MikeBeck.us - Tour Diary - Friday, November 22, 2002

Grandcafé de Troubador
Chicago Mike CD Presentatie
Hardenberg, The Netherlands
Friday, November 22, 2002

An amazing evening and a highlight of the tour... Tonight friends and fans from all over Europe and the USA came together in an out of the way town in the Netherlands called Hardenberg, just a few kilometers from the Western border of Germany.

Many of the people we met during the previous seven weeks of our tour, as well as many friends made during my first five tours of Europe, showed up to celebrate the release of my premiere CD Chicago Mike. After a brief warm-up set by Jared Gallardo & Band, Big Eyed Beans From Venus took the stage. The band was in rare form, putting on an absolutely devastating performance. Dutch blues-rockers Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight then played a set that kicked everybody's ass! I joined HPM for a fourth song, their biker anthem Harley Song, which appears on their new Half Past Midnight: Live In Chicago CD. We recorded the new HPM CD in September before a studio audience at Paragon Studios, just prior to the start of the Beans' Fall European tour. Rob returned to Chicago in early October for mixing with Paragon's Chief Engineer Jack LeTourneau. Their official CD release is scheduled for December 14, 2002.

Though they are a hard act to follow, Big Eyed Beans From Venus got back on stage for a final set. One of my favorite musical moments of the evening was Wieke Van Der Veen's soulful rendering of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. HPM's Rob Orlemans and Jared Gallardo climbed back on stage for our finale, a ripping version of Jimi Hendrix's Stone Free... It was amazing! Jeremy Hughes on keys, John Flanders on sax, and three ferocious electric guitarists... Frank Curtis, Jared Gallardo and Rob Orlemans. Wow.

Soundman Gerrit Schaap recorded the show on DAT, so you may be able to listen to some audio highlights here in the coming weeks. Check back soon or send me an email, asking to be notified when the MP3s have been uploaded.

Big thanks to De Troubador owner Herman for providing such a wonderful venue for my CD release party, and to Gerrit Schaap and second engineer Jeroen for making us sound so good. Thank you to all friends, fans and family for journeying so far to celebrate with me, and to all the great staff at De Troubador for taking such good care of us. We can't wait to come back!

John and Jared, onstage at De Troubador. Among the crowd, enjoying Jared's grooves.

The Beans take the stage! And Jared takes a break.

Rob Orlemans on stage with Half Past Midnight: Piet Tromp (bass) and Yuri Yeryomin (drums). Piet Tromp of HPM.


John and Jared, onstage at De Troubador.	Among the crowd, enjoying Jared's grooves.



		The Beans take the stage!	And Jared takes a break.



			Rob Orlemans on stage with Half Past Midnight: Piet Tromp (bass) and Yuri Yeryomin (drums).	Piet Tromp of HPM.