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GOOD VIBES TRAVEL A LONG WAY
In some ways this was really the first time, DUNAjam 2006 was great
but it was meant to be only the beginning, the pilot. The dune
needed more. More days, more minstrels, more enchanters, more freaks.
So this time had to show if it was really possible to get away with
it. The word of mouth from the Bros' show on the beach had travelled,
that's for sure, still the communion was not more than 100 people in
all, and that was alright to slowly find the right path.
The first band to arrive was Colour Haze. driving down with their
huge van all the way from Bavaria. They set up next to the fire
place in the hall, working on new songs for their record all.
Colour
Haze under Sirius in the Phoenician temple - photo Tiberio Sorvillo
In the
evening the whole tribe met for dinner at Massimo and Francesco's
organic agriturismo on the hills overlooking the bay. Tom Snivley
from the Bahamas and Nick from South Africa played a Gown set in the
garden, then Nick and a bunch of musicians from other bands started
something with acoustic guitars on the veranda, Mad Doc fell flat on
his face, it was a long night.
Gown -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
Gorilla
played their gig at the holy well, the spirit was that of a
generator party right next to the sea. Then the Rippers rocked the
farm with some gruelling garage rock. Mixing desk on the grill, amps
surrounded by hay forks, shovels, tools and plow.
Gorilla
next to the holy well - photo Tiberio Sorvillo
On the
third day it was time to pay a visit to Sidude, the patriarch god of
the Phoenician temple in the mountains. Colour Haze at sunset with
all the sunn, fender and soldano amps amidst the bronze age columns,
took a while to set everything up but it was well worth it. Half an
hour into the set one generator blew up, it was the one with the
light show hooked up, so it went dark with only the stars to shine
above, no problem for Colour Haze though, they kept on playing as if
nothing had happened.
Colour Haze -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
Took
about ten minutes to hook up some lights to the remaining generator
that powered the amps, the patriarch didn't mind the sound but must
prefer dim lights.
Colour
Haze inside the temple -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
The
following day On Trial flew in, their plane from Scandinavia arrived
late so it was past midnight when they showed up at the base on the
hill, food and wine was ready so that was good. They played two sets
in the garden, one in the middle of the night the other one at 6 in
the morning blasting the twin-reverbs across the valley, even the
fishermen going out sea must have heard them.
Colour Haze -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
The
same day we went to the beach, nobody there but us, amps right on
the shoreline. Once more as if it would be the most obvious thing in
the world everybody was totally helpful and it didn't take long to
carry all the amps and instruments down the dune.
Brant Bjork and the Bros -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
Brant
Bjork walked down the same dune took off his all stars and stepped
into the sea. A beer a smoke and he was ready to rock. What happened
next was that Colour Haze started a jam with the other musicians, Bo
of On Trial provided some vocals.
Colour Haze -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
The
jamming went on til sunset, that was a bit too long so the Bros had
to play under the the full moon light and two bonfires, in the end
also the remaining other generator kicked the bucket as it was meant
to power only the amps not the lights as well. One lesson learned.
Brant Bjork -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
The
last day was in the dunes, after we've organized a third generator
we went up there in the usual guerrilla tactics style, grabbed two
wooden pallets from the harbour to put the drum kit on top and set
it all up on a bunch of dirt. Then the new generator didn't put out
quite enough power to have a blasting sound, turned out after a few
minutes that there was a screw to give it gas and it was set to
minimum, but by that time half of the band was already on the way to
the pizzeria or trattoria.
 
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
Some
how it wasn't meant to go smooth that day, but that's why DUNAjam
lasts a week so if one day things just don't work out right cuz of
weather, pigs, bad moon or what ever, there's still six more days to
put everything right. Anyway all the gear was there in the middle of
the sand amphitheatre, the generator was now tuned for the right
power output and so we ended the whole thing with a jam, drank some
booze and blasted some records through the hills.
 
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
Then the wind got stronger and stronger and we made it just in time
to pack everything up before the rain shower. The mistral was
bringing in a new swell, Neptune must have had heard enough to
decide to put a drastic end to this week, in turn the morning after
the waves were good to surf. Good waves travel a long way, they have
to.
Bo of On Trial -
photo Tiberio Sorvillo
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