I’m writing from Australia. I am staying in a pre-fab cabin with a thin roof. I’ve been here for 3 days, I think, maybe four. It’s been raining almost constantly since I landed, and this tiled and unfurnished room resonates the soft beating of the rain like a drum. It is very peaceful. My clothes are borrowed because the airline lost my luggage. It’s 5.45am and I’ve been awake since 1am. The jet-lag has devolved my brain into a soft, gelatinous swamp of grey matter, a melting-pot of unintelligible ideas, early life-forms, lungless and craving air. So it is I sit in yesterday’s clothes, unable to move at any speed much greater than evolution itself.
Anyway. I’m excited.
I want to tell you what I’ve been up to.
I played shows through the Corona times where I could, and dipped my toe into the placid waters of online streaming. Streaming was fun but lacked the teeth of a live show, I missed the heckles, cheers and tears of a live audience. It was the same beast, but caged, neutered.
So without shows to play, I had plenty of time for writing. And so wrote, I did. There’s three new albums in the works, poetry, and an animated theatre-piece.
Back in The Netherlands, the Dutch music scene has slipped loose the noose that was the Corona regulations. Live shows are back, restrictions are gone, venues are at full capacity and bands are coming in from all over the world again. As soon as the restrictions were lifted I was inundated with incredible show offers; Elliott Brood, Bob Wayne, book launches, private parties, residencies, a string of shows in Brazil sponsored by Licor 43 and biggest of all – Bevrijdingspop, a music festival with an estimated crowd of over 100,000 people.
But all of this I will get to in good time. I will fill you in on all the gory details and juicy gossip in an endless tirade of emails to follow.
So drag me out of your spam folder by my borrowed collar. Mark me as “safe” in spite of my name. Put me on your good-boy list. Email me back.
Look out for upcoming shows in UK and Europe, and if you’d like me to play a place near you, let me know and I’ll get to work on it.
Love you loads,
Dan