Rooftop gigs by U2 and the Beatles

Only the first time it's really a stunt - so all credits for this great idea go to Paul, John, Ringo and George. But U2 are today's Beatles, if you'd ask me. Never too proud to be inspired by musical heroes from the past & standing on the shoulders of giants. Amsterdam Arena tickets were sold out within 10 minutes, by the way. Next stadium concert announced directly after that. This was to be expected. Bono promised also some cheap tickets because 'this is a recession'. Yeah. It's in the middel of Summer - we will probably listen to U2 in our car or somewhere else on a camping site / in a hotel. We'll see.
Let me know what you think about No Line On The Horizon. My opinion? Magnificent! ;-)

By the way - U2 played live on rooftop BBC building near All Souls Church! (John Stott, Rico Tice, Christianity Explored... So cool!!) Next time a REAL stunt - what about LIVE @ the Vatican? Ha, ha.

Lauryn Hill - I Gotta Find Peace Of Mind

Just watch this clip till the end. It's moving, so get your handkerchiefs ready... (thanks to my daughter Sosha for showing this MTV unplugged music video to me)

Gethsemane - Kees Kraaijenoord

Just love this song!

Dutch soul singer Alain Clark and his dad Dane singing "Father and Friend". Turn your speakers on, watch, listen and enjoy!

Don't spend too much time here...

Go over to John's blog if you want to see something that's really worth checking out. I am talking about his blog, but also about the old lady that ministered to a guy who tried to rob her of her cash... Go and watch the video! (And feel free to come back here - anytime).

Larry Norman @ Home with Jesus

Bono talking and singing us through his unreleased song "Wave of Sorrow"

I guess it took years for Bono to find the right words to express all the horrible things that he and his wife Ali saw during their visit to a famine-stricken Ethiopia. This is a poet making beauty out of ashes. This is a contemporary prophet ans psalmist with a message that touches my heart. I don't think Bono has the answers, but he sure asks all the right questions. I can see and hear that this man is sincere. Look how passionate he is about what he witnessed in Ethiopia and about the song that finally helped him to express his feelings. Yet another masterpiece. Just listen to the beatitudes at the end of the song. These lyrics are awesome. Blessed is the spirit that overcomes.

"Wave of Sorrow is one of several rare and previously unreleased cuts which feature on the bonus audio CD of the remastered Joshua Tree." Source: ilike (Facebook application)

No time for the Maestro

"If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?"

Good question. Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell makes $1,000 a minute when he plays in concert halls. But on January 12, 2007 he took his $3.5 million Stradivari violin and performed in a metro station as a street musician. In 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by.

"In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look."

"It was a strange feeling, that people were actually, ah..." - the word doesn't come easily - "...ignoring me", Joshua Bell told the Washington Post.

Have a look at this video clip that I first saw in our church. Our pastor used this clip to make a good point about another Maestro with a Joshua-like name who is trying to get our attention. Do we stop and listen to him? Or are we just too busy to take any notice?

Rapa Nui / Easter Island video

Known locally as Rapa Nui. An island of Chile in the southern Pacific Ocean about 3,701 km (2,300 mi) west of the mainland. Discovered by Dutch explorers on Easter Day, 1722, the island is famous for its hieroglyphic tablets and colossal heads carved from volcanic rock. The ancient remains, of unknown origin, have inspired many legends and theories.
Watch this video if you want to experience the approach by airplane to runway 10 in Easter Island. Click on the labels below this blog entry to read more about virtual island hopping, Easter Island and the Create Your Own Moai Competition!

Paul Baloche - All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises

The Privileged Planet: How our place in the cosmos is designed for discovery

This is the first part of a documentary entitled The Privileged Planet. You can watch all six parts on YouTube now (if you have some time left, it is certainly worth your while.) "It’s a remarkable coincidence that the kind of atmosphere that’s needed for complex life like ourselves does not preclude that life from observing the distant universe. It’s something that you wouldn’t expect just chance to produce. Why would the universe be such that those places that are most habitable also offer the best opportunity for scientific discovery?" Guillermo Gonzalez, author of The Privileged Planet (Please also check out the website)

“The most incomprehendable thing about the Universe is that it is comprehendable.” – Albert Einstein

“I have deep faith that the principles of the Universe will be both beautiful and simple.” – Albert Einstein

“If the whole Universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning.” – C.S. Lewis

Jeremy Camp - Give Me Jesus

Kurt Cobain joined Hillsong United

If only it were true. Nirvana's frontman Kurt Cobain was elevated to icon status after he took his own life back in 1994. Truly a sad story. I think Cobain was a great singer and I still wonder whether somebody ever told him about Jesus. "Break my heart for what breaks yours..."
Anyway, have a look at this Hillsong United clip and you will see why I had to think about Kurt. The beautiful lady needs to comb her hair as well (yep, I'm such an old fashioned man). Her name is Brooke Fraser and she has the stunning good looks of Princess Cleopatra in her haydays (believe me, I can still remember.) But I think Brooke's voice is way better. Hossanah in the highest! And let's hope that we will see Kurt Cobain again one day - rocking in the heavenly choirs. God only knows. (Don't forget to watch Brooke's videos.)

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

Still going strong: Peter Gabriel

Last night I went to a Peter Gabriel gig in Amsterdam, together with my brother & friend Rob. Under the darkening Ruysdael sky, we enjoyed some great music. The sun was low to the horizon and competing for our attention with the light show on stage. As late as 21:30pm God's powerful beamer projected a beautiful rainbow on the dark skies above Amsterdam. What a great sight and what a nice addition to an open air concert! This really was a night to remember.

Solsbury Hill is my favourite Peter Gabriel song. I don't claim to understand Gabriel's lyrics, but I think he is a great musician and a poetic songwriter. I like the fact that his lyrics are so fascinating and multi-interpretable. If I hear Solsbury Hill, I have to think about Jesus. And I'm not the only one - as you can see here. But I also like In Your Eyes - such a beautiful love song! (Original video for the song In Your Eyes from Peter Gabriel's SO album). Please let me know which PG songs - if any - you like best - and why.

Review in Oor - sorry, only in Dutch...

Thrillers in Dutch Premier League

Yesterday was D-day in the Dutch Premier League. All eyes were fixed on the 3 candidates for the title, PSV, Ajax and AZ. They all could become national champions in their respective matches and by 1 goal difference PSV came out on top. I am a (not so fanatic) Ajax supporter, so I am a little bit disappointed of course, but there is some good news too... Rumour has it that next year Ajax wants to sign the Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves from Heerenveen (European top scorer, believe it or not!) Well, maybe this is just wishful thinking.

Yesterday's match between Heerenveen and Feyenoord didn't get as much attention as the other top matches, but if you look at this video you can see 4 (!) goals by Alfonso Alves and you can also see Pierre van Hooydonk's emotional reaction after he realises that he will not play in the Champions League next year. I really feel sorry for this great sportsman! Look at his tears when Alves scores with a beautiful free kick (and keep in mind that this is Pierre van Hooijdonk's speciality...)

Many of today's top players played in clubs in the Netherlands before taking on the world in their current top European teams. The Dutch league is packed with young and exciting talent - but you don't have to take my word for it. Just watch this video clip to see what I mean...

Baby duck feeding carps

Just watch this good example...