TOSH IN HOLLAND 1979
by Peter Van Arnhem
In these days of the internet and instant global communication, it is hard to believe that, back in the day, forthcoming tours were occasionally publicised on picture sleeves.
This is the case for the Dutch release of Peter Tosh’s ‘Buk-In-Hamm Palace’ / ‘The Day The Dollar Die’.
Three dates are listed:
2nd July 1979 – Leysdream, Roosendaal
3rd July 1979 – Vereniging, Nijmegen
4th July 1979 – Jaap Eden Hal, Amsterdam
The concerts in Roosendaal and Amsterdam definitely went ahead, but I have never been able to find any confirmation about the Nijmegen show.
One month before, on 4th June, Peter headlined the 10th PinkPop Festival at the Sportpark in Geleen, which also featured Rush, Elvis Costello, Dire Straits, Police, Average White Band and Dutch outfit Massada. PinkPop promoter, Jan Smeets, had flown Mick Jagger to the event, and the Rolling Stones singer had requested that he join Peter on-stage for fifteen minutes or so. In-keeping with the party atmosphere of the festival, Smeets told Jagger that he could have all the time he wanted. However, Smeets had omitted to tell Jagger that the set was being filmed for television. Arriving on-stage he saw the cameras and immediately turned around, disappearing into the back-stage area. His arrival and speedy exit can be seen on this brief youtube clip.
According to De Limburger, a local newspaper, three light aircraft flew over the venue during Tosh’s set, trailing banners bearing pro-marijuana slogans. The stunt, arranged by Dutch action group Marie Wanna, was noticed by Tosh, who commented on it from the stage.
Johnny Manuhutu, lead vocalist with Massada, who appeared at the PinkPop festival and also supported Tosh at the Roosendaal show, recalls playing soccer with Tosh and Jagger in the back-stage area as they awaited their sound-checks. With a smile on his face, he also remembers seeing Tosh unicycling around the hotel in Geleen, puffing on a huge spliff.
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