Personally, I might have stopped booking for Roadburn 2010 after the Goatsnake reunion. That would be enough for me. Then the following dialog could take place between the two sides of my brain:

“Hey, I’ve got a four day festival going on.”
“Oh yeah, who’s playing?”
“Goatsnake.”
“Killer! Anyone else?”
“Nope, just Goatsnake.”
“Well, what are you gonna do for the rest of the four days?”
“Umm, it’s Goatsnake. Who the hell cares?”
“Awesome, see you there.”

And… scene. Fortunately for heads the world over, though, Roadburn organizer Walter is much better at putting together festivals than I would be. And though it’s looking less and less likely that I’m going to be able to make it to 013 two years in a row (The Patient Mrs. has more or less issued a kybosh directive), I’m still pretty psyched for all the goings on in Tilburg next April. A batch of new bands have been announced. Here’s the story from Blabbermouth:

Seminal New Orleans, Louisiana, sludge-legends Eyehategod, along with Outlaw Order and Jarboe, have been added to the Roadburn festival lineup on Thursday, April 15, 2010. In addition, Soilent Green and Sourvein have been confirmed for Roadburn‘s special Afterburner event on Sunday, April 18, at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

In other news, seminal doom legends Death Row will be part of the Roadburn festival lineup on Friday, April 16. Victor Griffin, Joe Hasselvander and Marty Swaney are bringing Death Row back heavier than ever. But this time they’re leaving the elements of deception behind? the darker images, which to some degree blinded them, and tore them apart time and again from the inside out.

Unfortunately, this reformation of Death Row will be without Bobby Liebling. “Parts of the past have certainly left scars on some of us that have yet to heal. Until then, we move forward with best wishes and prayers for Bobby‘s success in Pentagram, and in his personal life,” says Victor Griffin. “What you get from this Death Row will be the same true-to-heart heaviness you expect. Songs written during the formative years by Griffin will comprise most of the set list, along with songs penned by Joe, Victor and co-written with Bobby, such as “The Ghoul” and “All Your Sins,” which feature lyrics by Liebling.

Someone told me salt water air is a natural remedy, so I’ve left the valley for a weekend cure on the shore of the Long Island Sound in hopes of reducing the swelling and discomfort still lingering after Monday’s wisdom teeth removal. Of course, since most of my ideas about health come from the 19th Century (bacon cures tuberculosis!), it’s a crapshoot as to whether or not it will work. I still have some vicodin should the need for it arise.

Since the weather here today is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen since the weather here yesterday, and since in times of sunshine and heat my mind automatically gets visions of German psychedelic rockers Colour Haze, I give you the below video, shot at this year’s Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands. I was upstairs on the 013 Popcentrum balcony when they played this version of “Sundazed” from 2003’s Los Sounds de Krauts. Enjoy

I’m not even sure what to say about this one other than I was damn sure glad I got to the Roadburn merch area early on. First disc I pick up is Trouble‘s Simple Mind Condition, which I’ve been needling around buying since it was released in Europe and not the US back in 2007. I could go on and on about each of these records, but I figure the list says enough in itself. After the “Read more” link is the list plus some commentary where I feel it’s needed…

Read more »

I took a late-night train after Wino‘s set last night to get out of Tilburg and head back to Amsterdam, where I am now. Today is a tourist day (Van Gogh Museum, etc.) and then I fly out and back to real life tomorrow. I’ll do a proper wrap of Roadburn sometime this week — I anticipate what’s left of tomorrow when I get back to Jersey will probably be dedicated to sleeping — things were just crazy in Tilburg and I wound up with a lot less writing time than I thought I’d have. Obviously there are ups and downs to that.

It’s cloudy here and I need a shower. It’s about half past noon and I probably could sleep for another four hours. Jet lag hit hard, plus four nights of some of the most amazing live shows I’ve ever seen, plus drinking (though last night, I’m happy to report, I stayed completely sober, which was the right choice). Brooklyn Vegan has still been posting the daily updates, and I’ll have one more for them about yesterday later on this afternoon, so if you get a chance and happen to see this before you see that, please check it out. Thanks to Fred over there for letting me contribute. I feel cooler already. Should have called this site Fat Jersey Meateater. Live and learn.

Alright, cleanliness calls. Thanks for reading.

It’s Friday at 3:07pm. I slept until about 2pm, but woke up just long enough around 10 to write up a review of yesterday for the kind folks at Brooklyn Vegan, who will be publishing it, thus justifying my being here. To be honest, it wasn’t much of a review, but I wasn’t much of a conscious human being when I wrote it, so it is what it is.

Today is Church of Misery, Colour Haze, Cathedral and Saint Vitus. The reason I’m here. The show goes until 2am. It’s a late one, and I think Orange Goblin — who blew everyone else off the stage yesterday — are doing some kind of DJ thing afterwards at a bar. I keep hearing the words “metal disco.” Life is full of adventure.

Leaving the Hotel Ibis in a couple minutes to get over to 013 where the festival is happening. At some point I will post a Buried Treasure of all the records I bought. It will probably be as long an entry as the Heaven and Hell review was. I’ll check back in probably tomorrow, if I wake up on time, with more. Till then, cheers from Holland and Roadburn.