Not quite Jett

Some time ago Jett Rebel had an amazing debut. We noticed him at a small festival: virtuoso funky music, high energy, and great backing vocals. We now visited his full show, which turned out to be a deception. At times we could see his tremendous skills, capturing funky riffs and mastering his music with soul. Most of the show seemed to revolve about Jelte himself though. While he has the stage presence to keep things interesting, his ego seemed to get the better of the show. So much promise and so much talent, which did not surface this night.

Bazart

One of the upcoming bands in Belgium: Bazart. After their succesful song ‘Goud’, they do come up with more hit-material songs, so this is definitely a band to keep an eye on. A great mix of rap and rock, blend into a unique indiepop concept. Interestingly, they attract a rather broad audience, from children with their parents to indie hipsters. Their performance has improved since the last time we saw them; with ever growing self-confidence.

Authentic Trixie

A unique concert by Trixie Whitley in the awe-inspiring decor of De Kapel. A mesmerizing evening with an improvised setlist, performing some of her best songs in its purest form. This is the type of evening that suits her so well, opening up to the audience in speech and music. A night to remember, and a memory to cherish.

Tom Odell

Admittedly, not my choice to attend this concert. I expected neat sweet tear-jerking acoustic songs. That’s great for a few songs, but I would not fancy that for a whole evening. Darn, have I been proven wrong this night. From the first song, an overwhelming and vibrant show. Very entertaining and display of Odell’s virtuosity. Definitely will try to grab a ticket again as soon as he is in the area.

Dez Mona

Those who glance over this blog every now and then know that we closely follow Dez Mona and really adore their music and live performances. Also this gig, at the small stage of the theater in Tilburg, was no expection. The vivacity and emotions conveyed during the concert, however, turned out to be a prelude to a sad message: the future of Dez Mona as we know it today is uncertain. We sure hope to have more songs and great evenings ahead!

Muse @ Ziggo Dome

This year the Drones tour of Muse: and drones we got! Another fantastic show, this time in the Ziggo Dome (best venue for large crowds in the Netherlands!). This gig was of course the virtuoso quality we have come to expect of these guys, but also again a visual spectacle. A 360 degree rotating stage with catwalks, flying drones in a choreography in line with the music, and immense projections to set the atmosphere for each song. Just wow! 😎

Dez Mona

It was a long time ago that our favorite Belgian band visited the Netherlands, but they are back on tour in our country with their new album Origin. A fabulous and intense show as we have come to expect from them. In hindsight the show was even more special, as it was the last show we got to see with Nicolas on bass. In their words: Those were times to cherish and things to live for!

dEUS soft electric

A whole different concert than you would come to expect of dEUS. They realized that a large part of there repertoire consists of softer – easy listening – songs that they hardly perform live. So they created a special tour to perform these songs – the soft electric tour. Though they were a bit unconfortable with an audience sitting down, the setting in ‘het muziekgebouw’ in Eindhoven was amazing: a modern hall with giant pipe organ in the back. Though I like their up-beat songs better, it was a mesmerizing gig!

Marco Martens @ Paradox

With an open mind we stepped into the Paradox venue to see Marco Martens.
His work is hard to classify: originally a rapper, yet this was not a rap performance, nor was it a music gig as you come to expect. Marco is wordsmith, yet this performance was not a poetry night out. This evening, Marco was telling a story head to tail, and yet is was not a stage play. With the live performance of their album Ieder huis is uit vertrekken gebouwd, Marco and his musicians define a compelling new genre, with everyday stories captured in linguistically cunning phrases, rythmically conveyed on top of the supportive, yet virtuoso, music. Highly recommended to experience their work!

Balthazar @ 013

Big in Belgium, upcoming in The Netherlands, and playing at the (new) 013 venue at the start of their tour: Balthazar. This group of virtuosos, without one particular lead artist, is quickly gaining popularity, and has several very strong hit songs in their setlist already. Their songs are easy on the ears, but have intricate rhythms and pace changes. They manage to build up the tension to musical highlights, which remain strangely ‘syrupy’ slow yet energizing. I surely recognize influences from dEUS. With Jinte Deprez as their extravert entertainer, Maarten Devoldere at times shows the introverted madness of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. A wonderful mix for a great gig.

Kovacs @ Mezz

The upcoming star with the fur hat performed at one of our favorite venues: the Mezz in Breda. The start of the show promised a very sophisticated show, with folding screens and projections. Music-wise, Kocavs and her virtuoso musicians surely lived up to the promise. However, the show was not as well-balanced and smooth as the opening had us suspect. Particularly Sharon still seemed somewhat uncomfortable and choatic on stage, lacking the close connection with her audience. This was well-compensated by her sensational voice though.

Rhodes @ Ekko

We first discovered the band Rhodes at the Best Kept Secret Festival. Their performance really stood out during that festival, and so we (best) kept track of their tour agenda. The first good opportunity to see and hear them live again was the Ekko venue in Utrecht. This small and intimate setting worked really well for their style, and once again they presented a very convincing set. One thing we did not foresee though: their audience mainly consists of teenage girls. Although we were amongst the nestors of the crowd, we had a great evening, and we look forward to see what the future brings for Rhodes.

Blaudzun

Again we visited Blaudzun at their 013 show, this time on the main stage (which was not sold out). The show was again great, with little changes compared to their last gig. Their type of music somehow works better in a more intimate setting, doing justice to the small and acoustic parts of show.

Trixie Whitley – Mezz

Jaimi Faulkner as amazing virtuoso support act. Wondefully intimate perfomance of the highly pregnant Trixie. Lot’s of new material, so looking forward to the new album!

Dez Mona – 013

Een jaar geleden waren we bij de try-out van de ‘Gentlemens agreement’ tour in de Ekko in Utrecht. Nu was Dez Mona in Tilburg voor een weergaloos concert in de kleine zaal van de 013. Destijds was de show al goed, maar nu viel alles op zijn plek door de maanden van ervaring met deze set. Muziekanten pur sang die een groter publiek verdienen.

The Veils

Top concert in Doornroosje: een kleurrijk en aangenaam pop zaaltje in Nijmegen. De Veils hebben een nieuw album uit en zijn op tour. Ze gaven een goed concert met een mooie volle bezetting (lead zang + gitaar, tweede gitarist, bassist-e-, twee blazers, toetsenist en natuurlijk de drummert). Bij een enkel nummer verslapte mijn aandacht, maar dat werd in de meeste gevallen gelijk goed gemaakt in het nummer erna.

Sir Yes Sir

Tof optreden van Sir Yes Sir, de band rond Tijs Delbeke die ook regelmatig optreedt met dEUS en Dez Mona. Fijn in de kleine zaal van 013. Na afloop nog een gesigneerd exemplaar van de CD gescoord 🙂

Muse in Ziggo Dome

HÊt concert van het jaar. De verwachtingen waren hoog na de Resistance tour, maar wederom een gigantisch spektakel. Wat mij betreft zijn deze heren souverein als het gaat om de grote live shows. Ook de nummers van de nieuwe plaat, die toch over het algemeen wat kalmer/toegankelijker is, waren een succes! Again again again…

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