See how Johnny lets the band get loose and himself behind John Conte’s Bass in Amsterdam’s Paradiso:

(Land of the 1000 Dances – Paradiso, Amsterdam, 30. October 2009)

I have see all shows (but one) in Amsterdam in this century. But I truly have never been seeing something like the 1000 Dances this time around!

And just a day later, not only did the Kingfish arrive at Schipol and reunited with the band…

(Without Love – The Paard van Troje, Den Haag, 31. October 2009)

He then left the audience stunned with his solo on “Help Me”… latest at that point in time it became obvious what we all have been missing on the two shows without that baritone! Nobody plays it like Manion!

(Help Me – Solo: Eddie Manion at The Paard van Troje, Den Haag, 31. October 2009)

which culminated a few songs later in a full blown fabulous “Fever” like Den Haag has truly never seen it before!

(The Fever – The Paard van Troje, Den Haag, 31. October 2009)

I still get the shivers listening to Kazee’s B3… and I’m still sorry that the frog finally found his destiny…

Wunderfull work BOCCISON It’s going to be tough, getting that smile out of my face!!!

Now, since the IBIS rooms were no highlight at all, it was a real highlight that the Paard was in 2 minutes walking distance, and it’s been a place where I and (to my knowledge) Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have not been before. So this was Southside Johnny & the conquerors from New Jersey again. A new night, a new place, a new audience… and EDDIE MANION on a Halloween Saturday!

Eddie, who’s got to play a couple of solos at the Madison Square Garden in New York City the night before, made a difference to the Amsterdam show. The thing with that horn of his is just magic. The moment you hear it, the moment you realize how much you’ve been missing it!

Well, the show… if Amsterdam was loose, the night before, then this show was… loosier? At least in regard to the crazyness on stage it’s been absolutely on par with the night before. Although we’ve got more of a regular setlist (is there such a thing with the Jukes?), the fact that the audience & Hood have been well prepared for a Halloween Bash made it a Halloween Bash. Wonderfull!

Joe Belia just lost his cover. Now, everybody witnessed, that this man is not human. He’s a Cylon android who can catch Lollipops thrown at him with full speed while he is playing. He catches them with HIS MOUTH! I just wonder how the Cylons managed to pack that much soul and feeling into that machine?

My highlight? Johnny singing a Bert Brecht / Kurt Weil song (Alabama Song). For somebody who has a college degree in German literature, that’s been irreal… like something I have been waiting for ever since… well, I didn’t know that I’ve been waiting for it. But big thanks to John for making it true!

I briefly spoke to the promoter, an extremely nice woman, who was just smiling, beeing extremely happy about the band, when I met her. When the show was over I was having a smoke outside. I was just watching the people coming out of the venue. Smiles everywhere! Then I saw John… and HIS smile did light up the whole block.

If there’s another show in Den Haag going to be, I’m going to be there again! That’s for sure!

Now, go and re-conquer the island, boys! There is going to be a storm coming over the United Kingdom of JUKES!

And alotta smiles!

All Pictures Copyright (c) by Klaus Böttger – 2009

All Pictures Copyright (c) by Gundula Johannsmann, 2009

This is one of the nicest collections of Southside Johnny videos on YouTube of this tour yet! It’s shaky here and there, but that’s what you get, live from the front row. All videos have been recorded at the “Paard van Troje” in Den Haag, The Netherlands and posted on YouTube by SamboraRocks.

Tracklist:
- Hearts of stone
- Having a party
- Having a party-Outro
- Walk Away René
- Talk to me
- I don’t want to go home