Here we go with all the comments, emails, letters and reviews we received from people who were at the North Sea Jazz Festival 2002 : First our own comment :

Again after this Gino Vannelli / Metropole Orchestra live concert we feel good, very good
and glorious feelings, emotions and deep, very deep respect for Gino Vannelli, Dick Bakker
and all the Musicians of the Metropole Orchestra and also for all the people who work
behind the scenes, people you will never see but be sure that they are there working like
crazy to get everything going and to please us. My, oh my, the Statenhal exploded in a very
good way because of the impressive music and also because of the fantastic audience. After
the rehearsals the big afternoon was there in The Hague, all the people on stage looked very beautiful and classy, all in black and were ready, really ready to play in a VANNELLI quality way, Gino's voice in WALTHER WHITMAN gave many people a lump in the throat and big fat goose bumps on their bodies. There were many people who could not go to the Roosendaal concert in 2000 and they were here at the North Sea Jazz now and they could not believe their ears.....BLACK CARS and IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE ??? BROTHER TO BROTHER ??? All older songs played and arranged in a superb new magical way and especially during
KING FOR A DAY all the 17.00O or maybe 20.000 people went wild....Again a day to
remember a GINO VANNELLI quality day !!! When we had diner the people in the
restaurant talked about THIS Gino Vannelli concert, also the "BIG" artists who had diner
there were whispering about Gino Vannelli's talents and some even asked us is that THE
Gino Vannelli ??? And started telling how good Gino is, as if ....... When we walked around the North Sea Jazz festival later that evening we could only hear praises for the Gino Vannelli / Metrople live concert and when we walked in the streets of The Hague in the middle of the night guess what we heard all the time ??? Yesssss Gino Vannelli's name...... so we feel this Gino Vannelli / Metropole concert was the number 1 and super top concert of the whole North Sea Jazz Festival 2002. This indeed is MUSIC, Gino Vannelli's MUSIC !!!
Barend and Trees in Holland.

English : Hi Barend and Trees ! I have already read your web-reviews about yesterday, And yes ofcourse I was also there in the Statenhal, The Hague. And yes....WOW... what a fantastic party. Our Metropole Orchestra with our Gino Vannelli. Tears in my eyes because of happyness and literal, moving and touching ! Such beautiful arrangements (Dick Bakker?) which give the already beautiful songs such a special character again. Indeed very smashing in all ways. I think Brother to Brother next to King For A Day were one of the highlights, but really all were highlights at a point. People Gotta Move could have been more recognizable funky but hey I will not whine, I will never ever forget this great event and everything else what happened at the North Sea Jazz was in a far away BIG shadow compared to the Gino Vannelli / Metropole Orchestra concert ! In the early days we had a TV show called RODEO, remember ?? There they could remove artists by pulling a rope so the stage was turned away and they should have done that with Ike Turner, what a shame and a great contrast to Gino.
Ron Adelaar in Holland. Picture in this section is made and e-mailed to us by Ron Adelaar!

English : More from Ron : Those reporters (Mantel en Raijman) on TV from the NPS last night at the tv channel Netherlands 3 did not understand much about Gino Vannelli, they only could make remarks about His sex symbol status from the 70's and this is a bad rude underestimation of the talents of this world musician. But hey the real Gino Vannelli music-lovers will not be disturbed by this, that is what I think as a comfort but it hurts me a little bit anyways !! Lots of success with your "shameless devotion", you are more crazier than I am but I admire your devotion very much. In a musical way (I play the piano) I feel you are right. Gino Vannelli's music is incredible beautiful, complex, genius, in a word UNAPPROACHABLE !! For me in the classical music Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy en Ravel are on the same lavel and from the same quality and greatness.
with kind regards, Ron Adelaar, Holland.

English : A BIG KICK{{{{ (My exclamation point does not work.)
The concert was one BIG kick{{{{ Gino looked very satisfied. do you have more nice pictures?? Joop en Marian.

English : Hello Barend and Trees,
It was all great and fantastic the last couple of days. The rehearsals and the North Sea Jazz. Fun and very cosy website. We hope this was not the last time. Greetings from Jan and Dirk metropole orchestra.

hello to all gino-fans, i am enjoying the north sea-jazz festival every summer for almost ten years and i had the opportunity to listen to some real great concerts in all these years. but gino vannelli and the fantastic metropole orchestra topped them all by far. one of my greatest dreams came true, for i never experienced a gino-live-performance before and i am a real longtime-fan. to hear all these great songs in such beautiful new arrangements with this great orchestra brightened my heart and all the others too, as the audience went nuts for gino, his voice and his music. and the smile on the musicians faces proved that they enjoyed it too. one should produce a cd out of this outstanding performance, so that all the unhappy who did not have the opportunity to be part of this event, can also enjoy this musical masterpiece. all the best, klaus schuler, schorndorf, germany.

English : A meeting with the past; Gino Vannelli at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Gino Vannelli brings back memories for me from the 70's and 80's. At that time we had a friend's club and after a night out in downtown we used to go to somebody's home to let the party go on till the early hours of the next morning and we always played Gino Vannelli LP's very loud !! And than here is 2002 and here is Gino Vannelli with the Metropole Orchestra at the North Sea Jazz !! At arrival in the Statenhal I immediately saw some of my friends from that time who came to the North Sea Jazz especially for Gino. Anyways.....it was already a collection of "Gino Vannelli die hards" in the Statenhal. Humble as the Musician is, like he walked on stage saying "I am glad to be back" starting a superb and perfect live performance. What a great combination; Gino Vannelli with the Metropole Orchestra. First in the beginning I had to get used to the new jazzy songs from His latest albums, which I did not know......And after that came beautiful compositions and performances like : WILD HORSES and IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE. One thing is for sure : this concert was too short, but the artists have to accept the rules and laws and the time scheme of the North Sea Jazz organisation. If Gino had a choise or had some freedom He should have go on for His "The Hague" fans, that's for sure!
Late in the evening when I went home I passed by a group of people who were still full of and very enthousiastic about the Gino Vannelli performance.........Who knows maybe in 2003 another performance ?? Paul V from The Hague.

English : Hi Barend and Trees, again it was superb and phenomenal, wasn't it ?? I have recorded 2 Gino songs Sunday night.(Black Cars and King For A Day). Super fantastic, no words can express what this superman in music does to me and which emotions He brings up inside me!!! Wow !!! D. from The Hague still in the Music-Heaven !!

Hi Barend en Trees,
And again, the gig of Gino at the North Sea Jazzfestival was superb (but hey, what else could we expect of our beloved Gino and our Dutch Metropole). It was great to see and hear the classical version of King for a day, what a surprise and what a thrill!! The pleasure of all those beautiful people on stage during the gig. The friendship between- and golden combination of Gino and Dick + the Metropole was termendous. Symbolized by the patch on the back of Dick Bakker, given by Gino during King for one day was impressing and was the clearest and honest signal of the North Sea Jazzfestival I ever saw. Gino, Dick and all the people of the Metropole....thank you all so much an hopeflly this was not the last part of the deal.

Last but not least, my friend Clem and I met 2 beautiful new Gino friends (Tom Gillitt and his wife) from the UK during this gig and just 5 meter away from Gino. Tom, hopefully you read this message, you gave me your email adress, but I can´t get connected to your emailbox. You do have my email, so would you please send me a message so that I can make my promise make true to you both? warmest regards for everyone, Cor Dingena, Holland.

English : Hello Barend and Trees,
Naturally I was at the North Sea Jazz Sunday the 14th of July 2002, and my heroes Gino and Marcus Miller played in the same Statenhal and on the same day, it could not get better. Miller was great but ofcourse Gino is still something special. I think the orchestra was very good, the sound super good and Gino was in the good mood and spirits and I had this idea that the audience was thrilled about the things which happened on stage. I hated the fact that I was not in the front of the stage but you know I was with friends and they needed to eat and to go to the restroom so when we got to the Statenhal it was already pretty full and I could not go to the front anymore. After the concert I tried to get backstage but that was impossible. ( I bet you two were backstage ofcourse! :)). Later I heard that Gino was in the V.I.P. room, i tried but ofcourse they did not allow me inside the V.I.P.room. I had a fantastic day and I think you too, I am very curious. Greetings, Victor.

Hoi Barend en Trees, Ook jullie nog bedankt voor jullie support ik vindt de site te gek en ik heb natuurlijk en te gekke tijd gehad. Ik heb helaas Gino niet meer gezien na afloop. Ik hoop dat hij ook tevreden is en dat we elkaar nog veel mogen zien in de toekomst. Voor ons was het in iedergeval fantastisch. Mochten jullie Gino nog spreken of mailen doe hem dan de hartelijke groeten en vertel hem maar dat het weer te gek was om met hem te mogen spelen. Nou hopelijk tot snel Ik zou trouwens best graag die foto van Gino en mij achter de piano willen hebben zou je die kunnen mailen ?? Veel liefs en groetjes, Arno, Drummer Metropole Orkest.

English : Hi Barend and Trees, Many thanks to you two also for your support, I like the site very much and I had a great and fantastic time. It is a pity that I did not see Gino anymore after the concert. I hope He is really happy and satisfied and that we will meet again many times in the future. It was fantastic for us all, that's for sure. If you speak or e-mail with Gino please give Him my best regards en please tell Him that it was absolutely fabulous again to play with him. I hope to see you soon again. I love to have the picture of Gino and me behind the piano, can you please e-mail it??? Love and regards Arno,Drummer Metropole Orchestra.

English : Hello Barend and Trees, What a very beautiful afternoon it was, Sundayafternoon the 14th of July 2002, wasn't it ?? Really too fantastic! I got a lot of energy. Is Gino back home ? It was nice to see you again, many greetings en lots of success with your love for Gino and His MUSIC! I will look at your website soon! Mieke, Viola - Metropole Orchestra.

14 July 2002. Sunday morning. We hardly slept. 12 o clock from Barendrecht to The Hague. One o clock first on line, getting more nerves each minute. 3 o clock doors open, running to the stage. Lot of familiar faces, smiling.All nervuos and jumpy. Then they draw the curtain, wow big orchestra. THEN!! THERE HE IS!!!!.... Its like a beloved you have not seen for long time, my haertbeat is astonishing, so is he, my god he still looks great (don't get my wrong a'm a married guy) but that's what does to you. He smiles and start singing.I have
seen him four times live, but I will never get used to it, each time it hits you
like a sledge-hammer, this is not really happening, nobody can sing like this,
BUT IS IS HAPPENING!!. i feel a pleasant warmth what a combination with
this great orchestra. Gino still is larger than live, walking, talking, jumping, dancing with a great sense of rhythm but above all SINGING , extremely sensitive, incredible loudness, melodious, we all now the words everybody is singing with him. Than suddenly two minuts after he started its over, i look at my watch and it almost one and a half hour later!! O NO ITS OVER. WHAT A MAGNIFICENT CONCERT. GINO (we are on first name bases you now) from the bottem of my heart, thank you and who nows maybe we will 'meet' again. Until then, we love you. yours sincerely, ron from holland, barendrecht.

English : Dear Barend and Trees, Here is a small message from Marcel!! I think this is fantastic what you guys are doing like I told you before, Am I also a BIG fan of Gino!! So you will understand that this is a boys dream of me which comes true now!! And Gino is a real nice guy!! And it is a delight to play with him and I am very priviledged I know!! This is such a BIG honour!! See you tomorrow, and by the way my name is Marcel Schimscheimer and not Schinscheimer! (It does not matter) I think the pictures are too cool!! Greetings from Marcel!! (Bass-Guitar player Metropole Orchestra).
ps.: It was a wonderful week, fantastic music, nice and fun people, what do you want more in life!???

English : Hi Barend,
Here is the promised e-mail. We stood in the front row at the fence in front of Gino ! Ohhhhh we enjoyed the performance so very much, there are no words for this. No words which can express our enjoyment. I am a Gino Vannelli fan already for so many years and to see and hear him sing so close by makes my flesh creep and sends a cold shudder through me. It gives me goose-bumps over my whole body. It makes my hair stand up. It makes shivers down my back !!! So fantastic, so perfect, so many feelings. His music goes straight into my heart. He is the only artist who can touch me inside, really touch me with his music ( and there were times that nothing else could touch me like Gino Vannelli's music!) I loved talking to you, about your adventures with Gino and about his music. I regular visit your website and so I keep informed about all the things which happen. Please go on and on with this website !! Very kind regards en see and hear you hopefully soon, very soon, Brigitte en Evert Jan Meulenkamp.
P.S. During King For A day I felt like Queen for a day!!!!!!