[Heeplist] HEEPVENTION 2015

[staf.p at skynet.be]

Hey hey,

With Heepvention 2015 behind your back, not yet behind mine, but that's ok, 
i had already written something earlier today, but as those who read the 
posts on the Heeplist know, for some reason it didn't come through. So, 
second try :

Monday, arrival of Merrick and Laura, we were going to pick up the harp in 
the North of Belgium, I mean, that upper tip of the handkerchief. Anyways, 
the three of us drove in my car up there and arrived at a gentle young 
lady's place. She had a bunch of pretty harps standing there and did they 
sound great. Laura's eye fell upon a nice model just waiting to be picked 
out. After a test play, we aggreed to take this one with us.
And of we went, back to Leuven to the hotel.
I went back home, doing more stuff for the Heepvention as it doesn't do that 
itself. Wednesday i started building up the stage props and Frieda worked on 
setting up the tables and chairs and stuff, went out for those little 
decorations on the tables. Nothing much, but just enough. Finaly, thursday 
came and we were still preparing things moments before the bus arrived from 
the hotel.
It was great to see and greet and hug and so on, all those Heepsters that 
were already in Belgium. Some 30 were already there i think.
The event started of with a meet and greet, i opened the Heepvention myself, 
i wasn't even too nervous. Called Paul Newton and Lee Kerslake to the stage 
and the meet and greet went on. Then it was time for a South African duo, 
Fade to Gray, to plunge us in the pool of sounds, the concerts began. And 
what a concert that first one was, Frans and Ray put a lot of effort in it 
and it came out just great.
After them, time for Never Land, the rock band with the harp, never seen 
before but here they were, where i wanted them to be in the first place, 
playing Heep-songs on a harp, YEAH ! Great concert it was and i was in love 
with the two girls, but don't tell my wife ;-).
Midnight, the bus came picking up the Heepsters to drive them back to the 
hotel, a good 20 minutes from the venue.

Friday, 2pm the venue got slowly full with Heepsters again, some new ones 
who just arrived. I already had picked up Phil Baker as we had a few things 
to talk about, schedule-wise. Took him to our place for a coffee and a chat. 
And then to the venue. Time for the first part of the Heepster Jam Session. 
And i must say, the quality of this event's edition was just awesome, so 
much better than in Spain for instance. Not as many people taking part, but 
their drive was lots better and sometimes even semi pro, just wow.
After the warm food, it was time for the concerts, today opened by Deigjj, 
from the Faroer Islands. Man they rock big time. And then Circle of Hands 
from Germany came on stage and did their set. These guys are the best and 
they showed us again. Sure, we heard some songs more than once, but nobody 
cared about that, all Heep is Good Heep, right ?
The bus left at midnight again and left me and the rest of the team alone 
again, ... yep, like in the song.

Saturday came and the second Heepsters Jam Session was a blast. So many 
songs passed the speakers, i can't put a name on them. Kind of, all of them. 
After the Jam Sessions and the food, time for The Innocent Victims, whom i 
had asked to play two entire albums, one had to be Innocent Victims, as that 
was the first album i ever bought and the other was their own free choice. 
Beat me now, cause i forgot what album they played. But oh goodie goodie, 
they nailed it completely, all attendees were just enjoying every second of 
their sets. They needed a rest between two albums. It was so good and i was 
so pleased that this band wanted to do that favour for me.
Everything comes to an end and that brought The Legends to the stage, with a 
little help from Phil Baker, Torsten Ilg and Joe Weiler, Paul Newton and Lee 
Kerslake played the best songs in a fairly short set, as we wanted to have a 
little hour left to hang out before the bus left and we could go that way. 
That is the shitty thing when you organise these events yourself, you gotta 
start tearing down the stuff you just put in a couple of days ago. Ah well, 
i was very happy to know and to feel that everyone had a great time, maybe 
even the best of times, who knows. Will i do it again ? No, it is costing me 
money as there were too few people to make it profitable, but i didn't want 
to cancel eighter as i didn't want to put those in troubles, who payed for 
their flights and booked tickets and rooms already.

All in all, i loved organising this event, though it's a one off for me. I 
like to think that this is the biggest thing i ever did in my life, so far. 
And i like to think that i did well as everybody was very pleased and i had 
gotten no complaints at all. I will not blame myself or anyone else, times 
are difficult for everybody, also for me now, as i have a financial hole to 
fill. I am thinking of making wooden beer mats with stone inlay and hope 
that at least some of the attendees will want to buy some. If not, that is 
ok too of course, you know me.

Well, i will survive and i hope Heepventions will survive too as they are 
the best thing. Heepsters from all corners of the world meeting up and 
sharing their love for Uriah Heep. So, hoping that, i passed the stick to a 
Dutch friend of mine, who will try and find out if she can organise it in 
2017. Read this well people, 2017 in Holland. I start saving already, as i 
will be there for sure.

Heep on, rock on !!

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- 
From: Ron Mann
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 10:23 PM
To: 'Heepsters Mailing List (Travellers in Time)'
Subject: Re: [Heeplist] HEEPVENTION 2015


Facebook was flooded with photos, updates and info on this marvelous event.
If you are friends with Staf, Mac, Mike Taylor, Merrick, Keith Shaw and
others these came in hourly.  I felt as if I were there.

Oh and there were great shows by Merrick's band, Neverland [with outside
help to make up the band] and a short show by the Harms Way Project since we
had four members there.  That was a bittersweet happening however since our
lead vocalist Jon Binder passed away from a heart attack just three weeks
ago.

Ron


> I can answer the question, it tells me heepster comraderie is dead, the
> list
> is dead (except for 4 posts over the weekend about t shirts made 16 years
> ago).  It also tells me to enjoy the Heepster experience one now has to be
> wealthy and free of responsibility, so they can travel.  It also tells me
> the ones that are and can,  no longer give a crap about the rest of the
> heepsters who cannot.


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