Thursday
Aug122010
North Sea Jazz 2010
August 12, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: Petra 
North Sea Jazz 2010 turned out to be a little different than other years. The reason: World championship soccer. When we bought the tickets in may R said “The soccer-final is on NSJ-Sunday, if Holland makes it to the final, I want to see the game”. I didn’t think much of it, at that moment the championship hadn’t begun yet and I never thought Holland would make it to the finals. But guess what, Sunday july 11th , 8 o'clock soccer-final: Holland - Spain at exactly the same time as (among others) Diana Krall and Stevie Wonder. What was the organization of NSJ going to do with that fact and were they going to do anything at all? R said: “If NSJ doesn't broadcast the soccer game, I am leaving to watch somewhere else. I won’t miss it, last time Holland was in the final was in 1978”, but fortunately for the soccer-fans the organization did just the right thing.
The festival has about 13 stages, not counting the hall, the café and the entrance. On three of those stages the program was rescheduled for the soccer-game. The stages were changed into soccer-watching places on the big video-screens and all the other stages held the same schedule. So if you didn’t care about soccer, you didn't have to be bothered with it.
So there I was, at stage ‘Amazon’ waiting for Diana Krall and her musicians to start at the same time as the soccer-game. R was at stage ‘Nile’ watching the soccer-game, and he was not alone, those three stages were packed.
Meanwhile Diane Krall came up, the whole band wearing orange-soccer-shirts, which was fun, saying her husband was luckier with his timeslot on the festival (Elvis Costello had been scheduled in the afternoon) and was now watching soccer with the kids, somewhere in the building.
Because of the soccer, I guess she didn’t have the best audience. Seats were empty and those who were there were a little edgy (like: did I hear cheering outside) wanting to know the score at any moment, but nevertheless it was a wonderful concert!
After the concert I went to stage ‘Nile’, it was crowded over there, the soccer was still busy, the game was prolonged because the score was 0-0 after 90 minutes. I had a hard time finding R, but with texting nowadays it is fairly easy. In the end, Holland lost, but the sadness disappeared as soon as Stevie Wonder (who was postponed because of soccer) began to play. He played all the hits and everyone sang along. A perfect ending to a perfect weekend full of music (and a little soccer ;-) )
At the festival you are not allowed to bring a SLR camera unless you have a press card, which I haven’t, so I bring my point-and-shoot and hope for the best. Usually the pro’s get in at the start of the concert, post themselves right in front of the stage with their big lenses during the first song and then they leave. Well I am hardly ever in front, and I think it looks al little daft for me to be standing among all those big lenses, with my point-and-shoot, so I stay where I am and just hope for the best.
Look at all the lenses here at Corinne Bailey Rae.
Reader Comments (7)
What a riot, Petra! Who would have thought Holland would make it that far (and then lose right at the very end :( ) and that you'd even have to worry about it. But Holland is Holland, even if it's the huge event of the North Sea Jazz Festival. NOTHING WILL OUTSHINE HOLLAND SOCCER! So glad everyone got to do what they wanted...a win-win situation. In the end, you captured some top acts with your point-n-shoot. Good for you. If Astrid liked crowds a bit more, maybe we would have been there, too. But at least we got to see it through your eyes. Thanks.
Your photos turned out incredibly well..in spite of the point-and-shoot camera. You captured the essence..and the ambiance!!!
And - what fun that they showed the soccer game..allowing those who wouldn't have otherwise come to see the game of the century! Topping it off with Stevie Wonder must have been the most perfect ending!!!
I think you did great! It goes to show you, a person can be in the back of the crowd and still come out in the front row! I like the little processing you did? Unless, that's just the lights and camera.
I love Corinne Bailey Rae and Diana Krall...it sounds like such fun...it would have been the same if my husband were there with me, he is always watching sports, I would rather see the musicians.
Oh, how I envy you, Petra! I would love to see Stevie Wonder in person. Sounds like the organizers did the only smart thing they could do, or I'm sure they would have been missing a lot of people there. I can relate, though, having gotten married long ago the day that the University of Nebraska played the University of Oklahoma - their arch rival in football. People came and left very quickly, if they came at all (we lived in Nebraska). BTW, nothing at all wrong with your point and shoot photos!!
i would have been right behind you. i love diana krall, and wouldn't have missed it for the world!! that said, we did watch the soccer finals - at our local wazungu (expat) hang out near the farm...we supported holland of course, i even wore an orange dress and our dutch friends painted our faces.
A live performance is always special. I have really enjoyed your festival pictures.