"Hello Norwich!"

It's not what you expect a band to open with, particularly when they're playing in Den Haag (that's The Hague to you non-Dutchies), but I'm taking that as a shoutout from my future brother-in-law -- all-round media powerhouse, Vince Ray. His band, The Vincent Razorbacks, headlined at Paard van Troje last night, so we took the train down from Amsterdam for a good night out. A romantic stroll through the wind-swept, empty shopping streets of Den Haag; tickets waiting for us at the door of the venue; a spirited opening set by local group The Peptones -- their parents/grandparents made up most of the audience at that point; backstage passes ("I'm with the band!") to meet up with Vince and his fellow musicians and eat the marshmallows and drop left out for them; and then a rousing -- nay, ear-shattering -- and very tight performance of classic songs like "Fast Cars, Cheap Booze, Loose Women" and covers of "Jack the Ripper" and "Crazy Horses". Highlight of the night? King Louie leading the crowd in a singalong of "Fog on the Tyne" in homage to his Geordie roots. This was stirring stuff, leaving me wondering why I don't go to gigs more often.

However, when I woke up this morning with a killing headache and clothes stinking of cigarette smoke, I remembered exactly why I don't go to gigs more often. But for The Vincent Razorbacks, I will always make an exception -- and I can't offer higher praise than that.