Cultural Exchange

Here, a young, aspiring guitarist named Benjamin
asked me for a few tips on technique...

proper pick handling...

and making my day.

All about the people

For this show and for the festival, they have a really cool system of doing much of it as a community. So, instead of some guy promoting a show himself with profit as the main goal, all the folks around here get together and contribute their time, talents and homes for all the various things that need to happen. Fer'instance: instead of spending truckloads of money on hotels for the artists, we stay at volunteers' private homes.
Talk about hospitality! These beautiful people offer us warm, homey beds, cook for us and open the fridge and bar, but most importantly we are treated as family and get to know everyone as well as learning more about the country and its

language and customs than any normal tourist ever could. All these folks are huge music fans, so there is always lots to share. Above, our hosts from last summers' Labadoux appearance, is Johan (did I spell it right this time?) and his lovely wife Karin. Below is the family of Rik and Christine who were our hosts the first night and fed us Belgian chocolate for breakfast. Talk about paradise. The baby lambs were just too cute to leave out.

Clown Porn

No comment. Just thought you might like to see the kind of debauchery that goes on at these wild folk shows.

Best of Belgium

We are in the small western Belgium town of Ingelmunster on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the De Fagot Pub, a wonderful folk club here in Flanders that has hosted some pretty big names like Elliott Murphy and Alvin Youngblood Hart. Our hosts, Jean-Pierre and his lovely wife, Carine (the most amazing cook in Belgium!) are also the organisers of the Labadoux Folk Festival here, which we had the pleasure of playing last summer. So, a wonderful three-day party with live music, great food and, of course, Belgian beer. Lots of Belgian beer.
Did I say a lot? Truckloads, actually. All served so graciously by Marie-Christine (above right)

Musik Messe

This is the largest industry convention for musical instruments and sound gear on the face of the planet and one I have wanted to see for years. We had a bit of time off between shows and said: what the hell! So spent one frantic day seeing as much as possible, but it is simply so huge that I doubt anyone can see it all even in the full four days. But, we tried!

Just taking it all in.

These guitars really do look and sound wonderful, but they may have
a little trouble with the name when they go to sell them in the USA.

This drumkit really cooks! Plus, it's dishwasher safe.

An obligitory visit to the Mecca of metal, Marshall Amps.


And, finally, to the shrine of the holiest of holies,
the sunburst "wailing" wall.

Klink...I'm going to Dusseldorf for a few days!

When in Europe, perhaps the greatest things to do is take in the rich artistic and cultural heritage that is on view nearly everywhere. Dusseldorf is renowned as an important modern arts center and we would be remiss if we didn't take full advantage.

So here I am exposing myself to art. Puerile, perhaps, but I am fairly sure that Dali himself had a pretty nasty sense of humor

And, it's not just famous museums where you will find great works of art.
The streets are filled with many beautiful masterpeices of sculpture and architecture.

Sorry. Had to do it.