7th day, Toulouse, France, Tuesday, 22nd of october 1996, Le Bikini
For the fourth time we’re passing the same highway section, the same castle again.
I know the Bikini in Toulouse from last years tour (1995). I remember well, because, the same night was election day. And the owner explained us, that because the conservatives won the election, the party won’t be great. So it was. But that same night, Toulouse won something in soccer, so the whole town was on the honk. It was too loud to sleep. That was in 1995. Most of the workers in the club are still the same. It’s great to see them again. The club is situated very silently and we enjoy to stay there a lot. Slogan of the day: in Toulouse we have nothing to loose.
Everybody is happy to be back in Toulouse, the weather is sunny and friendly. The atmosphere is relaxed.
This is the most beautiful club of the tour. While the bands doing their sound check, I inspect the professional DJ-set. I don’t know why, but I’m looking for the power button. No good idea at all. I push the button and crash. A noisy sound offends the club. That was it. I won’t be DJ for tonight. The local engineer fires me out of the DJ-throne. I’m out. They don’t want me anymore. I feel ashamed. OK. I can enjoy the people. Backstage, there is Lloyd & Lloyd (Knibb & Brevett, the first real drum & bass duo in Jamaican history, played for 40 years together) sleeping, side by side. A real great picture, I haven’t shoot. Outside there is Will Clark sleeping in a chair.
Everybody is jealous about Rolando Alphonso’s special diner. Only him get something else. Don’t know why. On table from left to right around the table: Lester Sterling, Will Clark, Lloyd Knibb, Doreen Shaffer, Lloyd Brevett, Devon James, Rolando Alphonso.
It is 9.30 pm and still nobody inside the club. It is sold-out tonight with around 650 in the audience.
It is truly a pity not to select tonight. This is the first brilliant DJ-set on this tour so far. And I can’t even play for Sandrine, who wanted to come over tonight. She asked me in Bordeaux to stand on the guest list. Of course, I put her on the guest list. And now, without being DJ, I have time looking for her. There she is, with a few guys. I’m trying to speak french, but it’s bad enough, she is not interested at all. But then I tell her that I’m planning to travel through Arabia. She’s interested, because she’s from Israel. Anyway, I never see her again.
The Skatalites are playing:
- Freedom Sounds
- Man In The Street
- Latin Goes Ska
- Simmer Down / Turn Your Lamp Down Low with Doreen Shaffer (for the first time since 1992 played as a medley)
then:
- Nelson’s Song (Again the same tune, but this time not the bridge breaks, but Lloyd Brevetts whole bass breaks in two pieces. There was a screw unlocked. And again, Lloyd Brevett brings his bass back into the sound, while the same tune is running.)
Left to right: Rolando Alphonso, Bill Smith, Devon James, Lester Sterling, Laurel Aitken, Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevett (and on the upper picture Nathan Breedlove and Will Clark)
In this club will be playing the Israel Vibration in two days, Transglobal Underground (lady singer Natacha Atlas, I heard for the first time, when I was with the Skatalites in Colmar), Maceo Parker (a few years later I visited a great show with Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley in Moonwalker Club in Aarburg), Morcheeba (I have seen at Gurten Festival in Berne), Zion Train (I have seen at the Paleo Festival in July 1996, just after The Skatalites show).
Overview Toulouse, Le Bikini
- audience: approx. 500 (capacity approx. 650)
- catering: enough for Lloyd Knibb
- backstage: beautiful with straight access to the river, this is the number one backstage of the tour
- diner: great food, and a special meal for Rolando Alphonso
- DJ-set: none, twice the same cd
- HOR: the audience love them, a truly great show
- Laurel Aitken: always a pleasure
- Skatalites: lovely respectful
- hotel: only I wasn’t there before the show, breakfast is not enough, but good
- room mate: Will Clark
- driving the next day is very long, but no show that day
Website today: lebikini.com
Come back tomorrow, when the Skasplash tour is on the way to Apremont, the second day off.
