Zelden zulke slechte benen gehad. Ik kwam niet vooruit. Allerlei spieren deden pijn — een late reactie op de spanning van gisteren? Toch nog bijna drie uur gereden, van kwart voor vijf tot kwart voor acht. Prachtig weer, meest zonnig, beetje wolken en drie sputters van een bui waar ik onderdoor fietste. Warmer dan verwacht, nog een graad of 25. Kanne – Eben – Wonck – Bassenge – Roclenge – Boirs – Glons – [mooie smalle klim, waar de route met de roze pijlen naar beneden komt] – Slins – Anixhe – Hermee – Oupeye – Hermalle ss Argenteau – Wixhou – St. Remy – Blegny – Trembleur – Dalhem – Bombaye – Berneau – Moelingen – Lixhe – Lanaye – Kanne

That’s what it feels like, a bit: been there, done that. So now I can say: I have performed at the BIMHUIS, with Oorbeek and Koichi Makigami (what a sweet person he is, and what a performer!) I was nervous, I stayed in the dressing room for 2 hours, rehearsing.

Then, on stage, everything was fine & went fine. Heard quite a few good reactions, both from people who’ve seen us a few times (and probably would not hesistate to tell us if it was terrible), and from people who saw us for the first time. Sold a few cd’s. The audience was mainly a sunday afternoon crowd — it was the jew’s harp festival & I don’t think all of them enjoyed our way of making music. The chaos of it, the noisy bits, the changes from soft to loud to soft, the piecing together (or coming together) of various fragments. But it was pretty packed — and that felt, well, good of course.

It felt strange as well: in the past I’ve seen so many concerts of improvised music & free jazz — in the old BIMHUIS — by groups far better than us, for an audience of like 20. I don’t know what that means… I guess it means that this festival was marketing success. (The jew’s harp festival received al lot of publicity). So I wonder how many in the audience did think — let’s go for a nice sunday afternoon concert, and then thought, oh my god, what a terrible noise!

But it was a great joy to play with Koichi Makigami. And he, of course, was the star.