tFB Drinkies – The Hague last week

DLM

It's taken me a few days to get around to posting about it, but I happened to meet the charming @Elx in the Netherlands the other day, having let slip that I'd be in town somewhere in a thread on here. He was a great host and we turned out to have loads in common so had a splendid chinwag about shredding, Malmsteen, rack systems and you lot! Unfortunately, the live bands on downtown that night didn't really fit in with our preferred NPS count[1], so we ended up at an Irish Sports Bar (such things exist!) with a pool table, where I studiously avoided being roped into playing.

I've no qualms calling it a tFB Forum Drinkies because the infamous North West Drinkies comprised of only @Niallmo (plus his missus, and I'm not sure her account was genuine) and @NickBotfield (and my best mate, who drove me to the 'Pool all special, like). Ergo, this was only one fewer, innit.

I look forward to many more Drinkies in the future, though I seldom get back to Blighty these days, and haven't been to the Big Smoke in years. Visitors to the Hofftoberfest should have no qualms about getting in touch, though with the price for a litre of beer (actually more like three quarters of that amount) now north of €10, one must really consider whether it isn't better to go and enjoy Bavaria somewhere else. (Maybe I'm just getting old, the insane crowds and utter carnage of the tents just don't really appeal.)

[1] Joking! There was a good country-rock band on in the one place (I was sure the guitarist must be a TGP member by the size of his pedalboard, great playing, though), though we didn't much care for the Status Quo tribute in the other. We also had Carlton/Ford on in the car (nice!), as well as obscure metal bands that @Reverend would probably categorise as mainstream.

Elx

Cheers, it was great meeting you, we'll organize a jam session next time

Antique_Guitars

Cool stuff there should be more foreign fb meet ups

mike_l

I did something similar with @RocknrollDave a few weeks ago, as we were both in Cornwall, we went for a couple of beers and a discussion about gear. Was good. Dave's a diamond geezer.

holnrew

Nice one. 

Didn't you get nervous?

mike_l

Nope, Dave promised he'd be gentle.

RocknRollDave

mike_l said:

I did something similar with @RocknrollDave a few weeks ago, as we were both in Cornwall, we went for a couple of beers and a discussion about gear. Was good. Dave's a diamond geezer.

You're too kind

We did indeed meet up, although by the time I had downed two pints of Rattler my mumbling Black Country accent, now with slurring, may have been a wee bit tricky to follow over the din of a band who thought the Lifeboat Inn was the Whisky-a-go-go circa 1986...

Quite brave for me, that is, you know. I won't go out for a drink with a member of my own family, never mind someone I've never met in person before, without a back-up plan and a secret signal agreed for that "Oh shit, I gotta go!" phonecall..

mike_l

I Never even thought to arrange a "Oh shit" phone call. Mind, with the band on I doubt I'd have heard my phone anyway.

RocknRollDave

mike_l said:

I Never even thought to arrange a "Oh shit" phone call.

..you would have if you'd ever had to sit in a pub with my two brothers when they're in full flow....!

DLM

@Elx It was indeed a pleasure, and we really must have guitars on hand next time. Dunno when I'll next be in the Netherlands, it's about once a year at the moment, but that could change.

@holnrew Sure, especially when I got into his car. But not as nervous as I was for my first two Forum Drinkies, when I took a friend along.

@Antique_Guitars As I said, anyone coming to the vicinity of the Hoffbräuhaus is more than welcome to get in touch and meet up with me. There have been loads of forumites passing through Hasselhoff Worship Central in recent years, and I've not met one!