concert or party
Whatever floats your boat as the Americans say. I reckon half of the visitors don’t miss a note. The other half feels just fine enjoying the atmosphere, meeting people or sampling all the delicacies. A few months later all visitors will get a recording of the concert anyway so they can listen in private and undisturbed. Therefore, come as you are and enjoy.

musicians
Topnotch football teams show similarities with modern musicians. You’re still let’s say a defender. But you can play almost everywhere on the field simply depending on where the game (the music) is on any particular moment. Don’t position yourself as a jazz or pop drummer I should say, that is too rigid. You’re a drummer or, even better, you’re a musician. Mind you, a musician still has to learn to speak the language of all those great music genres. Jamie Peet is a prime example of this. He understands soul drumming, funk drumming, afrobeat drumming, jazz drumming, the lot. But he doesn’t sound like any of these. You can not pinpoint him as say a funk drummer, that’s just impossible. How cool is that.

label
Everybody asks me because people know I started listening to jazz since early age and later worked for EMI/Blue Note in London. But no, it is definitely not a jazz label. We will programme and record every kind of music at future events including classical. It’s actually not about genres but about musicanship. As long as you’re a master on your instrument or just god damn interesting.

alive! modern savior
Long story. I briefly tried to help my good friend Stefan Lievestro with his band. What he basically needed was an impressario, someone arranging gigs. But that was not me unfortunately. I'm a product developer and organiser, not a salesman. We let a sculptor weld his band name in rough metal letters to use as a logo on stage. They were never used and I bought those letters. 5 years later I needed a name and decided to put those letters in a word scrambler. First name to pop up was alive modern savior. Bingo. Only thing I felt needed was an exclamation mark. Alive! of course stands for feeling alive standing in front of music played by great musicians. Besides I like to see musicians as contemporary redeemers, hence, modern savior. Name of Stefan’s band is Mona Lisa Overdrive.

the making of
I’m particularly pleased with the DVD because it shows the love and support of Dhyana for this project. She likes music and a good party too. But Alive! takes up a considerable amount of time and effort each year for us, not to mention resources. And although it is just one afternoon, it is quite an operation. Our home is 2 weeks not in its usual shape and form.

ronald kool
He said yes, unconditionally, end of 2010, when I suggested doing this. You always need a bit of a head-start and Ronald provided this with his support. No start of the concert series at the müllerpier without him. Forever in debt.

compact cassette
When I was 12, 13 years old and went out to see my first concerts I often thought, would love to have this show on tape. In that period I also started recording from radio. I still have hundreds of tapes jammed with concerts. Favourites were Maxwell type 2 or, when I had the money, Sony Metal ES. Could really push that one. And I still have this feeling, when it is extraordinary, I want this on tape!

sound quality
A personal passion. When you have 20/20 view a painting comes in best doesn’t it? Same goes for sounds. That’s why we record the music with the best mikes and pre amps, do we mix in the highest bit rate possible (executed by a man I just happen to know who truly grasps what music is all about), and make sure the music is tuned on an ultra high resolution and fully coherent sound system. Having said this, it never sounds better then the performance. Sound quality always starts with how well it is played.

contemporary craftsmen
A friend of mine owns a vintage motor cycle. All parts are original. Recently he needed a new chrome exhaust pipe and muffler, price 400 dollars. Rather expensive hobby. But that is just cool if you’re really into it. Working on Alive! is my favourite pastime. Only, I rather spent 400 dollar on a vintage microphone. I simply like spending time on creating a nice website. Or shuffling with furniture until I get the space right. Or figuring out how to get the best sound. And of course going to concerts where I may see a musician I would love to invite. But in the process of working on Alive! Dhyana and I had the privilege of meeting contemporary craftsmen who are already adding value to our professional business NASH international. I have to mention: graphic designer and strategist Yvo Zijlstra, photographer Jerry Lampen, social media guru Dennis Soeters and, last but not least, video artist Hans Wessels.

verhip
You’re lost without a cosy local pub. Verhip is just that. One of the owners, Paul Bouwens, volunteered immediately for running a small Verhip in tha House bar during our living room concerts. Ronald returns the pleasure by booking many Pop Academy bands in Verhip for the North Sea Round Town festival. Cheers.