E-Live 2015

Last Thursday, October 22nd, I got a phone call from Ron Boots: Kjetil Ingebrigtsen - the act for the upper room at the E-Live Festival - cancelled due to illness. Just 2 days before the festival was to take place.
Ron asked me if I was able to perform instead. I instantly accepted the offer. Besides, he also contacted Hans van Kroonenburg (aka Skoulaman).

Soundcheck.
(Jeroen Hagen, Petter Janse, Hans van Kroonenburg,
Mario Schönwälder)

There were three slots in between the concerts on the main stage, which we could make use of. Within the first slot (13:30-14:30) Hans performed a one-hour solo set, which he also played last week at Awakenings, in the U.K.
We agreed to reserve the second slot (17:15-19:00) for the concept I had in mind.
And we could also have done something with the third slot (20:15-21:00), but in the end we decided to let this unused.

Recently, I discussed with Petter (guitar player from my band Free Arts Lab) about the excitement of doing a gig without preparing anything at all in advance. So this came in mind directly for the content of the thing I wanted to do at E-Live.
This was also the reason that I contacted Petter immediately after Ron Boots' phone call. And (indeed) he said yes to my question if he would like to join in an unprepared music session.
From this point I also asked Jeroen (drummer from Free Arts Lab), who also said yes without any hesitation, and even cancelled all his appointments for Saturday.
When I contacted some other fellow-musicians, most of them already had other things to do for October 24th. Mario Schönwälder actually always is present on the festival with his label Manikin, and confirmed with excitement (we already shared the same stage once before, back in 2010, during the Ricochet Gathering in Berlin). Only two hours or so in advance, David Wright (who is also present every year at E-Live and E-Day with his A.D. Music label) also confirmed. He also was very enthusiastic about the thing we were about to do.

Hans van Kroonenburg, me, David Wright,
Mario Schönwälder.
(Photo by Phil Booth)

Petter set in the first notes while the people started to enter the room. The ambient atmosphere he created with his guitar remained 10 minutes. In the meanwhile, respectively Hans and I set in filling the ambience. After this slow movement, the first sequence was introduced. Mario generated effects, and later on also lead sounds, with his i-Pad and i-Phone. Jeroen took place behind his drum kit when the sequence was on its way 5 minutes. David struck the first keys of my Yamaha EX5 at the 40 minutes mark, playing various parts with strings, piano, and a lead. From that point sequencing, rhythmic parts and intermezzos alternated. After approximately 80 minutes we finished our improvisational session.

According to how things sounded and felt to me during the performance, and the response and reactions from the audience, things seemed to have worked out rather well. Nevertheless I had some points for improvement for a certain kind of appearance in future. But this actually always it the case.
Although the program for the upper room seemed not to be clear to everyone, combined with the fact that our session was scheduled simultaneously with the dinner break (which I well-considered, so we had available all the time to create something and do the thing we wanted to do), didn't result in an entirely full house. But the main purpose was achieved: All musicians (including myself) really enjoyed ourselves, doing together what connects us all: making music!

Ash Ra Tempel.

As grand finale of the day, I visited the headlining concert by Ash Ra Tempel (Manuel Göttsching and Lutz Lüül Graf-Ulbrich). A great concert (the only one I witnessed, due to my own performance) which only got better as the concert progressed.

Many thanks to Ron Boots for giving me the opportunity again to perform at the E-Live Festival. Much appreciated, and as always it was a pleasure and honour to be part of the line-up. Which was my fifth time by the way.

Thanks a lot to all friends who joined on stage: my friends from Free Arts Lab (Petter Janse (guitar), Jeroen Hagen (drums)), Hans Kroonenburg (synths and sequencing), Mario Schönwälder (i-Pad and i-Phone), David Wright (synthesizer). None of them prepared anything, and none of them knew what to expect. Much respect for accepting my invitation for this very last-minute experience.

And last but not least, big thank you's to everyone who attended our session.


Now I am looking forward to the next gig, which will be a showcase with Free Arts Lab, accompanied with our debut EP release, at the Patronaat Cafe in Haarlem, on December 20th.
Support: chill-out ambient sets by C-Jay.
Entrance is free.
We hope to welcome you there!
Information: http://www.patronaat.nl/20-12-2015/free-arts-lab-ep-presentatie-%2B-c-jay