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| EUROPEAN TOUR 2006 | |
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- Private Collection - |
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"Thank You to all the people of Holland, Germany, Belgium, France & UK for your warm hospitality during our visit. I hope that we see you all again in the near future." - VJ King Jr |
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| Essential Equipment | Will it all fit |
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| Sydney International Terminal Check In | London Heathrow in transit to Amsterdam |
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| London Heathrow | Amsterdam a big relief to see this item of baggage arrive |
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| Ready to meet up with the Wolf Mail Band | Amsterdam Airport Vehicle Rental Desk Chris Russo / VJ / Wolf Mail / Leo |
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| Amsterdam Airport Vehicle Rental Desk VJ and Wolf Mail | Leo's Den VJ inspecting Leo's Zipppo lighter collection |
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| Day 1 Rotterdam Hotel carpark | Michel and Esther's home Emerick DE en route to Schortens DE |
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| flanking move while off guard trying to make friends with Michel and Esther's dog |
Wolf Mail Chris Russo VJ King Jr Michelle & Esther |
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| Fair Cafe Schortens DE tuning Wolf Mail's 1957 Telecaster before the gig | |
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| Fair Cafe Schortens DE | |
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| a rare sight for us to see the sun in Europe | |
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| Therapy | Power Nap |
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| Groenedijk Motorcycle Loft Hotel - Oudenburg BE | |
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| Groenedijk Motorcycle Club - Oudenburg BE | |
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| Wilhelmina Cafe (Eindhoven) - larger building left of centre stayed at Hotel Benno - white building on right | |
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| Wilhelmina Cafe | Wilhelmina Cafe |
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| Dining at Strasbourg FR | Getting directions to the hotel from James Cafe - Lyons FR |
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| James Cafe - Lyons FR | James Cafe - Lyons FR |
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| Jacks Blues Cafe Nice FR | |
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| Jacks Blues Cafe Nice FR | |
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| Dinner at La Guinguette before the show | Pizza Specialθ |
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| Sand lot bowling Nice, France | Arsen Shomakhov Jack's Blues Cafe |
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| Wolf Mail - VJ - Little Jimi Jacks Blues Cafe | |
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| Hard to keep your eyes open at this hour of the morning | Little Jimi (Marseille, FR with VJ backstage |
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| Hotel Landgastof Rhine River (Braubach) DE en route Nice to Amsterdam | |
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Marksburg Castle Marksburg is the only hill castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed. It has been lived in for over 700 years and thus represents an ever-changing and
developing building
complex that has been growing into its present shape over the
centuries. |
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| Hotel Landgastof picture taken of our hotel through one of the Marksburg Castle's telescopes | |
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VJ with Aussie ex-pat and original 50s Ramrods' keyboardist, Gary Moberley Haddenham Bucks UK Gary toured with The Bee Gees and Little Richard among other high profile artists |
Geoff and Eileen Strachan Buntingford Herts UK Geoff is the CEO of Shadowsland and Eileen a great Cliff Richard fan |
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VJ ready to celebrate Guy Fawkes' notorious 1605 treasonous (but unsuccessful) Gunpowder Plot to blow up King James 1st and the Houses of Parliament Wilson Residence Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs UK |
Jazz and Blues guitarist John Coverdale with VJ Royal Botanic Gardens Kew UK JC and Peter Andrews (VJ's guitar tutor) played together in London in the 70s |
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the 2i's as it once was |
the 2i's as it now is |
| The 2 i's An Australian Connection | |
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British Rock 'n' Roll was pioneered in London's 2I's coffee bar in Soho, where, from 1956, a number of cafes became the springboard for an organic pop music culture in Britain. These coffee bars served as meeting places for youth subculture and the only ground for nurturing and testing young aspiring artists with musical ambitions. The 2Is cafe on 59 Old Compton Street lays claim to launching the countries biggest stars of the time Tommy Steele and Terry Dene and hosted regular performances from what was to become the new generation of popular musicians, performers who were inspired by American Rock 'n' Roll, and who established an indigenous brand of the new music form in the UK. At a time when Rock 'n' Roll was booming, the 2i's became an extremely lucrative business. |
Originally owned by the two Irani brothers (hence the name), the 2i's was sold to two flamboyant Australian professional wrestlers, Doctor Death (Paul Lincoln) and 'Rebel' Ray Hunter who transformed the languishing establishment into a thriving icon of the Rock 'n' Roll era. The downstairs basement housed a battered old piano, a small riser (stage) and a couple of power points. Here, in this very modest of showcase venues, there emerged future household names. Among them, Ian Samwell, Bruce Welch, Hank Marvin and John Rostill (Shadows), Cliff Richard, Carlo Little, Gary Glitter, Ritchie Blackmore, and Tommy Steele. While the 2i's mainly featured Rock 'n' Roll many other influences, such as blues and skiffle, co-existed there and in many other coffee bars around Soho, London. |
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The Drifters (1958) - (left to right) Terry Smart, Harry Webb (later, Cliff Richard), Ian Samwell, Norman Mitham downstairs in the cellar beneath the 2i's Coffee Bar |
Monday, 27 September 2006 at the unveiling of the 2i's plaque Brian Bennett, Cliff Richard, Bruce Welch, Liquorice Locking Charles McDevitt and Wee Willie Harris |
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VJ King Jr, duty free shopping at London's Heathrow airport prior to his 10 November flight home to Sydney, Australia |
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photos by SwapRat |
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acknowledgements |
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Wolf Mail (Euro Tour Host & Headline Act)
Chris Russo (drums) - Michel Mulder (bass) - Leo (Road Assist) Andrew & Judith Wilson (hosts in Stoke on Trent UK) Geoff & Eileen Strachan (hosts in Buntingford UK) Johan Rutjens at WaterLand Productions (backline hire in Venlo NL) |
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Johan Rutjens WaterLand Productions (supplied VJ's Fender Twin amplifier)
Waterland Productions Venlo NL "... the best in backline equipment rental ... " |
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© 2006 HeartBeat Entertainment |
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