Edgar. Also our Japanese crew: expert interpreter Yasu, major monitor man Toru, backline positive presence Char and general most helpful person Tom Tao, which is a wonderful name. Thanks too to Club Citta owner and peerless producer Nobu Maruyama, who made it possible. Hooray!</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">Right then, I'll just leave some more photos here, you can make of them what you will. </span><br />
<span class="_Tgc">Sayonara...</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-79559595611575713332016-05-01T15:38:00.002+01:002016-05-01T15:38:37.731+01:00Recording Maija Kauhanen in Helsinki<br />
Earlier this year I enjoyed a one-week visit to Helsinki wearing my producer's hat (furry with ear-muffs), working with the remarkable <a href="http://www.maijakauhanen.com/" target="_blank"><b>Maija Kauhanen</b></a> - expert player of the <i>kantele</i> (Finland's national instrument, British types might call it some kind of zither), singer, percussionist and composer/songwriter of artfully undulating soundscapes, generating sparse skeins of silvery sonority, glittering as snow-dripped pine trees in a Nordic forest in the long sunlight, rising to intense rhythmic blocks of deep texture, channeling the wordless, nature-communing <i>joiking</i> tradition or unflinchingly delineating dark tales of abuse and murder, a lullaby laden with foreboding as well as, of course, a story of the mystery of young love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaCu1FZYfWnsL11rdbtsHcjrG2xdpC5ohk3MOqVf-aXrQbT1hRAdFWe6SAWZjwhqfYjgwy_aCIaUBW5VoE3pEQWMYJ9prTGw3bLYLgQ_JC0OIjZu9a_8eOqCdefGCsCHFKaligfw7Kj0/s1600/Maija+1+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaCu1FZYfWnsL11rdbtsHcjrG2xdpC5ohk3MOqVf-aXrQbT1hRAdFWe6SAWZjwhqfYjgwy_aCIaUBW5VoE3pEQWMYJ9prTGw3bLYLgQ_JC0OIjZu9a_8eOqCdefGCsCHFKaligfw7Kj0/s400/Maija+1+edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maija at her kantele surrounded by interesting microphones</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Recording took place at the excellent Ambient Studios, discreetly located above an auto-mechanics' workshop in an industrial area, and a veritable storehouse of vintage gear including a fine old Neve analogue desk and an exciting stock of microphones including some elderly but still proudly functioning RCA ribbon mics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmq6XjtnYdg5MQGxFPa9N8Ct3cfpJDx6A8ZzCz4JoE3PoICbveTUyogeSxer5v4QwgdEVpFAhaYadL5Wv0_hI4l5HaG6oLp6ESjM-8iV6o-ShDOvHK8pd_XmNzzEQ-GVcO-yTImiyfO1A/s1600/Joonas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmq6XjtnYdg5MQGxFPa9N8Ct3cfpJDx6A8ZzCz4JoE3PoICbveTUyogeSxer5v4QwgdEVpFAhaYadL5Wv0_hI4l5HaG6oLp6ESjM-8iV6o-ShDOvHK8pd_XmNzzEQ-GVcO-yTImiyfO1A/s400/Joonas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master recording technician Joonas Saikkonen at the Neve desk.</td></tr>
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As Maija writes and performs her songs best in organic fashion - singing, playing kantele and percussion at the same time - that was how we recorded her, without (except for one song) the aid of click-tracks. So each song is a performance. There are some with additional overdubs, but everything you hear is sung and played by Maija.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xPYF5-cAGhCTi0VwoJuC9R385epGP-fuWNQ3JHCHHtvNHn9ZZiWJ2_5GmbhROPaHZwRREayKRys9pdABQAQDqs9dXeXl6D266NGfGNHPt7fQJgXzX_xbo-HHd9mrZEuirhq3_0eA38M/s1600/RCA+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xPYF5-cAGhCTi0VwoJuC9R385epGP-fuWNQ3JHCHHtvNHn9ZZiWJ2_5GmbhROPaHZwRREayKRys9pdABQAQDqs9dXeXl6D266NGfGNHPt7fQJgXzX_xbo-HHd9mrZEuirhq3_0eA38M/s400/RCA+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage RCA ribbon microphone used on all vocals</td></tr>
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Mixing is currently drawing to a close between North Wales and Finland. Watch this space for more news!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVJp3M9GIa6nxP6W4KXHADZ_40KetwdlGCP2kTjtODCLBmUV_OD3MDozjAOC_Dsik8cQ1yr4l0CbdZU4-EsnGjG2_grYEJf-skNgnFYEJ-o-wBhpjda-x0xkQZvD1sgevhDq0AQIm-cM/s1600/the+team+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVJp3M9GIa6nxP6W4KXHADZ_40KetwdlGCP2kTjtODCLBmUV_OD3MDozjAOC_Dsik8cQ1yr4l0CbdZU4-EsnGjG2_grYEJf-skNgnFYEJ-o-wBhpjda-x0xkQZvD1sgevhDq0AQIm-cM/s640/the+team+smaller.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-81382451999560178702016-01-03T16:44:00.001+00:002016-01-03T16:44:19.115+00:00What Happened Next......or What Ever Happened to my Blog?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rock'n'roll bus<br /></td></tr>
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Having left my reader(s) hanging off a cliff whilst trundling back to the UK on the rock'n'roll bus, I then proceeded to do nothing in the way of a Blog post up until now. Irresponsible I know but life is what happens when you're busy not writing about it, after all. My apologies to anyone who missed me. I love you too.<br />
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Anyway, I awoke early at the end of the gargantuan drive across Europe and stumbled out of the bus to find myself at the place they call The Junction in Cambridge. I wandered in backstage and spent some time contemplating the instructions in the shower.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHe9E683ZUcH5CJqJLbPnHf2rIdIS1NQMbTzKAmpKG7KFwETZDShKtua9r0fRX1kuiTllP_SnHbUbKDTr9PZpiurFUbNdV_DuFFpvXPJzE2mqLlxxPJoGp9ubDaYoMJhjnWU0Fv-EZn4/s1600/shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHe9E683ZUcH5CJqJLbPnHf2rIdIS1NQMbTzKAmpKG7KFwETZDShKtua9r0fRX1kuiTllP_SnHbUbKDTr9PZpiurFUbNdV_DuFFpvXPJzE2mqLlxxPJoGp9ubDaYoMJhjnWU0Fv-EZn4/s400/shower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">life is like that sometimes<br /></td></tr>
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There were just four more shows on the Camel summer tour, culminating in our appearance challenging The Scorpions in a loudness contest (they won) at the Ramblin' Man Fair. In-between our numbers we were hoping we'd get a chance to whistle along with 'Wind of Change' or something like that. But as it happens the schedule was tight and we had to cut our set to accommodate the local authorities, so we kept up the pace. Was all much fun and it was lovely to see the lovely audience and a great big lovely moon in the sky.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQpAkfVLgDcEkyc7tqz8p20mzz9NFpjyt3jxSGwMYs2bX6mNNKNScszDSH2rbz0SGl1MYwlcna3OsCdmSpD4i5OeY4bojY2-3jhkmFRqgNZSGZo7YmIA6XDaDWAdmsP-VwlxvOOKplZc/s1600/camel+none+easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQpAkfVLgDcEkyc7tqz8p20mzz9NFpjyt3jxSGwMYs2bX6mNNKNScszDSH2rbz0SGl1MYwlcna3OsCdmSpD4i5OeY4bojY2-3jhkmFRqgNZSGZo7YmIA6XDaDWAdmsP-VwlxvOOKplZc/s400/camel+none+easter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nice photo by Noné Easter</td></tr>
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And then it was a bit of convivial celebrating in the pleasant backstage glade before our band of merry travellers began to go their separate ways. Goodbyes were said, hugs were exchanged and undying fealty to each other was sworn. Some were whisked off to airports, others set off to their homes and families until the rock'n'roll bus finally pulled out of the festival site in the early hours with a reduced <i>mannschaft</i> of myself, Andrew, Steve the merchman, dear soundman Bunny and just as dear (but worth every penny) back-line tech supremo, Del. We were heading back to the place from where we started to know it for the umpteenth time (apologies to T S Eliot), namely, Real World Studios, where Del had left his magic van and I was going to get a lift home and this last small company of the road would finally be parted...until the next time.<br />
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I'll finish with a couple of random snaps from the road.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBQdxORYR6lVsaZuTqH_I-FabPm9VQU1IdbBMJ3dDbaWxdjj40181sWTG6WKn9MgUg-59wB1beXotuInL7TDPxLbaH6596y2Ng2BjmgxQO7xmgp2cEvx6jGqb_sHHAyIHXVGN8E3ndCk/s1600/stage+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBQdxORYR6lVsaZuTqH_I-FabPm9VQU1IdbBMJ3dDbaWxdjj40181sWTG6WKn9MgUg-59wB1beXotuInL7TDPxLbaH6596y2Ng2BjmgxQO7xmgp2cEvx6jGqb_sHHAyIHXVGN8E3ndCk/s400/stage+selfie.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a selfie at sound-check<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8Ju4Dcq0KbU0nsgl0H7DSx23McHXAMW4W79k3hp70UGOp8A3ZKfyCTzFtYKjx2wbaHcpLXHxdKcdxA0TGmxUm6xPgxDRPkmWcMJ1-0Y8jRHUZDt6pm2aUo71HDkppdELciFn5G2sGs/s1600/feedback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8Ju4Dcq0KbU0nsgl0H7DSx23McHXAMW4W79k3hp70UGOp8A3ZKfyCTzFtYKjx2wbaHcpLXHxdKcdxA0TGmxUm6xPgxDRPkmWcMJ1-0Y8jRHUZDt6pm2aUo71HDkppdELciFn5G2sGs/s400/feedback.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew's amp</td></tr>
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and then there was the night on the bus when Denis got out his excellent collection of false moustaches.<br />
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I'll leave you with a portrait of Wing Commander Derek 'Where Del?' Haggar, TCP and Mars Bar.<br />
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Roger Wilco, over and out.Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-11606723966449699972015-07-22T13:02:00.002+01:002015-07-22T13:07:21.655+01:00Camel Tour 2015 part 3
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEUyW_zYirvCAKFT2n4WyVSJCUQ23xi4UHKuFdiuKW2SU1voL7eUUT-jQmQJWH1cbJhRQ21zCiuoQNsY0kVCxsNSfDWoiNGpGl9hBeCUsstqQluVfvehy65FFiF5k124dDy7PcSWyxBw/s1600/camel+bow+loreley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEUyW_zYirvCAKFT2n4WyVSJCUQ23xi4UHKuFdiuKW2SU1voL7eUUT-jQmQJWH1cbJhRQ21zCiuoQNsY0kVCxsNSfDWoiNGpGl9hBeCUsstqQluVfvehy65FFiF5k124dDy7PcSWyxBw/s320/camel+bow+loreley.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taking a bow at the Loreley Night of the Prog fest</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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From Utrecht to the spectacular scenery
of the Rheinland for our performance at the Night of the Prog
Festival in Loreley. Yet another day of high temperatures which had
cooled only slightly by the time we took the stage at 11pm, following
a brio-laden performance from the Neil Morse Band with the redoutable
Mike Portnoy on drums. We walked on to a rapturous welcome from the
several thousands of spectators and the several millions of bugs
attracted by the stage lights on what continued to be a warm, balmy
night. Band, audience and bugs all had a jolly good time. Great
festival, lovely environment, excellent organisatiion. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting to go on in Loreley</td></tr>
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Another long overnight drive ensued
through Germany to Poznan for the first of two Polish gigs, arriving
in time for half a day off and a some welcome recuperation at an
agreeable Hotel Poshki.</div>
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Andy, Ton, Denis and myself took a
Saturday evening stroll around the charming old town centre and
enjoyed an excellent slap-up dinner at the highly recommended
Ratuszova restaurant on the Stary Rynek, during which we failed to
see the famous Poznan goats emerge from their lair in the clock tower
of the Town Hall upon the stroke of the hour. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXwfaCOYKf_OIFNkC6chyphenhyphenojOVwtArkJqfWMWVQgCmL7fVIbwPgQYh0TtGl1umG3oiTO39vUpvG9NKrys_UFLEMJJRUU6_i9pbqelAnV8gm1Ngz2GLANAIfp2zz6zzqOTmvUbttKNlmnk/s1600/poznancentre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXwfaCOYKf_OIFNkC6chyphenhyphenojOVwtArkJqfWMWVQgCmL7fVIbwPgQYh0TtGl1umG3oiTO39vUpvG9NKrys_UFLEMJJRUU6_i9pbqelAnV8gm1Ngz2GLANAIfp2zz6zzqOTmvUbttKNlmnk/s320/poznancentre.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a balmy evening in Poznan Old Town</td></tr>
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Sunday saw us playing at the IMTP2 hall
– a cavernous exhibition hall with high undraped windows which
ensured that a good deal of the set was performed in evening light
and Paddy our lighting chap was unable to use any projections.
Special mention must be given to a pretty spectacular tropical-style
storm that suddenly erupted during our afternoon soundcheck turning
the surrounding walkways into fast-moving rivers and sending
umbrellas, outdoor furniture and other unsecured items careening
through the air. All soon returned to normal and a large and lovely
crowd came out on a sunny evening to spur us on through another fun
gig. And I'll make another special mention for the excellent new
pre-amp that my friends at Taurus Amplification – the Polish
company making world-class bass and guitar amps - had delivered to me
at the soundcheck which has greatly enhanced the sound of my fretless
bass.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM1lGTGKuZeaSpNsuE0nUoQ-uHauwIZGs5jkJxJgvAIT1ESFm6JLpNU2ng41dIuuAkTeLaK31HPNOmpZcrxl-rAzoXsBMEm2Db0zArqSpGa3bamPLs-tGE_XanUIgi110GAMd-WN-3FY/s1600/poznangig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM1lGTGKuZeaSpNsuE0nUoQ-uHauwIZGs5jkJxJgvAIT1ESFm6JLpNU2ng41dIuuAkTeLaK31HPNOmpZcrxl-rAzoXsBMEm2Db0zArqSpGa3bamPLs-tGE_XanUIgi110GAMd-WN-3FY/s320/poznangig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cavernous space of the Poznan place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A marathon hand-shaking,
autograph-signing and please-can-i-make-a-photo session followed the
show before another overnighter to Krakow, where we were pleased to
enjoy the shiny and ample backstage facilities of the impressive new
concert hall of the ICE Congress Centre. The hall itself is very
attractively designed with lots of wood. Not sure exactly how many
seats they have there but by stage time every one of them was
occupied right up to the gods. What a lovely audience they were too. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYc8KyiGimV7U_xc4z4odsIndX19m57x1OeiGQoGHWVNVT2LWYvH7oBoYX7sCvrMNxeEj1UvAxKNb1AHrEPgM79ZP36WP0i4jlOw65TVruc14x9By6npElqCd-bvY6CSfdMthhxDVC4c/s1600/krakow+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYc8KyiGimV7U_xc4z4odsIndX19m57x1OeiGQoGHWVNVT2LWYvH7oBoYX7sCvrMNxeEj1UvAxKNb1AHrEPgM79ZP36WP0i4jlOw65TVruc14x9By6npElqCd-bvY6CSfdMthhxDVC4c/s320/krakow+hall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krakow concert hall at soundcheck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qPg5QMpUb7jK4cEANB24t1qpXbxTKG4L3EDwGY6tsQmI9T_dI9KvjpNorfmk-PofWrT1Sk8dbGgjzJxkZVCmQ1iSa11PNdGF2LIDrcYwl7YkQsjt2N52KxTXTDu8eT2UBnaw9V65DpE/s1600/camelkrakowbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qPg5QMpUb7jK4cEANB24t1qpXbxTKG4L3EDwGY6tsQmI9T_dI9KvjpNorfmk-PofWrT1Sk8dbGgjzJxkZVCmQ1iSa11PNdGF2LIDrcYwl7YkQsjt2N52KxTXTDu8eT2UBnaw9V65DpE/s320/camelkrakowbow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">later that same evening</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Our visuals were especially good
tonight thanks to some excellent hi-tech projectors and I was pleased
to finally get incorporated some stunning images of the moon taken by
my friend John Lawrence. Apart from being a celebrated Welsh
singer/songwriter and bandleader (<span>Gorky's Zygotic Mynci</span> and Infinity Chimps), he's
also an amateur astronomer and space photographer who manages to take
some extraordinary photos of the universe from his mountain fastness
in Snowdonia. Many thanks to him for giving us the moon.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-vyJheZOs7ISr1pj2v1BcybVMEW0sLsOVq5Kb2btzRx9xxcZsftcqIX1pRpi-m1H4EsHfBKNV6W7UH94Gd_Mdm4qDCHobKpK6ywBI0aqmDp1qZdt8nemBpfrNBNQu185oId-VTtshk0/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-vyJheZOs7ISr1pj2v1BcybVMEW0sLsOVq5Kb2btzRx9xxcZsftcqIX1pRpi-m1H4EsHfBKNV6W7UH94Gd_Mdm4qDCHobKpK6ywBI0aqmDp1qZdt8nemBpfrNBNQu185oId-VTtshk0/s320/moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">checking the new moon at soundcheck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Both Polish concerts were very nicely
organised by Piotr Kosinski and stage managed by our old friend
Stefan Perskiewicz, who remains unforgettable for his distinctive
hearty laugh and unshakeable bonhomie. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9Dn27-XMcPbV262BJ7n6wqsTC4oXqDonDxrIh8aDBgfenOZ1R_rGWMvEaFixlkWce7rHUZjAHD4s3VxdbxiKf4yek_TWtO3IyqwNIbvdlyPg0MbaFICqWQJdngZo1IoYU7WqrDMEWHg/s1600/bustrundlingblogging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9Dn27-XMcPbV262BJ7n6wqsTC4oXqDonDxrIh8aDBgfenOZ1R_rGWMvEaFixlkWce7rHUZjAHD4s3VxdbxiKf4yek_TWtO3IyqwNIbvdlyPg0MbaFICqWQJdngZo1IoYU7WqrDMEWHg/s320/bustrundlingblogging.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blogging from my bunk while trundling across Europe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At time of writing we are still
trundling our way across Germany and France on the road back to the
UK for the final four gigs of the tour: Cambridge, Wolverhampton,
Norwich and the grande finale at the Ramblin' Man Festival in Kent on
Saturday.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
More later...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-54257037904316667902015-07-16T18:40:00.002+01:002015-07-16T18:42:00.539+01:00Camel tour 2015 part 2 - the story so far...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hWmjAZw72Y_M5S-l2V0s6RyC3m9njTJQHysKL57a9nLuMs8ZZ3IdrVswPVUhycfPDwW_3mFkKmOwMdqrjzA53vmxbAFqaa47Fv53tAdGLdjtb7F2Dcge10mftSc_gcE_6S1Ebwu_SrU/s1600/10923637_950337808361943_4699693013613700307_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hWmjAZw72Y_M5S-l2V0s6RyC3m9njTJQHysKL57a9nLuMs8ZZ3IdrVswPVUhycfPDwW_3mFkKmOwMdqrjzA53vmxbAFqaa47Fv53tAdGLdjtb7F2Dcge10mftSc_gcE_6S1Ebwu_SrU/s400/10923637_950337808361943_4699693013613700307_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On stage at the Be Prog! My Friend festival, Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }</style>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The story so far...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It was a great relief to finally get
out of our charming but ultimately windowless box in the pleasant,
albeit seldom glimpsed, surroundings of Real World Studios and head
off to St Albans in the big red bus. It was a good first night
methinks and a lot of nice people were out in force to help us enjoy
it, setting a pattern for the next two days at Bath and York. All
very enjoyable gigs with, though I say it myself, the band in pretty
good form. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXzRaW3BFy-r7uQ3S_BjIjkenQpW1szJzMYgFNjDFEqZZI490IEsBXZTtQIZye2sMDZrxTLy7rS1BfRFGBPpYzks8Crf0dem-mjbVlm4_JmMp3PsaQnV4Zj5qvXsYgOFlokt7Jl-Lrc/s1600/11692792_976296325766658_3877607166733932031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXzRaW3BFy-r7uQ3S_BjIjkenQpW1szJzMYgFNjDFEqZZI490IEsBXZTtQIZye2sMDZrxTLy7rS1BfRFGBPpYzks8Crf0dem-mjbVlm4_JmMp3PsaQnV4Zj5qvXsYgOFlokt7Jl-Lrc/s320/11692792_976296325766658_3877607166733932031_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sound check at Bath Forum</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTK3AueXsbI3IQoGnmZz8CZ4CHOx6u0g5yYvpHWe7fCh9WfxJXpXSx7VQavRoLd-2cUx90gtV0xqUnM_cW5l_mGoAlf-cwj4hkSZeCEjsq49Efj-403SuhnW4hz9b942SCO4JWk4fme2A/s1600/11225091_976733785722912_2042738046355820141_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTK3AueXsbI3IQoGnmZz8CZ4CHOx6u0g5yYvpHWe7fCh9WfxJXpXSx7VQavRoLd-2cUx90gtV0xqUnM_cW5l_mGoAlf-cwj4hkSZeCEjsq49Efj-403SuhnW4hz9b942SCO4JWk4fme2A/s320/11225091_976733785722912_2042738046355820141_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sound check at York Barbican</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After York we set off into the night
for the long journey to Barcelona, catching an early ferry at Dover
and continuing on our merry way for the rest of the day and night,
finally arriving at the site of the unusually named Be Prog! My
Friend festival the next morning. Venue was at the Poble Espanya, an
open-air museum, built in 1929, with 117 buildings showcasing Spain's
typical regional architecture. A large stage was erected in the main
square for the festival. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPHlbDoQuqm09qxj3R25LJk81mNxVZ_P-bu65V68tP-CVeV4bofw-Ze9T-fx030iqm3V1gwStzs-hsAybwjI1AHV7JWXgcfQ2hYoP9sVP17m4YZ-yJD5MtxcamRSm45QQwc7LfC-W5p8/s1600/11705093_977542488975375_3398198162181833737_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPHlbDoQuqm09qxj3R25LJk81mNxVZ_P-bu65V68tP-CVeV4bofw-Ze9T-fx030iqm3V1gwStzs-hsAybwjI1AHV7JWXgcfQ2hYoP9sVP17m4YZ-yJD5MtxcamRSm45QQwc7LfC-W5p8/s320/11705093_977542488975375_3398198162181833737_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">setting up the stage in Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It was hot and getting hotter so we were
glad to be whisked away to sample the hospitality of the Hotel el
Posh and enjoy a welcome night in a stationary bed.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Next day, Denis and I broke free and
negotiated the Barcelona Metro down to Barceloneta, Barcelona's beach
area. It was Saturday. It was extremely hot. At a likely looking
Tapaseria we found an agreeable table in the shade and an enjoyable
lunch ensued. Suitably fortified, we headed back to the festival site
where, I have to say, we all were rapidly getting the feeling we had
got off the bus at the wrong stop, as it were. We do like to think we can, in our role as travelling minstrels, bring some light and positive energy to the people who come to see us, but every other band
seemed to be mining the same seam of dark energy, snarling and
growling, bent on pillage and destruction (or at least the pretence
of it) and playing at maximum volume from start to finish - oh yes
and the smoke-spewing guitars and the strobe lights, the strobe
lights... </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We felt rather parochial by comparison and were a little trepidatious about facing the audience. I even left my trainers on for the gig in
case we needed a quick getaway but our fears were laid to rest by a
sizable and extremely friendly crowd who seemed rather pleased to see
us, as we were them. It was actually rather a splendid gig and a good time was had by most (as far as I could see).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnkiaiUw1Dp90kSBAyeLZyWP8vf5Ycb5lhYbkWgX33F9pj_ZEMSTubgVX0_Wnr9_4855aKU38v7dH6VmmqQ6kCypUDV0zhiEI00oU5WQ1wHc0MHsnvL7qxmJIZfLiGrIl14HQiRtdDAE/s1600/11752170_950339701695087_3407979729089710283_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnkiaiUw1Dp90kSBAyeLZyWP8vf5Ycb5lhYbkWgX33F9pj_ZEMSTubgVX0_Wnr9_4855aKU38v7dH6VmmqQ6kCypUDV0zhiEI00oU5WQ1wHc0MHsnvL7qxmJIZfLiGrIl14HQiRtdDAE/s400/11752170_950339701695087_3407979729089710283_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Prog! My Friend festival Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkKxxgQjUfx9_K-tBQopN2dEQ3gJoR9_r5Q-iwd3s4fl8SFpPtGLqILKkZDhPocqUc_0gxYvfIFcxiQGbNkAzrgc61JTOZufpVPDEh0y9fMurbrnJWBT4R16PmnMYF5E0rs8hZHSdP3I/s1600/11713805_948504561878601_5458470105855835019_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkKxxgQjUfx9_K-tBQopN2dEQ3gJoR9_r5Q-iwd3s4fl8SFpPtGLqILKkZDhPocqUc_0gxYvfIFcxiQGbNkAzrgc61JTOZufpVPDEh0y9fMurbrnJWBT4R16PmnMYF5E0rs8hZHSdP3I/s400/11713805_948504561878601_5458470105855835019_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Prog! My Friend festival Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXr8Kli4Zsqta58SPrUQn1KyJ0nqPDsrQaV8zai-FRBnuaOCgZsK4fIScPHJSX7vycEGOIKAnjLBC-xDYy5mf94_BxtI7AspHiWefvQB7ZQWTkeSE94YxQpLeybVmfimwzM_AOMtjSnY/s1600/11692724_836884553055847_562810098791388625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXr8Kli4Zsqta58SPrUQn1KyJ0nqPDsrQaV8zai-FRBnuaOCgZsK4fIScPHJSX7vycEGOIKAnjLBC-xDYy5mf94_BxtI7AspHiWefvQB7ZQWTkeSE94YxQpLeybVmfimwzM_AOMtjSnY/s400/11692724_836884553055847_562810098791388625_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Prog! My Friend festival Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After the show it was hurry up and wait
time, until 4 am in this case, and then off on another fabulous
overnight drive, this time to Zurich, where we thoroughly enjoyed the
intimate stage set up with the intimate proximity of the standing
audience at the Kaufleuten, a charming wood-lined fancy function
room. We were treated to some excellent hospitality and had a grand
old rocknroll style sweaty gig.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEymz33I7gdfI1Jsh-2tgTZRv1fTGbL2vmsh30UQSOum-MXc4CEZF0dDV4ktN9uUlAM9GAeWT2HXoxiCzsU_Tkqw4_sup3CGmSR1mqQcThcYy_iYxtqBAm6KGRzxvLcF8Wu8c682DPMGw/s1600/11755727_979321845464106_3022152465456507509_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEymz33I7gdfI1Jsh-2tgTZRv1fTGbL2vmsh30UQSOum-MXc4CEZF0dDV4ktN9uUlAM9GAeWT2HXoxiCzsU_Tkqw4_sup3CGmSR1mqQcThcYy_iYxtqBAm6KGRzxvLcF8Wu8c682DPMGw/s400/11755727_979321845464106_3022152465456507509_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside the Kaufleuten, Zurich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Off to sleepy old Limbourg in Belgium
to once again tread the creaking boards of the old Kursaal theatre.
We were cheerfully greeted by the veteran promoter of the famous
Spirit of 66 club, Francois Geron. He was as surprised as we were to
find that the venue had printed up some posters for the show bearing
our name and personnel but matching us with an old photograph of the
band Argent. Hmmmm....</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRt7c-P4hSASQ6sdGVHVC_pP60THMJbvZYfbC-1TxeyZijKPhzYJxuIHMgHG1Zn2aez_HyAOB2DbwsL9dv-NUErdY4Tr619NPJaMTGjaVPB0z9eX8LpzLvRy7X9Df2ex92q5tXwFjqLc/s1600/11201823_979899285406362_9188248383181338172_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRt7c-P4hSASQ6sdGVHVC_pP60THMJbvZYfbC-1TxeyZijKPhzYJxuIHMgHG1Zn2aez_HyAOB2DbwsL9dv-NUErdY4Tr619NPJaMTGjaVPB0z9eX8LpzLvRy7X9Df2ex92q5tXwFjqLc/s320/11201823_979899285406362_9188248383181338172_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">who is that band?</td></tr>
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Nevermind, it was another most enjoyable gig for another wonderfully friendly audience. </div>
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Then on the bus again for a drive to Holland. It's all go...</div>
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At time of writing we are about to take
the stage of the fabulous Tivoli in Utrecht, a super concert hall
with capacious backstage facilities including a washing machine and a
tumble dryer. Much relief all round at getting our laundry done. It's a glamorous life
on the road...</div>
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more later...</div>
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Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-34166180743362384382015-06-20T07:35:00.000+01:002015-07-07T12:31:21.687+01:00Meanwhile, somewhere in Southern England......something is stirring.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel tour team 2015: l-r: myself. Jason Hart, Andrew Latimer, Denis Clement, Ton Scherpenzeel</td></tr>
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And it stirred and simmered and the fullness of its flavour was savoured - at least by us. Now we hope that the dear audiences will enjoy it too. The big bus has arrived and we're about to depart on what looks set to be a pretty arduous trek. Quite a few long journeys. I hope my bunk is comfortable.<br />
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In the meantime, some photos from three weeks rehearsing in the friendly environs of Real World Studios, set amongst the rolling hills of leafy Wiltshire...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside the windowless black box within the giant Nissen hut</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Denis de Clent relaxing at his manor</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-60936067541594248922014-04-26T22:55:00.000+01:002014-05-20T19:17:50.789+01:00Camel Tour 2014 - part five - that was the tour that was<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>click on photos to enlarge! </i></div>
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That was the tour that was. Here's a nice photo of the entire crew, the denizens of the big blue bus, posing outside the penultimate venue in Turin, Italy. From left to right: Jason Hart (<i>progmaster general of the digital domains</i>), Simon Grocott (<i>backline amp and guitar duties and Tommy Cooper impersonations</i>), Emma Edgar<i> (unflappably expert tour manager</i>), Derek Jones (<i>brilliant lights in all senses of the words</i>), Denis Clement (<i>the multi-talented, multi-tasking man from Manawaukee</i>), Derek Haggar (<i>distinguished First Lieutenant of the Backline Territorials ATB and Bar</i>), Ton Scherpenzeel (<i>the dashing Dutchman, great keyboard player and our hero</i>), Mike "Bunny" Warren (<i>our prized and genial mixmaster general</i>), Wing Commander Andrew Latimer (<i>mentioned in despatches for exceptional guitar-playing under enemy fire</i>), John "J-J" James (<i>esteemed stage monitor mixmeister</i>), Felicity Hall (<i>our lady of the t-shirt boxes</i>), and myself about whom I will say nothing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6Of4YMHYVZVgkFKAo51KGEea-OEcKTruVbgLjJUXZT8Ee8F1zD-LHyOKb-Wzi9iv9ut_EY3IanPnSyQ5oPKQKRemdUTYGRTJYRe6v8OKyg70_kUxZgn_01UoYMCvLCylPFfzFIkhHzs/s1600/the+morning+light+creeps+through+the+curtains+of+my+coffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6Of4YMHYVZVgkFKAo51KGEea-OEcKTruVbgLjJUXZT8Ee8F1zD-LHyOKb-Wzi9iv9ut_EY3IanPnSyQ5oPKQKRemdUTYGRTJYRe6v8OKyg70_kUxZgn_01UoYMCvLCylPFfzFIkhHzs/s1600/the+morning+light+creeps+through+the+curtains+of+my+coffin.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the morning sun illuminates the curtains of my inner sanctum</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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But where did I leave off? It was overnight from Lisbon to Madrid. I awoke early to watch the entry into that great city and marvelled at the way our intrepid driver Craig managed to manoeuvre the long bus (and trailer) through the narrow streets. Then I noticed we were actually going around the same few blocks several times, waiting for the temporary parking space outside the theatre to be made available.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madrid morning</td></tr>
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The Teatro Nuevo Apolo is an old music hall type venue with original wood-panelled walls. It's quite narrow, only room for tiny side balconies but no boxes although you get the impression it would like to have had them. Two balconies above the stalls though and they were full of extremely enthusiastic attendees come the evening. We had a good time, again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7NJ9Kpzu1JK_S65xOByM4_TpvC-p1IpqBnHJjDjWE2a5Loq_t2_oh1QS7NAQmBTeytelgBNqTHzgwanW_jKha9rMHD2uRILoRCx9Qvd26szAfi_gPRgs6i3Jb0UKUoVaPpcjU7-N4xo/s1600/wood+panels+of+the+modena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7NJ9Kpzu1JK_S65xOByM4_TpvC-p1IpqBnHJjDjWE2a5Loq_t2_oh1QS7NAQmBTeytelgBNqTHzgwanW_jKha9rMHD2uRILoRCx9Qvd26szAfi_gPRgs6i3Jb0UKUoVaPpcjU7-N4xo/s1600/wood+panels+of+the+modena.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wood panelling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAevfgTzxBmdBwB_FfyIbDw0WK-LoD7E2wiLru60BWesZsUE7LdcnT_yjBg45AE3XKEP1_Tmu8m1zvHcRMQD3dveCVWNZHeXBO3cjUq-9BIdo_IrtSvp314MhcE5mnhlq_CJaJy7q_d0I/s1600/teatro+modena+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAevfgTzxBmdBwB_FfyIbDw0WK-LoD7E2wiLru60BWesZsUE7LdcnT_yjBg45AE3XKEP1_Tmu8m1zvHcRMQD3dveCVWNZHeXBO3cjUq-9BIdo_IrtSvp314MhcE5mnhlq_CJaJy7q_d0I/s1600/teatro+modena+interior.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teatro Nuevo Apolo</td></tr>
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Before soundcheck I managed an hour's perambulation with Ton and Denis. Didn't quite make it to the Prado but who needs it when you have the shop windows around the Plaza de Tirso de Molina...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Shop</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This one was a very happy shop. Brightly coloured party dresses, original antique Chinese footsoldiers of the Imperial Guard, cheerful plastic flowers and some handy Bunny ears.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Kind of Shop</td></tr>
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This one was an excellent shop. Here you can stock up on 3-D Jesus posters, vampire capes, nylon flamenco dresses, false moustaches and get your Halloween window stickers in March already. What more do you want?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYhQrYJp_Tx-eKphjkUfvIHpPRUIyd-7kWilUtyckQDEakBwQstm4zSroDi-0vJnSXNQvAbcq39_nJYHgWrSMxjFvdZaGx1z2zs9fNvXJM2qeqgh5967dLR-_Eog1IVwVFHCdG6_ii2c/s1600/sad+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYhQrYJp_Tx-eKphjkUfvIHpPRUIyd-7kWilUtyckQDEakBwQstm4zSroDi-0vJnSXNQvAbcq39_nJYHgWrSMxjFvdZaGx1z2zs9fNvXJM2qeqgh5967dLR-_Eog1IVwVFHCdG6_ii2c/s1600/sad+shop.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sad shop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This was a very sad shop window. To be honest I couldn't summon up the courage to venture inside. I regret it now of course. Perhaps I could have been of help. It obviously started out with the best intentions, seemingly offering a wide range of practical headgear, cute dolls and smiley flowers but something happened. Now I'll never know what it was. A family tragedy? Perhaps the owner became weighed down trying to keep up with the latest trends in hats? Perhaps he/she simply fell to the floor like the dummy head laid low by the final tartan trilby. There are so many stories we simply walk past without seeing.<br />
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And so to Barcelona...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBqycQgDnLWotP1CK87BHup07zF0hd_PDvRQJRI0NJTss5rM5kruoXXjFNHwIf9R7CdtUarRGx_kCMpYjREDFp1BMCCoCV1WUV9JEDrTBcdP8v10wZQxtkmcfXmPj7U6ImV3xgYL3d8I/s1600/early+morning+barcelona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBqycQgDnLWotP1CK87BHup07zF0hd_PDvRQJRI0NJTss5rM5kruoXXjFNHwIf9R7CdtUarRGx_kCMpYjREDFp1BMCCoCV1WUV9JEDrTBcdP8v10wZQxtkmcfXmPj7U6ImV3xgYL3d8I/s1600/early+morning+barcelona.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early morning Barcelona from the bus</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Another nice theatre called Barts. All nicely organised as in Madrid by Mr Robert Mills. Before sound check had time for a solitary amble to La Rambla and surrounding area and had an agreeable culinary experience in the market...<br />
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And then overnight again to Turin. Woke up to see the Italian Alps reflecting the early morning sun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1RLYGvhweAo19Fpx5sLjEimlfp3pSAxPE2ZXmsE4iT1BIQkgMV3wjplBKN_Qjik1pKgMkfNiqHl0SbVcwFlGsPYk8PGobKChk_s44_dc8CIk4tG5nkuembogqCbfVRg9PTZXweEno6I/s1600/bus+view+mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1RLYGvhweAo19Fpx5sLjEimlfp3pSAxPE2ZXmsE4iT1BIQkgMV3wjplBKN_Qjik1pKgMkfNiqHl0SbVcwFlGsPYk8PGobKChk_s44_dc8CIk4tG5nkuembogqCbfVRg9PTZXweEno6I/s1600/bus+view+mountains.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good Morning</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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In Turin we played once again - last time was in 2000 or something like that - in a club called Hiroshima Mon Amour, named after the wonderful film made in 1959 by Alain Resnais with a screenplay by Marguerite Duras, no less. Everybody would like to see that, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGdLZNAdRc" target="_blank">here's a trailer</a>. Anyway, it was a nice, fun, rock-club type gig (I like those), then it was off overnight to Vicenza, a very lovely town that was home to the great Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio, several of whose edifices adorn the old town centre. Not least of these is the famous Teatro Olimpico, apparently the first enclosed theatre built. It has a fascinating raked stage with a trompe-l'oeil effect of streets retreating into the distance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBLXZjNS-ZfGhQLwcMe2XkXQKKm8WA5KyXlK5RmMF-e95FfOG1vTNDNK9dNZaHCdjlMCkoATQ15gFsAY6o07_WWWZq_h2wGAuPVZyyNHjtmQ81_Xkej49QDGLOqyEaCSO_q0Ly3gZqZw/s1600/teatro+olimpico+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBLXZjNS-ZfGhQLwcMe2XkXQKKm8WA5KyXlK5RmMF-e95FfOG1vTNDNK9dNZaHCdjlMCkoATQ15gFsAY6o07_WWWZq_h2wGAuPVZyyNHjtmQ81_Xkej49QDGLOqyEaCSO_q0Ly3gZqZw/s1600/teatro+olimpico+1.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stage of the Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Thanks be to Claudio Canova, our promoter in Vicenza, for giving me a swift tour of the city in the time available before sound-check, which luckily included an excellent pasta lunch in the piazza by the Basilica Palladio. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jb8H4La8WsOZjUfiTtCnCxpQeOhmGR4WsBOm-OzkelhgunaVT6Afk8B09fnCaPzZkxq3phfUweKg2KC4VQiSbQvNCJMxZNC9uF3yiV0xYXKVUXX066DwxhuVPzAKLmfumZhLxZAuUA8/s1600/vicenza+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jb8H4La8WsOZjUfiTtCnCxpQeOhmGR4WsBOm-OzkelhgunaVT6Afk8B09fnCaPzZkxq3phfUweKg2KC4VQiSbQvNCJMxZNC9uF3yiV0xYXKVUXX066DwxhuVPzAKLmfumZhLxZAuUA8/s1600/vicenza+view.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Vicenza from the Cathedral up in the hills</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4p1TMd_VhLT3jMfsHEffTDEY-bgrK40j_nsxtN0Yhlp3B2SmoJG5EMjmBBfHed_2ZBHrtwaccN-MZIlFc1ccORyNOB3hpHA2uMTTcRAH5EwEcwceKQIsoib6JU9Zcxa365z2TUzgjr0/s1600/vicenza+piazza+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4p1TMd_VhLT3jMfsHEffTDEY-bgrK40j_nsxtN0Yhlp3B2SmoJG5EMjmBBfHed_2ZBHrtwaccN-MZIlFc1ccORyNOB3hpHA2uMTTcRAH5EwEcwceKQIsoib6JU9Zcxa365z2TUzgjr0/s1600/vicenza+piazza+2.jpg" height="240" width="400" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Basilico</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrlWd8EsgJRZxzTibIkcjtXVdPMQ4efw2D5b5puoCAYNjQF4PTfRxbI17hjPRYRqXzSG7iZDBqQ6kIEbprNbxsuZD8SoItOe5mFVItyUGkkIxyxFwT8MVOECRsFOtydBgGsJSZn-Ab9s/s1600/vicenza+piazza+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrlWd8EsgJRZxzTibIkcjtXVdPMQ4efw2D5b5puoCAYNjQF4PTfRxbI17hjPRYRqXzSG7iZDBqQ6kIEbprNbxsuZD8SoItOe5mFVItyUGkkIxyxFwT8MVOECRsFOtydBgGsJSZn-Ab9s/s1600/vicenza+piazza+1.jpg" height="640" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Basilico</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8nv3AvMVf_cKdPifN2nlfAEbwzs4yeaGrkbYTslERfDRM76adyf2dqRI64Nson5fIy7sbkXzR1l7ParUDjvKRAZzTmYFXPCp9LakaBQcSXwNx8l8DUY3W_K3YVjSyN53zLIqcDqOy8/s1600/teatro+olimpico+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8nv3AvMVf_cKdPifN2nlfAEbwzs4yeaGrkbYTslERfDRM76adyf2dqRI64Nson5fIy7sbkXzR1l7ParUDjvKRAZzTmYFXPCp9LakaBQcSXwNx8l8DUY3W_K3YVjSyN53zLIqcDqOy8/s1600/teatro+olimpico+2.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teatro Oimpico</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After savouring the sights (and the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli) of Vicenza, it was back to the soundcheck at the Teatro Comunale, a splendid-looking new theatre. The architect has to be congratulated on the sleek modern aesthetics of the building but it appears not enough thought was given to the acoustic properties of the concert hall. It was one of those places where not only was there a marked 500 millisecond delay audible from the stage but somehow the bass frequencies disappeared somewhere in the ether. But in the end the place filled up with enthusistic and friendly people who seemed to thoroughly enjoy it and so, as a matter of course, so did we. Thanks Vicenza.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhaVL9WR4ruNES6oix2WO8YPKAaVW0nz4l2gP_eWknFrvaXJKBadq9MGVmVPPPszbNMwlqB0u2xUb195UcNJ_HlEFSW4EgnfF4ATulFA5-nJyK6PCpJQt3Utyim-aYfPPnSxtX9CD1_o/s1600/1779116_484910738301546_297373689_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhaVL9WR4ruNES6oix2WO8YPKAaVW0nz4l2gP_eWknFrvaXJKBadq9MGVmVPPPszbNMwlqB0u2xUb195UcNJ_HlEFSW4EgnfF4ATulFA5-nJyK6PCpJQt3Utyim-aYfPPnSxtX9CD1_o/s1600/1779116_484910738301546_297373689_n.jpg" height="153" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teatro Communale, Vicenza</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKfdc09oVbvf0tGyDaq4H9bQklPm3hogM30dKShXIi8gOoehqilYgJk6QchUVrhWqtGYYQm7IFPYlGdg_cgqt6WEN0axrBBjJz6qQ9bPUlO2QjwW93QCLkI5JcI-CuSqFyKWFgD4_Vkc/s1600/andy+and+bunny+vicenza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKfdc09oVbvf0tGyDaq4H9bQklPm3hogM30dKShXIi8gOoehqilYgJk6QchUVrhWqtGYYQm7IFPYlGdg_cgqt6WEN0axrBBjJz6qQ9bPUlO2QjwW93QCLkI5JcI-CuSqFyKWFgD4_Vkc/s1600/andy+and+bunny+vicenza.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny explains to Andy about the sound problems</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuZwxXonmmNQ3wRJta0hyQMS9rTt6vOAqVFdvR8wPhB4TMcVKRugfpHFnqSVFAu0mLTw9K5g_uAApko77NTS0h-JwnVhlnaFzQKaNQkBRhVfCEUB3KkfrYb1TgAbmhEogfF1Vzmz__x4/s1600/view+from+mix+desk+vicenza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuZwxXonmmNQ3wRJta0hyQMS9rTt6vOAqVFdvR8wPhB4TMcVKRugfpHFnqSVFAu0mLTw9K5g_uAApko77NTS0h-JwnVhlnaFzQKaNQkBRhVfCEUB3KkfrYb1TgAbmhEogfF1Vzmz__x4/s1600/view+from+mix+desk+vicenza.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the mixing desk</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Well, and so it all came to an end, our little tour. After Vicenza it was an epic journey back to the UK, jettisoning people at various stages on the route. Thanks to all who came to see us, thanks to our lovely crew. Looking forward to the next one. Just don't ask me when that might be. Cheerio!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr1XClH0V6hyCDgxLA43RVdueJtRTZ-_26v6mtHrp2ASpzIXXUw1A5iWs4Fv5djb5nAy_Gr8hgKoQ-fvX4rzQa4ZuvR-tA6P7C_P85S06I_EMHmJ2kOmsXXUUXSFxC9SxFvZzcIcAXZ4/s1600/selfie+in+the+stalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr1XClH0V6hyCDgxLA43RVdueJtRTZ-_26v6mtHrp2ASpzIXXUw1A5iWs4Fv5djb5nAy_Gr8hgKoQ-fvX4rzQa4ZuvR-tA6P7C_P85S06I_EMHmJ2kOmsXXUUXSFxC9SxFvZzcIcAXZ4/s1600/selfie+in+the+stalls.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheerio!</td></tr>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-82280848439047777422014-03-16T17:37:00.000+00:002014-05-20T19:21:44.914+01:00Camel Tour March 2014 - Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> click on photos to enlarge!</i><br />
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It's been a while since we last met, dear reader. Time becomes particularly elastic once one has spent a few nights on the bus. Well, as per schedule (see above) the journey from Cologne to Sheffield did indeed take ages but the next four gigs went by in a seeming trice. And in case you didn't know, a trice is not only a brief moment of time (when you're in it), it also means <i><span class="ssens">to haul up or in and lash or secure with a small rope, </span></i><span class="ssens">which may also be relevant but I can't think how at the moment. Anyway, it was nice to be playing in the UK again. Here's some snaps...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN0edxGVyS59vLTp6LLiFd60fLnzb3lfn2BvREPi4nuwaiMfNuWSipD17xkG0IRuv5c2dHRbDQoCV-jlTIVzloxQU41WzCEidyZPI97ayGjbtokCxYWzrxvR7kQhTCTr6kjJbdgNpW0w/s1600/andy+soundcheck+birmingham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN0edxGVyS59vLTp6LLiFd60fLnzb3lfn2BvREPi4nuwaiMfNuWSipD17xkG0IRuv5c2dHRbDQoCV-jlTIVzloxQU41WzCEidyZPI97ayGjbtokCxYWzrxvR7kQhTCTr6kjJbdgNpW0w/s1600/andy+soundcheck+birmingham.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy soundchecking in Birmingham</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XuK3csSlEvmx-ISnzsOpE36hLMPn_WyziViJsaizglx4agMnuyLhy-LNJMZRLGD7OgUMFGxKDrmv927DAVT_i8uZU9NeiawGvzPA2kY1gPp_Ln4TPzgbZ91sXyNfF8EiImQahQcsbJk/s1600/sorry+we%2527re+closed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XuK3csSlEvmx-ISnzsOpE36hLMPn_WyziViJsaizglx4agMnuyLhy-LNJMZRLGD7OgUMFGxKDrmv927DAVT_i8uZU9NeiawGvzPA2kY1gPp_Ln4TPzgbZ91sXyNfF8EiImQahQcsbJk/s1600/sorry+we%2527re+closed.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">backline tech Del Haggar's sidestage guitar shop</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravel was here...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and so was Cliff.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epstein's Lucifer in the Birmingham Art Gallery</td></tr>
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Before sound-check at Birmingham I popped across the road to the Birmingham City Art Gallery, a wonderful old piece of Victorian civic architecture. Enjoyed seeing the six tapestries by Grayson Perry entitled <i>The Vanity of Small Differences</i>. Read more about that <a href="http://www.artfund.org/news/2013/06/05/grayson-perry-tapestries-to-tour" target="_blank">here</a>. And was also particularly taken with the enormous Burne-Jones watercolour, <i>The Star of Bethlehem</i>. As with the Grayson Perry tapestries, it pays to get up close and take in the details.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cambridge Corn Exchange</td></tr>
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The Cambridge Corn Exchange is a wonderful venue and we enjoyed ourselves greatly and, at the risk of repeating ourselves, we also had a great time in the cosy and characterful confines of the Paar Hall in Warrington. All thanks to the sheer, unbridled niceness of the audiences.<br />
From Warrington, overnight to Portsmouth to wait around a bit for the afternoon ferry to Bilbao. It was relatively plain sailing all the way, 23 hours worth. The view from my cabin was unchanging, except of course at night when it was invisible. <br />
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Then it was back in the bus for another 12 hour overnight drive to Lisbon. It seemed as if we were travelling in a grey mist the whole of the journey so it was a pleasure to be greeted by sunshine and blue skies upon emerging from my dark inner sanctum on the bus into the Lisbon light. The gig was at the concert hall of the University. Denis and I negotiated the metro and made our way to the Barrio Alto where we enjoyed the view at the Miradore and then repaired to a little restaurant in one of the old callées and enjoyed a pleasant lunch of octupus and sardines washed down with some refreshing vinho verde. So that was nice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the vinho verde</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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then a quick espresso at the bar of the café brasiliana and back to the soundcheck...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my view of the soundcheck</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The gig was once again a most enjoyable experience with a warm and animated crowd cheering us on. Great to be in Portugal again. Organisation was impeccable, excellent catering. Thanks to all.<br />
After the show, back on the bus for an overnight drive to Madrid. It's all go.... <br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-87669508761350977862014-03-09T16:16:00.003+00:002014-03-16T17:25:12.269+00:00Camel Tour - March 2014 - Part 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6HI2OFF296UlB_qus7hfsRFQuqSNC6lk4yHYZQXlBlKCKxSplGSt6FYIvG1OKzNyJfHKH5PK0y3lSMn1MBONjRJcYgsYYrUrSp4h0QOZjYGYhNg1vfoDLHQmu5_gPU27RWzKg6bC1iI/s1600/bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6HI2OFF296UlB_qus7hfsRFQuqSNC6lk4yHYZQXlBlKCKxSplGSt6FYIvG1OKzNyJfHKH5PK0y3lSMn1MBONjRJcYgsYYrUrSp4h0QOZjYGYhNg1vfoDLHQmu5_gPU27RWzKg6bC1iI/s1600/bus.jpg" height="132" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">home sweet home</td></tr>
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After a nice show at the Fulderstadt Filharmonie it was back on the bus to Köln, where the early morning sun cast a pleasing light on the city on the other side of the river. <br />
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Set off to<i> flanier</i> along the river bank and crossed over the railway bridge where thousands of padlocks have been affixed to the fence by troth-plighting lovers. A trend which, as far as I know, originated on the Pont D'Orsay in Paris, but I could be mistaken. <br />
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Another great audience at the Theater am Tanzbrunnen. Every show is different, although we always play the same set. Different nuances appear spontaneously in the arranged passages and there are always moments of improvisation in the second set which are dependent on our mood and communication. Anyway, this one was a good one, made even more pleasurable by a visit from my lovely daughter Lenya, who travelled all the way from Berlin just to see her old Dad.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWhc06silmwEHxR5zhwZox1hqTrKV0H40uH6ZExrFkG8qAxdFpj-yCtQS8bwrTCuaq2vWA1oL-VB5KABOxVKrOby-MBTDFA8SB0R-2R3HUbRUrpFP3BT-18CCWRxXevrlP3NpeMkMrgA/s1600/10003884_659214200818340_1976941256_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWhc06silmwEHxR5zhwZox1hqTrKV0H40uH6ZExrFkG8qAxdFpj-yCtQS8bwrTCuaq2vWA1oL-VB5KABOxVKrOby-MBTDFA8SB0R-2R3HUbRUrpFP3BT-18CCWRxXevrlP3NpeMkMrgA/s1600/10003884_659214200818340_1976941256_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backstage with my daughter Lenya</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After the show I talked to two gentlemen who came from Tehran, Iran especially for the show. Which reminds me, I wanted to give an honorable mention to Chuck Padgett, who flew from North Carolina just to see the Amsterdam show and went straight back again. He said he enjoyed it.<br />
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Then it was off in the night again for the trip back to the UK. Catching the 8.15 am ferry from Calais and indulging in a 7 item English Breakfast on board. Only the Rt Hon Del Haggar de Backline managed to see off the 10 item menu (although he declined to finish off the toast - and who can blame him?).<br />
On to Sheffield and a pleasant night off in Le Hotel Posh. Tonight Sheffield City Hall where I was reminded that this was the site of my second ever gig with Camel in October 1979 (first one was Brighton Dome). That was a long time ago.<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-50607661978086742442014-03-06T11:04:00.001+00:002014-03-06T11:05:23.990+00:00Camel Tour - March 2014 - Part 2<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiJNaZ3030dQV0DE_GhlB9yGfmuNyibzUgM7R84x-hAmWgMtjhCPgDt1_eMOG54b2g-JDuOCatvlGjBsU12S3Mi5VModotzyHfSRhXcgr21cK_jOti3H4bU0qzwtdy7ZQjf4mdKrwXA4/s1600/1391427_510931022357950_406490004_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiJNaZ3030dQV0DE_GhlB9yGfmuNyibzUgM7R84x-hAmWgMtjhCPgDt1_eMOG54b2g-JDuOCatvlGjBsU12S3Mi5VModotzyHfSRhXcgr21cK_jOti3H4bU0qzwtdy7ZQjf4mdKrwXA4/s1600/1391427_510931022357950_406490004_n.jpg" height="145" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eindhoven gig most enjoyable. Lovely concert hall with excellent backstage facilities - very important after a few nights on the big bus. And after meeting with some nice people afterwards it was back on the aforementioned <i>vehicule grande</i> and, after some tricky maneuvering of the bus through crowds of convivial, colourfully dressed carnival revellers,we were off to the historic Belgian city of Gent. Venue was the old music hall/balhaus/theatre called the Vooruit, built in 1913.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT-ox3DyDe4EsyQVoiQ_8OPQRLLkh05c8ez7najtqqv9vsx59xVABk7EeW3VfodY1ee7Jhi2F3f76aClpKF1GQLhE2BQmKWJhQG7On-aaUrqmkG5v4Kb_tYcOc3cby3fyMzJFtvecf-E/s1600/vooruit+Gent+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT-ox3DyDe4EsyQVoiQ_8OPQRLLkh05c8ez7najtqqv9vsx59xVABk7EeW3VfodY1ee7Jhi2F3f76aClpKF1GQLhE2BQmKWJhQG7On-aaUrqmkG5v4Kb_tYcOc3cby3fyMzJFtvecf-E/s1600/vooruit+Gent+small.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo taken at sound check, but before then I had a chance to wander around the beautiful old town centre. Here's some snaps from there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQQ-GIoA7sUjfk8eCtA9pcxRVr95zDn_7qGQZ4hFsR0hla6gsdHLgtQo5mtLUFN-c6wjiryXr41jgnIg4br9oRiX9pzSvaacKf-fyaJt4UDlqG-G4zZNRDRCN28oeX-h8q1BUi8VnymM/s1600/gent+port.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQQ-GIoA7sUjfk8eCtA9pcxRVr95zDn_7qGQZ4hFsR0hla6gsdHLgtQo5mtLUFN-c6wjiryXr41jgnIg4br9oRiX9pzSvaacKf-fyaJt4UDlqG-G4zZNRDRCN28oeX-h8q1BUi8VnymM/s1600/gent+port.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Port, Gent</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CvU6r2KpiNE8hlA5srKa0PaxHRp-PywtEKB5P0kpCVrzlo2xYzrbdYne5fARLWOg_0zapij_lOMHUdbBlnWlECMHsSCJIR5Upl-QAHeVj67idliIxDo4nRLl4jcNtAnk9cXw-4SMSIA/s1600/epicerie+gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CvU6r2KpiNE8hlA5srKa0PaxHRp-PywtEKB5P0kpCVrzlo2xYzrbdYne5fARLWOg_0zapij_lOMHUdbBlnWlECMHsSCJIR5Upl-QAHeVj67idliIxDo4nRLl4jcNtAnk9cXw-4SMSIA/s1600/epicerie+gent.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magritte was here</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfkVljZydZgbJMEA9sI06ywX22x7ITcZkR9bnN3SOyPop3CAUGJ70C7Ho_a8UzHB0-kNrJRYIWwOBOm-JgYqvWJwGAU4OhypmoZ7O0JyNORnAqhdqfTTIlT1u1QktJz-F_PUe9T5t_j0/s1600/josephine+Gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfkVljZydZgbJMEA9sI06ywX22x7ITcZkR9bnN3SOyPop3CAUGJ70C7Ho_a8UzHB0-kNrJRYIWwOBOm-JgYqvWJwGAU4OhypmoZ7O0JyNORnAqhdqfTTIlT1u1QktJz-F_PUe9T5t_j0/s1600/josephine+Gent.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josephine Baker was here</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30fG05HLuLiHE0p8AhQqcPvL2d2rJcI8DxKClc5s9L3sSE1PExVx00Le5ffwC7pcO9i5BacWiZRIKFy5-6DIq7OlhfiYuVwLNEFLy_iZ_mYeh48ZA3AoRuBcJVJErc-UUmS8lVKJrpOc/s1600/coffee+gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30fG05HLuLiHE0p8AhQqcPvL2d2rJcI8DxKClc5s9L3sSE1PExVx00Le5ffwC7pcO9i5BacWiZRIKFy5-6DIq7OlhfiYuVwLNEFLy_iZ_mYeh48ZA3AoRuBcJVJErc-UUmS8lVKJrpOc/s1600/coffee+gent.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was here</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsrdMsueS1as19xIRQE2SbEBJJe1PaxFT80gJLmPasRe0BNydtguNn3SvR_eDFLQnsPMikhKKWcGkcYx860rqnOSK-LO40WFsSGXdCm5586yCEQN5054kHfdvjkkDZV_lKb-INMXfXXg/s1600/van+eyck+memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsrdMsueS1as19xIRQE2SbEBJJe1PaxFT80gJLmPasRe0BNydtguNn3SvR_eDFLQnsPMikhKKWcGkcYx860rqnOSK-LO40WFsSGXdCm5586yCEQN5054kHfdvjkkDZV_lKb-INMXfXXg/s1600/van+eyck+memorial.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan van Eyck memorial</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaAzdmhDySNLv12zPATk-X82RmMsvnG7E1D4svVl9aS9sOgZbqn25N6zjgzcus6Xfe6yAqr7NTuHxJKGpdMBxgj465iNTQglCPlyendE2zk0zSXTJRwxk4nDlUWy88AKFLwTbELmH5Rc/s1600/wonderful+window+Gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaAzdmhDySNLv12zPATk-X82RmMsvnG7E1D4svVl9aS9sOgZbqn25N6zjgzcus6Xfe6yAqr7NTuHxJKGpdMBxgj465iNTQglCPlyendE2zk0zSXTJRwxk4nDlUWy88AKFLwTbELmH5Rc/s1600/wonderful+window+Gent.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a wonderful window</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Then back to the sound check.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTgxJsHheE5gKhsOoTKjGEooOjMbiY5GBwIz9Sm3yg9kZ10ldJm7h-iPOs4mKeqQ4bsZOB_quZE_xCCxCiXjaUDzSQN82UnfugKPhYZS5ZeNdUbthlj4VGEdud4ymIeLXfwt0lMqvZ64/s1600/ton's+keys+2+Gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTgxJsHheE5gKhsOoTKjGEooOjMbiY5GBwIz9Sm3yg9kZ10ldJm7h-iPOs4mKeqQ4bsZOB_quZE_xCCxCiXjaUDzSQN82UnfugKPhYZS5ZeNdUbthlj4VGEdud4ymIeLXfwt0lMqvZ64/s1600/ton's+keys+2+Gent.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ton's keyboards</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytmKyh-VVg-PFWeGYbhyphenhyphen8WSgSCuDOWlQzP6wQ3IoYVzqYLCM8uOMIjH976CqcY1k3_ogsbmwXlAa8Zvx0LlcdA4C0d7VtQMSX3IsWzb37ZucjACYqaTlAvj2YhlFWrk5AjR0a-GyEpZw/s1600/sound+check+Gent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytmKyh-VVg-PFWeGYbhyphenhyphen8WSgSCuDOWlQzP6wQ3IoYVzqYLCM8uOMIjH976CqcY1k3_ogsbmwXlAa8Zvx0LlcdA4C0d7VtQMSX3IsWzb37ZucjACYqaTlAvj2YhlFWrk5AjR0a-GyEpZw/s1600/sound+check+Gent.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">l-r: Simon (backline), Ton, Andy, JJ (monitors)</td></tr>
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We all had a good night at the Vooruit and enjoyed meeting some nice folks afterwards, including almost the entire Ducept family (Salut!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw77KSgvXDpdA1yCJuLsV0Oq_nlS8-rLy-hIsGaGR7PyEn2NrfJOv6_nuKC6ptBFJbFZTYSodTw0FHTs45njk5z2Gl0DoTFhyqNmXRCRdDPoFqWdOhyphenhyphenHorOQ55SPeoCnkpwtA1b_Hd1js/s1600/1780022_10203600507875595_284596862_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw77KSgvXDpdA1yCJuLsV0Oq_nlS8-rLy-hIsGaGR7PyEn2NrfJOv6_nuKC6ptBFJbFZTYSodTw0FHTs45njk5z2Gl0DoTFhyqNmXRCRdDPoFqWdOhyphenhyphenHorOQ55SPeoCnkpwtA1b_Hd1js/s1600/1780022_10203600507875595_284596862_o.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks and goodnight Gent (photo: John Bollenberg)</td></tr>
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Back on the bus and rolling through the night to Deutschland, arriving in the morning of a most welcome day off and a night in a proper bed. Availed myself of the sauna and caught up on events in the Ukraine. Currently also reading Christopher Clark's fascinating book, "The Sleepwalkers - How Europe Went To War in 1914" and wondering what parallels we can draw from that.<br />
Thursday, we move on to the Filderstadt Filharmonie, Stuttgart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYgp_CB4A-7jyuyNUC_uBkleQwpiYPzDB8nwBFVYDnVtC-qVe3h0GWYL_1mFP60Mxrk5_9KF5tfmaJH71RahMIAgCIcPwGyj0AySvuCV1ytZ_ZV_yoP6pnOCkSKcPMb7sTopCHWG2O-I/s1600/hotel+stuttgart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYgp_CB4A-7jyuyNUC_uBkleQwpiYPzDB8nwBFVYDnVtC-qVe3h0GWYL_1mFP60Mxrk5_9KF5tfmaJH71RahMIAgCIcPwGyj0AySvuCV1ytZ_ZV_yoP6pnOCkSKcPMb7sTopCHWG2O-I/s1600/hotel+stuttgart.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and it's goodnight in Stuttgart....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-5831853623277654542014-03-03T23:55:00.000+00:002014-03-04T16:50:32.261+00:00Camel Tour March 2014<br />
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The tour that almost never was got off to a mercifully fine start at the fabulous, legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam yesterday. Due to a sudden unforeseen complication to our keyboard <i>meister</i> Guy LeBlanc's health <i>(details and a message from Guy can be <a href="http://www.camelproductions.com/" target="_blank">read here</a>) </i>we were almost thinking the<i> </i>unthinkable thought of cancelling the whole thing until our dear friend Ton Scherpenzeel made himself a hero and a champion <i>mensch</i>
in our eyes by agreeing to step in at the last minute and save the day,
rearranging recording dates for his band, Kayak, to have the pleasure
of hurtling around Europe in a bus with all of us. Circumstances dictated that Ton could only join us for two days rehearsal beforehand. Even more circumstances dictated that the only full day would be interrupted by a four hour power cut. Ah well, these things are sent to try us. But Ton took it all in his calm Dutch stride and we all breathed a sigh of relief when the first gig went so well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaXJu2hK0eC6BUFX9ukNbFjYZ8yGyTV_pI9izuZBCspNrVjDAbYuv2gslFhHOMaidDHwixShqF30K4_B-HFLF-HRmQYGs6PExBfLpj-B51SIMCzzI0AQztlbCuFNTS88pz7duHdIOWtc/s1600/1779788_689555407774086_377599600_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaXJu2hK0eC6BUFX9ukNbFjYZ8yGyTV_pI9izuZBCspNrVjDAbYuv2gslFhHOMaidDHwixShqF30K4_B-HFLF-HRmQYGs6PExBfLpj-B51SIMCzzI0AQztlbCuFNTS88pz7duHdIOWtc/s1600/1779788_689555407774086_377599600_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel at the Paradiso</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCyCgt4OH-6Sxlud2kTDedfkQTfdlqaOUEAzHlyeXWaubT_4bumOsGtO4blYdFeJUpDbpy5pUcbIusJtn-_td0Gt4A95QDTc1vnKdTQHk9lnbZ4pzpTyjV52Wm_r3GbWlIMq5HDS9I4g/s1600/20140303_125251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCyCgt4OH-6Sxlud2kTDedfkQTfdlqaOUEAzHlyeXWaubT_4bumOsGtO4blYdFeJUpDbpy5pUcbIusJtn-_td0Gt4A95QDTc1vnKdTQHk9lnbZ4pzpTyjV52Wm_r3GbWlIMq5HDS9I4g/s1600/20140303_125251.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">big thing in the street in Eindhoven</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tonight we are in Eindhoven in the south of Holland in the wonderful Muzikgebeouw concert hall. by coincidence today is also Karnevale day. Outside the streets are vibrating with the beats of exotic oompahdisco music and many Dutch people walking around in increasingly unsteady fashion dressed in all manner of alarming fancy dress. It remains to be seen what our audience will be wearing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eLePeRrLKvZW79ajIKqKl6VFoXzcKj5bTxmPWPRBhPyUmJNV3uXom0nIES0C3hyvWTtkmzVtUlj2z2r0iGxGdQSysJI6lOaV32otja6yn9-isXLuwqEQef5YRIXreHQNI-5gC8YeW0E/s1600/20140303_161836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eLePeRrLKvZW79ajIKqKl6VFoXzcKj5bTxmPWPRBhPyUmJNV3uXom0nIES0C3hyvWTtkmzVtUlj2z2r0iGxGdQSysJI6lOaV32otja6yn9-isXLuwqEQef5YRIXreHQNI-5gC8YeW0E/s1600/20140303_161836.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway I'm looking forward to playing once more with my two brand-new MTD basses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCoPF1ZCapuv425gYXAwHXdYBmWs3QehAjVs-gb3PrvGTwTzxCx68yOPkVBGmZvG8xezUh_iFKbKehnC53-DrC779M0rd1hjCeDBDoMXWd2XIYhUOCnTDCQen08Nwt9J482khGlLbFxg/s1600/20140303_161904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCoPF1ZCapuv425gYXAwHXdYBmWs3QehAjVs-gb3PrvGTwTzxCx68yOPkVBGmZvG8xezUh_iFKbKehnC53-DrC779M0rd1hjCeDBDoMXWd2XIYhUOCnTDCQen08Nwt9J482khGlLbFxg/s1600/20140303_161904.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
and my excellent Taurus bass amp and cabs<br />
<br />
Tomorrow Gent!<br />
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Hope to post more if I have a moment....<br />
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<br />
<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-68869705787332596482014-01-03T20:01:00.001+00:002014-01-04T10:35:45.747+00:00That Was The Year That Was<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<b>Well, it sometimes seems</b> that it's the negative of this blog's title that is in the ascendant. But what can you do? Despite, or even because of, hiring a team of gnomes on minimum wage to assist in the menial work to which they are traditionally accustomed but, in practice, generally averse, I still never seem to get around to updating this important public service - aka my blog - to the public at large.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtjmh5qRSmmjfNGY-IFAhHmyiM6N6UgC1D2GNI7B4HuBk05syrtj_LO2BXRRj-RowVqNOkdk3uRABeNYBkhVuj2cWWU8bGb8sZPK8EZeMRzvolwxH9FX3GGOilb2ymif8ae-U_8ox32Y/s1600/gnomes+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtjmh5qRSmmjfNGY-IFAhHmyiM6N6UgC1D2GNI7B4HuBk05syrtj_LO2BXRRj-RowVqNOkdk3uRABeNYBkhVuj2cWWU8bGb8sZPK8EZeMRzvolwxH9FX3GGOilb2ymif8ae-U_8ox32Y/s320/gnomes+smaller.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">minimum wage gnomes (available for hire - will work for beer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fact, it all seems to move at a snail's pace - which reminds me of the story of the snail who was mugged by a tortoise. Asked if he could identify his assailant, the snail said, "I don't know, it all happened so fast".<br />
But here I am, using a dwindling window of opportunity as hastily as I can to make a quick review of 2013.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
It was certainly a busy year, starting in an animal-hide tent
in the Sahara Desert recording the excellent band of Touareg and
Wodaabe musicians from Niger, <b>Etran Finatawa</b>. Photos of the sessions
can be seen on <a href="http://colinbass.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-sahara-sessions.html" target="_blank">this blog page here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryncswGIMjy9zXEbpmaNO9xmI0NMbLZERx5qbYVUgCIYNqMG2WVfv81D5t0yvgiqlxlkVFcz9K9AUjopYThVjwdVLoVQpKepWH3JxbNwgm0yzZmwMbuZPWi5TQi1QOh1m0b8gsS2_y6U/s1600/Recording+in+Niamey+Colin+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryncswGIMjy9zXEbpmaNO9xmI0NMbLZERx5qbYVUgCIYNqMG2WVfv81D5t0yvgiqlxlkVFcz9K9AUjopYThVjwdVLoVQpKepWH3JxbNwgm0yzZmwMbuZPWi5TQi1QOh1m0b8gsS2_y6U/s320/Recording+in+Niamey+Colin+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
I mixed the tracks back at <a href="http://colinbass.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/wild-end-studio-news.html" target="_blank">Wild End Studio</a>, a high-quality recording
and mixing facility masquerading as a small log cabin nestled in a
peaceful valley in North Wales.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikymE561tLG4vsy_TrsZcCd_1VtaDVLegBROC52Cm4sMV4rGpYd19Zcyqr5cNp0bTmewjgry5b55Y9BmY3NimZcy1wdsJgHKejbahCjgyOEfbPnPrSYdnkUgOA3qZfza7sIp-JsGAyC_c/s1600/wild+end+studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikymE561tLG4vsy_TrsZcCd_1VtaDVLegBROC52Cm4sMV4rGpYd19Zcyqr5cNp0bTmewjgry5b55Y9BmY3NimZcy1wdsJgHKejbahCjgyOEfbPnPrSYdnkUgOA3qZfza7sIp-JsGAyC_c/s320/wild+end+studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Travelling back from the sands of
the Sahara to the snows of Snowdonia was an interesting contrast.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekYZAW_FaodT8Rme7eqynWlWq3aFKEdEXLUaTgZuZZssChx_aE3LYli-LiawBdGynFY0molFpK5HXq6J5bt_YfYTzRT8ISTjClSwF7eo_G2KX8TkbhUWcKyNMXgKxFmvoHKSMU_dPplE/s1600/sands+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekYZAW_FaodT8Rme7eqynWlWq3aFKEdEXLUaTgZuZZssChx_aE3LYli-LiawBdGynFY0molFpK5HXq6J5bt_YfYTzRT8ISTjClSwF7eo_G2KX8TkbhUWcKyNMXgKxFmvoHKSMU_dPplE/s320/sands+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaZLiHagSVgLqsi_KW0-ZZyr1q-9MyVJdr64JVgmlP7CmMDRRBb8cdlp-bTVp_b-hQUnt8IfUHUzAc7G5WAYyz5CNxRPwqp5oc_hEmDg0gveoXmHEEUvlA1Kdvsrb3ihyphenhyphenWUtEBeFPI2I/s1600/Recording+in+Niamey+Colin+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7D9eA0579Gr1hISe2qpNkiV7bFmDi6yeHVhFYjx0qfvWtCvwSE-MDSIN4y16r__g2ttgLt-2bt2A7SPH05gliZsF3DxFjUa8QzRTDrJsrgYAeO5sQ0xnimb36d9X86uyyNP_Wp4G-Fc/s1600/in+the+back+yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7D9eA0579Gr1hISe2qpNkiV7bFmDi6yeHVhFYjx0qfvWtCvwSE-MDSIN4y16r__g2ttgLt-2bt2A7SPH05gliZsF3DxFjUa8QzRTDrJsrgYAeO5sQ0xnimb36d9X86uyyNP_Wp4G-Fc/s320/in+the+back+yard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snows of Snowdonia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The resulting album, <b>"The Sahara Sessions"</b> was released in June by
the <b>World Music Network </b>label. And you could, if you were so
inclined, read all about it and even <a href="http://www.worldmusic.net/store/item/TUG1071/" target="_blank">sample and download it, here!</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Much of the summer was spent at Wild End Studio recording and mixing
an album for the Welsh folk-rock-trip-hop combo, <b>9Bach</b> featuring the
soulfully ethereal voice of Lisa Jen Brown who, together with
husband, guitarist Martin Hoyland, writes dark tales rooted in the
seething subconcious of Welsh traditional ballads, set against a
subtly unfolding sonic landscape, both brazenly edgy and smoothly
opulent, starting from tinkling glockenspiel or droning harmonium
and layered over with slabs of electric guitar, harp filigrees and
the throb of drums and bass. <br />
Well, that's my opinion anyway. If that sounds interesting to you,
the album will be released in Spring this year by <b>Real World
Records</b>, officially approved by <b>Peter Gabriel</b> himself. Here's the
band's website:<a href="http://www.9bach.com/" target="_blank"> </a><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.blogger.com/null">http://www.9bach.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=613600327727616128" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=613600327727616128" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=613600327727616128" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=613600327727616128" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=613600327727616128" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>and here's the great promo pic of Lisa taking a mallet to a boulder in Snowdonia while Martin holds her shoes, as any gentleman would.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj_WF6xfnxPZ_SVBH99U0cFD3lwBwnyq_y6BR6JGY4ajYL6jMnBub0fldUWOlORUQIcIdadEuJju22aXW5PE0sj-i0kJ6gpBG_MbFBoIh-k9spn2lsps56AbPKIzdw7HQLOHMdWMBoJM/s1600/lisa+and+martin+9bach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj_WF6xfnxPZ_SVBH99U0cFD3lwBwnyq_y6BR6JGY4ajYL6jMnBub0fldUWOlORUQIcIdadEuJju22aXW5PE0sj-i0kJ6gpBG_MbFBoIh-k9spn2lsps56AbPKIzdw7HQLOHMdWMBoJM/s320/lisa+and+martin+9bach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>And then</b> it was September and off to the above-mentioned <b>Mr
Gabriel's Real World Studios</b> in Box, Wiltshire, to begin rehearsals
for the long-awaited by many, (including me), <b>Camel Tour</b>. Four weeks
rehearsal was deemed necessary to limber up and get the juices
flowing again before we could undertake our two-week tour. As it
turns out, I personally thought we were ready after the first two
weeks, but what the hey, it was fun to be hanging out and playing
every day with Andrew, Guy, Denis and Jason. I did manage to post a
few thoughts and photos here on this blog - see links at right or just scroll down, whatever takes your fancy.<br />
<br />
To celebrate the tour and the 15th Anniversary of my album <b>"An
Outcast of the Islands"</b>, I re-released it, remastered and restored
to its original running order in a nice new cardboard gatefold
sleeve with some new explanatory sleevenotes from myself. You can
buy it here: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.colinbass.com/#/shop/4568144919/An-Outcast-of-the-Islands/3312501" target="_blank">http://www.colinbass.com/#/shop/4568144919/An-Outcast-of-the-Islands/3312501</a><a href="http://www.colinbass.com/#/shop/4568144919/An-Outcast-of-the-Islands/3312501" target="_blank"> </a><br />
and I will be most thankful.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5McxcsdcCq9ownlONU5H-YHk9Ps7AjHUjD4SOThP6WWbT6Hg2s3QKlM46OAYKQC5Ay3ggYuuVcM3f6TL96mMLwINu-1kuJpjIDhcHGgONnlf1_1lbW5DsHrsC2n7gLLTQ7q66OQVsf3w/s1600/CD+Wallet+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5McxcsdcCq9ownlONU5H-YHk9Ps7AjHUjD4SOThP6WWbT6Hg2s3QKlM46OAYKQC5Ay3ggYuuVcM3f6TL96mMLwINu-1kuJpjIDhcHGgONnlf1_1lbW5DsHrsC2n7gLLTQ7q66OQVsf3w/s320/CD+Wallet+small.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
"But what of a new release?" say many people to me. Well, since the
Camel tour , I've been working with composer/keyboarder/Fender
Rhodes specialist, <b>Daniel Biro</b>, on a new set of tunes for a new
album. More information will be forthcoming, when we deem it to be
grown-up enough to leave home and go into the world. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, there's the upcoming part 2 of the <b>Camel - Snow Goose
Tour in March 2014.</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqZmCLlPQkSS70Yn8xo5k2sWAQ1w-6_vHmBfcSbL7tT3__WCJAaQCYVeMgcdK7pwaBKPP1131Y700We_AJpqWniT-5Tw6nz_Joo7atIMgMj6rNSmSWPmRtPzkGMTWPUdWLPcRLe_SJeA/s1600/harrogate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqZmCLlPQkSS70Yn8xo5k2sWAQ1w-6_vHmBfcSbL7tT3__WCJAaQCYVeMgcdK7pwaBKPP1131Y700We_AJpqWniT-5Tw6nz_Joo7atIMgMj6rNSmSWPmRtPzkGMTWPUdWLPcRLe_SJeA/s320/harrogate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b> </b> <br />
And the dates are:<br />
<br />
Sunday 2nd - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland<br />
Monday 3rd - Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven, Holland<br />
Tuesday 4th - Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium<br />
Thursday 6th - Filharmonie, Filderstadt/Stuttgart, Germany<br />
Friday 7th - Theater am Tanzbrunnen, Köln, Germany<br />
Sunday 9th - City Hall, Sheffield, UK<br />
Monday 10th - Town Hall, Birmingham, UK<br />
Tuesday 11th - Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK<br />
Thursday 13th - Paar Hall, Warrington, UK<br />
Sunday 16th - Aula Magna, Lisbon, Portugal<br />
Monday 17th - Teatro Nuevo Apolo, Madrid, Spain<br />
Tuesday 18th - Barts Theater, Barcelona, Spain<br />
Thursday 20th - Hiroshima, Turin, Italy<br />
Friday 21st - Teatro Comunale, Vincenza, Italy<br />
<br />
<br />
After which, I will say farewell until the next blog, wishing us all a <b>Safe, Healthy,
Creative and Happy New Year</b> with the hope that 2014 will bring more
<b> Peace, Love, Harmony and Understanding</b> to our troubled world. <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-42895984812442162602013-11-05T17:20:00.000+00:002014-01-03T21:48:10.841+00:00That Was the Tour That Was<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBS4_VnHr3k5UqQbIVo3i5_SQoRjv20NU2JEddvNzLFbqu0SWMM4NLXws2Ti-23iac9Zu0feHDQ5Zwh9sDS9tFLbkM4Py372ZFO0n528b2AASr9i7ir6ghbKKzTVWtCKxaeGI0IpHw8U/s1600/1450130_10202165148001147_1233395358_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBS4_VnHr3k5UqQbIVo3i5_SQoRjv20NU2JEddvNzLFbqu0SWMM4NLXws2Ti-23iac9Zu0feHDQ5Zwh9sDS9tFLbkM4Py372ZFO0n528b2AASr9i7ir6ghbKKzTVWtCKxaeGI0IpHw8U/s320/1450130_10202165148001147_1233395358_n-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel at Harrogate 19.10.13</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Goodness me, so Fulda turned out nice again. Spoke to many charming people after the show. It seems the audience was mainly comprised of people who had travelled many miles to see us. Australia, Canada, Turkey, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, France... the mind boggles. Thanks to all who<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
came. And my thanks too to our fantastic crew: our old friends Del (back-line supervisor and guitar carer) and Bunny (FOH sound master) and new friends Del 2 the brilliant lighting chappie, Chris the monitor expert, Simon on all-round back-line duties and Tommy Cooper jokes and last but not least the calmly reassuring presence of smiling Emma Edgar, our first-class tour manager. And of course big love to Capt'n Andrew Latimer, Guy, Denis and Jason. Hope to see all again in the very near future!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtSJttQ9vsnf8F-BNGM-pXbDopS_KGs1iD_kg29xOYyW_oohVwcKxKSE7G3CD96rgFG3krJ6ps4TRNiLG4Ts5hrEKxAUdbETbIdLab3NAfj-4C2MMxPSXcqdQGaFM2tbVKgxO3-hT5Ek/s1600/bunk+view+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtSJttQ9vsnf8F-BNGM-pXbDopS_KGs1iD_kg29xOYyW_oohVwcKxKSE7G3CD96rgFG3krJ6ps4TRNiLG4Ts5hrEKxAUdbETbIdLab3NAfj-4C2MMxPSXcqdQGaFM2tbVKgxO3-hT5Ek/s320/bunk+view+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">homeward bound - view from bunk</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Over the next few days I shall be posting a selection of live photos on the photo page at this blog.<br />
But for now it's back to the farm and on with the wellies. Cheerio! See you next time!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvkIDawTyIZNRx4jiDRkphds9VSa3JpKfhyeJPaKtj4lkomXjum3WX7c2_d-0UNYdvF6JZIKE-uivZ-9JxuTQcI8hH5tnBBtu7zeTscqylTtA3HtdLVgFWpGeTbV5jk9jT8I-uyiSqjI/s1600/donkey+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvkIDawTyIZNRx4jiDRkphds9VSa3JpKfhyeJPaKtj4lkomXjum3WX7c2_d-0UNYdvF6JZIKE-uivZ-9JxuTQcI8hH5tnBBtu7zeTscqylTtA3HtdLVgFWpGeTbV5jk9jT8I-uyiSqjI/s320/donkey+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-68699950260377682442013-11-01T18:08:00.004+00:002014-01-03T20:03:59.514+00:00Camel - last day<br />
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<br />
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And so to the last three dates:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecumABz7Ptub0JesRHcbfg4nSqv1C9UYiAYO-mDEWT1iBBucms8dUBhEjPphfffm0b8etHGHaaNJLZ_d8SGmBsOmB1Gsq11a4PcC0LVxUI1Ib_kCKoyUAnA6I6kTRu2WdVGC59uJGdpE/s1600/bus+mannheim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecumABz7Ptub0JesRHcbfg4nSqv1C9UYiAYO-mDEWT1iBBucms8dUBhEjPphfffm0b8etHGHaaNJLZ_d8SGmBsOmB1Gsq11a4PcC0LVxUI1Ib_kCKoyUAnA6I6kTRu2WdVGC59uJGdpE/s320/bus+mannheim.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Bochum Christuskirche was indeed a
church. And proved the most challenging in terms of sound. Plenty of
brick and glass to get all those high frequency reflections rattling
all over the place. Our master sound engineer Mike “Bunny” Warren
did his usual sterling job and the sold-out crowd enjoyed it
immensely, as did we.
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On to Mannheim for a contrasting venue
of a rock club in an old rope factory. Concrete and brick<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
and a smell
of stale beer – hmmm that sounds like a country and western song.
However the sound was a little more manageable. Another great
audience. Once again after the show we're amazed to meet people who
travelled great distances to be there. Argentina, Brazil, Portugal,
Romania, Egypt, Canada, France... we are humbled.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOAH2J1L7-36nHWMShQurQoVV1av5mf-N-Toyq8t7T-SVKsmDXJEI3bdnYLYZ8HE5IcUYukuvg06HWGVcOHg7TfMgHaSL-tLdSzDgvDSH0wBavCv1u3qfvx9UXCGTtymyD1CoL_T8pJ4/s1600/fulda+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOAH2J1L7-36nHWMShQurQoVV1av5mf-N-Toyq8t7T-SVKsmDXJEI3bdnYLYZ8HE5IcUYukuvg06HWGVcOHg7TfMgHaSL-tLdSzDgvDSH0wBavCv1u3qfvx9UXCGTtymyD1CoL_T8pJ4/s320/fulda+poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So now we're at the last date of the
tour in Fulda, a charming little town which is a showplace for some
impressive Baroque buildings, one of which we're playing in tonight –
the Orangerie.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBWj27_l3A2XMhdCaEmYu-sl6wZ85ALdeRTRw9m5yhNDmo6khzvaru7NQa7GKUBzx1Y2Xjd05mG1w13pvKBAgBcWoM9rWBu12uMiPT_PQGJ-zViQPtWv5wyIOH6uaNK1As9EieL7nwzU/s1600/orangerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBWj27_l3A2XMhdCaEmYu-sl6wZ85ALdeRTRw9m5yhNDmo6khzvaru7NQa7GKUBzx1Y2Xjd05mG1w13pvKBAgBcWoM9rWBu12uMiPT_PQGJ-zViQPtWv5wyIOH6uaNK1As9EieL7nwzU/s320/orangerie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orangerie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Went for a walk in town this lunchtime.
Was idly joining in with some harmony vocals on the “Banks
of the Ohio” with itinerant one-man band, Rambling Mike and his adorable dog, when I was spotted by Mr & Mrs Jeff Sangster, who
had arrived from Canada to see the show. A pleasant chat with them
and back to sound-check, where there was some concern as to whether
the sound system would be up to the job. Hoping all will be well.
We'll be doing our best!
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUhOWqwZPkMBN01i-DH44515en7YCslh-uNAqCbP4n0tUJPSPO6fmF3wX3ReaWdnq9ozKgODixHW6YFXsLH0Oan_YgXHTDTbdBPamWx3RAragXpg-LbcGrqhaKpkb6ly_NLQ0glTwUYU/s1600/whirling+schlossgarten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUhOWqwZPkMBN01i-DH44515en7YCslh-uNAqCbP4n0tUJPSPO6fmF3wX3ReaWdnq9ozKgODixHW6YFXsLH0Oan_YgXHTDTbdBPamWx3RAragXpg-LbcGrqhaKpkb6ly_NLQ0glTwUYU/s320/whirling+schlossgarten.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">feeling dizzy in the Schlossgarten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCWB1_wiN6NS6zDWPWRDKbdhHPeZdZFRB3bB86xrPJaR2Q_aaBr_-gQ9I5kVhZO08QJ2bbdzSbXy9rfw8j3Rm1WgUx5hUEX2uEQM6p3Fn_3mfvj-N7cWrurXSOWrBZK5YUpjfyQsFRJA/s1600/fulda+alt+rathaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCWB1_wiN6NS6zDWPWRDKbdhHPeZdZFRB3bB86xrPJaR2Q_aaBr_-gQ9I5kVhZO08QJ2bbdzSbXy9rfw8j3Rm1WgUx5hUEX2uEQM6p3Fn_3mfvj-N7cWrurXSOWrBZK5YUpjfyQsFRJA/s320/fulda+alt+rathaus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the olde rathaus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvNZzHA4mxUz5gbAldZ0aSubo_ITHka0oDUHXFfZB2Xk7wZ6oUsucm16InAPH1Fspv4l1Vx71L90PrhFn2FiZN0aBBLgrUERJt8y6D6dTceTSlZIKC0ucWMAZu5IgJRnTtcumrzNgk4o/s1600/wc+dom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvNZzHA4mxUz5gbAldZ0aSubo_ITHka0oDUHXFfZB2Xk7wZ6oUsucm16InAPH1Fspv4l1Vx71L90PrhFn2FiZN0aBBLgrUERJt8y6D6dTceTSlZIKC0ucWMAZu5IgJRnTtcumrzNgk4o/s320/wc+dom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">impressive baroque public conveniences</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-75702035140084943762013-10-30T10:47:00.001+00:002014-01-03T20:04:46.684+00:00Camel tour part 3 <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i> click on photos to enlarge...</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwCqjEOT-JpPyVqIVuXCvAjr6kLFrHZd4FEcyTwAnvfus2GgL3fW10UEtArjSaqbfMBkWNbICr2zwFXfqtm-05Mc2GENNDmA2S0QiK2VuVv7o7RLaX-96RohJgmIkfoNOHm6skhY3bIE/s1600/sp+bus+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwCqjEOT-JpPyVqIVuXCvAjr6kLFrHZd4FEcyTwAnvfus2GgL3fW10UEtArjSaqbfMBkWNbICr2zwFXfqtm-05Mc2GENNDmA2S0QiK2VuVv7o7RLaX-96RohJgmIkfoNOHm6skhY3bIE/s320/sp+bus+.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on the bus</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saturday 26th October,
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.21</style>Amsterdam: the Rabozaal is part of the
new complex built between the old Melkweg and the Shouwburg concert
hall. I remember the old Melkweg. First time I played there was circa
1974. Opposite the stage was a large raised platform covered with old
Oriental rugs where music lovers would lie and smoke joints while you
played. Things were more relaxed then. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxUfuPCGlHKaN0-ou9rj1OMh6rjd61YNLv7loeI1u3CGzMrV2wr2_n2b6Ei5QFGSvkMzTnLPK_zcN1cUKfaiqiK-qkj0OYup6ePdrtuiGGe-SDmaMrpsF0iialZCO2uFdAuychRVlyNE/s1600/1383484_4926943749909_411090849_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxUfuPCGlHKaN0-ou9rj1OMh6rjd61YNLv7loeI1u3CGzMrV2wr2_n2b6Ei5QFGSvkMzTnLPK_zcN1cUKfaiqiK-qkj0OYup6ePdrtuiGGe-SDmaMrpsF0iialZCO2uFdAuychRVlyNE/s320/1383484_4926943749909_411090849_n-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Wim Brouwers</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saturday night, the Rabozaal
was packed solid with the first standing audience of the
tour. It does<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
make for a different atmosphere from a seated concert
hall – or indeed the old reclining pot-heads of yore. Anyway, once
again we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I had a bit of a cold and was
worried about my voice but managed to get through it – a little
croaky but no major disasters. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhxxvyXwneTfQ4d5QfHwhe8XkaGfLOAVZ8Y5pHN0yPTcBbVq7XuSp5HyxYUUeTkykXtVLiZsb8eYPrmHVex1oh9V24F3x02wz2dZlB3yDWCTVpJheMbpm67UOGeRsjDFH19UBC2GqCHI/s1600/1379793_784800291536719_213457017_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhxxvyXwneTfQ4d5QfHwhe8XkaGfLOAVZ8Y5pHN0yPTcBbVq7XuSp5HyxYUUeTkykXtVLiZsb8eYPrmHVex1oh9V24F3x02wz2dZlB3yDWCTVpJheMbpm67UOGeRsjDFH19UBC2GqCHI/s320/1379793_784800291536719_213457017_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Jarno Wildner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then back on the bus for an overnight
journey to London, via the Calais-Dover ferry. Getting out of the
tiny street outside the Melkweg took some expert manoeuvering by our
driver, Craig - aided by a team of our crew and some Melkweg guys
clearing a path through Saturday night revellers and hundreds of
bicycles chained to railings and hindered by some unhelpfully
belligerent idiots, including a charming couple who threw a bottle of
water at Craig while informing him they wanted to punch him in the
head and inferring he had improper relations with his mother. Not
like the old hippie days, for sure. I blame the internet. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicopDjyztjJGdKIgF7UaX2d0p2ArZkfvUV4YiChyphenhyphenLT5vXh05v46oHfJhabRzmJIKcTrVWXWm09JwukqJSEo7j1_94HGdUithy_-dvZITxziPkSCtY5voq9vbY1jzpIYjg3ofKTfrChqJA/s1600/554658_586639264742501_809160593_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicopDjyztjJGdKIgF7UaX2d0p2ArZkfvUV4YiChyphenhyphenLT5vXh05v46oHfJhabRzmJIKcTrVWXWm09JwukqJSEo7j1_94HGdUithy_-dvZITxziPkSCtY5voq9vbY1jzpIYjg3ofKTfrChqJA/s320/554658_586639264742501_809160593_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soundcheck at Barbican - photo: Lenya Bass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Some way down the motorway one of the
inside tyres blew and so we had to pull over and wait a couple of
hours for the emergency services. All these delays were worrying as
we were keen to get on a ferry across the Channel before the
advertised Severe Storm arrived. After all there was a hotel and a
day off in London waiting for us. Not only that, if the storm was bad
enough to stop the ferries (it was), we were in danger of missing the
Barbican show altogether. As it was, all was ok. We came, we did it
and it was a jolly good show, I think. Was lovely to catch up with my daughter Lenya who flew over from Berlin. She took this photo of the soundcheck above. And here we are backstage: </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIytf0kNpVLq1VIesLFu888dXXffLHOqJhx2qFmG0LSvAPCT1A7FdKDfKYPwPiaElU5pXsii-8BSlLwXomZ5lWeBaqPTgxoCQPofCYDShiKL8GNzxORZ2xqsQ5CQbL-xzN9dL5bQbVA3g/s1600/melenyaphoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIytf0kNpVLq1VIesLFu888dXXffLHOqJhx2qFmG0LSvAPCT1A7FdKDfKYPwPiaElU5pXsii-8BSlLwXomZ5lWeBaqPTgxoCQPofCYDShiKL8GNzxORZ2xqsQ5CQbL-xzN9dL5bQbVA3g/s320/melenyaphoto.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: Katerina Pavlakis</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Unfortunately a strict stage
curfew policy at the Barbican meant we had to cut a couple of songs
from the set and vacate the premises earlier than we would have liked
or incur a large bill for overtime. So no time to do any meeting and
greeting, unfortunately.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwRhKc4f16hwlqR3Mi073Y9orn_eZ9H11WE3r4MptR3LYi3LarCYXait4mMTZyQsV0_8vhIrkeJz0_5OhrzajJUkG7pjuNi1nkrXQoVjt2sdHSiHV57mzyJdLiYnaaeKOE3Yii2az0E0/s1600/on+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwRhKc4f16hwlqR3Mi073Y9orn_eZ9H11WE3r4MptR3LYi3LarCYXait4mMTZyQsV0_8vhIrkeJz0_5OhrzajJUkG7pjuNi1nkrXQoVjt2sdHSiHV57mzyJdLiYnaaeKOE3Yii2az0E0/s320/on+road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And we were off again, overnight on the
bus to Bochum, Germany via a 3 am full English breakfast on a
practically empty ferry. Pleasant night off in a hotel last night.
Tonight we play in church.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaReFJpTWWOv4_UIPBEqXxbZx6rnrKv1YjIcf4UcPQT6lVn9eVnZmNJaxMfIGBuseKyH5rO7coFbAAoD-C_Di7_pRDMcak1UABxdT17p2msbHcrUOblBKaxZ3xrUTva_LdIudCtu4cCh4/s1600/camel+drinkies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaReFJpTWWOv4_UIPBEqXxbZx6rnrKv1YjIcf4UcPQT6lVn9eVnZmNJaxMfIGBuseKyH5rO7coFbAAoD-C_Di7_pRDMcak1UABxdT17p2msbHcrUOblBKaxZ3xrUTva_LdIudCtu4cCh4/s320/camel+drinkies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">drinkies</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOO2aEwqsbOeFkl1ll70a0f6mxv4uVrsejKlFhIylVyzfrz-dGXVs3EbSbXSQDsg3Pv1EOgcvuK7IdW0Ix50vK9trQxTNPqCHzx_PePQWg1q9ACaUIcgpdE3U1e0Oka_-j43tOD9847E/s1600/view+from+dressing+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOO2aEwqsbOeFkl1ll70a0f6mxv4uVrsejKlFhIylVyzfrz-dGXVs3EbSbXSQDsg3Pv1EOgcvuK7IdW0Ix50vK9trQxTNPqCHzx_PePQWg1q9ACaUIcgpdE3U1e0Oka_-j43tOD9847E/s320/view+from+dressing+room.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from dressing room window Amsterdam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXBuixSyyf3OnGRsEg_xLGruWheoGl_p6mA6GFomr9msTizY4ZsKvCLCRrqJH383_TBTrXqN-REVFJBrtgkINEL_h-0e_8Z80Od6VHyg7ZAOOxc_xZOCCDjQo0Otzy_oDTeQ6HWjmxcg/s1600/selfie+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXBuixSyyf3OnGRsEg_xLGruWheoGl_p6mA6GFomr9msTizY4ZsKvCLCRrqJH383_TBTrXqN-REVFJBrtgkINEL_h-0e_8Z80Od6VHyg7ZAOOxc_xZOCCDjQo0Otzy_oDTeQ6HWjmxcg/s320/selfie+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">selfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-12505670589006747872013-10-25T18:28:00.000+01:002014-01-03T20:05:29.415+00:00Camel Tour Day 7 (I think)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusGAs8vFddTOT2hDKSQBTmzNF5YkPYFNZe5cnWfwRONaWB6hcL-lOZfMv-J7BKSomIsBeWD1CVvnDpXfcc-XE6Sy43IGGmM_FPq9wWuphsigsm9iaDwXX8c0AcCXxW3qV2F15PJUf2UA/s1600/groningen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusGAs8vFddTOT2hDKSQBTmzNF5YkPYFNZe5cnWfwRONaWB6hcL-lOZfMv-J7BKSomIsBeWD1CVvnDpXfcc-XE6Sy43IGGmM_FPq9wWuphsigsm9iaDwXX8c0AcCXxW3qV2F15PJUf2UA/s320/groningen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in Groningen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Good show at Salisbury. We're getting better and more fluent as we go. Overnight on the bus to the small town of Verviers in Belgium. Roused out of bunk at 6.30 to get on the ferry. Still, we had a nice<br />
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night off in the Hotel Le Posh and I can recommend the Vieux Bourg restaurant in the town centre, which is just near this intriguing cultural juxtaposition:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMkapcGRnVF7SqFJAppNfSb93aPToGt1Y7toQmixQkRAGco48mDW12GZ3wLkdRM-R-sQHs8d3tQ9rFliCKZ2lOx8QVcE8UU6Gu0cl8cCWJZYowaohfrtEvHuGHgTQqBwjbDTYR5R_BXU/s1600/cafe+jeezus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMkapcGRnVF7SqFJAppNfSb93aPToGt1Y7toQmixQkRAGco48mDW12GZ3wLkdRM-R-sQHs8d3tQ9rFliCKZ2lOx8QVcE8UU6Gu0cl8cCWJZYowaohfrtEvHuGHgTQqBwjbDTYR5R_BXU/s320/cafe+jeezus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Next day on to the interesting smaller town of Limbourg. We played at the Kursaal, an old ballroom/cinema/music hall that reminded me of something seen in an old black-and-white film starring Fernandel. At night in Limbourg you can often hear the howling of wolves. Apparently a local chap keeps about 30 of them. What do the neighbours think?<br />
Off on the bus to Groningen in the north of Holland. Playing tonight at the Oosterport - a lovely venue with a generous helping of dressing rooms and friendly staff. Very nice hall - we have played here on a number of occasions. Tonight it's all seated - and all seats are occupied. Time for a vocal warm-up. Here's a footnote:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nwFaU4u_rUNtTVKUZv7XmFnih_IkbmmSVmDMX11I3aUSnxaHHUwQhj7h54cRGJcKSyzi2QpQm_W3r0dwmjFtxYe3zfAete3hyphenhyphen5SxlajnQvMt8E8vq-J12dVaniQRNa7mvzM3PgxEeDg/s1600/stage+foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nwFaU4u_rUNtTVKUZv7XmFnih_IkbmmSVmDMX11I3aUSnxaHHUwQhj7h54cRGJcKSyzi2QpQm_W3r0dwmjFtxYe3zfAete3hyphenhyphen5SxlajnQvMt8E8vq-J12dVaniQRNa7mvzM3PgxEeDg/s320/stage+foot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-23053355611446104952013-10-21T14:06:00.002+01:002014-01-03T20:06:22.234+00:00Camel Tour Day 3<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiuZe18ybkkyGmdz8wlJM-2YyMNOLwZU3lyVkoRPpXmT-WcInp_aZcal4YC7ykw5VXuQZ4H9816CbtVV2YLy-dDcxPGp01Y5T4AFI0gEmPJX1tTBTBmfokpPQAjh_sw-wxayzzU-C3I4/s1600/1379363_10151952468660731_1190478112_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiuZe18ybkkyGmdz8wlJM-2YyMNOLwZU3lyVkoRPpXmT-WcInp_aZcal4YC7ykw5VXuQZ4H9816CbtVV2YLy-dDcxPGp01Y5T4AFI0gEmPJX1tTBTBmfokpPQAjh_sw-wxayzzU-C3I4/s320/1379363_10151952468660731_1190478112_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show #2 - Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall - photo: Shane Carlson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Awaking in the rock'n'roll bus to a rainy morning in Manchester. Really enjoyed the show in<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
Wolverhampton last night. Was very nice to get a backstage visit from our old (although he used to be young) drumming colleague Dave Stewart. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77jNQzJ6XPS3KCoV9Gak9mUFXZFFfnwzGDxsiKIRQyfl-eAx8au8HU_MNWjeqiB6_UFlgZuLvUe9MRCTTilCesk7dvpvvRrtFEyxKRIdW0IymyTQv-uKWF3FlNPSbA9GUp4DT3OzyJIc/s1600/1377381_534236929995418_1567683359_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77jNQzJ6XPS3KCoV9Gak9mUFXZFFfnwzGDxsiKIRQyfl-eAx8au8HU_MNWjeqiB6_UFlgZuLvUe9MRCTTilCesk7dvpvvRrtFEyxKRIdW0IymyTQv-uKWF3FlNPSbA9GUp4DT3OzyJIc/s320/1377381_534236929995418_1567683359_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And thanks to the patient and friendly folks outside. Was nice to meet'n'greet the intrepid travellers<br />
from Israel - including Yonatan Doron from the Camel tribute band par excellence, The Humps. And all others who travelled from far-flung places such as Sweden, Edinburgh and South Wales. <br />
<br />
Looking forward to tonight's show in Manchester in this very nice theatre at the Royal Northern College of Music. Photo from soundcheck:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1wFwZL6TJZZbA47Q2YOH-VmSH4V2x_z7ovgV5lzMk8_6cu_dDoVW0iDsHpZAKS9dOoxWDoAFuI49I-6ztRfHpDVCh-4KoPPzUvNGlbmMGEH78SidR2LeT2VxcgMZJ36qqvhIDNPYwvk/s1600/stage+sc+manc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1wFwZL6TJZZbA47Q2YOH-VmSH4V2x_z7ovgV5lzMk8_6cu_dDoVW0iDsHpZAKS9dOoxWDoAFuI49I-6ztRfHpDVCh-4KoPPzUvNGlbmMGEH78SidR2LeT2VxcgMZJ36qqvhIDNPYwvk/s320/stage+sc+manc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-25887902428105153962013-10-20T12:42:00.000+01:002014-01-03T20:06:49.154+00:00Camel Tour 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>click on photos to enlarge</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel in Harrogate Royal Hall - photo by Brendan Eyre</td></tr>
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Very nice start to the tour last night in the charmingly salubrious surroundings of the Royal Hall in </div>
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Harrogate. Here's the view from the stage at sound-check:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Hall, Harrogate</td></tr>
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I wanted to take a similar shot with the wonderful audience in it at the end of the concert but there wasn't enough light out there. Ah well, we managed to overcome our first-night trepidations and all went pretty well - a few fluffs here and there but after all, it's live music.<br />
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<a href="http://colinbass.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">More live photos here!</a><br />
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It was certainly wonderful to play in front of people after weeks of rehearsals in the cosy confines of a converted Nissen hut at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, nestled amongst the verdant hills of Wiltshire.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel Tour Rehearsals</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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It's great to see Andy Latimer back in the saddle again and it's a pleasure to play in such a great team.</div>
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From left to right: New York-based keyboard meister Jason Hart. He also plays with Renaissance and has worked with Rufus Wainwright, Suzanne Vega and many others. Next to him is the indestructible force that is Denis Clement, our multi-talented Quebecois drummer/bassist/keyboardist from the wild Canadian backwoods, now resident in Sweden. Then, there's the calm presence of our other Canadian maestro, nimble-fingered organ/piano/keys specialist Guy LeBlanc. Then that's me looking as if I just got off a horse and last but never leastest, the Camel driver, Andrew Latimer, looking exceedingly chipper and back in formidable form.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off the new Taurus bass rig</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Just before rehearsals started I was pleased to take possession of a wonderful bass rig, made by Polish company Taurus Amplification. Short in stature but with a Napoleon complex. It's an amazingly compact and light (1,5 kg) 450 watt amp driving two cabinets - one 2x10 and one 1x12 - both which weigh only 20kg each. For all that portability the rig packs an impressive punch delivering sonorous deep tones and clear highs. And I don't think I've turned it up over about one and a half yet. And we're not exactly a quiet band, we do like to shift some air when we play. <a href="http://www.taurus-amp.pl/" target="_blank">Check the Taurus website</a>. Highly recommended.<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-26502658735619585112013-10-03T00:13:00.000+01:002013-10-20T17:48:34.661+01:00 New 15th Anniversary Reissue of "An Outcast of the Islands"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New 15th Anniversary Reissue of "An Outcast of the Islands"</h2>
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To celebrate the upcoming Camel tour I've organised a limited edition CD reissue of my "Outcast of the Islands" album. It comes in a nice cardboard gatefold wallet with an 8-page booklet. It restores the running order of the original album and I've written some sleeve notes. It's only available from <a href="http://www.colinbass.com/#/shop/4568144919/An-Outcast-of-the-Islands/3312501" target="_blank">www.colinbass.com</a> at the amazingly friendly price of <span class="st">£6 (plus postage). Buy now and enjoy at your leisure!</span></div>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-84268675620286561732013-06-13T23:05:00.001+01:002013-10-03T01:00:36.073+01:00Wild End Studio news<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wild End Studio is located in a peaceful valley on the Snowdonia borders in North Wales. It's an inspiring space for songwriting, overdubbing and mixing and is equipped with high-quality digital recording and mixing facilities. Since its inception at the beginning of this year I have mixed the new album from Etran Finatawa, "The Sahara Sessions", which has been receiving some excellent reviews following its release in May on the World Music Network label, and I'm currently mixing the new album by the Welsh folk-rockers, 9Bach. See the <a href="http://www.colinbass.com/#/music/4567969866" target="_blank">music</a> page at <a href="http://www.colinbass.com/">www.colinbass.com</a> for information on previous productions.<br />
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I'm open for all enquiries for production and mixing projects or bass guitar overdubs on your songs, please contact mail(at)colinbass.com<br />
Material can be delivered and returned online through Dropbox or any other file delivery service of your choice. Prices negotiable. Equipment list available. Enquiries welcome. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studio</td></tr>
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-71580343239895939872013-05-04T12:55:00.003+01:002013-05-04T13:03:42.683+01:00Spring comes to the valleys 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chattering birds, murmuring sheep, muttering chickens, the rippling stream, the sun-dappled hills, the clear, clean air... worth the wait.<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-40647878251445806442013-04-02T13:40:00.001+01:002013-04-02T13:40:58.904+01:00Spring Comes to the ValleysThe clocks go forward to British Summer Time. The weather goes back to Arctic Winter Time.<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-58985624135181885152013-03-29T12:31:00.001+00:002013-03-29T12:44:37.917+00:00Ancient 3 Mustaphas 3 Photos Unearthed<br />
I have been sent a hitherto unknown to me batch of photos showing views of a performance by the 3 Mustaphas 3 group, taken in Koblenz; Germany. I don't know exactly which tour or when - I would guess 1987 mainly because of the place of honour on the stage of the famed Purple Fridge of Mustapha and Sammy, the hallowed stuffed sheep of Uncle, who was so dear to him that after his demise (Sammy's that is) we had him turned into a robust multi-purpose object and transported him around the great cities of Europe until one day Expensive Mustapha took him out for a walk and, in a momentary bout of befuddlement, lost him. Maybe it was at the bus shelter, we don't know. But still he lives on in mummification in our hearts. And so do the great tales of Old Mehmed. Mustapha always remembers, for we will never forget the day we lost our memory.<br />
Thank you to Mr Klaus Brettschneider of Saarbrücken for sending these captured moments of great happiness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-r: Expen$ive, Hijaz, Sabah Habas, Houzam</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Band rocks (note fez-wearing audience person)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v7sbGDjW3yBCEkiwFM_PfdrlsY74j3Rh4deg00FrjDR7giLjJqcz_-TEyhsmddZiZfIhhr2V1_4ZZyPbKQvjnQZKObb_cOKLdkPNNbPTvO8T38Jdfw4jCFROHSJm6HaGgNteMyMvl0Y/s1600/fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v7sbGDjW3yBCEkiwFM_PfdrlsY74j3Rh4deg00FrjDR7giLjJqcz_-TEyhsmddZiZfIhhr2V1_4ZZyPbKQvjnQZKObb_cOKLdkPNNbPTvO8T38Jdfw4jCFROHSJm6HaGgNteMyMvl0Y/s400/fridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking it to the Fridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yj1AcNPUP42WtlZrPJV4hJtupuhItkKdSuERbr4Llm03xaSBG9muz_JEf7HSkZxsF-vFV4J9RJ_jrbIBfQd5-oafpBcRJtMlqP93cNtk4wzzaEml6Gz6rsSIz1JVR8colDDseVTVpeA/s1600/expensive+hijaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yj1AcNPUP42WtlZrPJV4hJtupuhItkKdSuERbr4Llm03xaSBG9muz_JEf7HSkZxsF-vFV4J9RJ_jrbIBfQd5-oafpBcRJtMlqP93cNtk4wzzaEml6Gz6rsSIz1JVR8colDDseVTVpeA/s400/expensive+hijaz.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expensive blows, Hijaz twangs, Houzam swings</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJislP49pa1ZcZJmdjh84jbJfuDBUngZALfaEgM9C5nwMr9uxyT71RErB9oKvbLCOjm8MUo447AYkrbr8B_so2W9eh85B6hZ8Yz8Ht3DJXoe0CYGPa5NkYvfdOFD1ej1xr37osF032lKM/s1600/hijaz+n+sabah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJislP49pa1ZcZJmdjh84jbJfuDBUngZALfaEgM9C5nwMr9uxyT71RErB9oKvbLCOjm8MUo447AYkrbr8B_so2W9eh85B6hZ8Yz8Ht3DJXoe0CYGPa5NkYvfdOFD1ej1xr37osF032lKM/s400/hijaz+n+sabah.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hijaz explains more things</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qnZw1CF8uNoRaMSj-98UiZpTKfTAe4j8WWzxNaR_bYbuG6K1_e4I4PzF61xRoRT43y6O8p9KKpyp8qr8QehsGtdr4IJ_8yMR9W1VcwwfJrpdOpopHJwWGyBRfcjAG0pRMIkgu-O7AvA/s1600/hijaz+niaveti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qnZw1CF8uNoRaMSj-98UiZpTKfTAe4j8WWzxNaR_bYbuG6K1_e4I4PzF61xRoRT43y6O8p9KKpyp8qr8QehsGtdr4IJ_8yMR9W1VcwwfJrpdOpopHJwWGyBRfcjAG0pRMIkgu-O7AvA/s400/hijaz+niaveti.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niaveti prepares his Zurna. Hijaz warns the audience.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwfDxU59kcCCG50FKi4uSVLoErOJr_bzycYnlnttKn0iz-OJkaUIjLG4YsxpPoXIssTjfZ1apYAX0yxtjDk64TZJyyLG0icUyJ_vgMqM8dWQy-XS3wZgNzqGjM3YD_PC3u5pOBiPCHx0/s1600/hijaz+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwfDxU59kcCCG50FKi4uSVLoErOJr_bzycYnlnttKn0iz-OJkaUIjLG4YsxpPoXIssTjfZ1apYAX0yxtjDk64TZJyyLG0icUyJ_vgMqM8dWQy-XS3wZgNzqGjM3YD_PC3u5pOBiPCHx0/s320/hijaz+rocks.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hijaz rocks </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ67Pn0YYfk5UZHn2fFNFQfmA62m1rjGCSrVBvJ0-f9d1wZXMRRY-VJ_Xo8LPWnEq43ktRe-lMIo791B3eev60X9CiKZQJcze17HDjmSyTF9xYN0YlgvfafPSrLqAw88ec7oy7nI7LwIE/s1600/houzam+reposes+on+sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ67Pn0YYfk5UZHn2fFNFQfmA62m1rjGCSrVBvJ0-f9d1wZXMRRY-VJ_Xo8LPWnEq43ktRe-lMIo791B3eev60X9CiKZQJcze17HDjmSyTF9xYN0YlgvfafPSrLqAw88ec7oy7nI7LwIE/s400/houzam+reposes+on+sheep.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houzam lounges on Sammy to sing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTCasRT3ZfJDSSa5d3XQdv0BgSwieB8mCRenyWVOVofhuEMl45m7npF6O35PnRB1MbrzXAYXZMAadGyTHj7YO_NFvAWgzSus-InNGLBk38rpdqyEu_MmnXpdH1byWXtgiN0hMnA8qFO8/s1600/niaveti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTCasRT3ZfJDSSa5d3XQdv0BgSwieB8mCRenyWVOVofhuEMl45m7npF6O35PnRB1MbrzXAYXZMAadGyTHj7YO_NFvAWgzSus-InNGLBk38rpdqyEu_MmnXpdH1byWXtgiN0hMnA8qFO8/s320/niaveti.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The late, great Niaveti Mustapha. We miss him.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Ulzy8asUeJohvycHuEmEtQnicXNl2uZR0RiZOkrjfwzlEE3_d_-LOlns5mRjeth6ptfGgb85tUpfzHt1SW0iSVNDGCAfm0jdHpdAsfIAEwoYIW5MSsdPyoZ-FyoIyML-D7JIjG_XN8/s1600/hijaz+swings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Ulzy8asUeJohvycHuEmEtQnicXNl2uZR0RiZOkrjfwzlEE3_d_-LOlns5mRjeth6ptfGgb85tUpfzHt1SW0iSVNDGCAfm0jdHpdAsfIAEwoYIW5MSsdPyoZ-FyoIyML-D7JIjG_XN8/s320/hijaz+swings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabah, Isfahani and Kemo play while Hijaz fiddles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhist-iuVOHYX-qAYkmp4OAHRurkdCthZnvD_r3Ksgn2zAE0on0TVxSEWEuZ0QciIpywyyzH16OYfiQuIef9yPb5-I2LfL7vn19kFDni_4iEIgiZztvkMaxkZJR29PM5-iOUoamkHtdb_s/s1600/sabah+rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhist-iuVOHYX-qAYkmp4OAHRurkdCthZnvD_r3Ksgn2zAE0on0TVxSEWEuZ0QciIpywyyzH16OYfiQuIef9yPb5-I2LfL7vn19kFDni_4iEIgiZztvkMaxkZJR29PM5-iOUoamkHtdb_s/s320/sabah+rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabah steps out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ1XgyzIcLQsjaYYtVRnsVv07WDMDEczIOQnyD3KpLigXvnQeHE6F1-jJKqzryBQQ-6JVbHMpqjncQfTqaDamcWoQwpMnbrjvU25Kjc22BHrGu1x_Gan2Sw6IfcGW15LjSboO1NtqCcc/s1600/niaveti+in+heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ1XgyzIcLQsjaYYtVRnsVv07WDMDEczIOQnyD3KpLigXvnQeHE6F1-jJKqzryBQQ-6JVbHMpqjncQfTqaDamcWoQwpMnbrjvU25Kjc22BHrGu1x_Gan2Sw6IfcGW15LjSboO1NtqCcc/s320/niaveti+in+heaven.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niaveti in heaven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2p7KrnIlC0aopj_QTY36DlCPjE2MeYgP9ELQ8hSBvYR3rGZliko7TbP6-_OlfwkNbUorP0BO-tvktDnEZyFvFLkloDFFS0-cBvh9BczMcILnHnvanKiWniPiQdRZzL4yxo3AtWSb9LE/s1600/sabah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2p7KrnIlC0aopj_QTY36DlCPjE2MeYgP9ELQ8hSBvYR3rGZliko7TbP6-_OlfwkNbUorP0BO-tvktDnEZyFvFLkloDFFS0-cBvh9BczMcILnHnvanKiWniPiQdRZzL4yxo3AtWSb9LE/s320/sabah.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabah Habas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmEy39g4MOqaPiPcdzbA4AVQFTVNf-qYcPJ63Zv41IYIJwn9iwRCEzu-yvPBO-HYkzU0tOuZFy4sDIiSzzh-W37swbB0f6Rq9IA3Tjc9DgSP_IcW3Z9IHDjA9eP6wm18CYXNsqfRQtY4/s1600/sabah+sings+and+rare+kemo+sighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmEy39g4MOqaPiPcdzbA4AVQFTVNf-qYcPJ63Zv41IYIJwn9iwRCEzu-yvPBO-HYkzU0tOuZFy4sDIiSzzh-W37swbB0f6Rq9IA3Tjc9DgSP_IcW3Z9IHDjA9eP6wm18CYXNsqfRQtY4/s320/sabah+sings+and+rare+kemo+sighting.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabah sings, Isfahani percusses, Kemo squeezes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-613600327727616128.post-13534007860622962462013-03-01T18:01:00.000+00:002013-03-28T14:26:59.781+00:00Camel Live 2013<h2>
Camel to play Barbican, London - October 28th 2013</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYV-4ZNqqRhSj3YXlxap6PeecqFSaetC87znLjp68bJJ8VSylV5umCpoIGSIW1zfDXZqx84nQcAcSrUDUaw3m2uoX_LOODM6cBwZYnqEpt5MjClRl5SUh7yWxsn511RSjCPmFt9gqkfFY/s1600/camel+bows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYV-4ZNqqRhSj3YXlxap6PeecqFSaetC87znLjp68bJJ8VSylV5umCpoIGSIW1zfDXZqx84nQcAcSrUDUaw3m2uoX_LOODM6cBwZYnqEpt5MjClRl5SUh7yWxsn511RSjCPmFt9gqkfFY/s400/camel+bows.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, I'm looking forward to getting together with Andrew Latimer and old compadres Denis Clement, Guy LeBlanc and Jan Schelhaas for this gig. We'll be performing all of The Snow Goose album (in it's entirety, as we used to say in the old days) and there will still be room for some other things - we'll be sifting through all the possibilities in the coming months. <br />
<a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=14826" target="_blank">Tickets may be available here apparently.</a><br />
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And news just in...<br />
October 25th - Osterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands<br />
October 26th - Rabozaal, Amsterdam, The Netherlands<br />
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<br />Colin Basshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15712336561567655170noreply@blogger.com11