Bill Wyman in the flatlands

Last week I received a request from Bill's PA in London to pick up Bill and Toni, the Rhythm Kings tourmanager.We are going to take them to Apeldoorn. The rest of the band is to follow later on the day, soundcheck at the Gigant is due at six. On Sunday 1:30 my friend Arie and I arrive at the hotel. TV celeb Ad Visser and singer Hind will do a filmed interview at the Coda Museum, TV Gelderland will follow. We arrive in Apeldoorn round three and park behind the Gigant, to sneak inside through the back door. People start flocking as soon Bill has entered the main hall of the exhibition.

Ad Visser and Hind are introduced to the Master and the interview takes way longer than expected.
Bill talking to Dutch crimewriter Violet Le Roy, who presents Bill with a copy of her debut novel.

After this interview Bill talks to TV Gelderland and to fans before he officially opens the exhibition by signing his autograph on one of the panels.
We head for the museum restaurant, where a journalist from Haarlem talks to Bill and I get the chance to chat up to Ad Visser for about half an hour. At six it is time to go to the adjacent building, the Gigant. We follow Bill to the dressing room, where he signs a few 'Wyman Shoots' posters. Soundcheck follows and then we join the RKs for dinner. To my surprise I am seated next to Georgie Fame! We talk about music (jazz!), England and so on. Then we head for the Gigant, where the band plays for a good crowd, full house!
The following days I am not able to attend any other RKs gigs, because school is rather demanding.... On Tuesday though I am invited to go and see Ian MacLagan at Paradiso. A good show, afterwards I talk to Ian and hand him the Wyman Shoots poster. Ian recognizes one of the photos that were taken in the 1980s at a rehearsal: "I remember that one, I was there too!"
Saturday means a day off for the Rhythm Kings, so I take Georgie Fame to the Bimhuis by Amsterdam tram. We receive a warm welcome at the Bimhuis. When we arrive back at the hotel, we go to the bar, where we find Bill and Terry Taylor and we have a few drinks. When I cycle home I listen to Georgie's Classic Beats on my iPhone....
Sunday morning I have get up early. This is an early show, which is welcomed by everyone in the band. My brother is over from Spain, together we catch a train to Haarlem at 12. When we arrive at the venue (Philharmonie) we go backstage to say hello. Before the show starts I distribute Wyman Shoots flyers.

The band plays bloody fantastic, we have got a great view from the balcony. My thoughts go back to my late father, who joined me to see the RKs in Jan. 2006, same venue. I asked him whether he had been to the venue before, to which he replied:"Oh yes, last time I saw Louis Armstrong here!"
After the show my brother and I join the band backstage for a beer. Then it's time to go back to Amsterdam. As it's Sunday, Georgie Fame sings a hymn on the bus, assisted by the rest, a ripple of laughter fills the bus as the others join in the chorus.

Monday means spending an entire day at school, after which I rush off to Amsterdam, to catch the RKs coach. Georgie Fame sits down next to me and we chat away the time.
We arrive in Hoorn around 6:30, a quick soundcheck, which gives me opportunity to take a few snapshots on stage.


After sharing some pasta with the band I leave some 150 exhibition flyers in the hall of the venue. Georgie plays another hymn before showtime: Jerusalem, traditionally played at Last Night Of The Proms.

As it is a full house we are kindly offered seats on the left side of the stage. Geoffrey is the roadie who provides us with some refreshments, what a sweetheart he is! Bill has invited three young lads from a local music school to watch the show from the stage and they are even invited backstage to get Bill's autograph on their guitars. The view of the stage from where we are seated is splendid!


After the show Bill is interviewed by Amsterdam Culttv and then it is time to head back to Amsterdam. Again it is Georgie Fame who leads with a hymn. On the way back he tells me that he learned to play music in church, that may account for his fascination(?) with hymns. When the bus finally reaches Amsterdam it is time to say goodbye. This has been one hell of a week! To be continued!