Photos for Trouble Pass me By

There was a photographer last week taking photos of Trouble Pass Me By, and he emailed me with a link to some of the photos he made. You can check it out here link
Thanks to www.photologix.nl

Happy New Year!

Sorry , no time

I had all the best intentions of keeping this website chugging along at full pace.. but I havent had time every week to translate the reviews Jaap writes for the Lokaal Vredebreuk newsletter into English every single time. For those who can read Dutch, if you want to get the review in your email every week, I suggest you go to www.lokaalvredebreuk.nl and sign up for thewir newsletter. And from now on they will be put on the forum in Dutch tooo. But I just dont have time to translate it every week, at least I have more important things that I have to take care of. One thing is my new album (Katbite) - the music is completely finished, mastered and everything, and the only thing waiting is the artwork, then we can release it. But the guild has gotten so busy that its been delayed. I promise you, it sounds awesome, I listen to it all the time! But I would rather you hear it for yourself, thats kind of the idea. So the guild website may be a little quieter in the next wee while, but you can jump on the forum and keep the buzz going yourself... and from January on there will be even more going on with the guild, two regular nights every week. So we are not dissapearing in any way at all. Anyone with the time and inclination who wants to translate the Dutch reviews into English, you are very very welcome to do that, you can find all the info on the forum.

Merry Christmas and a Cheesy New Year
Kat

Trouble, Pass Me By

This week in Lokaal Vredebreuk - a new band in premier!

Trouble, Pass Me By.

Mark van Dijk (ex-Grechko's Doll) - zang, gitaar, drums
Ralph van den Hoogenband (ex-Grechko's Doll) - gitaar
Jean Midde (Footsweep) - bas, zang

While Mark and Ralph were busy in Grechko's Doll with experimental, chaotic emo noise, they have headed off in a new direction with Trouble, Pass Me BY, and now make lo-fi indie rock. Simple songs with clear structures and sparse arrangements. The noisy guitar sound is perhaps the only audible link back to Grechko's Doll.

They combine the weirdness of Devandra Banhart, the guitar sound of the Doors and the Americana feel of 16 Horsepower.

They dont even have a website yet, its that new! So be one of the first to check this new band out.

Radio Ramonaa - Guild Promotion

Midvliet 107.2FM , or via www.ramonaaa.nl

This Friday night December 15 2006, between 8pm and 10pm, on Radio Ramonaa, the guild will be in the house. We will be promoting our upcoming events.
Orson Sven from the band Noblesse will be playing a couple of songs acoustically. Noblesse has just released their debut album, "Sound the Alarm" and the first reactions are very positive. We asked Orson to come and play for the guild solo, and he put on a great show in Lokaal Vredebreuk a couple of weeks ago. Its really great to see the songs that kick and scream when played with the full band also standing up to an acoustic treatment. Jaap and me (Kat) will be on hand as well to give some info about whats coming up and going on, and Alex Franken, out guest presentor in Lokaal for the month of December, will also be giving his opinion on the state of things. Alex, as well as being an experienced and upfront public speaker, is a singersongwriter who writes Dutch songs. He also organises and presents Opstaan a monthly event in Den Haag which showcases verbal art in the widest sense of the term.

Songwriters Guild Forum

There is now an additional aspect to the guild - a forum! This is hosted at the same location as the Katbite and Klauw forum, but it has its own special section. Members of the public are welcome to check it out, and contribute. Have you been to a guild night and have you got something to say about it? Have you got a fantastic idea? Let us know about it! The forum can be found at www.artiestenbeheer.nl/katbitest

Sound of Amnesia

I was born in The Hague (Netherlands) in 1977.

For as long as I can remember music was always there……

At the age of 12, I joined the local school band as a drummer. We were mainly doing covers back then. Shortly after I joined a Speed Metal band named Inevitable that one of the older guys from school was part of. This band was rehearsing several times a week at the HPC (The Hague Pop Center, which is a local music organization). I was the youngest musician around there and got suddenly confronted with the underground scene and everything that comes with it…the good things, the bad things…

After 3 years, I left the band and became a “freelance drummer” doing some studio recordings and live performances (in my spare time since I was also still studying). I got to play and jam with all sorts of bands, from heavy metal to jazz, reggae, blues etc… Looking back, this was a very good learning process in many different ways. I never took any drum or guitar lessons and couldn’t read a single note…still can’t!

1994 was the year I discovered a band named “Swans”. A new chapter began. This music changed all my musical and life perspectives…. I’m not afraid to say, this music saved me from myself. Still today a great part of my inspiration I thank to the music and lyrics of Swans as well as from all their other projects such as The Angels of Light and Michael Gira.

In 1996, Nezgishma was born; this band had the same musical tendencies. We played and composed together during 2 years. These were very dark years and I felt I was mentally slipping down…. of course the heavy drugs and alcohol abuse didn’t help…. I just turned twenty and already I had enough…. Then it happened… I woke up one morning and decided I wanted nothing to do anymore with music or any bands…. This was the beginning of what I call my Amnesia… I immediately wrote a letter to inform the band, as I couldn’t even bear telling them face to face at that point…. I fully dedicated the next few years to my work and sports (Kickboxing, Karate…) which had always been my second passion. I was trying to focus. It was during these years that I met my wife and I had my beautiful daughter, Mila-Swann… it was them who made me realize that I was only fooling myself… the music was still there in my head night and day all the time…. I was unconsciously composing but not letting it out…. All this time I was the prison to my own music… until today… I finally opened the gate and the album wrote itself. Culture, blood, religion is describing all the feelings I experienced during this period, sadness, loneliness, emptiness but most of all it’s about hope, friendship and beauty.

Now I know……………………I WILL SURVIVE!

All The Best Daniël

Unexpected last minute change

people,

Tonite in Lokaal:

Ramon (En-Mono)
Eva Louise Williams

Wwe managed to get a extra cool artist: Bosz de Kler, known from his band: Vive Le Rock. Nice songs, sometimes with a bit of strong language, but mostly honest, and cosy: With his artistic voice and "happy" accordeon, he always manages to get every person in the audience dancing. You are all invited, there is no doorprice, warmer then on the streets, and there isn't anything on the telly on sundaynights anyway!

For more info: please visit our forum, sign up and discuss it all there

See you tonight!

Jaap

Sunday

Ramon and Eva Louise Williams will be performing this week.


Eva Louise Williams is a New Zealand folk singer that has been writing songs, poems, and stories since she was very young. Although she draws on many influences, Leonard Cohen, Faulkner, Bob Dylan among others, her lyrics reflect an original and authentic self. The essence of all singer-songwriters. Her playing style is simple, that of simple folk finger picking styles, simple waltz plucking, or the 4/4 folk strumming patterns. The simplicity of the music lays the emphasis on the message of the songs; the lyrics and delivery.

Ramon En Mono is the solo project of a 20 years old ambitious musician.
It's an initiative that thanks its existence to the impulses of inspirational explosions.

The songwriting is a mix of diffrent music styles such as: acoustic singer/songwriter, jazz, bossa jazz, flamenco, surf, latin etc.

From the V.I.P Seats - Full House

Tonight we had something extra on the cards.. A presenter! Our good friend, songwriter, poet and guildmember Alex Franken, asked if he could use his presentation skills to improve on our format, in exchange for a few drinks and a lot of respect. He will be doing so for the entire month of December. It went really well this first time. It was obvious that he had done his homework, and had lots to say about each artist.

We began with Orfeo. I was a bit late (5 past 9) and most of the gear was already set up. The microphones and cables were assembled but not yet working. After I got the monitors etc sorted, the first 20 minutes of the night were wasted sorting out broken equipment. We found a broken microphone and a broken cable? But that's not what you want to hear about, on to Orfeo.

This Amsterdam-based artist hasn't performed in over a year. His gig in Lokaal Vredebreuk was the first in a long time. Accompanied by Frans Molenaar on guitar, he sang his songs with a beautiful, sensitive, sultry voice. Orfeo falls in the category "polished voice". Rarely have I heard such a smooth voice. Although Orfeo wrote several famous Dutch popsongs, including "Sacrifice” which was a hit from the Dutch singer Anouk, he performed several covers. He completed his set with a few fantastic original compositions. He had bought quite a lot of people with him to Den Haag (or his fans were from Den Haag, I’m not sure), but these guests stuck around, along with Orfeo himself, and we had a good chat. Orfeo is interested in performing more often for the songwriter’s guild, so you will have the opportunity to see him perform again soon, in Café Murphy’s Law.

Following Orfeo was Danielle Liebeskind. Danielle presented a unique set. With her acoustic nylon string guitar amplified with a vocal microphone, it was not easy for this amateur (purely out of depuration) soundman. I had to balance a fine line between feedback and getting the guitar loud enough. I managed to get something in the right area? She had a solitary candle beside her, and the intimacy drew the public physically closer. I got some really good photos. I would suggest that next time Danielle brings a feedback buster, or a guitar with a pickup. I’m not here to criticize, but the choice of guitar did not do her justice. It's a shame, because her songs are really good. The public enjoyed it, and Alex gave his compliments too.

Chris and Abigail began around 11pm. With Chris was on guitar and Abigail with vocals as stable as a rock, it seemed that the night was complete already. They played a few covers but mostly soul-tinged, own material. A cosy set with beautiful guitar playing and vocals as good as the guitar. A gig to remember. The audience, especially the other gigging artists of the night were full of respect about Chris and Abigail.

As a cherry on the cake, we had quite an extraordinary gig to finish the night off around midnight by Troost & Drost. With a cello and an accordion, these guys out of Can of Be played a solid set built out of purely instrumental songs. It was fun, and something different, for a change. The guys managed to keep the audience where they were, still in the café. This in contradiction of what often happens around midnight on a Sunday night. These members out of Can of Be knew to make the audience curious enough to stay and check out what is going to happen next. Sadly, Orfeo left already, but Chris, Abigail and Daniëlle were totally enjoying the performance. Even their lead singer, Julie Scott was there to support these two artists.

All together, it was definitely a successful night. It did get a little late for me, as it was far past two a clock before I even left the café, but it was worth it. Afterwards I had some social talk with the artists, and with Dries, the barman off course. Next week we got another flashy line-up, this time with Ramon, Gaya (from Amsterdam, out of Girls ‘n’ Strings, and the Amsterdam Songwritersguild, off course) and Eva Louise Williams, a newbie in the scène, with a lot of promising stories going around about her. I will put a link online to the pictures for the people who missed the gig this night

Jaap (Den Haag Songwritersguild)

DHSG on tour

On the 30th of November three songwriters from The Hague headed for Haarlem. Jesse Edmond, Leave (Edwin van der Hoeven) and Ton Jenner ran up the flag of the Den Haag Songwriters Guild in café Briljant. The venue was small, the stage was even smaller, but the atmosphere was allright. Together we presented to Haarlem a trio of singer/songwriters with quite different styles.

Ton started the evening by first introducing the DHSGuild and then playing his tuneful storytelling songs. They raised the first applause of the slowly growing audience. It took a few songs to get used to the stage of about 2 square metres and the monitoring sound. But after all a real singer/songwriter forgets about the time and the place and just cares for singing and playing.

After a short (beer)break Edwin took over. We enjoyed his moody songs, accompanied by his well played half-open chords. Edwin doesnt write standard songs and is not a standard guitarplayer at all! He will be showing at Lokaal Vredebreuk on the 17th of December, so theres your chance to hear him.

At last Jesse took his glittering guitar and played a nice set of his funky and soulful songs. Time flies when youre listening to his great and flexible guitar playing. He even was asked for an extra song by a listener who was also impressed by the fact that he writes these songs all by himself! Edwin and Ton claimed this compliment as well.

We ended up at about 01:30, chatting with the owner, who appeared to be a great music lover. So we enjoyed a last beer and a smooth whisky, listening to Tom Waits and Jeff Buckly. The ride back home was not a bad trip at all.

Orfeo Bouwman, Chris Lawa, Danielle Liebeskind and Roeland - Hosted by Alex Franken

The december nights are going to be really full nights for the guild in Lokaal. Tonight we have 4 artists and a presenter, and on the 17th, we will have a special act as well, so that makes 4 too.

Tonight will be filled with Abigail & Chris, a duo who were too misterious to tell us all about them, but we know they play blues, pop, jazz and worldmusic in covers and own material. In the past, they regularly played in Tha Hague and around. This duo stands for simplicity with just vocals and a guitar. Strong as it stands.

Danielle Liebeskind is another really varied artist who plays practically every genre, as her bio tells us, her music can come frightingly close towards you...

Troost & Drost is part of Can_of_be, they were willing to bring some instrumental detail to the night, just for fun, just to entertain you and just to bring something different to the whole songrwiter thing, leaving the singing behind.

Orfeo could easyly be called a master in songwriting. His history contains the hitsingle Sacrifice of Anouk, but also winner of the Great Prize of Holland, and several other pies.

The night will be hosted by our friend, poet/writer and songwriter, Alex Franken, who will introduce the artists to you.