great concert....crap photos.









"afterparty" with the band-gidionics designer w. relaxes.
we meet thom yorke but are flatly denied permission to
photograph.




gidionics head back into town and end up
in cafe diepte......

amsterdam plays host to the "uitmarkt"
-an annual festival to mark the beginning
of the dutch cultural season-theater,dance,
cabaret and music.this year the festival takes
place in the center of the city with the main
stage on the dam



mobile pisbakken on the nieuwmarkt...



jostling for a good view on the dam



evening show on the dam-medley of songs from
hit musicals



fair enough but when a brat begins to sing from
the musical annie we beat a hasty retreat...

little boat

with the excuse of watching football,gidionics head
out into the amsterdam night for the first time in
ages.
the nes cafe seems to be the right venue





later on whilst heading home we pop into the soundgarden
for a nightcap.gidionics bump into alex for the first time in
ages.this results in a nostalgic chat.




we drank to your health.

gidionics pass the new station bijlmer as
we head down to the efteling-a fairytale theme
park

first stop is the efteling hotel-our lodgings for
the evening-and then on to sample the delights
of the park



elf village



fakir on flying carpet



our favourite ride-villa volta

python stomach in your mouth
rollercoaster



dragon



goatwoman



hansel and gretal sweetie house



tom thumb and giant

rare sighting of a poet at work

abandoning the disguise of gidionics we
venture to the amsterdam photographers
evening (fotografen avond) ,gideon d.j. smit
is back in town after a long absence.

mr aloys ginjaar-the man responsible

it was only in recent months that calexico
came to our attention after hearing the
album "feast of wire" which quickly became a
firm favourite on the hotel smit stereo.
with this new music fresh in our heads the chance
to see them live could not be missed.

we are not alone.....the paradiso is packed to the rafters.




"feast of wire" proves to have been a good introduction
to the music of calexico with it's mix of styles-folk,country
and rock-where arizona and mexico meet,the soundtrack
to accompany a trip across the desert.

the band take the stage and the journey begins...














they may release good albums but we discover
that calexico come into their element as a live band.
from simple country ballads to mexican folklore to
distorted guitar segments that remind us of sonic youth
many years ago-we are swept along for the ride

calexico return to the stage twice to satisfy
an ecstatic crowd.their final song is a cover
of corona by the minutemen (one of our all time
favourite u.s bands)-one of the finest live moments
in years that leaves us breathless......



a well deserved standing ovation..



www.cascadecalexico.com

.

gidionics luckily miss the paranoia and
panic in london when the threat of a terrorist
attack returns to the innocent travelling public.
when the planes are back in the air above amsterdam
they are flying low because of the bad weather......
still an unsettling feeling as they pass low overhead

an abandoned parachute?
is there a secret invasion taking place?

all good things must come to an end.
we head underground



a reminder of our destination



sunset over the familiar dutch landscape
as we approach amsterdam

back to london



a walk along the thames






hammersmith bridge



return to the anglesea arms for a final gathering

sunset over compton martin

a small gathering



scrumpy tasting in local pub



chris the fish pops round



spot the fake

the big green gathering was begun some years
ago at fernhill farm in somerset as an offshoot
from the the glastonbury festival.
a celebration of green issues and alternative lifestyles.
time to change gear,slow down and relax.....




pedal powered kiddies disco bike....



everything for sale......



the last chance saloon.....



lifestyle from a forgotten time....

tipi field......



time machine tent.....



big horns.....



magic balls....



jazz in the "healing field"....

a rolls royce silver shadow-perfect floating mattress
for our trip into the historic town of wells to pick up
tickets for the big green gathering



milo at the helm whilst gidionics and siblings
don large sunglasses and sink into the cream
leather interior-windows down and the wind in
our hair.

we leave the london smoke behind us for the
weekend as we head to the retreat deep in the
somerset countryside...........