It all started with a video tape. A rainy Sunday morning in Eindhoven, Southern Netherlands. I was three years old and what I saw on the TV screen changed my life. My father had recorded a live concert of Tina Turner, a show at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium with an audience of 80,000. The music, the people, the lights, the spectacle… the energy! It was this video tape that got me hooked. Not just hooked on Tina Turner and her music but also the excitement of rock concerts. It was the start of my journey.

In May 1996, at the age of six, I attended my first concert. The star of the evening was, no surprise here, Tina Turner. Many other concerts would follow, and not just Tina. But it was she who introduced me to many other great artists who colored my life: The Stones, Springsteen, Clapton, Bowie. When I was eighteen, I started my big ‘see them before they die’-tour. A quest to see rock and roll’s royalty before it’s too late. And I’ve seen many: Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, Santana, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, The Stones, Bruce, Grace, Tom Jones, U2….and more. Often I would take my photo camera and over the years I have collected some great shots which I will share with you on this very blog.

I had a slight change of scene and I have moved from Holland to Berlin; it’s been three years now. And it’s time for something new. I’ve almost reached the bottom of my ‘must see’ list. And frankly, the high ticket prices, soulless corporate-sponsored arenas and never-ending farewell tours have started to take away some of the fun. Time for a change. Time to explore some of Berlin’s more intimate venues. Time to find some different tunes. Armed with a brand new photo camera, I’m ready.

This site will be a personal diary of my concert experiences. Expect it to be a mix of stories from the past and new beginnings. Photos of some of rock’s biggest stars. Observations from the road. And a look inside the life of a rock and roll super fan. Hey ho, let’s go!

Sjef