A wonderful evening!

On Friday 27 March 2009 the Extrapool club in Nijmegen staged another one of their "Audiotoop" evenings. The idea of Audiotoop is that artists from various disciplines create a radio play especially composed for the evening of the performance. This Audiotoop saw a performance of Edward Ka-spel and Silverman (of the Legendary Pink Dots) who staged 4 spoken word pieces with added soundscapes created by Silverman (with some additional scaping by Edward). Their performance was very exiting and much anticipated by me as this is something they normally don't do. The anticipation was justified; their performance was wonderful in every respect, the storylines, the music, even the small "performance" acts by Silverman. In all, very refreshing and great. After their performance ASRA was next; a collaboration between Timo van Luyk and Raymond Dijkstra. I was really looking forward to this set as I have a soft spot for both musicians' music. All albums by Raymond Dijkstra are highly recommended. Their stage set was scattered with loose small acoustic instruments, a piano and a tuba. Together they created the best live set I have heard in a long long time. Beautiful, spacious music with respect for all individual sounds and both performers. The audience was rightfully captured by the music; their respectful silence was impressive. After ASRA's set, there was a "jamsession" featuring all musicians, which was like most jamsessions; more of the same (so a very fine performance), only not as good as their individual performances. Audiotoop proved to be a very special evening. That night I met many friends, made a new one and shook hands with the brilliant Idea Fire Company-main man, Mr. Scott Faust who, as a true diva, made his grand entrance after Edward and Silverman had already started playing, and almost fell over Silverman's keyboard!

One little question...

Recently I received an invitation for "One little question", an internet initiative from Csoma Emoke where several artists are asked the same questions. It wasn't one little question though, it is more like 34 little questions. For those who never visit the internet, but stick to my blog only, here are my replies. Yet another truth from Wisdom City…

1. Is life an inspiration to make music or is music inspiration to live?
I'm very passionate about life. Music is part of life, so I'm quite passionate about both.

2. What would you do if there wouldn't be music, starting with tomorrow?
Write a good book.

3. What if you had to produce in a different music genre? What would that be?
Perhaps form a folk duo with Olga Wallis and sing acoustic songs about bearded dwarfs.

4. The beauty of silence or the chaos of noises?
The beauty of silence. I shredded my noise coat a long time ago.

5. What's your favourite album ever?
Impossible to say. I have many musical favorites.

6. And your favorite album cover?
Again, very difficult to pick one, but I have a weak spot for Dirk Wears White Sox by Adam and the Ants. Classy image, great font. The music is pretty good too.

7. Is there some music you like - but ashamed to admit it?
There is no music to be ashamed of.

8. If you could be a rock star, who would you be?
Paris Hilton.

9. Do you have a role model?
Not a person. Human values are a "role model" by which I try to live my life.

10. Who would you like to meet the most?
Paris Hilton? That would make for superior conversation on my side for a change...

11. What are your favorite movies?
Ghost World, West Side Story, Midnight Cowboy, Mulholland Drive, The Adventures of Robin Hood and TV series like Twin Peaks, Inspector Morse/Lewis, The Avengers TV series, The Prisoner.

12. If you had to direct your own movie, how would it look like?
Either some surrealistic film noir in reverse or a spectacular Technicolor extravaganza.

13. Who's your favorite writer or poet?
At the moment it's Murakami. His book The Windup Bird Chronicle is extraordinarily beautiful. Perhaps I'd love to make a film (including the soundtrack) of that one.

14. What's your favorite food?
Indian.

15. Do you prefer cooking or eating?
Both.

16. Name three things you love the most about women.
The fact that they think/act different to men and the fact they look better than men.

17. And three things you hate about them.
There is nothing I hate about women.

18. Which language would you like to speak most and why?
French. Classic and historical language that sounds beautiful. I hate Italian; all those whining sounds.

19. How would you describe yourself in 5 words?
Friendly, only slightly neurotic.

20. What are your vices?
Buying too many records for too much money.

21. What is the most unusual comment anyone has ever made about you?
Cue American drawl: "so your name is REALLY Freak? Hahahahaha!". So sad.

22. What was the nicest thing somebody ever did to you?
Book me a surprise holiday in Antwerp.

23. The best moment in your life?
Is yet to come. I'm a born optimist.

24. What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is the most important thing in life.

25. What would you do today if the world would end tomorrow?
I wouldn't mind that at all. I am happy with the life I have lived.

26. Which places you love the most?
Brighton, United Kingdom and my bed.

27. Who's your favorite superhero and why?
Mrs. Peel. No need to explain.

28. What's your favorite flavour?
The smell of a summer's day.

29. Three things you could never get rid of?
My guitar and my wife. In reverse order of course.

30. Your three favorite websites?
I like visiting Ebay for buying records.

32. What's your most favorite picture you made?
Please see my website at www.freekkinkelaar.nl One of the funniest pictures is on there, but it's not me, it's the Beatle-image.

33. What is the question you always would have liked to be asked but nobody ever did?
Would you like to have some heavy rumpty-pumpty with me in the back alley? Which, being married, I would have to decline.

34. (ask it yourself and answer!)
Yes.

Freek With Wound

Well, well – surprise, surprise! In the category "things I know nothing about, but happen all the same" is the release of the new Nurse With Wound album entitled The Surveillance Lounge, which will be out in a couple of weeks. This album, no doubt another highlight in the Nurse-canon, will feature the sampled voices of Miranda and me. We recorded a lot of silly children's verse and songs a few months ago for Andrew Liles, which were consequently used on one of his albums in his Black Series CD's. More bits of that session are now apparently used on the new Nurse album, which is a great thing as I always fancied being one of the Nurses with Wounds. As usual, I was informed after the act, which in this case is fine with me. However, if you read this and you are a member of Coldplay or Radiohead and you intend to use our vocals on upcoming albums (which in a sense would improve the quality of said albums), you have no permission.