AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE by Guille
Spanish Caravan in Holland
How can I describe my past days in Holland? I am afraid I can’t find enough words to do it but at least I will try you have some fun reading this short review.
Spanish Caravan reached Holland on Tuesday June,2th to attend the show in Groningen: Jose Antonio, Jordi and Jorge were the first in joining the event, together with the dutch fan Peggy de Vries. The next day was off for Roger and his staff, and on Thursday the Caravan moved to Rotterdam where Sarah Smith joined the group, Peggy would leave the Caravan after this show.
On Friday the concert took place in Utretch……well I can’t talk about these first four days too much because I met my friends the next morning, but I know in Rotterdam they went up the stage to do the chorus vocals at the end of «Hide in your shell» (Trevor had to turn down the microphone power at the beginning he,he,he,he…)…
Antonio and I arrived at Rotterdam on Saturday morning, where my Spanish friends were supposed to meet me by noon, so It happened, 45 minutes late, but in the end they showed up as I expected .We had to drive to Utretch where they stayed the night before,there wasn’t any concert that night and Tilburg (next Sunday concert) was pretty near the city, so my friends decided to continue in the same Hotel for that night.
I was exhausted from the plane, and as you can imagine I just slept three or four hours the night before taking the flight in Spain, so I just wanted to take a shower and a long nap before meeting Jorge at the reception at 6.00 pm to phone Roger and arrange an appointment for the Spanish Caravan Interview. I was very nervous to meet Roger again after Malaga Concert one year after…Jorge told me he was very grateful to all of us for having travelled so far to attend the shows, so I knew I was going to have a great time there.
I went down at 6.00, Sarah was already there so we were waiting for the others at the bar, then Jorge, Jose Antonio, Antonio and Jordi came down as well.I was talking to jorge when somebody knocked my back, i just turned around and wow! That was the man!! Roger was staying at the same Hotel as we did… what a surprise!! I was shocked so didn’t open my mouth first. I couldn’t believe that they had hidden this surprise for the whole day.After that we went to have dinner with Roger, Trevor and Ian (…nine people sitting around a rounded table talking about the past, the present and the future, it was really amazing; I wouldn’t have expected that before leaving Spain, and to tell you the truth it was better than attending any of the shows, because we faced Roger human’s side… and I can tell you he is a wondeful and sensitive person. No pictures, no controversial questions, just some food, drinks and a nice chat.
I went up to the room at 1.30 and had very pleasant dreams.The dessert was going to come about the next night: Tilburg. On Sunday morning Roger was waiting for us at 9.00 at the restaurant because Jorge had arranged the interview, twenty long questions followed by another more twenty… you can figure out we ran out of questions and the tape stopped recording 60 minutes after the beggining, Roger seemed to be very comfortable so we started the breakfast half an hour later and five minutes before the restaurant closed!!
Tilburg is a small but beautiful city 45 minutes far from Utrecht and when we got the venue I realized the concert was going to be something very intimate with no more than 400 people. We met outside some friends from Belgium: Olivier and Benoit, and some Dutch guys who knew our web site.
The concert started with «The meaning» (a full version) and continued with some old and new songs, I would make a special mention to:
*»Don’t you want to get high?»
*»Puppet dance» It was a surprise to hear something from «Hai Hai»
*»Sister moonshine»
*»Lovers in the wind»
*»In jeopardy»
*»Dreamer» with the audience playing Rick’s role
*»Say goodbye»+»It’s raining again», two songs Roger composed on the pump organ
*»The garden» on the pump organ too.This song was listened for the first time in 80’s BBC «Profiles in Rock»
*»Lone child» (a collaboration with someone form the public doing the drums). Antonio did a very good job in Amsterdam
*»Death & a the zoo» (this is a new unbelievable song, nothing you have heard before)
*»Fool’s overture» (that was tremendous, Roger played the whole song)
*»School» (believe it or not the audience played the piano and sang «don’t do this, don’t do that»)… this was an extra encore as the public requested screaming «we want school» after the first two encores!!!
After the show Roger stayed there signing autographs for the fans for almost 45 minutes.
The next morning Amsterdam, probably one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe, was ready to greet the Spanish Caravan.We had rented an opel Corsa, and for 6 people there was no room enough, so I had to take a train with Antonio and meet our friends in the Central Station (another 45 minutes late)… I began to feel sad as I knew the departure would be soon but on the other hand my second show was going to happen that night in one of the most beautiful and romantic places I had never seen before: Paradiso. It was and old church with an incredible acoustic which was reformed years ago and converted in a Music concert hall. David Bowie, Prince and some of the most known stars had performed there before.The pump organ had found its perfect place to be played as we heard it during the sound check, can you believe that we listened to «Say Goodbye» three times the same night??
Roger didn’t feel very well that morning, his throat was red and his voice a litlle gruff but Amsterdam couldn’t have missed this show (Hannover payed the consecuences the next day).
Why are we here?,Why are we here? Came out from the dark «The meaning» this is one of the songs which gain more with the time, as old wines. This show was different from the others because Roger played the songs that the audience wanted to listen and except the beggining the show was a dialogue between him and the fans… I just remember some extracts although very remarkable:
* «Lady» (he couldn’t remember the lyrics)
* «Child of Vision» (You gave me Coca-Cola, you say it tastes good, what came after this? he thought. He did a brilliant job although he couldn’t remember the lyrics either)
* «Babaji»
* Medley : «Only because of you»+»Fool’s overture» (instrumental)+»Lord is it mine?»
* «If everyone was listening» (what a wonderful song! from «Crime of the Century»)
* «Hide in your shell» My favourite one,incredible version, better even than Paris Concert.
* «Every trick in the book»
* «Had a dream»
After the two official encores («Two of us» and «Give a little bit») he played again «School» (he really needs to be motivated to do this») and «Fool’s overture» (the full version) once again……wow! Live from the first row! What do you need the drugs for after reaching the paradise with this man?
List of songs
Groningen June,2nd 98
Along came Mary
The meaning
Even in the quietest moments
Take the long way home
Lovers in the wind
Every trick in the book
Don’t you want to get high?
Easy does it
Sister moonshine
A soap box opera
Brekfast in America
Say goodbye
It’s raining again
Lone Child
In Jeopardy
Dreamer
Hide in your shell
Rosie had everything planned
The meaning
Love is a thousand times
Death in a Zoo
Dreamer (extended version)
Had a dream
If everyone was listening
The logical song
Two of us
Give a little bit
Rotterdam June,4th 98
The meaning
Even in the quietest moments
Take the long way home
Lovers in the wind
Every trick in the book
Don’t you want to get high?
Easy does it
Sister moonshine
Breakfast in America
Say goodbye
Lone child
Love is a thousand times
Rosie had everything planned
Hide in your shell
Fools’ overture/Home again
Babaji/Lord is it mine?
Red lake/School
Dreamer
Death in a Zoo
The logical song
Two of us
Give a little bit
Tilburg June,7th 98
The meaning
Even in the quietest moments
Take the long way home
Lovers in the wind
Every trick in the book
Don’t you want to get high?
Easy does it
Sister moonshine
Breakfast in America
The garden
Say goodbye
It’s raining again
Lone Child
Love is a thousand times/A soapbox opera
In Jeopardy
Puppet dance
Dreamer
Hide in your shell
Rosie had everything planned
Death in a Zoo
Fool’s overture
The logical song
School
Two of us
Give a little bit
Amsterdam June,8th 98
The meaning
Even in the quietest moments
Take the long way home
Only because of you
Fool’s overture
Lord is it mine?
Every trick in the book
Don’t you want to get high?
Easy does it
Sister moonshine
Breakfast in America
Say goodbye
It’s raining again
Lone child
Cèst le bon
Rosie had everything planned
Hide in your shell
If everyone was listening
Child of vision
Babaji
Had a dream
Lady
Dreamer
Death in a zoo
The logical song
Two of us
Give a little bit
School / Fool’s overture