This is from Hay: Biografie van de grootste rockster van Nederland by Sander Donkers and Barry Hay. That subtitle translates as Biography of the biggest rock star in the Netherlands. It's possible Barry's publisher insisted on the title, but Barry's never lacked for self esteem, either.
Anyway, from the book, English translation first, then the Dutch I copied into Google Translate:
Then he starts talking about The Hague in the first half of the Sixties. 'It was a hotbed of musical activities, much more vibrant than Amsterdam, for example. In Scheveningen you had a whole row of tents and there was live music everywhere. You had the Palais de Danse, the Pam Pam, the Beat Club, the Top Ten. You had the roller skating rinks: the Squirrel and the Marathon, later the Jumbo Bar was added. It was a really great period.
The fact that The Hague had such an advantage was, of course, because there were so many Indos living there. They were the great pioneers, with their Indo-rock. The Fire-Devils, The Timebreakers, The Tielman Brothers of course, even if they came from Breda. They all played great. All the Dutch boys who later ended up in music looked at those tapes and thought; I want that too. We drew on them.
The first time I saw The Tielman Brothers play, at the Palais de Danse: man! I was still too young, I wasn't actually allowed in. But I had put on a neat jacket and put on a deep voice. "Just have apple juice." You were still sitting at tables, there were waiters walking around. And those Tielmans completely demolished the tent. The guests were crazy.
Much later I wrote down that experience in a booklet about that time, after which Andy Tielman called me. Fantastic to talk to him. He loved that I wrote that we owe everything to the Indos. But that's just how it was. Without them, The Hague would never have become the beat city in my opinion.
Warna hij begint over het Den Haag in de eerste helft van de jaren zestig. 'Het was een broeinest van muzikale activiteiten, veel bruisender dan bijvoorbeeld Amsterdam. In Scheveningen had je een hele rij tenten en overal was er livemuziek. Je had het Palais de Danse, de Pam Pam, de Beat Club, de Top Ten. Je had de rolschaatsbanen: de Eekhoorn en de Marathon, later kwam de Jumbo Bar erbij. Het was echt een geweldige periode.
Dat Den Haag zo'n voorsprong had, kwam natuurlijk doordat er zoveel Indo's woonden. Zij waren de grote voortrekkers, met hun Indo-rock. The Fire-Devils, The Timebreakers, The Tielman Brothers natuurlijk, al kwamen die dan uit Breda. Ze konden allemaal fantastisch spelen. Alle Hollandse jongens die later in de muziek terecht zijn gekomen, keken naar die bandjes en dachten; dat wil ik ook. We trokken ons aan hen op.
De eerste keer dat ik The Tielman Brothers zag spelen, in het Palais de Danse: man! Ik was nog te jong, mocht eigenlijk niet naar binnen. Maar ik had een net jasje aangetrokken en zette een zware stem op. "Doe maar appelsap." Je zat er nog aan tafeltjes, er liepen kelners rond. En die Tielmans braken de tent helemaal af. De gasten waren te gek.
Veel later heb ik die ervaring nog eens opgeschreven in een boekje over die tijd, waarna Andy Tielman me belde. Fantastisch om hem te spreken. Hij vond het geweldig dat ik had geschreven dat we alles aan de Indo's te danken hadden. Maar zo was het gewoon. Zonder hen was Den Haag volgens mij nooit de beatstad geworden.
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