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All of a sudden, the Gelredome is transformed into a theatre.  In the middle, stood a stage hidden behind wonderful curtains until the beginning of the show.  Giant crown-shaped lamps hung from the ceiling, and the room was filled with burning torches and stars.  It reminded me of the Volendam disaster, but the emergency-exits were easy to find.  (Webmaster's note:  This was a bar fire which killed nine people and injured over a hundred.)

A few hours later, the spectacle began.  Together, Venice (all the way from California) and De Kast (all the way from Friesland) were swinging.  What do you mean, "Sitting Concert?"  If it rocks, you have to stand up and dance in front of your chair.  Venice's lead singer Kipp Lennon performed his biggest stage success, a medley including "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from the Rolling Stones, with his perfect imitation of Mick Jagger.  Syb van der Ploeg and the rest of De Kast are also swinging and running around.  Then the curtains close, but we know that this game of love between De Kast and Venice is not over yet.  We haven't heard "In Nije Dei."

Mega Intiem (intimate) is the name of this new formula.  Soccer stadium Gelredome is divided into two halves and transformed into a theatre within the middle of the longest side of the stage.  If somebody is standing with a beer in his hand, he's kindly asked to take his seat, because the of the fear for a situation like Volendam.  But everything is well organized.

The New Year's Day tragedy in Volendam is the main subject of the evening.  When Kipp Lennon announces "The Family Tree," he tells us that the song has brought comfort at funerals after the disaster at Enschede, and tonight he dedicates it to "the tragedy in Volendam."  A huge applause begins when the song starts.  "So we're gathered here, holding on to each other, to let go of another one we won't forget."  And what a coincidence, De Kast also has a song for Volendam.  "Sometimes fate hits hard, like in Volendam," Syb tells us, introducing "Zonder Reden."

It takes a while before the crowd is warmed up.  It's not that De Kast has no fans in the venue, but the response at first is a bit polite and quiet.  After the third song, "Eitse Grins Foarby," people start responding more.  But the crowd doesn't get onto their feet until Venice takes the stage.  This band has been working its way up for more than 10 years, and hasn't got a very big repertoire, but they have an enormous stage experience, and they sure know how to use that.  A song like "One Quiet Day" sounds a little bit soft on CD, but on the Gelredome stage, it becomes a first-class rocker, and people get out of their chairs to dance.

Education
Venice and De Kast really seem to like each other.  They use the same themes for their songs.  Family life, raising children, education.  It's all very positive.  For example, in "Met Andere Ogen" from De Kast: "Poverty and dirt / I hear laughter and crying."  It's not very deep, and no new form of pop music is being born here, but they do know how to build a professional party.  The Americans enthusiastically join De Kast in singing Dutch and Friese (dialect) lyrics.  Even though we can't hear what they're singing, it sounds good.  Together, De Kast and Venice get the crowd warmed up, and at the end, as even the orchestra is dancing in the background, you can't tell the difference between the bands.  "If I Were You" is as contagious as "Hart Van Mijn Gevoel."

The curtains go up for the encore.  The expected finale: "In Nije Dei."  Goose bumps.  Fireworks and explosions.