With good courage, Radio DJ Kristian Westerveld got on the bike on Thursday morning to pick up voting lists for the Top 900. It turned out to be a big adventure, where not everything went smoothly. His bike fell over and he had to take a large route through weather and wind. Yet the trip brought him to listeners with the most beautiful musical anecdotes. “U2 would come to Uden for 1500 guilders,” says Hugo of Poppodium de Pul.
Radio DJs from Omroep Brabant Cycling through our province all week to pick up votes for the Top 900. You can fill in your own list via this link.
Kristian was gone early on Thursday morning to pick up his bike in Den Dungen. In Schijndel he made a stop at drummer Joris from the cover band Baby Blue. After a conversation about music classics, Kristian got back on the bike.
His bike just does not agree and breaks, but luckily at the right time. Old iron is collected on the ADCO site in Heeswijk. With that he raises money for the Fanfare Heeswijk Sint Willebrord. “And where can they make a bike better than on a site full of old iron,” laughs Kristian.
He continues his route to Uden, where the oldest pop venue in the province is. Poppodium De Pul was founded in 1968. “Those were the turbulent 60s and 70s,” says Gijs van de Pul. Years later, the pop venue had thousands of artists on the scene.
From local stars such as Gerard van Maasakkers and John Verhoeven to Danny Vera and Kensington. But one music group is fully listed by programmer Hugo. “We had booked U2 for 1500 guilders, but between the booking and coming into being so big that the manager moved them to Tilburg,” he laughs.
It would have been a scoop for the small pop venue in Uden, but unfortunately it remained with a good anecdote. “We still have the contract, but we never saw the band,” laughs Hugo. The programmer would find a place for the Irish band in the Top 900.
On the bike again, Christian thinks it’s time for a much needed stop. “I cycled a lot in my life, but with these gusts it is a challenge,” he knows. Because of the wind, his bike blows during the stop, but with some Tiewraps and adhesive union he manages to continue his way.
“You don’t know what you see.”
From one music historic building, Kristian falls into another adventure full of history when he arrives by bike at the Museum Nostalgia and Technology in Langenboom. “That was really an experience,” he says. “You don’t know what you see. There were all old tractors, radios of a hundred years old and tank pumps, which I had never seen before.”
Once bored in the museum, Kristian continued his way to Gemert, where Jos Strijbosch lives. He is the manager of the tribute band of Neil Diamond. A name that, according to Strijbosch, should not be missing in the top 900, because no matter how old the singer’s repertoire is the music is still lively, the manager says.
“Many young people think they don’t know Neil Diamond, but you just have to turn on ‘Sweet Caroline’ and they sing it along,” he laughs. Strijbosch himself hopes that the number September Morn will end up in the Top 900 and Kristian joins that.
After a large bike ride through the province, he looks back with satisfaction on his musical adventure. “But I have pain in places I didn’t know I could be in pain,” laughs Kristian.