Shortly after my trip to the Lake District, I visited Amsterdam to meet with friends that had invited me to share some music with their collective Fulfillment Music Center. Although we had only met briefly at an exhibition in London, they welcomed me with open arms into their ‘Living Room Listening Session’.
It was a beautiful day. Juno welcomed us into their home and prepared food for all involved, while we set up our equipment. Handcrafted merchandise hung in the corner as smoked the exotic cigarettes that were also for sale along side other small trinkets. A crowd of people lay on blankets, sat on pillows or chairs while we performed, they listened intently and helped create a nice, calming atmosphere.
Everything was very intentional and allowed me to open up with this community like we had been friends for a while, even though this was the first time I was meeting a lot of them. Compared to the crowds I have been in here in London which tend to make me feel like I am not part of an in group, it was a total breath of fresh air.
After each performance there was time for questions or comments which was a great way for the audience to participate in the event. In between acts I recorded some of the many different conversations that were being had, so that I could play them back during my set. Similar to my time in the Lake District, I felt compelled to capture this period in song and it felt fitting to use these voices as the backdrop, reversed guitar, being outside of time.
I spent the rest of my few days exploring the streets of Amsterdam trying to learn as many dutch phrases as possible, one afternoon I was looking for stoop waffles when I came across one of the longest market streets I had ever seen. The birds pictured below trying to score an easy meal are where I get the name of the piece ‘Koning Afvalreiger’, which translates to ‘King Trash Heron’!