Procol Harum fans' party at Zoetermeer
(nr. Amsterdam) Holland
Food, drink, music, transport, a
concert, and excellent company on Thursday 26 May 2016
Buying Convention Tickets |
Basecamp Hotel booking |
Palers'
Band 2016 | Booking the Procol Harum concerts
(in English)
here /
here
New: tickets
available for the after-show party following Procol
Harum's concert on 26 May:
click here
As visitors to ‘Beyond the Pale’ will know (from
here),
Procol Harum are playing two concerts in The Netherlands
in May 2016:
Thursday 26 May at
De Boerderij, Zoetermeer
(sold out),
Friday 27
May at Kubus, Lelystad.
These two townships lie close to the
historic cultural capital,
Amsterdam, with
swift road and
rail links,
and all are served by the major
international hub of
Amsterdam’s
Schiphol Airport.
To mark the band’s return to The Netherlands – where
Procol and Gary Brooker have a long-standing and loyal
fan base – 'Beyond the Pale' has planned an excellent
party for Thursday 26 May. The reservation links for
this are above, and booking will be on a
first-come first-served basis.
This International Convention, like BtP's other major
parties –
September 2000 (Guildford, UK);
May 2001 (Kristiansand, Norway);
June 2001 (Manchester, UK);
July 2003 (Hollywood, USA);
August 2006 (Lejre, Denmark);
July 2007 (Smith Square, London);
April 2013 (Wuppertal, Germany);
July
2014 (Westbury NY, USA) – takes place because
fans are naturally congregating to hear Procol Harum
play, and the pleasure of that is enhanced by
making/meeting friends beforehand, trading stories,
showing memorabilia, eating and drinking together; and
then more of the same afterwards! Many significant
friendships have formed in such a way: you'll be
meeting people who share your lifetime's love of some
eternally great music.
Jens and Roland have been busy – in grateful collaboration
with good friends in the area, principally
Hans Tammes and
Frans Steensma – making the
arrangements necessary to ensure that everyone coming to
hear Procol Harum has an extra-specially memorable and
friendly time.
The
fans' party will take place at ‘Clooney's’,
a popular restaurant in the heart of Zoetermeer. Before
Procol’s show you will be able to gather with friends
old and new, and you’ll be served a good three-course
dinner. In addition to the primary aim – having a good
time with fellow-fans – you’ll hear a fascinating
presentation (in English) by
Procol historian Frans Steensma, and there
will be ‘unplugged’ performance of songs you will
certainly recognise! After the
Boerderij
show, the party resumes at
Clooney’s, and Procol Harum and crew are top of the
guest-list.
During two reconnaissance visits in recent weeks,
‘Beyond the Pale’ has negotiated the usual, special
discount deal with a
Basecamp Hotel nearby, so that all
fans may stay together, in comfort. (Fans wanting to
stay on and explore historic Amsterdam may choose an
extended Basecamp Hotel booking, because accommodation
in the capital is much more expensive). The three venues in
Zoetermeer are close within a compact area, but for
fans’ comfort and convenience BtP has hired a charabanc
(‘bus’) for 26 May so we can all relax, not worry about directions
or tickets, and continue the party atmosphere as we
travel together.
The key locations, shewn on the map adjoining, are closely grouped,
but it's not walking distance.
Transport in our hired bus gives you the following journeys, included in
your ticket-price:
1. Basecamp Hotel > Fans' Party2. Fans' Party > Procol Harum gig
3. Procol Harum gig > Fans' party.
To return to the hotel at 'the end of the evening' – which means
different times to different people – shared taxis will work out
economically; trams will also be running. More guidance about this in
due course.
Click the map to see the wider, Netherlands context – or see
another BtP map here |
 |
This is the shape of the day's entertainment:
• Charabanc takes you from
Basecamp Hotel to Clooney’s
for the Fans' Party
• 15.00 to 19.00: the party!
A very nice, seated three-course dinner, chosen in
advance by you (meat, fish and vegetarian options: the menu ) ...
to set you up for the Procol gig later.
17.00 hours: the meal
will be served at 17:00, but will still be
available at 18:00, to suit people who can join in only
after office hours.
A new and
striking tee-shirt, exclusive to the Procol Convention,
will be for sale ...
more details
here
A well-stocked bar, where four drinks – beer, wine or
soft – are included in your ticket price (you can of
course pay for additional drinks as well)
Illustrated presentation from Frans Steensma’s
unrivalled Procol Harum / Gary Brooker archive
Live ‘unplugged’ music from a new, slimline incarnation
of The Palers’
Band.
• 19.00 Charabanc takes us to Procol Harum’s concert
at the famous Boerderij – where they last played in
2003 and
2002. For this concert you need to book
your own ticket: the Convention price doesn’t include
the Procol show itself.
• After the show, 'get back on the bus' to Clooney’s, where
the party will continue until 1 am. Four more drinks of
your choice (soft drinks, coffee, wine or beer) are
included in the Convention price. The cash bar will again
operate in addition.
• The Basecamp Hotel bar will remain open as required
The Convention is priced to cover costs: BtP is not a
commercial organisation and we have done everything we
can to ensure excellent value. Fans who have enjoyed our previous parties
–
September 2000 (Guildford, UK);
May 2001 (Kristiansand, Norway);
June 2001 (Manchester, UK);
July 2003 (Hollywood, USA);
August 2006 (Lejre, Denmark);
July 2007 (Smith Square, London);
April 2013 (Wuppertal, Germany);
July
2014 (Westbury, New York)
and many other less elaborate affairs – will already know this, but of
course we also expect many first-timers on 26 May, and assure
them an extremely warm welcome. As someone memorably
said, BtP's parties are 'where old friends meet for the
first time'.
Your ticket (in the form of a souvenir badge which you’ll
collect and wear at the venue) pays for: pre-show party, after-show
party, three transfers in our hired bus, three-course
seated meal, eight drinks, live music at Clooney's, Frans Steensma’s
presentation, and – best of all – wonderful company.
The Convention ticket-price doesn’t include the Procol
show at De Boerderij, nor
your accommodation at the Basecamp Hotel: these you will book
separately – see links at the top of this page.
We look forward to seeing
many Procol fans at this excellent location on 26 May
2016!
New: tickets
available for the after-show party following Procol
Harum's concert on 26 May:
click here
Procol dates in 2016