Krommenie Sunday 25 June 2006

"Hup Holland Hup" is the cry of the moment. This country is in football heaven....and, who am I to lie,...so am I. The World Cup has taken over the lives of millions of people all around the world. Schedules and life patterns are switched and juggled to accomodate the daily fix of footie. In Holland, the colour orange has been smeared and splashed across the landscape in indiscrimanate fashion. I was fortunate enough to attend the first Holland match in Leipzig against Serbia-Montenegro. I went with a group of 20 people on the Saturday before the big game at 6am. The motorway from Amsterdam to Leipzig was awash with cars carrying Dutch supporters. Leipzig itself became a Dutch colony for the weekend. A fantastic atmosphere everywhere. No signs of malice or aggression, only openess towards other fans and drunken ribaldry.

The game was on Sunday, and it was blazing hot. A beautiful stadium was the setting for not such a great game of football, but the result was good for us Dutchies : 1-0.


Tonight, The Netherlands play Portugal and need to win to play in the quarter finals. My bar-b-q plans have been thrown out of the window....it's pissing down outside!

Last week I got contacted by Paul Thompson - the drummer from "Franz Ferdinand" - asking if "The Bent Moustache" would open for them in Utrecht. Um...let me check my footie schedule.......yup....no game on Wednesday 28 June....yes we'll do it! We play with them at Tivoli, a fine venue. Crikey, I was only there a couple of weeks ago or so to twiddle the knobs for "Dino" and now I'll be treading the boards. I can't wait. The Franz boys are fine people with a cracking musical background.....let's just start by saying "The Yummy Fur"....that should say enough.

I have put a track up for freedownloading on the music section of this webbysite thang. The track is called "Texass" and was recorded in 2001 in Boston, Mass., USA. I recorded this track with a couple of members of USA band "The In-Out" (America's greatest answer to "The Fall"). I love this track and now it can be yours. For nowt.

"The Bent Moustache" will start recording their next single in the first week of July. I hope to have it released in the autumn. We will be looking to record an album this year, which will probably come out next year. The main aim this year is to try and play as many shows as possible. We have some shows in the pipeline, but it feels like its becoming increasingly difficult to please the jukebox jury at every venue in Holland. If its isn't "Nederpop" or something hip from the Yank/Brit axis, you are up against it. But there is still hope.....I have been contacted by more promoters who find that what we do is worthwhile and interesting, and wish to have us perform at their palace of pop. We are ready!!!!