On 6th December 1996, The Heads played in The Max in De Melkweg in Amsterdam. As soon as I heard that they would come over to The Netherlands, I tried to set up a meeting between them and me to tell them about my Talking Heads Website and to ask them some questions that I had walked around with for the past 12 years of record collecting.

On the big day itself I arrived at the agreed time in the American Hotel in Amsterdam, with a list of questions, a tape-recorder, a photo-camera and my wife Tracey (in reversed order). Alas the schedule had changed so the interview could not go through -said the lady from MCA- so I sat down on a couch in the lobby, waiting for what would happen next...

When Tina and Chris from The Heads walked by, I decided to give it a try and asked them myself if they had some time for me to do a little chat. After I told them that I did not write for a magazine but had only put a website about their work on Internet, they all looked very surprised and Tina asked if my name was Francey... Next thing I remember is that she embraced me and from that moment I was living the day of my life.

This page shows you some souvenirs from that - for me - memorable day and includes some things they said that I managed to remember.

in the hotel

Next Jerry went shopping with his wife and kids and Tina and Chris wanted to go to the van Gogh museum. They were accompanied by their Dutch friend Hans (check your inlay of `No Talking Just Head`) and Chris said we could join them if we wanted to. Of course we accepted his offer.

On the way to the museum (a short walk) I spoke with Chris about The Heads and the future of the band. He said it wasn't sure yet that their singer for this tour, Johnette Napolitano, would stay with the band, and also guitarist T. `Blast` Murray had not yet decided whether he wanted to be a permanent Head or a temporary one.

I also asked him about the song `Many Rivers to Cross` by the Tom Tom Club, which had just came out on the soundtrack album for the film `The Long Kiss Goodnight`; I thought the Club was replaced by The Heads, but they still make music under that name. The cover version of `Many Rivers` was recorded in the fall of '96 with their Jamaican friend Mystic Bowie as -uncreditted- singer.

Near the van Gogh museum we met Santa Claus (Amsterdam is always full of surprises) and then we went to see the paintings.

Santa wearing the right colors

On our way back to the hotel Tina spoke about her appearance in the TV show `Politically Incorrect` and how much she liked the program (more details in the Talking Heads Film- & Videography). She also talked about David Byrne and how much the other three wanted to tour and continue playing as Talking Heads while David refused to do so. He didn't return any of their phonecalls for 8 years, which makes it pretty hard to work as a band.

Back in the hotel it was chat and signing time; both Tina and Chris took their time to sign all the records I'd brought with me, including some bootlegs.

Signing heads

The concert later that night was marvellous, although the audience was a bit reserved. Johnette Napolitano, the current singer, did a terrific job and she sung the Talking Heads classics like they were her own songs. She made me completely forget about David Byrne for the full 75 minutes the concert lasted, which is probably what both The Heads and David Byrne wanted me to do for that night. I never saw the four original Talking Heads all together on one stage at the same time, but it must have been as fantastic as this evening.

Afterwards in the dressing-room I told Chris that we'd decided to go to the concert in Brussels four days later as well - I knew I would have regrets if I were to keep it only to this `once in a lifetime` experience.

The next couple of days I had a headlag -sort of a jetlag, but different and more pleasant. I'd asked Chris if he wanted to answer some questions their fans on Internet had and he said okay, so via the Talking Heads mailing list I asked the listmembers to send me notes and questions which I would give to the band in Brussels.

The concert in the Botanique in Brussels was the last one of the short promotional tour The Heads had done in the United States and Western Europe. Tina told me that she loved to be on tour again and she found it a pity the tour would stop after tonight's show; she hopes to do a festival tour next summer.

We went to the Botanique by cab around 6 'o clock for the soundcheck and I shot some more pictures of the band in action. Jerry did the `Cherokee Chief` intro at my request and even more than in Amsterdam the 3 songs they did felt like a short private concert :)

Mona Lisa Harrison?

The doors for the actual concert were opened early and while we were waiting for the concert to begin the band-members were still in the restaurant and especially Tina spent a lot of time on signing tickets and other stuff fans had brought with them - she has quite some fans in Belgium and she took all the time she needed to talk to them. If you ever get the change to meet her, make sure you do so and you'll be overwhelmed, as I was, by her kindness.

The show started at 9 o'clock and the setlist was the same as in Amsterdam (and the other concerts in Europe). No guest vocalists were present, but with Johnette you don't need any other singers (no joke intended).

All five band-members - including Blast - seemed to very much enjoy the performance and so did the audience. Personally, I think the setlist was in perfect balance - six Talking Heads classics, six songs from their `No Talking Just Head` album, three new ones and the biggest solo hits of Jerry Harrison (`Rev it Up`) and the Tom Tom Club (`Genius of Love`). I hoped for a live version of `Nevermind`, sung by Jerry, but the incredibly funky version of `Rev it Up` was the perfect substitute.

After the concert we chilled out a bit in the dressingroom and later in the bar of the Botanique, where Tina, Chris and Jerry once again spoke to fans and signed inlays. Chris told me his exciting plans for the next couple of weeks: buying and packing Christmas presents, taking a long bath in the hottub and go on skiing vacation with the kids. Jerry has no plans for the near future yet, although he promised to send me some corrections for the website...

We were offered a ride back to the hotel (ours was one minute walking distance from the four times as expensive Le Meridien where The Heads stayed) in the tourbus, where Tina explained to us the meaning of the voodoo-doll picture on the back of the CD inlay (no, I didn't take notes) and were Jerry and Johnette watched `Pulp Fiction` - according to Chris, for the twentieth time.

whispers in a tourbus

We said farewell in the hotel lobby and shot some last pictures. Jerry had already disappeared and Blast (`I have nothing to say, and I'm saying it`) and Johnette were already gone as well. After a last hug from Tina we went to our hotel where we didn't sleep much that night...

The fever still burns, but The Heads are gone....