Cologne, Underground
We’re the old Cooper again this time, but it’s the first time we go on tour with just the three of us. No sound engineer, no driver, just Bertus, Eddy and myself. The reason is because I was way to late with asking someone while I knew that Willem and Danny both couldn’t do it. Now where scared to be laughed at by the other bands for not having a sound engineer. Tonight we’re playing with The Real McKenzies and Far From Finished.
When we arrive at the Underground the other bands are already there. It turns out that Little Joe from RKL is playing bass for the McKenzies and Sean Sellers from Good Riddance on drums. Whoa! The Real McKenzies turn out to be great guys with a little twist. Dirty Kurt on vegetarism for example; ‘If we’re not supposed to eat animals, why are they made out of meat?’ The band touring with them, Far From Finished, are very young guys on tour in Europe for the first time. They get the full treatment from Paul McKenzie, including smashed plates, body checks and loads and loads of booze. We’re all concerned for their well being at the end of this tour. They will be on tour for two months. In the meantime we’re having a great time. Oh, yeah our show was pretty good and all the McKenzies seem to like it, because they ask Mutti (European agent) to book more shows with us. Thanks! And none of the bands had a sound engineer. We stay up pretty late, but we have to be on the road again at around 6 PM, so that wasn’t such good idea.
Zurich, Dynamo
We manage to get out of bed around 6 and at 6.30 we’re back on track again. We don’t say much. About two hours before the Swiss border I figure that it’s about time to get our passports out......passport.....oh my fucking God. I forgot my passport!! And Switzerland happens to be about the only country where you actually really need it. Fuck! Now what? I call Didi to be ready at the fax machine to fax a copy if they need it. I’m really nervous when we get to the border. Of course we get picked out from the line. The guy asks for our passports and then I tell him I forgot mine and that I’m really sorry and everything. I feel like Danny in England. No, hang on, I wish Danny felt like this in the UK. But the guy at the border doesn’t seem to be bothered. He asks for my drivers license and checks that inside the office. After a couple of minutes he comes back and tells me to get temporary passport at the office across the street. This costs me 50 Euro, but for that I’m in Switzerland and the shows are saved. And I’ll be a German for the weekend. Stop laughing.
We get to Zurich in time and the venue turns out to be next to the river. It’s beautiful out here. We’re playing with NGURU and Hog Hoggidy Hog from South Africa. We meet the South Africans first and they are really cool. We also meet Bruno from Leech*Redda again. Martin is ill, unfortunately. Because we open tonight, we get the sound check. After that diner and sitting besides the river and watch the kids get in. Damn, are they young! I decide to wear my ‘Olds Cool’ t-shirt tonight. Bertus’ sister and family is coming as well and we decide on the spot to spent the night there again. The show turns out great and the kids decide to like us from the third click of the sticks. They start to jump around and don’t stop until we play the last note. Fantastic! The other bands get the same response and of course NGURU are received as the Swiss heroes they are.
We spend the rest of the night talking and drinking with Hynke and René and their friends while Tjerk and Marije are making some money collecting empty beer bottles
And then we leave for Ernetschwill. When we approach the first traffic lights, HHH has already lost their trailer, while taking a u-turn. We laugh at them and wave a bit as we move on.
Solothurn, Kohfmehl
We wake up in ‘Sound Of Music’ land again. Solothurn is so near that we can take it really easy. And so we do. We hang around. Eddy’s playing guitar for Marije, I read my book and Bertus and Hynke are talking family business. René makes us a great lunch and then we leave for Solothurn. When we get there we’re greeted by the HHH guys with a ‘Ah, fashionably late, you are, aren’t you?’ We are, but there wasn’t much to do anyway, because we’re third on the bill and HHH gets the sound check. We spend the rest of the day with the HHH guys, mainly in the recreation room/dressing room. The local promoter takes Eddy in his hot rod to show him the youth hostel we’re going stay at. The HHH show is great. When they leave the stage the kids are still singing the last chorus. This is going to be hard for us. But it isn’t. Again from the first beat the whole venue is jumping around, liking every chord and every melody. I’m starting to fall in love with this country. The rest of the night is spent as party. When we leave for the hotel it’s raining cats and dogs and we’re depending on Eddy to know where to go. He, however had a couple of drinks and after three turns he doesn’t know where we are anymore. We don’t either, but we haven’t been told where the hotel is. We go back and find a couple of people hiding for the rain. One is willing to drive with us to show us the hotel. It takes him the same three turns and then we’re there. Turns out we’re in the exact same spot we were when Eddy lost it. Ergo, we were there already, only he didn’t remember.
Great closing of the night. We share the room with a French guy who’s there for some kind of sport and of course we wake him up at 3. Sorry, fellow, we didn’t mean to.
Journey home
It’s my mom’s birthday today, don’t forget to call her. It starts to rain as soon as we enter Germany. I can throw away my German passport and we’re home within no time, well, a couple of hours still. By the time we’re in The Hague I’m so tired I’m off to bed instantly. Thank you, good night.