A few years ago Drive Like Maria blew me away with their first album Elmwood. Great rock songs with big grooves and riffs played with a lot of energy. Live it sounded even better. Then it got quiet for a while but now they're back with a new album simply titled Drive Like Maria. They were gonna play a special 3voor12 showcase to present the album and I was one of the lucky ones to go. As a bonus Dutch duo Bombay Show Pig, who just released their exciting debut album Vulture/Provider, were the ones to warm us up.
Drive Like Maria/Bombay Show Pig at Desmet Studio's Amsterdam, May 10 2012
It wasn't really necessary to warm us up since the temperature in the small venue was already hitting tropical numbers. Nevertheless Bombay Show Pig turn the heat up some more. I've seen this duo a few times now and it's great to see them play with so much fire and pleasure. Their songs have a lot of variation and they use electronic effects in a very creative and playful way, giving the songs that little bit of extras. Even though they are only a duo and there's no real front man or woman, they still know how to keep an audience focused. Good songs, tight playing and a lot of musicality do the rest.
Watch full Bombay Show Pig show here on 3Voor12
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So by the time Drive Like Maria take to the stage we're already sweating our pants off. They don't give us time to cool down, but fly right into it. Of course many new songs come by, that sound more heavy than on the album that I already got to listen a few times. They don't always sound exaclty the same as on the album. That's a good thing and this way they mix very well with the older songs. 'Like A Train' and 'So' of course are still one of the favourites, but new songs 'Black Horses' and 'Ghostrider' could be fan favourites soon too. By bringing in drummer Bram van den Berg, singer Bjorn Awouters now only has to focus on guitar and vocals. This makes their performance even more lively and energetic. It looks like the band members are now interacting more.
Guitar player Nitzan Hoffmann is still an attraction by herself, with her screaming guitar licks and solos. In her lively performance she's going through some of the best rock poses, while getting the most out of her guitar. It's good to see that they have a wider sound on the album, exploring new directions, but at the same time know how to stay true to the soul of their sound. I hope I will see a lot more of both bands, maybe at the summer festivals. You can expect a review of both albums soon on this blog.
Watch full Drive Like Maria show here on 3Voor12
Click here for more Pictures from both shows
Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify
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