THE AMAZING 2009 RETROSPECTIVE
Hello. This is "The Amazing 2009 Retrospective". I hope you'll enjoy it.
Part 01 - How it all began.
It all began on new-years eve. Me, Tamara Woestenburg en Wax Mannequin walked the streets of Rotterdam to EXIT where me and Wax were playing (what later turned out to be) our first show of 2009. Wax was really surprised about the amount of fireworks in the Dutch streets. I played my show in EXIT and then went to sleep. I had to work the next day.
Wax didn't have to work, cause he's a Canadian.
The 2nd of january me, Wax and Ron drove off to Saarbruecken (a boring town in Germany) where we played the final show of our little tour. We pulled over to walk the dog and I really freaked out because I hated my own music.
Two tracks of the Saarbruecken show later showed up on the Botlek-series ep: Funeral Song (which I hate).
Hello. This is "The Amazing 2009 Retrospective". I hope you'll enjoy it.
Part 01 - How it all began.
It all began on new-years eve. Me, Tamara Woestenburg en Wax Mannequin walked the streets of Rotterdam to EXIT where me and Wax were playing (what later turned out to be) our first show of 2009. Wax was really surprised about the amount of fireworks in the Dutch streets. I played my show in EXIT and then went to sleep. I had to work the next day.
Wax didn't have to work, cause he's a Canadian.
The 2nd of january me, Wax and Ron drove off to Saarbruecken (a boring town in Germany) where we played the final show of our little tour. We pulled over to walk the dog and I really freaked out because I hated my own music.
Two tracks of the Saarbruecken show later showed up on the Botlek-series ep: Funeral Song (which I hate).
Part 02 - When Kevin decided to leave the band
Kevin decided to leave the band to start a solo carreer. He rejoined us after 2 weeks because his mother had told him there are enough Dire Straits cover bands in the world already.
Jeroen decided to leave the band, but rejoined us after 1 week, because Kevin had kicked him out the Dire Straits cover band.
The only picture of the Dire Straits Cover Band called: "The tunnels of Love"
Part 03 - Better things to Do
Late january I threw away 14 songs of the "Poseidon Adventure" album. It was an album with Johnny Dowd covers, but I found out that I had written those 14 songs myself.
I decided to release them under the title "Better things to Do".
We had a great release-party in EXIT. Harry Merry danced all night long to a Golden Earring song that's called "Burning Stuntman".
After that we ate shoarma and I finally found a copy of a magazine that included an interview with me. I was really disappointed because they censored the word "puke" that I deliberately used over 13 times.
People having FUN
Part 04 - The Gig that never was
Early may I was booked for a show in Lantaren Venster Rotterdam, they cancelled the whole thing because someone had tried to kill the queen. I still cannot see the connection.
Part 05 - The intellectual part
One day when I was feeling really sad, the poet Hans Verhagen called me. He always calls me during those moments. He had won the Pc Hooftprijs and they had given him 60.000 euros.
He wanted us to play at the ceremony and I said yes because I thought they would pay us 60.000 euros as well. They didn't.
The ceremony took place in may. All I remember is that I was really, really, really stoned.
We sold over 80 cds to people who paid way too much.
We decided to spent the money on "een patatje met" afterwards.
"Een patatje met" is traditional Dutch food.
You could translate it as: "A Patatoe With"
watch this: http://www.youtube.com/wat
Me and Hans Verhagen
It was also in this period where Daniel Baggerman decided to make a film about me. He's been filming every fart ever since.
Part 6 - The Summer
I spent the whole summer on my couch, writing songs about me sitting on the couch. They will be released late 2010.
Besides that I went to Simon Vinkenoog's funeral. The poet that got me onstage in 2002 & gave me my first joint.
me and Simon (I chose this picture cause in all others from this serie you can see my nipples)
Part 7 - Busy times.
After the summer, things got really busy.
- played a show with Harry Merry in Munich.
- 2 shows with Jim White
- 3 shows with De Dijk
- VPRO Radio
- Poetracks (where I had the honor to talk to Remco Campert backstage, for the 2nd time in my life)
- an improvised "3 songs-gig" with Arthur Ebeling in Amsterdam
me and Ebeling. Photo by Philip Schade
Playing with Jim White was great. Daniel interviewed him for the film and we played "A Perfect Day to Chase Tornados" backstage. The video of this performance will be online in a couple of weeks. Jim gave me real American clothes. He even gave me his red hat.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling blue I dress up as Jim and try to book shows in local bars, such as "Willens 'n Wetens" and "Rotown".
me and Jim White
I also played a gig for old people. It was big succes. Nobody died.
me and old people
The 2 shows with de Dijk in Groningen were pretty fun as well. People seem to like our little tunes. I got really drunk.
But not as drunk as I got at the show in Winston - Amsterdam. David got even more drunk; so drunk that he decided to wash my dishes with puke.
David in better times
I hope you liked my little retrospective.
I played 53 shows in 2009 and sold more than 12 albums (at least).
Happy new year!
all the best
mark
me taking a nap in the middle of a picture.