GIG REPORT

The Dirty Scene Tour - 15/03/2003 - JH De Prik - Hooglede: Mise*en*Scene -  The Dirty Scums - The Thirsty Scums

OWN REPORT - 18/03/2003

Next stop in our Dirty Scene Tour was Hooglede. The organizers originally contacted us for a gig of The Dirty Scums but we could easily convince them to ask the complete Dirty Scene Tour. They had made a very fine concertposter on which figures a cow in a meadow with some trees. When we talked about it, they told us it was in fact the intention to take a photograph of the barbed wire of the meadow, but this wasn't really a succes. As the picture wasn't that bad, they anyhow used it for the poster. It was a bit difficult to find the youth club and when we asked the way at some locals, it seemed we even had passed it some kilometres ago. We arrived a bit before 7 pm and we received some help to unload the van, but still it was about 8.30 pm when everythin' was ready on the small stage. We were most welcomed by Ramones-music and while we were busy on stage we heard stuff from 999, the Jam, Eddie and the Hot Rods, the Buzzcocks, the Stranglers, Generation X, Stiff Little Fingers, ..., this surely wasn't by accident, they were really very aware of what they were doin'. Principal organizer Jan provided us regularly with a pint and all this made us feelin' very much on our ease. We had afforded us a second frontstage monitor the week before and it was the first time we would use it. Before, we always hired a monitor but when we made the financial total of all the times we had hired it, we nearly spent the same amount of buyin' a new one. In the mean time Mise*en*Scene had arrived with some of their females and they also had experienced difficulties to find the road to the club.

Although the entrance price of 7 euro was a bit high, by about 9 pm the pub was filled nearly completely. We didn't know that much people except for that beautiful girl with her beautiful eyes and also the bike-guy who was present at the Wondelgem-gig, only this time he was by feet. I also should tell that it wasn't in fact the youth club itself who was organizer, but some people of Hooglede who regularly organize concerts and then hire De Prik for these evenings.

A bit after 9 pm Mise*en*Scene kicked off and played on (my) demand again their "hey-ho let's go"-intro which they had occasionally played the week before on our 21st Anniversary Gig. The sound was excellent, and soon their crew succeeded in gettin' more people dancin' in front of the stage. They played very well, people were amusin' themselves a lot and I know it's fun then when you're on stage. Durin' the Mise*en*Scene-gig, we had our stand open but sadly we sold nothin', and I mean really nothin'. Luckily, Jan provided us from time to time with some beers.

After M*e*S had done this great job, it was our turn to hit the stage and I was quite relaxed to play. So were the other Scums I guess, 'cause as to myself I think we too played an excellent gig. I once forgot a piece of text, in the "18"-song I even sang some lyrix of another song (I don't remember anymore which one), I broke two guitarstrings, ..., would Jan have given me too much beers ? Also the crowd was enjoyin' themselves. The theory about bands playin' together breakin' the same guitar strings is not so bad: the first string I broke was again the same of the one that Qrizz broke durin' their gig.

Also The Thirsty Scums played very good and very relaxed, we think. Sadly, the M*e*S-ers were already turned home. We had added a new Ramones-cover "I can't give you anything" from their fantastic third album "Rocket to Russia". It's already the 6th song we play from this album and another 4 songs from the same album are used in our Ramones-medley ! It happens that people ask us after the Thirsty Scums-gig why we play their songs so fast, but not this time: there was this clever guy from the organizers who asked with a wink why we are playin' the songs on the same speed the Ramones themselves used to play them live.

We were very content after havin' played 2 good gigs (and also very thirsty of course), and the visitors too it appeared, 'cause we sold 15 CD's and two LP's, and no stuff from other bands. The guy responsible for the music did a very great job: we heard the most fantastic bands from the sixties till now, let's say nearly the complete rockhistory of the last forty years. We had good conversations with the organizers, drunk a lof of beer, and had a lot of fun  on this partymusic, I think all this is a good excuse for my drunkenness, no ? After a while Keez started to drink Gueuze (which is a bless for real beerdrinkers) while I had appetite for Leffe. Anyway, besides the fact I know we had a very good time I don't remember much details anymore (except for that big breasted girl), but this was certainly one of the best issues of The Dirty Scene Tour.

On our way home, Zjantie was hungry and we stopped along our way home in some Egyptian eatin' house. When we met each other two days later it seemed all three of us had been fartin' the whole Sunday and half of the Monday too, farts with a very horrible degree of a bad smell. I think this Egyptian tour will be postponed for some time.

Dirty Pik