Newsletter 6
Autumn '99
- 20versary party
Full steam ahead. The
coming quarter we'll mainly do a lot of gigs. Two major tours; one with
the amazing Fugazi in the US, this time the east coast, but also, after so
many years, we'll return to Italy. The first time was in 1981, a kind of
holiday-trip really, with four bands in a big coach, for two concerts, in
Milan and Bologna. We stayed in tents at a camping-site with a pool, and
it was terribly hot. The last one (1987) was long and chaotic. We remember
rice-salad and broken ribs, feedbacking PA's and a wrecked car, communist
festivals and noisy squats, wild gigs and always great audiences. So yes,
we very much look forward to go back!
And also going back to the US is a treat. Again we were asked by
Fugazi to join them in a different part of the US. We'll end the tour on
our own with two times two concerts at the Knitting Factory in New York
and a gig in Chicago.
Last month we've been practising a lot, doing the most important of all;
writing new songs. About five of them will be included in the set, other
ones are coming! Working titles like: 'reasonably sturdy', 'nigeria
without one', 'just after ten', 'not after six'... So that sounds good
already (and hopefully we'll remember which is which).The 20th anniversary
party
May the 29th it was, and it was totally fab. In a sold-out Paradiso in
Amsterdam we celebrated our 20th anniversary. With great bands and a great
audience. People came from all over Europe and even America to share this
evening with us in a fantastic atmosphere. A good time was had by all, and
we are very grateful for all you wonderful people who helped making it an
event we'll never forget. Thanks!!!
Shortcuts
+++ "Hallelujah, Anyway" is the title of the Tom Cora
tribute double CD, released on the TZADIK label of John Zorn. It's
compiled by Tom's long time musical companion Fred Frith. 39 songs by all
different people Tom used to play with. The Ex contributes with a VPRO
radio-session version of "The Flute's Tale". +++ 28th till the
30th of October we do a three day extravaganza at the Instant Chavirés in
Paris. Each night we'll do an improvised music set with a guest plus a
"regular" Ex set. The guests are Erik M on bas-clarinet (28th),
Xavier Charles with sampler and record-player (29th), and Jean-Francois
Pauvros on guitar (30th) +++ The 6th of November we play in Leuven,
Belgium for the activist magazine De Nar, which celebrates its 13th
anniversary. +++ 23th October we return to the HungaroCarrot Festival in
Budapest, Hungary. At the time we played the very first one, in 1988,
still in the East-block days. The impact then was incredible. We still
remember the scrummage with the "old style" National TV crew!
+++ 2nd November Terrie plays an hour of Ethiopian music on the VPRO
internet radio, from 13.00 till 14.00. Watch out for some unknown Mahmud
songs! +++ Or listen to the magnificant Ethiopiques number 6 and 7, both
Mahmud Ahmed CDs, resp. "Almaz" and "Ere Mela Mela".
+++ After our anniversary party we toured the whole of Scandinavia
together with Shellac. Some drives! But what a great combination! +++
Also, Andy's African Disco was a major succes at the amazing Nickelsdorf
Festival in Austria at the end of July this year. Each night after the
fantastic regular programme there was dancing in thee cellar till the
early morning. Gossip: violinist Mary Oliver got our GW Sok on the
dance-floor!!! But serious, this is THE festival. They also had their 20th
anniversary and it's still so alive and refreshing! Really worth going
there next year. Great music, food and atmosphere. +++ The next release in
the series of Hugh Tracey's legendary recordings from Eastern Central and
Southern Africa, on Michael Bairds' own Sharpwood label is "Kanyok
and Luba, southern Congo 1952 & 1957" (swp 011). There's some
wild and fantastic drumming on this latest cracker. Should be out in the
third week of October. E-mail: baird@xs4all.nl. +++ Han Bennink comes on
three new CDs. A double with guitarist Derek Bailey, done by sending each
other tapes by mail! A duo CD with New York tenor Ellery Eskelin and a new
one with the Tobias Delius Quartet. +++ The Ab Baars / Terrie improvised
duo CD "Hef" will be out soon. +++ And the same goes for the new
De Kift album. "Vlaskoorts" (i.e. Flax Fever) will be in the
shops in late October. +++ And our singles-compilation? Sok says: early
April. But can we believe him? +++ Kletka Red release their new CD due out
in October/November ... this time mostly with Russian text ... droney
Greek rembetika tunes ... a Russian song or two and some wild twangy jumpy
numbers... title still to be invented... +++ Our sales-queen Yoke is not
able to accompany us on our upcoming tours to Italy and the US. She's
expecting a little prince or princess, and she'll be replaced by Grrrt,
who isn't. So yes, the both of them are very happy! +++ And will Ab Baars
join us with his saxophone at our Rome concert? +++ Andy recently did a
couple of improvised gigs with Kaffe Matthews, a London based electronics
wizard (witch) ... who works with a live sampling programme (LiSa)
invented at Steim in Amsterdam ... there will be more ... +++ Dog Faced
Hermans finally re-release their first CD in the U.S. consisting of the
first two mini LPs ("Humans Fly" and "Every Day Timebomb")
and a single all on one CD ... Till now it had only been available in
Europe ... It charts their early pre-Amsterdam years while still in
Scotland... and comes out on the Texas based Loveletter label ... The CD
will be $10 ppd, Mailing info: Loveletter, 1846 Richmond Avenue, Houston,
TX 77098, USA, E-mail: lvlter@aol.com. +++ Colin made his first live
performance of his new Drum 'n' Bass project ... at Entrepotdok in
Amsterdam... It went fantastically well and he got many folks' feet poppin'
for well over 2 hours. +++ 4Walls, the new project with Luc, did an
amazing gig at the Amsterdam Bimhuis. +++ Our man in Germany Olav
Bearcatcher organises the friendly Wuppstock festival in Wuppertal, in
November. +++ The Monday in Chicago will be another John Corbett night of
improvisations. +++ Our joint "Fishtank" adventure with Tortoise
threatens to become our all-time hit thingy. +++ Katrin is invited to do a
gig with Iva Bittova! +++ We're trying to get some concerts at the
South-African festival in Grahamestown next year. +++ And we're invited to
play the Holland Festival 2000 with an Ex Big band. +++
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