“Amsterdam” (Used 28 times)

Purple Pop was a one time event (at least till now, you never know) held at the OCCII in Amsterdam and was seen as an alternative to...Pinkpop the major festival which this year is headlining such acts as The Cure and Bruce Springsteen. Great stuff we all love the classics but not everyone can afford it and for those fans of sub- and counter-culture they could "pick up their hearts and dance until the early hours at Purple Pop." (Pinkpop finishes at 01.00 sharp wtf?!).

Purple Pop took place on May 28, 2010 in Amsterdam. The festival was an iniciative from the producers who also organized the “Anti-Lowlands Festival" a year before, which was very successful and sold-out as a lot of people got the "anti" statement...but then a lot didn’t.

"We did Purple Pop deliberately the same weekend as Pinkpop. Were not per se anti-Pinkpop but want to offer resistance to the big commercial festivals and to give a fun place to indie bands who, like the big acts, deserve attention and showcase. The independent music scene in Amsterdam is quite small. Everyone has had enough of so little selection of authentic sub-cultural music. As with Anti-Lowlands, Purplepop is a network of like-minded people." Yes...Go Purple Pop!

The festival started early with veggie dinner at the MKZ restaurant behind the OCCII were acoustic bands where playing. Highlights went to the Suicidal Birds acoustic set of guitar and contrabass. Line up for the evening on the main stage was all awesome bands Apneu, Red the Planeeet, Pattern Cut-off and The Stutters.

Thomas "Tommy Tornado" Streutgers is a 31 year old saxophonist from The Netherlands. A saxophone player "who is so connected to his instrument that he has blown more air through his mouthpiece than he has exhalled!" At just 17 he won the Big Boss Jazz Award and has been a rising star ever since...

His first solo album "Sunrise" was released in 2009 on RRR Rude Rich Records with features from Jamaican legends like Dennis Alcapone and Winston Francis and other upcoming international artists like Osagyefo and Soulmack.

The CD release party at the Pacific Parc club in Amsterdam was memorable with Tommy Tornado and a "Dynamite" horn section performing many of his new cuts backed up by The Rude Rich & the High Notes, one of Hollands greatest reggae acts.

Check out the whole show right here at FMA Tommy Tornado live at Pacific Parc and navigate to Tommy´s website for his latest release "Cool Down".

"THORRABLOT" The Icelandic Viking Midwinter Festival in celebration of the end of the dark cold winter days and the arrival of light where excessive eating, drinking and dancing till dawn is a good thing. Lets celebrate this event with music by none other than Ragga Gisla and Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson.

Ethiopique jazz in Amsterdam Ethio Event #1. Imperial Tiger Orchestra live at the OCCII 20/11/2009.

The Cherry Blossoms live at the OCCII in the first of Hallo Gallo nights is Noise Problems #3. Check out the whole show is memorable! Thank you Blossoms!