NoF-NoF session is always a nice event
OK, I know, this story is of no interest. And all those details are for nothing. But to me, it’s one of those days you’ll never forget. But after a while all the memory will change and only a few details remains. This page keeps a lot of the details, because I remember still… but for how long?
Yes, this one day is strong enough to be written into this page. I tried to visit NoF-NoF all over this spring and summer, but never had the chance to go down there to his lovely place. But after the concert with Der Transformer it was the right time to go and when NoF-NoF told me to visit the Chant Du Gros Festival for Max Romeo. The plan was here. I took a look at the festival program and found this.
I’m sorry for all the other great acts, but only Max Romeo was the one and only to go there. I was thinking, this festival is near Neuchâtel and that I was there a few years ago, but I was wrong. To be there at the right time, I decided to take one day off at work. This was just the second holiday this summer. So I was in vacation mode.
But let me begin the day, where it begun.
05:53h: The day started with the wake-up sound.
06:00h: Waking up my youngest son Enea. Or trying to wake him up part 1.
06:30h: Waking up my elder son Noah. Or trying to wake him up part 1. Meanwhile it was part 3 in trying to wake up Enea.
07:10h: After several waking ups, Enea finally arrived at the breakfast table.
07:30h: Coffee time with Rachel my wife. She had to leave for work.
08:00h: Noah won’t go to school, he’s not well. Enea left for school.
09:00h: Prepare all my things and myself.
10:00h: NoF-NoF is calling and asking, if I can be earlier in Fontaines because the soundcheck will begin at 13:30h. This time I first heard, that the place is 40 minutes by car drive away. I told NoF-NoF, that the next connection to Fontaine is mine and there is nothing faster.
10:20h: I had to leave the house to get on the 10:54 train. While I was standing at the bus station, I’ll check my things in mind. First thing that spring to mind is, that I only have the pants I’m wearing. Nothing for the night at NoF-NoFs house and for the next day. It was too late to turn back. I decided to buy me some pants at the railway station.
10:40h: A few months ago I went with my wife to H&M at the railway station and found easy summer-pants made from linen. Maybe they still have something similar. I went in and found complicate pants, I don’t know my size and without testing, I won’t buy this kind of jeans. But then I’ve found the right thing.
I was very quick. Still with a few minutes before the train is leaving. I went to the Bretzelkönig to buy me some food for the travel.
10:54h: The train is leaving Lucerne and I’m on my way to Olten. In Olten there is 12 minutes of changing train time. I still use my iPhone 6 with prepaid SIM-card. My credit on the prepaid account was CHF 0.12 since quite a long time, but today I’ll need some credit for sure.
11:30h: Arrived in Olten on time. I went to a shop (Migros) at the station and was waiting, while another customer get his bottle of beer. And the lady behind the counter asks him, if she should open it for him. Then she was searching for an opener. I was in a hurry and asked her, if I can get CHF 20.00 credit on Salt (that’s my mobile provider). I give her a CHF 50.00 bank note. Then she said: “aha, you don’t want 20 francs you want prepaid credit? What is your provider?”. But then she took a telephone to ask how to load the credit. I took back my note and went to a kiosk. When I saw the cigarette paper I asked for OCB paper. She searched about a minute, but after she found it, I had my credit and my paper and also my train to Neuchâtel.
11:40h: Leaving Olten. I was on a lucky place. The train was quite full, but it was easy for me. On the way to Neuchâtel I was searching for the place, where the festival will be. Le Noirmont is the place to go. I still had no idea, where exactly this place is situated. But I was looking, how fast I could be there from Neuchâtel. After another call with NoF-NoF – he asked me one more time, if I could be faster in Fontaines – we decided to stay with the idea, to pick me up at the bus station in Fontaines.
12:32h: It’s always a little bit of coming home, when I see Neuchâtel. I love it since 1992, when I first visited for my first meeting with NoF-NoF and my first DJing at the fabulous NoF-NoF session. That was in August 1992 just before I went to St. Nazaire to meet the Skatalites for the first time, but that is another story.
13:00h: From the train station it takes a few minutes by bus to the bus station, where the bus goes to Fontaines. Because I know it already quite well, it was easy to find and to get on time. On my way to Fontaines I crossed Valangin one more time. I always love to see this tiny village with the tiny church.
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valangin
13:12h: In Fontaines I get off the bus and was looking for NoF-NoF. Haven’t seen him since 2021. And yes, he’s got a new car too. There they are. Vanda is sitting on the back seat. NoF-NoF as driver. What a nice car: A Lexus. We’re just heading to Le Noirmont. After a few minutes a short bit of rain is touching us, but then the weather is nice.
We’re crossing La Chaux-de-Fonds. A little town with a long history for watch makers. NoF-NoF stop for a call and I see a door full of posters, but after a while I see, that this aren’t actual posters, but some weired kind of pictures about Femen.
Then we’re fully on the countryside. It looks like typical Jura. I tell NoF-NoF, but he’s laughing because we’re absolutely in Jura. Typical to me are those tiny stone walls.
After a while on the road NoF-NoF tells me, there is another Lexus behind us. He guess it’s Thomas (from White Belly Rats who is engaged to the Le Chant du Gros festival as mixer for Max Romeo). The mobile rings and it’s Thomas. I pick up NoF-NoFs phone tell Thomas it’s me (I was the driver for Lee Scratch Perry from Neuchâtel to Zurich airport while Thomas was beside me, I drove his car) and give the phone then to NoF-NoF. In Le Noirmont suddenly Thomas’ Lexus is gone and we’re looking for a parking. There is no chance to come close to the festival entrance. The festival is on the other side of the railway. Everybody have to walk to cross the railway underpass at the station. We’re taking the disabled parking space close to the railway station. Even the walk is short, it takes quite a while. Vanda and NoF-NoF are not that fast anymore.
14:00h: We’re arriving in Le Noirmont JU.
Taken from https://www.franchesmontagnes.ch/decouvrir/le-chant-de-gros-le-noirmont/
Taken from https://chantdugros.ch/plan-pratique/
Between the “Caisse Entrée” (far right) and the “Entrée” there were two container for the entrance of VIP and personnel (two grey boxes on the plan). The one for the backstage passes was the entrance VIP. But when NoF-NoF asked for the passes, they refused to give it to him. They said, it’s nothing there for him. Everybody knew him, but nobody helped him to come in. After a while, the festival director (Gilles Pierre) is coming the same way. He hugs NoF-NoF and they speak together. I only heard, that he and Vanda can go in, but not me. After a little talk he gave his OK for a free entrance to me, because I came all along from Lucerne. Then he went in and we stayed in front of this container. There was no sitting far and away. NoF-NoF was pissed and tired from standing there. Thomas was not reachable anymore. He was already in soundcheck. So NoF-NoF sat on the ground. Because it was raining the day before everything was muddy and wet. But tired as he was, he just sit down. It was sunny and windy. The pants were wet at the butt, it was a special view. Before we left, the man in the VIP-container gave Vanda & NoF-NoF a bracelet for the free entrance at 5 o’clock. And to me a free entrance.
15:15h: We went back to the restaurant, where the Lexus was just beside the Hotel du Soleil.
Taken from Google
Sitting there for almost two hours just because no backstage passes were left at the VIP-container. And nobody seems to care. That was the time I told NoF-NoF to drive us back after the concert. A good decision. NoF-NoF was free to move. I tried to tell Vanda, that it’s not important, when my hair get wet (because it was looking like a new rain cloud was on it’s way). But my poor french was kind of funny. Instead of “cheveux” (hair) I said “chevaux” (horses) that confused the situation a bit (lol). Later that day we found another confusing thing with google translation.
Other two words in french that sounds quite similar: “bouger boucher” is translated from french to german as “Metzger bewegen”. But “bouger” is “bewegen” (move) and “boucher” is “Metzger” (butcher). From french to english it stays “move butcher”, but in german it’s the other way round, which is funny enough, because, in french both words sounds very similar. I tell you: French is heavy to learn.
5 o’clock is coming closer. Finally we can enter the festival, with all the others. But the rainy cloud is coming closer. We take off for the tunnel at the railway station. As we enter the underpass, it’s already quite full. Nothing is going, because, the entrance is not open yet. A few people are coming or going anyway, but we’re standing in the queue.
17:00h: The people are leaving the underpass now. But as we exit the tunnel, we’re in full rain. It’s a heavy rain. We’re all wet after a few minutes. We quickly walking to the VIP-container. Vanda & NoF-NoF can pass, I have to enter through the normal entrance. But with my invitation-ticket, it’s no problem at all. No body check needed, because I have all my stuff in NoF-NoFs car. The entrance is a tent, so we are in a dry moment. But quickly after we have to cross the place to the main tent (“Sainte Scene” on the plan above). It was like a heavenly shower. You can see on the next few pictures how the people filming or taking pictures of the rain.
We were inside this “Sainte Scene”, but NoF-NoF only had the plan to get the backstage pass. It was not cool and quite cold with the wet clothes. Without any word, NoF-NoF get out in the rain again. Straight to the Entrance-Tent, where Vanda and I were waiting until he gets those backstage bracelets. It took quite a while, while he had to stand outside in the rain. What a terrible disaster. Poor NoF-NoF, what happen? He hardly can stand but have to beg on backstage passes like a teenager is waiting for hours to get a second view on Billy Eilish. But we wanted to go to Max Romeo and his band. No teenager around… Finally I saw NoF-NoF coming to the entrance-tent with three red bracelets. But when he wanted to get through, they keep him behind, because Vanda and I needed to wear the bracelets as well. But then was the question how I came into the festival, because Vanda had the other bracelet but I didn’t. Everything was fine. We were in and could go backstage.
Straight after the backstage-entrance there was a house with the sign: “Backstage”.
NoF-NoF was so tired from all this procedure. It was very painful and Vanda had pain too. He just wanted to sit down. But as he could enter this backstage. There is another man coming. Hey NoF-NoF (as almost everybody knows NoF-NoF) and told him, he couldn’t go into this backstage. There is another backstage at the “Scene Demenage” (translated as moved scene) where Max Romeo will come. He is not yet on the festival site. On one hand, it was nice, that we were not enter into this wrong building. On the other hand, it was terrible, that another one kept NoF-NoF away from a cosy nice place where he could sit and wait with respect.
The next thing was, that we had to walk all the way to the “Scene Demenage”. The rain was gone, but it was all very wet. But NoF-NoF had to sit down right now. And there was this wooden bench. It was all wet, but NoF-NoF didn’t care about that. But as he sat down, the bench tilts. I saw him on the ground already, but as a matter of a miracle he was not on the ground, but a second later on the bench. The rest of the walk to the other backstage, was cruel, because there was nothing to lean on or to take a rest.
When we were allowed to enter the backstage, it was like a miracle. And just behind the door, there was a couch. You can imagine how fast Vanda & NoF-NoF took it for the first rest after too long on the feet. When another friend of NoF-NoF came to say hello, it was different. She told him, to go inside the backstage. He was not sure, if this is true, but when we went in, it was great. The couch at the entrance to the backstage was totally wet. But inside there was a bar, palms, sofas and chairs and it was relaxing warm. It was here, I entered the WLAN/WIFI password to be connected. Vanda and I ordered a coffee, NoF-NoF a little beer.
18:33h: Simons WhatsApp message reached me (Simon is the drummer of Der Transformer). He asked me about a drummers name. I answered, that I’m backstage at the Max Romeo concert and that I’ll ask NoF-NoF if he knows him. But when I wanted to show NoF-NoF the video with the unknown drummer he told me, that his mobile phone is lost. But someone found it. It is at the “INFO” (see plan above). I had no plan and I didn’t know exactly where to go. I only understood, that I have to go to the VIP-container. The picture with the view from “Scene Demenage” to the “Sainte Scene” shows my way to go. After that, I had to leave the backstage area. The Entrance was to leave the festival, they asked for a backward ticket, but my bracelet was good enough. Outside I saw Thomas. He was waiting for his family. I talked a little, but was focused on that lost mobile. At the VIP-container they knew nothing and sent me to the “INFO” inside the “Sainte Scene”. When I wanted to go back in, they checked my backstage bracelet and said, it is not for friday, but saturday. I was confused and told them, that I have to go in again. Then I went to the “INFO”. This festival is not using real money, but plastic money. That’s why everybody had to change. And the “INFO” was the only place to change. While I was waiting to ask someone at the desk, I saw just a little bit of the Ten Years After show. When it was my turn, I asked for a mobile, but he showed me just one very old thing. So I went back to NoF-NoF. It was easy to come backstage. NoF-NoF was surprised I came without his phone. So he called again. Then it was sure, she is behind the counter of the “INFO”. I was at the right place before, but the guy there didn’t know. So I went back again. While I walked back to the entrance. Two buses crossed my way, that is Max Romeo and his band, for sure. But first I went back to the Ten Years After show. Even more people standing there and waiting, but I saw that woman behind the counter and just went close to her. When I said, I’m here because of a friends mobile. She asked another woman for the phone. Before she wanted to give it to me, she wanted a proof, that it’s the right phone. So I was lucky I had the WIFI on. I called over WhatsApp and on that mobile she holds there was my name. She gave it to me and I went to the backstage area again.
Just after reaching the backstage area, there was a man crossing my way. I looked at him, and wasn’t sure, who he is. But then I was quite sure, it’s Alain Berset, he’s a member of the federal council. He’s here without any security or bodyguard. I still wasn’t sure he was. I went back the way to the backstage of the “Scene Demenage”. At the entrance there was a young lady who asked me, if I’m on the guest list. I told her, that I am. But she said, there is something wrong. She went to her office with me. She asked for my name: Ras Claude, as I heard from NoF-NoF. And yes, she found me. She made this star on my bracelet and asked for Vanda & NoF-NoF. I told her, that they are in the backstage lounge.
She checked Vanda & NoF-NoF as well and painted the star on their bracelets as well. While NoF-NoF only wanted to know, if I have his phone. I passed it to him, while the young (and pretty) lady painted her stars on the bracelets. I wasn’t tired but I was happy to take a little rest.
19:30h: Max Romeo is already live on stage. NoF-NoF and Vanda are still sitting backstage. Let’s go. Beside the main stage, there is huge of space to be. I take my place and dance.
After this song the horn section came beside. Rico was looking at me, and I said: “Thank you”. He spontaneously hugs. It was a cool moment. He went back on stage. I felt like I would like to go on stage too.
Then the special guests take the microphone. Max Romeo is just beside me and looking for his children on stage. First is (probably) his son with two nice tunes. Then his daughter Azana is giving a great performance. I can’t talk to Max Romeo. He’s focused on the show.
20:15h: The show is over. The band leaves the place. Max Romeo is looking at me and I thank him with deep respect. Rico Gaultier the saxophone player is packing his stuff and I go to him and we start talking. I have batches on my vest. One is Rico Rodriguez with his trombone. But it’s just RICO. So I show this to Rico the saxophone player. Then I show him the other batch. It shows Tommy McCook the number one saxophonist. Both friends of mine. Both passed away. That’s a good start for a little chat. We found out, that Rico knows NoF-NoF even longer than I do (since 1990; I met NoF-NoF 1992). We’re talking about the flute (of course). He plays the flute as well (of course). But for that kind of live show it is difficult. I know what he’s talking about. Maybe that difficulties is the reason I play the flute.
In the backstage the keyboard player (I’m sorry, but I don’t have your name in my head) asks me, if I know Skorpion King, the movie with The Rock. There is another man in the movie, that reminds him on me. I checked out all the picture on IMDB, but I’m not sure, which one looks like me.
But after a few words in english, the whole backstage was taking french. How come, I thought. I had no idea, all the band was french. One of the backing vocalists start to sing calm and lovely. In the other backstage there was Max Romeo and his entourage and of course, there was the english part. I wasn’t in there.
21:00h: After a short while, the band left for diner. So we did. When we walked all the way back to the backstage from the main stage, I saw these musicians and the singer ladies some in open shoes, sandals. The mud was higher than their shoes. It was the showtime for Julien Clerc on the main stage. And we just left the festival. The underpass now is full of empty bottles, but we easily coming to NoF-NoFs Lexus. I take the wheel and drive them back home to Fontaines.
22:00h: Back home at NoF-NoFs house. It’s finally done. What a day. Then comes this post from the festival.
Taken from Facebook-post. Where the festival director writes, that they changed there hats for a nice event, but not their functions. Photo was taken by Joseph Carlucci.
After I saw this picture, it was clear enough. Yes, it was Mr. Berset crossing my way at the festival. He was wearing a coat and the hat, that Pierre Gilles is wearing on the picture. And of course, the festival directors hat was on Alains on the picture above. Nice little story. I forgot to tell Vanda & NoF-NoF about it, because the lady upset my return with NoF-NoFs mobile. I simply forgot about it. Even I wasn’t 100% sure. This picture helped me out. Thanks for that wonderful day. Thanks for that very special day. Only NoF-NoF can make such an event. It was heartbreaking to see this wonderful great man being treated like that. But it was nobodies fault. It was the way things are going on, because of circumstances and difficulties. I know NoF-NoF is the most important impact on every event. He’s the one that makes all the artists smile and feeling happy.
I’m still thankful, that I received an invitation because I came from Lucerne. (love) Merci (love).
A NoF-NoF session is always a nice event. That’s a promise.
NoF-NoF is an artist in the backstage. He’s not a guest on a list, that disappears. You always can print NoF-NoF session on your poster, when NoF-NoF is around. We’ll always bring some music, some influence and some artists.
Looking forward to next year. When there is a respectable Reggae act, the NoF-NoF session will be there too.
Yours truly
