So I guess that’s something that I needed, food and sleep. I ate a great dinner, then slept for 12 hours. I can’t imagine that every day but when you need to catch up - that’s a good thing. I could write a whole tour diary about shower experiences I’ve had while traveling; from a Berlin bathroom to a tub with no shower curtain and just a handheld shower sprayer to all kinds of mismatched controls to full length mirror so you can see yourself in your absolute most nakedness (Not a good thing) to today’s shower that as soon as you turn on the shower creates some kind of thermal draft that makes the shower curtain float in on you. And not just in a kind of breezy type way but in a sustained shower-curtain-up-against-your-body-and-you-can’t-get-away-from-it kind of way.
Just shower curtain on your ass like the plastic wrap in the meat isle of the grocery story.
Anyway.
My hotel wifi is slower than my non-wifi on my phone, which is annoying because here in Europe I have limited data usage. Once I go over 5 GB in a month I get throttled. You know, because. It’s like the long distance wars of the 1990s only now it’s data usage. Such a racket.
This morning I hit up a coffee shop thinking they’d have wifi so I could do some booking and scheduling of planes, trains and maybe an automobile. My birthday is Saturday and I haven’t been home for my birthday in years. I have two shows left. Tonight in Mechelen, Belgium and tomorrow in Dortmund, Germany. I was trying to fly home on Saturday from Amsterdam but I can’t get from Dortmund to Amsterdam in time so it will be a Sunday flight.
The train from Brussels to Mechelen is shockingly easy. It’s like 45 minutes and 6 euro. The Mechelen train station, like seemingly everywhere else, is under construction and I think it’s going to be really pretty. It’s a short ride from there to Zennegat 13 and in a surprising move - I am here super early.
The first time Tracy, Ben and I came here we were super late because the directions had us driving down a bicycle path and two very stern looking women, on bicycles, wouldn’t let us pass. Last year the taxi driver kept wanting to turn around and I had to insist he keep driving. “This is not a road.” He complained. “Yes it is.” “How would you know? I live here.” “But I’ve been here.” It was a road and it was fine. Today the driver just trusted me.
Jan at Zennegat 13 is a character, he laughs easily, cooks the food, serves the drinks, cleans up after - he does it all here. He also lives in a boat on the canal and tonight he’s offered to let me stay at his place. I would like to but I already have the room back in Brussels. He greets me with a warm laugh, a hug and sits down with a beer to catch up with what’s going on. He brings me a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese and a sparkling iced tea. I ask him if he has any bread to go with the pasta, “I do but I would have to bake it.” I tell him not to bother. It’s Belgium, it’s laid back. I don’t really need any bread.
I’m sitting and booking my train for tomorrow when Katrien and Ruud sit down next to me. I met them here two years ago and they’ve come back to hear me again.
Now if you read my earlier post you would know that I was feeling a bit beaten up today, I was looking for some gas for my tank. Seeing them here, with their son and Ruud’s best friend - that was the gas I needed. We have a great catch up and chat before I start and it absolutely gave me the energy I needed to get started.
As I’m playing, I can see Ruud singing along in parts and Katrien is taking some video and it’s really sweet. The room fills up and stays that way throughout the show. Sure it’s a small room but any room can be difficult, especially when you’re playing it without a PA. I’m just in the room, full on busker style and I LOVE IT. When I sing the line about Elvis Costello in Massachusetts, I can see one guy in back really perk up and raises his hand in agreement.
There’s a couple in back listening intently. Later on I find out it’s Ingrid and Erwin. During one song I can see him crying. I keep the stories and songs coming and then take a break. There’s a guy right next to me and he leans forward, “Are all these stories true?” “Yeah, I can’t make them up. That would take forever.” He sits back. “You live an incredible life.” And it stops me in my tracks. “You made the decision to do this and it is the best decision. I made the wrong decision years ago and now it is too late. Your life and your stories…” he fades off. I ask him his name. “Luc, you are now part of my story.” He thanks me. During the next set I will sing APB to Luc* and everyone will sing along.
When Jan is introducing my second set he asks everyone “If you know of another place in Mechelen or Belgium that you think would be a good place for Bobbo to play, please come write them down. We have to get him to stay in our country longer next time.”
A venue owner asked his patrons of other venues where I should play.
At the end of the night Jan gives me a list of 5 other places to book, some in Mechelen and surrounding areas. “Tell them I sent you.”
I finish up playing, sell some cds, talk to folks and ask if anyone can drive me back to the train station. Erwin and Ingrid volunteer in their Fiat 500. This is a small car but we fit. It’s great chatting with them on the way back. Nick Cave comes on the radio and they are big fans. Erwin tells me he is a big fan of Elvis Costello too and that’s why he loved that lyric. They drop me off at the train station and I float through the station and breeze onto my train.
The power of rock and roll. **
*He also gives me his card in case I ever need a place to stay in Belgium. People are too nice and amazing.
**Even busker style.
Just shower curtain on your ass like the plastic wrap in the meat isle of the grocery story.
Anyway.
My hotel wifi is slower than my non-wifi on my phone, which is annoying because here in Europe I have limited data usage. Once I go over 5 GB in a month I get throttled. You know, because. It’s like the long distance wars of the 1990s only now it’s data usage. Such a racket.
This morning I hit up a coffee shop thinking they’d have wifi so I could do some booking and scheduling of planes, trains and maybe an automobile. My birthday is Saturday and I haven’t been home for my birthday in years. I have two shows left. Tonight in Mechelen, Belgium and tomorrow in Dortmund, Germany. I was trying to fly home on Saturday from Amsterdam but I can’t get from Dortmund to Amsterdam in time so it will be a Sunday flight.
The train from Brussels to Mechelen is shockingly easy. It’s like 45 minutes and 6 euro. The Mechelen train station, like seemingly everywhere else, is under construction and I think it’s going to be really pretty. It’s a short ride from there to Zennegat 13 and in a surprising move - I am here super early.
The first time Tracy, Ben and I came here we were super late because the directions had us driving down a bicycle path and two very stern looking women, on bicycles, wouldn’t let us pass. Last year the taxi driver kept wanting to turn around and I had to insist he keep driving. “This is not a road.” He complained. “Yes it is.” “How would you know? I live here.” “But I’ve been here.” It was a road and it was fine. Today the driver just trusted me.
Jan at Zennegat 13 is a character, he laughs easily, cooks the food, serves the drinks, cleans up after - he does it all here. He also lives in a boat on the canal and tonight he’s offered to let me stay at his place. I would like to but I already have the room back in Brussels. He greets me with a warm laugh, a hug and sits down with a beer to catch up with what’s going on. He brings me a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese and a sparkling iced tea. I ask him if he has any bread to go with the pasta, “I do but I would have to bake it.” I tell him not to bother. It’s Belgium, it’s laid back. I don’t really need any bread.
I’m sitting and booking my train for tomorrow when Katrien and Ruud sit down next to me. I met them here two years ago and they’ve come back to hear me again.
Now if you read my earlier post you would know that I was feeling a bit beaten up today, I was looking for some gas for my tank. Seeing them here, with their son and Ruud’s best friend - that was the gas I needed. We have a great catch up and chat before I start and it absolutely gave me the energy I needed to get started.
As I’m playing, I can see Ruud singing along in parts and Katrien is taking some video and it’s really sweet. The room fills up and stays that way throughout the show. Sure it’s a small room but any room can be difficult, especially when you’re playing it without a PA. I’m just in the room, full on busker style and I LOVE IT. When I sing the line about Elvis Costello in Massachusetts, I can see one guy in back really perk up and raises his hand in agreement.
There’s a couple in back listening intently. Later on I find out it’s Ingrid and Erwin. During one song I can see him crying. I keep the stories and songs coming and then take a break. There’s a guy right next to me and he leans forward, “Are all these stories true?” “Yeah, I can’t make them up. That would take forever.” He sits back. “You live an incredible life.” And it stops me in my tracks. “You made the decision to do this and it is the best decision. I made the wrong decision years ago and now it is too late. Your life and your stories…” he fades off. I ask him his name. “Luc, you are now part of my story.” He thanks me. During the next set I will sing APB to Luc* and everyone will sing along.
When Jan is introducing my second set he asks everyone “If you know of another place in Mechelen or Belgium that you think would be a good place for Bobbo to play, please come write them down. We have to get him to stay in our country longer next time.”
A venue owner asked his patrons of other venues where I should play.
At the end of the night Jan gives me a list of 5 other places to book, some in Mechelen and surrounding areas. “Tell them I sent you.”
I finish up playing, sell some cds, talk to folks and ask if anyone can drive me back to the train station. Erwin and Ingrid volunteer in their Fiat 500. This is a small car but we fit. It’s great chatting with them on the way back. Nick Cave comes on the radio and they are big fans. Erwin tells me he is a big fan of Elvis Costello too and that’s why he loved that lyric. They drop me off at the train station and I float through the station and breeze onto my train.
The power of rock and roll. **
*He also gives me his card in case I ever need a place to stay in Belgium. People are too nice and amazing.
**Even busker style.