Magneetic

Wow, the first chapter of the very special Magneet Festival is over.  After a month of sleeping in a tent in the sand, putting dirty socks on that turn your stomach everytime you do, drinking from a hose pipe, swimming naked in the river, singing round the campfire in a teepee at sunrise,  meeting some of the most amazing people and feeling like we had all been a part in something special, I feel proud to have been involved with such a festival.......

I was excited as soon as I saw the advert for volunteers, I knew I wanted to get there as soon as I could, I had spent the last 12 days in a tent at a noisy campsite, and my gut instinct was pulling me to the festival.  I was told to arrive on Sunday at 12, so I managed to find the place in the middle of this old industrial island in the East.  It is such a strange place, like a beach in the middle of nowhere, with sea shells everywhere!  And one big sand dyke surrounding it all.  I was completely out of clean washing by this point, had no money whatsoever, and a quarter pouch of Duin tobacco to last me.  I showed up in my dirty moleskin jacket and shirt and in the windy ness of the flat lands of Amsterdam was met with such a warm welcome by the handful of people involved from day 1.  The first job was putting up this semi circular shed to start storing things in, and though I am no trained construction worker, I helped and mucked in as much as I could.  No job was thankless no matter how small.  From moving a pile of wood from here to there, to digging a ditch for the beer, to bringing a cold beer to the workers.  The team was growing from day 1, and it seemed like a festival was starting to take shape!  Soon the big tents went up, then the decorations.  My heart will always smile for the people on 'Decoration Row'  I was looked after from the very first moment of arriving, there was always a butty and some cheese, and a cold beer to keep you going.

I did no busking in this first week, but got to know and spent some great nights singing round the campfire with some amazing people who were building the first Magneet Festival.  The Thursday night before it opened, it stunned me how many people were now here!  The campfire was roaring and I was playing guitar when these travellers from Hungary arrived, they joined in the jam and the girl was dancing and singing, and hitting the drums and throwing herself rhythmically into each note and beat.  Shimoo, was scatting and singing this hungarian song and then we went into a version of Gypsy man in new york.  The people that this festival had bought together could tell there was something special in the air about it and that Thursday night was a very memorable opening ceremony.  The second week of construction work, I had been going busking a lot more in the evening once we finished work.  I would have a few beers then go hunting for the perfect speck.  My starter bridge was just too quiet, so I moved along and found another that had a good flow of walkers on it!  And little did I know, it was only round the corner from Rembrandt plain (that is the main stage of the Amsterdam busking circuit)  I was making about 20 euroes an eveniong for a few hours of playing.  Then I would go to a coffee shop, have a cuppa tea ana joint then go back and play.  But I would just close my eyes and feel every word of the song.  People would stop and video me, and compliment my voice which was fuel to  keep me going and have a belief in what I do.  I knew though, that the ultimate prize is the rembrandt plain, but everyone there uses amplification , but at least people can sit and listen.  A week of busking that bridge and I was ready to move on to a better spot.  There was this wonderful thunderstorm one day while out busking.  So I stood under a tree and watched the rain pour and pour and soak everything.  I watched rembrandt plain empty and thought this could be my chance.  The rain soon stopped, somehow reminding me of the weather on the Truman show.  Like someone turned off a tap.  I sat and tuned my guitar, and made a walk for the statue.  I didnt care if noone was there yet, it was just my perfect time to get my foot in and see how it feels playing there!  I played Wholl stop the rain, by creedence and this girl started videoing me and gave me 5 euroes!  Then another euro came in, and another!  In the first 6 minutes I had earned a prescious meal!  I bought myself some chips and a bar of chocolate and they felt warm and good all the way down.  I felt like a mini goal was acheived by playing there!

I have felt, especially in the first few weeks, that Amsterdam is not a city, it is a game.  As soon as you arrive people hand you maps and you find all these weird and wonderful places and people!  My journal book became my inventory and missions, every penny I had was getting accounted for, I was starting to look at this like one of those role playing games.  You meet people who give you information about where to go, you have missions to find somewhere to sleep, find things to eat, make money.  You are alone in this city and you want to stay.  A bike is as good as a car for wherever you need to go.  Every hill you ride up, is equally rewarded ina  few seconds when you go down it!  The dutch people are like the Mongolian horse riders, you see them doing everything on their bike.  I was so proud when I got my bike!  Because the roads and laws are not in every sign telling you what road to be on, or when to walk, run eat and shit!  Your natural awareness comes out and you are much more on the lookout, you cant blame anyone for cutting in front of you, everyone will get where they need to get, just relax and be aware.

The Friday that the festival opened it felt like my back and been broke.  It was hurting me to walk and the first few weeks of heavy lifting had taken its toll, but I was playing a lot!  On the opening day I played on a stage made of tellys and pallets by the opening and earned a few bucks from busking.  Then I played in Rons Place and did an amazing gig that I just closed my eyes and felt every word.  This one woman cried! haha, she said she has a place in Amsterdam I could stay and gave me her email address, but I LOST IT!~  D'oh!  Oh well.  The festival felt like a baby that had grown up and got a job and a life and was no longer just mine and the people involved, but everyones.  And she was beautiful.  Anyway, time is ticking in this cafe!  So part three coming soon!

The festival will continue for two more weekends of campfires, music, hula hooping and I will be playing the campfire tonight at 8.  Proost!!!!