Idols (I)

Discover. Get excited. Milestones & landmarks. Never to forget Idols that inspire. Adoration. Admiration. Respect. Positive vibrations.

O N E

Prince and The Revolution, live Parade Tour in Brussels (Vorst) August, 1986

T W O
Prince, live Sign O' The Times Tour in Antwerp (Sportpaleis) June, 1987

http://users.skynet.be/newpowersoul/belgium/prince_in_belgium_index.htm

So what is there to say about an artist who himself lost faith in the recording industry and in show business? He performs 21 nights in London this summer. Prince will kick off with 7 concerts in the doomed dome that's now officially called the O2 Arena.

I would never miss such an occasion, but... Something happened to my connection with the imp of the perverse. I feel that he is a brilliant has been. He used to do something to me with every record or song, word or note, his guitar, his piano, his drumming and his dirty dancing with Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Sheila E, Cat and even Candy Dulfer.

I will never forget the opening of the 1987 concert in Antwerp. It's June and too hot inside a sold out Sportpaleis. Now, here is one of the true great music-moments in my live.

It's at the very beginning of the concert. It's dark. Oh Yeah. Imagine the rhythm-track of Sign O' The Times. It's an anthem in itself, it knocks you out, a beat and sound you can pick from a million. Prince & Cat, extremely high up on the stage, wind blowing through their clothes, yellow and orange lights, Cat turns like a dancing dervish, Prince gives a Hendrix-inspired guitar performance, licking and bending and beating the six strings and he ruins his throat singing In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name. High on his heels he pushes and rides against Cat's ass. But if a night falls and a bomb falls Will anybody see the dawn? I'm all goosebumps, start to cry and cannot stand the thought that in a few moments this is going to be all over. It's the sign... of the Times. Than there's the drumming of a live band and it's coming from behind. The band marching in. Sheila E is leading the pack and they are all banging a drum. Eric Leeds, Dr. Fink, Levi Jr., Atlanta Bliss, you name them. There's tears all over my face and I don't want to hide them. This is a magical mystery moment. And all of a sudden it's Play in the Sunshine. Still a genius performing but the magic is gone.

I'm 100% sure the genius will be in the O2 Arena but it cannot beat that perfect momentum in the summer of 1987. If I'm in London in the summer of 2007 I'll visit HOW WE ARE, Photographing Britain in Tate Modern. If you pay 31,21 £ you can see Prince. 3121 is the title of his new album. I did not get it. My Prince was here for the last time 20 years ago.

Millenium Dome aka O2 Dome, London_2007

Athens is to blame

O N E

(23_05_2007)

They welcome you at the airport and there's blue banners in the streets. Like Istanbul was in May 2005 and Paris last year in the same month: this is UEFA Champions League City for a week. Athens is a city that I'm not very fond of. It's a permanent attack on your lungs, there's too many cars and I got ripped here once and that's something one can never forget or forgive. I trusted a man who insulted me by saying "You people from the West never got time." To prove that wrong I followed him to have a drink. The story ends with them taking their time to empty my wallet. It was 4 pm, broad daylight. It can happen everywhere but to me it happened in Athens.

Did the goddess take it's name from the city or was it the other way round? What came first deity or city? I cannot get my facts straight. That bothers me. And I blame Athens.

It's the eldest still inhabited city in Europe. People have been living here for at least 3000 years. In the 4th and 5th centuries BC there where almost 300.000 inhabitants in the area. In terms of population of the metropolitan area it's the number 14 in Europe. 3.799.134 people, last year... So it should be my kind of town. But it's not, no way. There is no chemistry. Athens is ugly, it's chaos but of the boring kind, there's no colour, I do not like the light, for me the vibes are negative, it never seems to inspire me and when it rains it smells like decomposing flowers. In a few minutes I reach the situation where I suspect people not to smile at me on purpose.

So who is going to blow the expensive Calatrava-roof off the stadium tonight? The well dressed Men & Women from Milan or the working class Anfield Boys & Girls? Will it be opera or The Beatles? The Cavern Club or the Scala? Being a Stones-guy myself, I don't have to choose. I want to see and say "excellent football" but I'm quite sure that I will not get any. But it's the final so circumstances are always special. And you know what? If it's a stinker, I've always got Athens to blame.

T W O

pippo, the clown that does not smile

(05_pm)

"Who needs Zeus when you've got Fowler?" was written on, without a doubt, the best banner I saw tonight. But Milan won Paolo Maldini's fifth Champions Cup. Now he is the eldest (39 in June) ever to captain a team in a European final. What a crap match it was. It proved that Liverpool needs more than one Gerrard to win these matches: one behind the ball and another in front of it, one to set it up an another to score. The match made clear that AC Milan is the smartest and the high quality team that deserves to win the 006_007 UEFA Champions League. Because coach Ancelotti is correct when he says: "I'm happy we've got a team with two faces. If they keep us from playing good football, we try it the other way." That's your total football in 2007.

wet feet guaranteed

Can't wait to leave Athens. I'm sure it will rain all day, tomorrow. Streets will get drowned and everybody will wear the wrong shoes. I got drunk in Fandango on Michalakopoulou. Nice bar, good music. It made me feel like going home. I miss my Highland Park (18 Years Old). And I blame Athens.

Deptford & Isle of Dogs_London, 2007

Paola- & Fabiola- & Herman246 & cetera

Check this out.

http://paola246.skynetblogs.be/

I'm sorry but you have to understand Dutch and/or Flemish... It's online theater, using every corner of the web, there is even more than I know and understand (youtube, twitter, flickr, skynetblogs...).

She is Paola. In Dutch I call her ontwapenend. She knocks you out, she is so fresh, so real but... a fake. She/they fooled me for, let's say, 20 minutes. In looking for more on the net I suddenly understood that they were pulling my leg. No harm done. You must enjoy, cheer up, do not take live too serious etc. When you can be serious when you should, there's no danger in being a phoney from time to time. Ask your kids or some kid you know, I'm sure they will understand. They love it when you act or when you play the fool. Even when you're a bad actor.
http://www.hetpaleis.be/events.php?id=157&parent=

Who?, London_2006

PS Now I found out that over this country's border they call her lonelygirl15.

http://one.revver.com/account/show/lonelygirl15