Gutenabend alle,
Ich habe leider keinze Zeit gehabt um eine Ubersetzung im Deutsch zu machen (wir fahren Morgen früh ab für ein kurzes Urlaub). Also, dan aber in English. Im kurzen: wir haben ein sehr schönes Fan Treffen gehabt in Baambrugge. Un vielen dank an Gene und Lilly das sie die lange Reise gemacht haben. Es war sehr toll sie beide wieder zu sehen. Und vielen dank an Karlheinz für seine grüß-Video. De Holländische Fans habben genossen !!
grüß,
Klaas
Personal review Dutch Beach Boys Baambrugge Convention 2024 (BBC2), October 19, 2024
So, a week has passed. And I’m on my feet again, after a beautiful Saturday in Baambrugge. Sunday I could let it all sink in and then another busy work week started. With a new weekend and a short vacation ahead of us, I now take the opportunity to look back on last Saturday's fan meeting.
Actually, the days, no, weeks before were increasingly focused on arranging and preparing everything. With about 30 guests expecting a nice afternoon and evening, I had set the bar high to make it something special. For the most part, everything was nicely on schedule. For the surprise video though - which was not on the official program - not at all
. But I had expected that.
For me, the meeting started a day earlier. I had the honor of receiving some of our foreign guests. Gérard, who had come over from France especially for this meeting, I was able to greet at home for a pleasant afternoon. In the evening I could welcome Gene and his daughter Lilly from Germany. I was a special guest there during the German fan meeting last September – now I could return the favor. And – not to forget: we also had fans over from Denmark (Rasmus) and Switzerland (Marco). You can safely say that we had an international meeting. Which required some extra effort from me to make myself understood in English and German (I really couldn't speak French and Danish).
Saturday started out pleasantly drizzly. But miraculously it cleared up around noon. I was present early in to set everything up in the community hall De Vijf Bogen. Chairs, tables, the sales/exchange corner, music corner for the performances. And of course the digital heart of this day: laptop, projector, screen, audio equipment. It will not surprise you, but everything worked like a charm (at that time
). Around 13:45 we moved over to Café De Punt, where everyone gathered for the first official part of the program. After a cup of coffee, tea, soft drink or something stronger – and of course after soaking up the atmosphere of this beautiful café (I think the interior has hardly changed after all these years) – we walked towards ‘The Barn’ around 14:15, a few hundred meters further on. In other words, the farm behind which is the site where the BBC2 studio used to be. No, nothing here reminds of what the interior used to look like. But thanks to photos from back then and eyewitness accounts and sketches, I was able to give those present a good idea of what it used to look like.
Around 14:45 this tour ended, and we moved to the community hall. Here everyone had the chance to get acquainted, sometimes with friends we last saw decades ago. But a surprising number of fans preferred the many boxes of sales and exchange material to browse through in advance. And of course everyone was handed the obligatory button and programme booklet at the entrance. Around 15:30 the first documentary was on the program. And then the technology turned out to be a bit more stubborn at the moment suprême and the audio let us down. With help of Marnix we got an alternative connection working (thanks for that!). A documentary about The Making of Western Justice. A fascinating insight into the life and work of Jack Rieley, only shortly after his departure as manager of The Beach Boys.
Then it was time for the sing-along. Beforehand the part where I had the most difficulty estimating how we would do. Because even though we had practiced in advance – we had not yet practiced together. But that worry turned out to be unfounded. In fact – it went beyond expectations. With Gjalt and Marnix as a fixed anchor for the “1972-era” numbers we were able to put down a solid set. With true multi-part harmonies by Hans and me, and surprising newcomer Frank! But there was certainly also room for the classical work of the gentlemen. With which we started and ended. And Hans and Jelle took us along, again supported by Gjalt and Marnix, but also the surprising 2nd pianist John. What a wonderful setlist we all put together:
1. Help Me Rhonda,
2. California Girls
3. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
4. Marcella
5. Sail On Sailor
6. Funky Pretty
7. Sloop John B. (with Dutch lyrics)
8. Steamboat
9. Don’t Worry Baby
10. Farmer’s Daughter
(correct me regarding the order of the last songs, if I am wrong; I was already working on the next part)
It was almost not fun to ask our musicians to stop the music. Because we were allowed to welcome a new guest; director Monique Lesterhuis. 20 years ago she made a beautiful documentary about The Beach Boys in the Netherlands. But “Made in Holland” did not make it to an official broadcast, simply because another documentary by Andere Tijden was already in the making. 20 years later, the fans finally got the chance to see it. A real treat. With interviews with Blondie Chaplin, Ricky Fataar and Van Dyke Parks. But also insiders from the Netherlands, such as Don Willard and Mrs. Gentenaar (owner of the farm).
Afterwards we had the opportunity to order a simple meal; a snack at the bar or order from the local pizzeria. We also immediately seized the opportunity to take a group photo. And then again to browse through the bins for that one item that was still missing from the collection.
And during this intermezzo it was also time for the surprise video. The project “video greet” appeared on the screen. The audience was treated to messages from Scott Totten, David Beard (ESQ), Stephen Kalinich, Val Johnson-Howe (BBB), Karlheinz Regenberg (BBFC & California Saga), Probyn Gregory (who also spoke in Dutch – respect!), Scott Bennett (with an extra surprise, letting us hear an early outtake from the TLOS sessions)… and finally Spud and T-Bird Tim from Drifting Sand…. and Al Jardine himself (with a wonderfully sung alternative intro of California Saga - California! As an encore we also had an interview with David Leaf. A conversation that I hope to be able to share later in this FB group.
After we had recovered from that, the attendees were allowed to charge up for a real knowledge test: the Beach Boys Pub Quiz. In 6 rounds - including a picture round, a music round and a Holland theme round - the teams struggled through the questions. And those were quite tough sometimes. Where halfway through a clear victory seemed to be looming for a true BB-veterans team among us, it turned out that the music round in particular (only instrumental intros) was a real killer and it became very exciting at the end. But Gjalt and Gabriël managed to crown themselves the winners by a narrow margin. With Willem and Jo-Anne as very honorable runners-up.
And with that we closed the evening and the attendees could return home more than satisfied.
Finally - the lessons learned:
- Don't rely on wireless and bluetooth (always bring cables)
- Next time I will expand the organizing committee with 2 people. That makes the preparation and the day itself a lot quieter for me (because I myself had little time to sit back and chat.
But... I enjoyed it very much !
Be sure to check out the FB group ‘Beach Boys Nederland’ (
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1694121897475942/), where you can find more pictures and videos.
Café De Punt
At the site of the former BBC2 studio
Lots to buy or trade
Sing along!
BBC2 2024
Bonus pics:
. But I had expected that.