By Klaas Guchelaar

I’ve made a few changes to the website. For previous blog posts I used an internal slideshow provided as a WordPress plugin. However, this also meant that all images were loaded on the front page. And as I usually have about 20 photos per set and often also include the opening act that meant that on opening the site about 250 to 300 images were loaded and that takes time.

The new galleries use the Flickr Slideshow. I only need to load one photo form a set onto the blogpost, speeding up the loading of the page. Unfortunately Flickr’s slideshow does not work on iPhones, iPods and iPads, so underneath the image I also include a link to the set in the Flickr page that will work on the Apple devices.

And seeing as I was busy anyway, I also installed an iPhone theme that will speed up loading the site on mobile devices even more.

What do you thing about the changes? Are the changes for the better?

With all the music events last week you’d almost forget that the TT Festival was originally set up to entertain the locals and the thousands of visitors that came to Assen to see the motorraces. It was no different last week with people from all over the world visiting our provinces capital.

The Assen races are different from all other races in that these races are held on Saturday instead of Sunday. That also means that training session start on Thursday and there is more training and the qualifying sessions on Friday. I had already decided not to go to the actual races as it’s pretty darn hard to get a good location for photos and you’re likely to get shouted at at used as target practice for junk-throwing if you do stand up to get decent pics.

Friday the 25th was the best opportunity for me and so I wandered about all day, eventually making my way all around the track getting shots from all locations. A few places that I already knew would deliver me some decent shots and a few new locations that gave me great views to the various corners in the track.

Most of the day was fabulous. The sound of the engines is great, the weather was superb and I enjoy being round the track. However from the very first shot I took, my 3 month old 100-400mm Canon lens decided that it didn’t feel like taking pictures, so I had to battle my lens all day long (tried the 70-200, but that just didn’t take me close enough). Eventually I found a way to at least get the lens to work most of the time so I got some great images anyway.

I’ve divided the images by racing class, the training sessions and qualifying sessions are mixed. First of all there were the 125cc bikes. I really love this class, it’s the rookies class, a well filled field with riders that will fight for every place in the grid. This makes for very aggressive and entertaining racing

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Next up was the Moto2 class, a class that has replaced the 250cc and this new class mostly consists of Honda 600cc bikes. The field is very well filled with a lot of riders so this class also makes for interesting races

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And then finally the MotoGP bikes were let loose on the track. The sound of these bikes is incredible and they’re so very fast. However with Valentino Rossi out due to an injury, the class lacked a bit of fun, also for the Valentino tribune. Another problem with this class is the small amount of riders in it. As awesome as these bikes look and sound, they need a fuller field to make the races a bit more exciting. Still…. what a sound when these com roaring past

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We have the The Hague counsel to thank for last nights gig. Snoop Dogg was to headline the Parkpop festival, but the counsel feared riots at this gig and so forbid it. Having some time on his hands, Snoop Dogg did not go to Amsterdam, nor to Rotterdam. Snoop Dogg came to the city where everyone is dope, where the venues are the shit. He came to where no one would object to his concert fo’ shizzle and where all the sexy ladies love to shimmy their badonkadonks: Snoop Dogg came to GRONINGEN! (OK, I’ll stop writing slang from here on )

Once the gig was announced some days ago, it sold out in no time and I was very happy to have gotten permission to shoot and even more to find a photographers pit, though is was set up very small. The venue was full. From top to bottom, the whole standing area and all seats and balcony were full.

The band came on stage and a few bodyguards. I counted six big dudes in suits doing nothing more than stare at the audience looking glum. As there’s security of the Oosterpoort on duty, these were probably meant as stageprops. Large heave stageprops.

The DJ on stage got the crowd going and under a roar of applause Snoop Dogg, with his trademark blinged up microphone entered the stage with the crowd going wild. During the next three songs I worked like crazy getting images. The battery of my 5DmkII decided it wanted no part of this and was completely empty. All had to be done with the 1DmkIII, switching lenses to suit the shots I wanted.

After three songs I headed to the balcony to see a few more songs and the audience response. When Snoop wanted the venue to scream, they screamed, if they had to wave an arm, they did.  That was a great sight by the way.

It’s not my kind of music at all, but it was fantastic to see a gig like this an to see the audience respond so massively to the band

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On Saturday June 26 I drove to Zwolle to visit Hedon for the first time since quite some time. Wende had a show here with band and I really wanted to see her again. I saw her in Groningen in November last year, but to see her in a club-gig seemed a very interesting concept.

Driving to Zwolle on the day that the Dutch TT was held is an interesting experience. Long traffic jams, motorcyclists passing you by on every possible side and the amount of spectators that sit besides the roads are incredible. All the way from Assen to Zwolle in the most unexpected places there’s people cheering the motorcyclists on.

The Hedon doors opened at 20:00 and around 21:00 the venue was well filled when Wende Snijders and band came onto the stage. The gig was incredible. Switching from small singer/songwriter to cabaret, electro-beats, piano ballads and Wende capturing the audience attention with her incredibly intense, passionate performance. Her voice is just sublime and with her sensually walking on stage, Wende wrapped the audience around her hand with ease.

Most of the songs played were from her latest English album, but they also played a French chanson that was totally reworked to suit her current style. The gig was awesome, absolutely blew me away. The gig in Groningen last year was good, but here in Hedon -in a club-venue- it all fitted together

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On Thursday June 24 the second night of the TT Festival started and as the Dutch were playing the last match in the first round of the world cup, a large screen was set up for the crowd to see the match and as the Dutch won, the crowd were happy. A good start of the evening and in preparation to the first gig the DJ had the crowd jumping, singing and doing the polonaise, with beer flying through the air and an ever more cheery bunch of festival goers.

But they were here for music (well, a lot were probably mostly there for the beer, but must were there for music) and Thursday was the Night for the ‘Assenaren’ (inhabitants of Assen), but we didn’t mind if you weren’t from Assen. As long as you had a good time. Th first act of the evening was out national Blues legend “Cuby & The Blizzards”, the band that practically introduced blues to the Netherlands.

The band has been inactive for a few years but have been on the road for a long time again now and still produce new songs and albums and they have a loyal support. Musically they’re also still very good. Not as raw and rock-like as the new generation of bluesbands, but they manage very well.

Playing a set consisting of lots of old time favorites and some new work, they played a great set and these days they expanded the band with a horn-section, where I recognized one of the New Cool Collective members. A great gig and I was glad to see these men still hold their own

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Although at first I told myself that I’d go home after Cuby & The Blizzards, standing where I stood, I thought I might just as well wait for the next act: Mooi Wark. A band singing in Dutch dialect. The songs are a bit camp and are based on utter nonsence, but I must admit that if you filter out the lyrics and the idiotic nonsense in between the songs, the music itself is tightly played and at times even reminds me of Status Quo. Beer was flying around a lot and the crowd was getting jollier by the minute so once I had my photos I got the heck out of there. It was fun, but not really my kinda music

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Wednesday evening June 23 the ‘TT Festival’ began in Assen. Three evenings of fun, fair and music to entertain the masses that are attending the TT Races on Saturday and the training and qualifying sessions before that. Wednesday was dubbed Soul Night and they had three national soul acts on the main stage. The first was local singer Roan whom I did not see. The next two artists were more up my alley.

The second act of the evening was Caro Emerald with band. They play a mix of ballroom jazz, mambo and a bit of jump’n'jive. Swinging, joyful summer music. Caro’s name is rising quickly in the scene with the album ‘Deleted scenes from the cutting room floor’ doing very well. Internationally her star is also rising when her version of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ was discovered in America.

The was a large crowd on the ‘Koopmansplein’ where the main stage was set and the mood was very good. The band played a great and cheery set (any band including a piece of Ennio Morricone filmscore in their live act is a good band in my books), all the hits and singles were played and of course as an encore ‘Bad Romance‘ just had to be played and was received incredibly well by the audience. Fantastic gig.

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After Caro’s encore the stage had to be rebuilt for the next act and the audience was entertained by a DJ set playing some goldies oldies that underwent a dancebeat update and some popular singalongs. But a quarter to twelve it was time for the next act: Waylon, a Dutch soul-singer who participated in ‘Holland’s Got Talent’ (finished in second place) and eventually got signed to Motown. He has a great band with him and though the music isn’t really up my alley, I must say I was impressed. He has a great voice and won the audience over easily.

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Last night Billy Talent played at De Oosterpoort in Groningen. I very nearly missed this one as the approval e-mail was received minutes after I had left for cycling training. Thinking I’d not get to see this gig, I went for a 70km trip and got home at 20:00. Only then I found out that I did get to go there after all and had about 30 minutes to shower, get the gear together and get over there. I’ve never been so happy with opening acts as I was last night.

Upon arriving at the venue the band Ravens, a local act, was playing the last bit of their set. I haven’t heard enough to really have an opinion about this gig, but the audience seemed to like it

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Once the Ravens had left the stage, I tried to get a little closer to the front of the stage. Shots from the side are fine, but in the middle of the action is better. Didn’t get all the way to the front, but I found a slot anyway and it was only going to be for about a song and a half.

About half past nine the lights went out and the band came onto the stage, under loud roars and applause from the audience (aged around 20, man I felt old). Being a punk-rock band, the band dived in full power and that rubbed off on the audience that jumped, pogoed, sang and screamed to every band’s request. The pit was formed in no time. Light was fantastic and I would have loved to see the whole show, but with a gruesomely busy week ahead I thought the better of it. Loved the energetic show though

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It still a few months till the festival is held, but after reading a few Twitterposts of the Take Root festival I couldn’t help but post a blog about this upcoming festival.

More and more names are starting to be added to the line-up and after having been disappointed with the line-up of the past few festivals in this part of the Netherlands this year, the Take Root line-up is starting to look like the best line-up I’ve seen like… forever! The artists that have been named so far are just amazing and I really can’t wait for this years addition. The list isn’t final yet, but here are -in no particular order- a few names that have been made public:

- Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan (wow… that’s just so awesome)
- Phosphorescent (very curious to hear this, should be fantastic)
- Wilco (main act with long show)
- Iron & Wine (wanted to see this for so long, love this band)
- Black Mountain (psychedelic heavy rock, odd name in the list, but I love them)
- Damien Jurado (only seem him once, curious to see him again)
- Frank Fairfield (ought to be a great act)
- Carrie Rodriguez (loved her CD with Chip Taylor, can’t wait to see her on her own)

More names are to be added, but this on it’s own is already an awesome list and I do believe this to be one of the best line-ups of Take Root ever. September’s gonna be a great month

On June 16 the fourth and final De Derde Helft (The Third Half) was held, a concept introducing modern classical music to a younger audience. Held in the Vera venue, the music has a way more open and less formal character. Also, by choosing modern classical music you learn that there is much more then ‘merely’ Bach and Mozart.

On this last evening of this series Guus Janssen (piano), Oene van Geel (violin) and Ernst Reijseger (cello) led the audience though some interesting, complex compositions with a highly experimental character and every so often some jazz or blues rhythms found their way through the compositions. At first I had to reset my mind expecting more structured music, but once I was in the right frame of mind I enjoyed myself a lot.

The first two sets were played by the trio and in the third set three students were added to the group and the sextet played another four compositions that went down very well too. The concert went very well, an attentive audience, a familiar atmosphere with room for a little fun here and there and lots of great music

Arno Hintjens had given the evening a good start of Belgian bands in Groningen, but there were more to be seen. Vera had The Black Box Revelation on the agenda  and opening for them were The Van Jets, also from Belgium.

I managed to get to the Vera venue in time to catch a good part of the set of The Van Jets. A lot of light and tons of it from the rear of the stage. The sound rough and wild mixed with a bit of glamrock and lots of happy little girls at the front of the stage. A fun set

But as soon as the stage was rebuilt the main act came on and rocked the venue. The Black Box Revelation is a duo. Two young guns in a setup much like The Black Keys, but wilder. Rouch blues, some punkrock and a good load of garage rock. Wild drums, screaming guitar and endless amounts of furious enthusiasm. It was absolutely fantastic