Show #13 – Channah

Channah (pronounced with that guttural Dutch ‘G’ sound at the front…not like Channa Massala…I discovered) is a singer originally from Zwolle who has been in Amsterdam for a few years now and has recently released her debut album ‘Syrup and Rain’.

We talked about NOT having a second career to fall back on, liking cakes and the peer pressure to succeed within the conservatoriums. She ably took up the challenge to play a track to see the show out (which had to finish dead on time, otherwise random punishment dealt out).

Listen back to Channah talking to us and playing live here.

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Show #12 – Vanilla Punch/Beatles in NL 50 years ago

It’s almost 50 years to the day that the Beatles came to the Netherlands to play 2 concerts in a vegetable storage depot in Blokker (we mean the fairly inconsequential town near Hoorn rather than the general household high street chain store). Prior to these concerts, the lads decided to go for a glass topped canal cruise around Amsterdam to enjoy the serenity and calm of our beautiful city, accompanied by 50,000 screaming bat-shit fans diving into the canals to try and reach them.

Apparently it was at this time, that they spotted some students wearing capes, which gave the band the idea to use them in the Help! Film and album cover. Perhaps the only time Dutch fashion managed to infiltrate popular culture.

Well, the Beatles never returned (yes, Lennon may have ensure bookings for room 902 in the Hilton will never be available again) and all we can do is commemorate this notable anniversary in own small way.

So, this week we were joined by Vanilla Punch who are resident house band at Café Nel. They are doing a special Beatles related performance on Tues 27^th May which will be followed by a Beatles related Pub Quiz and then Paul McCartney will round things off with a Beatles related puppet show (* one of these events will not take place).

On our show they did a couple of lovely versions of Beatles songs: “Because” and “Michelle”. You can listen to the entire interview here.

Show #11 – The Vondelbunker

Did you know there was a nuclear bunker in Vondelpark that is now used as a music venue and rehearsal space? Did you really? Well, not a lot of people know that. Matt visited the guys there to do a behind the scenes interview to find out more of the fascinating history of this space. Pink Floyd even did a gig there in the 60s. If you go down there today, you can still see the original air pumps, powered by excercise bikes to keep the shelterers alive.

Well, unless the Russians change their minds about bombing us any day soon, then the Vondelbunker will continue to be one of the most quirky of music venues in this town.

You can listen back to the interview here.

 

Other guff in the show included a barely credible analysis of Eurovision, and some splendid new tunes from Awanto 3, CHEATERS and Tune-Yards. Entire show is yours by clicking on this conveniently linked word here.

Show #10 – London Calling preview

Alex standing in for Matt. And he dragged in a slightly squiffy Katty to give some pre-London Calling analysis. So you have the opportunity this weekend to be a future smug git and say, “Saw them when they just started out. It was intense. They were so much better then”. Tracks by Jungle, Public Access TV,  Wild Cub, The Klaxons, Young & Sick, Royal Blood, a gushing, simpering review of Ben Kahn.

Lordy. They even managed a bit of Eurovision preview (so broad is their remit, so dedicated to digging in the darkest recesses of the music world). Listen back to the show here.