I woke up relaxed and smelling of coconut in Antwerp. I’d slept very well. I maybe was a little too relaxed. Nikki drops me off at the bus stop and I set about my journey and rejoining the group. I take the intercity train to Amsterdam. On the journey I listen to some Brian Jonestown Massacre. I lose myself looking out of the train window. I think about the wonderful life I have. How my music and my band means I get to travel so much to wonderful places with so many lovely people. I’m very lucky. I’m feeling quite emotional today.
I get into Amsterdam and take a walk to the Rijks Museum. I consider actually going in it this time but the queue is huge and it’s nearly 20 Euros to enter. I notice that I’m actually a little tired too. The heat is exhausting today. I decide to give it a miss and meet up with Jack and Dave. I get to Jacks place and chat for a bit before I just crash out on his sofa. I think I slept for over an hour.
Everyone agrees to meet at Sloterdijk station at 5.30pm in time for tonight’s show and everyone turns up on time. We all talk about our day off from each other. Dempsey went to Den Haag, Lotte went home to Rotterdam and watched TV. Dave went for a meal in Amsterdam with some money we gave him. Joel had a mild case of stigmata but not so much that he still couldn’t go cheese shopping. Will also tells me that the police was crawling all over the ADM before he came to pick us up.
As we arrive at the ADM the police had left but there is notice of eviction on the gate. These guys have been here for nearly 20 years. They have tried to fight the eviction lawfully through the courts too. The system seems to have other ideas for the place.
We drop our bags and pretty much immediately Me and Dempsey jump in the sea to cool down from the heat. It’s so hot. A dog even joins us and we play fetch in the water. It’s so much fun. I get out and dry off before dinner. I saw hello to Tim Loud and James Bar Bowen who are also playing tonight. The lineup is very familiar. It’s nice that we’re all playing together.
The show kicks off outdoors where The Rebel Poet, James, and Bettie Akkemaai all play acoustically outdoors. It’s brilliant on this summers evening. I sneak out in the middle of them to speak to Nikki on the phone and to try arrange seeing her again on Friday. I definitely am softening up these days.
It gets dark just in time for the Tim Loud band or Team Loud as he introduced himself on stage. It’s the first time I’ve seen him with his band and they are bloody brilliant. The pretty full crowd love them too. I tell all of the band that we need to be at our best tonight to follow them. Everyone agrees.
We hit the stage around midnight and by the third song the crowd our moving. People seem to be enjoying this. Especially ‘Sound of the Kraken’. ‘Kaassouffle’ started to bring out something extra in the crowd. It was pure joy. When we played ‘Under Attack’ I removed my custom ‘ADM XXX’ shirt that I made for the show and people want it. I told the crowd that it goes to the bar and if they want to buy it then that money can be donated to the legal fund. ‘Retaliation’ got me tonight. In the middle 8 section there’s a bit of a poem I wrote that’s made out of other songs and after the news that the ADM received today there’s a few sad faces. I didn’t realise I did it but I changed one of the lyrics to “The ADM will never be closed down” the cheer we received back was overwhelming. I’ve had all kinds of cheers at shows before but nothing like that. It hit me right in the heart. I fill up and think I’m going to cry. I keep myself together and the rest of the song I sing with even more passion than usual. Our last song was ‘Rock n Roll Kid’ I started the song by crowdsurfing over the intro. The crowd are really giving it some. Then Dempsey goes surfing whilst he plays bass. Incredible scenes. I’m in aww. Will Grinder has surely got to go next and he takes the challenge and plays a guitar solo whilst being carried around the room. Whilst introducing the band I get to crowd to chant “Love your Jorl”. They take the bait. Joel rises from his kit whilst beating his floor tom and passes it to me. I keep the beat going whilst Joel has his turn at crowd surfing. Incredible. Eventually he returns to the stage. By now there’s quite a few fully naked people in the crowd. Men and Women. It’s such a wonderful sight. As if things couldn’t get any more insane someone appears with a big old metal wheelbarrow and goes crowdsurfing in that. Fuck me what a show. As we finish up the song I sing ‘I put a spell on you’ and I adlib “Viva ADM” over the end too.
Afterwards I’m chatting to a guy who said the energy in the room tonight reminded him of the illegal rave scene in England in the late 80’s. Thats some compliment. We all drink and chat until about 4am. The residents of ADM promise to continue to fight the eviction. I promise that The Yallas will come back. “If were still here” someone replies. “You will be”. There’s a different spirit here. People won’t just calmly walk away. A man was telling me he’s been here for 20 years. His children were born and raised here. This is their home. After talking I cry a little more. Best be off to bed.
