Marisa's Tour Diary - European Tour

Hi all,
Well the June trip to Holland came up very unexpectedly, but what a bonus! After a couple of days adjusting to the time difference (and the fact that I was constantly standing in the middle of a bike path), I started my shows at Destination Downunder Expo. The dutch often call a stage a podium, and the one at the Expo was certainly a prominent one for someone like me who is used to less ostentatious settings! It felt a bit like a diving platform.

Much fun was had over the four days of the expo and it was great to meet and talk with so many people who have either been or are coming down to Australia. I loved sharing my songs and hearing about peoples experiences of travel in our big brown land. We also had a top time with the other participants in the expo, sharing many laughs over wine and bitter balls (popular dutch fare).

I discovered that the Dutch are a race after my own heart - they love their bikes and their skating, and they love art!! This year they are celebrating Rembrandts 400th Birthday (he doesn't look a day over 21), and there are over 400 Galleries in one small country. I managed to visit a couple in between commitments including the Van Gogh Museum, which was fantastic! We were treated to a visit to the beach resort of Zandvoort, where we met two great dutchmen Oscar and Ron who run a great club that sits right on the beachfront in the sand. The club has to be dismantled completely each year when the winter sea rises. They can pull the whole thing apart at a days notice. Imagine an outback pub right on the beach, and you have the idea.

We headed north to the historic seaport town of Hoorn where I got to spend an afternoon sightseeing and taking photos before heading out to meet Nico Druif, who is the presenter of "Long Distance" on Radio Hoorn. I did an interview and played about five tracks live-to-air on the show. It was great to meet Nico face to face and to learn that he plays Double Bass in a rockabilly outfit..hopefully I'll get to see him play next time!

A highlight was being offered two spots on the "Music in my Head" Festival in The Hague. The venue Paard de Troje has three stages and is fantastic! I played at 11pm in the Podium Cafe, the crowd was great and I loved the ambience. Part of the show apparently got filmed for TV West! I even had some dancers in the crowd - which is always a buzz.

Saturday the 10th I played on the singer/songwriter forum, "Music in my Backyard". The sun drenched courtyard at the rear of the venue was jam packed with Songwriting fans. I played between Dutch band Johan (excellent), and the fabulous Canadian writer Ron Sexsmith. The crowd was really in the summer vibe and they made me feel very welcomed. Later, I got to play music fan and catch shows of some other artists including Ed Harcourt, another Aussie band The Howling Bells and also ex-Velvet Underground founder and musical legend John Cale.

We got to see the country gripped by World Cup fever, and everywhere there was masses of Orange jerseys. It doesn't get dark until around 11pm so there were crowded bars of soccer fans each night cheering not just their own team, but many other nations, including our own Socceroos!

It is very easy to see why Holland has been the home of so many great artists, it is a country which inspires the senses. I really enjoyed this short tour and am looking forward to heading back later in the year to do some more shows. Maybe I'll get to take to the bike path next time - look out Holland - get on the footpath!!!