Tuesday 24 July 2012

New Start For Garments



From the North of Holland comes the new five man formation Garments. Although not that new any more, since the band is the reincarnation of Monstertux, who were steadily working their way up a few years ago. The band won the LiveXS/Dommelsch award for best indie band. According to themselves they had to reinvent themselves, explaining their radio silence. Now this results in their first album The Need To Belong. That doesn't make clear what they mean by "reinventing themselves", because there are no big differences. The line-up remained the same as well.

Garments - The Need To Belong Fortunately not a lot has changed, because that also means their pleasant sound has remained the same. As they mention themselves it is a mix of Twilight Singers, Death Cab For Cutie and dEUS, where singer Sjoerd van Kammen sometimes sounds like Placebo's Brian Molko. And those influences clearly can be heard. Especially the songs that remind of dEUS stick out, like the beautiful 'This House'. Kammen is moving close to dEUS singer Tom Barman, but especially the arrangement and build up of the song are reminding of that. Several repeating melodies are dancing around each other, supported by a grooving drum. Or like in 'Fascinating Places' the whole songs keeps tension, without really climaxing.

Those arrangements are very well taken care off, without unnecessary additions. A song like 'Both Feet In Quicksand' is becoming more interesting, but still is nice to listen to. And so the ten song album, is a comfortable listening experience. Without getting long-winded for a bit, because there's plenty of variation. 'Colors' and 'Plastic Dreams' for example sound more agitated and solid. The songs all have the same theme: they are telling about our current society with all its insecurities and set-backs. And you can hear that in the music, which is melancholic, sad or provoked alternately

Whatever the reason for the name change has been, the five some once again prove why they were called the best indie band of our country once. And what difference does it make what they call themselves? The music still is spot on. And they are showing that again with the The Need To Belong.

This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Gotten Gains' on Spotify.

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Tuesday 17 July 2012

Alabama Shakes Are Full Of Soul

It's still possible: to surprise the music world without a thought through marketing plan or record company's concept. Alabama Shakes came out of nowhere and by a combination of good music, talent, hard work and a bit of luck, knew to find their way into the spot lights. I loved their album Boys & Girls and definitely wanted to see this sensational band with my own eyes. I already got a bit of foretaste on Rock Werchter and was ready for more.

Alabama Shakes at Tivoli Utrecht, July 11 2012



First we get the Mozes And The Firstborn to warm us up. The excited boys go full at it and do a good job with their catchy rock songs. A few more years of experience and their own sound could get them a long way.



The sold out venue has warmed up to tropical temperatures while monsoon rains are gushing down outside, when the band from Alabama make their appearance. Of course it's singer Brittany Howard who draws all the attention. She's walking onto the stage as if she just came out of the kitchen and strapped on a guitar. But oh boy when she starts singing. It is giving me the shivers all over. It's so intense and straight from her soul. It is turning all their songs into a personal story. All the heartbreak, all the sorrow and all the hope. It is as if she's telling them for the first time and we're looking straight into her heart.



The rest of the band may not be that special, but they also play with all their heart. And that's what's making this band so good and special. Of course Howard's voice is impressive, but I think that the fact that they are still so honest about their music and truly play it from their heart is what makes this band so good. All the band members are totally into it, enjoying their music, often with their eyes closed. Especially bass player Zac Cockrell's face is totally living the music.



It's great to see a full show by this blues and soul band. They don't need a lot of words to win the crowd over. Occasionally Howard will say a short thank you. We don't need more tonight. Especially when the ultimate appreciation is shown at the end of the show in the last encore when they play 'Heat Lightning'. Howard is singing "I'm so awfully glad you came" and "thank you" full of passion. I totally believe her. And so once again they let their music speak.



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Thursday 12 July 2012

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 4: Attrition Day



We're having a slow start today. All the partying and band hopping is taking its toll. The last day doesn't look that great compared to the other three. Maybe we have a few more surprises coming. Unfortunately both my batteries are empty by now, so I hardly can take pictures today. In the end I was able to squeeze a bit of juice out of them to get a few snap shots. Ah well, at least there's still plenty of Joe Piler left.

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 4, July 1 2012



The Hickey Underworld
This Belgian band is certainly waking us up. Their heavy garage rock is dark, loud and tight. They are playing full of fire and are breaking the dark clouds that gathered above the stage. We get the first bit of rain on the festival site. Some of their songs are supported by disturbing and vague music videos on the big video screens. It may not be for every one, which is clear from the empty spaces in the crowd, or for the faint hearted. But it definitely is a convincing performance on the main stage.

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The Vaccines
Which cannot be said from The Vaccines. They wrote a few catchy rock songs and were one of the hyped bands two years ago. But singer Justin Young doesn't sound so great, especially at the beginning where his voice is awful and off-key, mostly in the lower registers. It does get better and there's a lot of people who are enjoying songs like 'Wetsuit' and 'Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)'. But their other songs are pretty thin and that shows.



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Dropkick Murphys
Good songs is also what's lacking a bit from this band, who are not really from Ireland, but from Boston. However they make up for it with a lot of energy and good spirit. And many drinks, since the members don't appear all to be completely sober. It is their last show of the tour and they promise to give everything. The main stage turns into a big pub and a massive American Irish party. So who cares that they seem to be playing the same song for an hour. Dropkick Murphys are definitely going out in style.


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Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher is playing more subtle rock songs. It's a totally different cup of tea compared to the Dropkick Murphys and less of a spectacle. But Gallagher's album is full of nice summer songs and he's making the music speak for itself. It surely isn't Oasis, so it may be a let down for some folks. Still Gallagher sounds good, his voice is clear and it's definitely nice to enjoy with a cold beer. And the Oasis fans still get what they want when he's playing 'Don't Look Back In Anger'.



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Florence + The Machine
Florence Welch has a bit of a doubtful reputation when it comes to singing her songs live. There have been several occasions in the past where she was sounding off-key. She solved this by adding a backing singer who's taking on the parts where she could be failing. This works very well. She's also looking very active once and a while running around on and off stage while singing. This was not obvious from her vocals which makes me a bit sceptic about what she really was singing. Normally you can tell when people are running and singing at the same time. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She does turn it into a strong and lively performance.



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Red Hot Chili Peppers And then it's already time for the last act of the festival. I feel they definitely need to convince me again after their weak last couple of albums and a disappointing performance a few years ago in Nijmegen. But after a couple of songs it's clear I don't have to worry about that. Flea, Anthony Kiedis and new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer are bouncing around stage, while Chad Smith is sounding as tight and groovy as he's always been. Kiedis' vocals are even quite decent tonight, which is not always the case. He's still off-key once and a while especially in 'Californication', but it's not really disturbing.

Although Klinghoffer is obviously an accepted and full member of the band now, he cannot make us forget about John Frusciante. His guitar playing isn't of the same high level. Especially his falsetto vocals and harmonies with Kiedis can't match those of Frusciante. But it's great to hear 'Scar Tissue', 'By The Way', 'Sir Psycho Sexy' and even 'They're Red Hot' being played with a lot of energy. Jams by Flea and KlingHoffer are the upbeat to some of the songs and add variety to the set. Of course 'Give It Away' closes the set with close-ups of festival visitors including us (spot me if you can find a decent video and win a beer). I definitely gained my love for this band back. Hopefully they will start making decent records again too.



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Traditionally after a short delay fireworks close the festival which cannot describe this edition better. This must have been one of the best Rock Werchter editions so far I've visited. We hardly saw any weak performances. Instead there were a few surprises and many bands excelling. All the head liners totally lived up to their status with convincing performances. But the real difference were the visitors. People were just amazing this year. Every crowd was full of energy, responded great to the artists and were just completely ready to party. The 2013 edition is already in our calendar. See you next year!

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Rock Werchter 2012 Day 1
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Wednesday 11 July 2012

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 3: Time For Fireworks



After yesterday's stunning day it will be interesting how this day will turn out. My body is slowly starting to ache and protest so it's good we can start slow.

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 3, June 30 2012



Michael Kiwanuka And what better way to kick it off with some warm soul? Michael Kiwanuka is a brand new star that is rising fast. And for a good reason. His voice is a classic soul voice, full of emotion and comfort. His songs could have easily been written forty years ago but still sound fresh. Live they sound great because his band is playing them with a lot of heart like Kiwanuka himself. He looks pretty happy and relaxed while pouring his heart out in songs like 'Tell Me A Tale' and of course 'Home Again'. If Otis Redding was looking down today he must have been really pleased.



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Alabama Shakes We continue with more soul and blues. Even faster than Kiwanuka, who was watching right behind us at the beginning as well, this band has risen to stardom. Singer Brittany Howard has a great part in this. Her impressive appearance together with an even more impressive voice are quite a spectacle. The rest of the band are doing a good job, but it's Murphy who lifts this band to a higher level. Together with good blues and soul songs and a lot of heart it is a real treat watching them play. The boogie-woogie songs are less successful. It's clear their power lies in blues and soul. And what a power! This stage clearly wasn't big enough, telling from the crowd around the tent throughout the show.



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Black Box Revelation You don't need a big band to play loud rock 'n' roll. Belgian duo Black Box Revelation prove that. We weren't really close to the stage, but I have seen them play several times now. And even the big main stage is hardly big enough. Songs like 'High On A Wire' and 'Rattle My Heart' sound as if a full band is playing them. They do struggle a bit to keep everyone's attention. Still they play solid grooves and great guitar riffs in a mix of garage rock and blues. No wonder that people are picking them up in the US at the moment. Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify



Wolfmother We continue with some honest rock. Wolfmother hardly needs any introduction any more. Their seventies style hard rock sounds live even more loud and groovy than on their records. It's just too bad that the songs on their second album are not of the same quality as the ones on their epic first self-titled album. This is also showing in their set today. Long jams even get a bit weary at some point. But who cares when they close the set with their top song 'Joker and the Thief'.

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Simple Minds Time for some golden oldies. Once we arrive at the tent where Simple Minds are playing they already have started. The Barn tent is chuck full with mostly forty year olds going crazy with 'New Gold Dream', 'Waterfront' and of course 'Don't You Forget About Me'. Simple Minds are restricting themselves to their first five and best albums which is a wise choice. It's clear that this should have been scheduled for the main stage. Singer Jim Kerr is loving every minute of this trip down memory lane. His voice has gotten weaker over the years. But together with him we're singing one more time,"lalalala lalalala lalalalalalalala".



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Kasabian Time for some rock again. Kasabian are huge in the UK where they are considered the ones who can take the gap Oasis left behind after their split. Although releasing some successful albums and having played many big stages, today they are not proving to be able to fill that gap. Their set is played on routine and never gives you the feeling that they want to leave a lasting impression. Only when playing their biggest hit 'Fire' you get the feeling the band is connecting with the crowd.

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My Morning Jacket It is showing that Mumford & Sons are playing on the main stage at the same time since the tent is half full when we arrive at the My Morning Jacket show. Are they as good as many critics claim they are? Yes, they are. Singer Jim James's voice is clear and pure. Their true American style country rock sounds great, combined with long jams, solo's and psychedelica. The hairy musicians are totally into their own music and deserve a much bigger audience. Although this way we can get close to the stage and see them work through an exciting and varied set. I guess they still are a well-kept secret somehow.



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Editors Editors were one of the highlights in 2010 on this festival. Working on their fourth album they parted with guitar player Chris Urbanowicz More synths on the new album? It doesn't show tonight. It's always a real treat to watch and hear Tom Smith sing, totally into the music, eyes closed, his baritone thundering across the field. The stage is looking gloomy, while it's already dark outside, which totally fits the music. 'In This Light And On This Evening', which they didn't play, couldn't have been more appropriate. Editors have grown into the perfect festival band. Always reliable, with a big catalogue of hit songs: 'The Racing Rats', 'Munich' and of course 'Papillon' that closes the set. 'No Sound But The Wind', that turned into a magical moment in 2010, can't miss from the set list either of course. "That song belongs to Rock Werchter now" says Tom Smith. And so do the Editors when the fireworks complete their performance.



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Another great day has come to an end. But not before we party a little more on camping site A1. How much more can my poor body take?

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Rock Werchter 2012 Day 1
Rock Werchter 2012 Day 2
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Tuesday 10 July 2012

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 2: Almost Perfect Day



We get our first rain today, but since we're still in our tent it doesn't hurt us a bit. Actually it cools things down so we can sleep a bit longer. After the rain stops we still have plenty of time to make it to the festival site for the first band.

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 2, June 29 2012




School Is Cool
This young Belgian band had a few hits in their home country coming from their debut album Entropology And they mean business today. The band members want to show their home crowd what they're made off. It's an energetic show and especially Andew van Ostade puts on a great act and is a lot of fun to watch. They have a few very good songs like 'Warpaint' and 'The World Is Gonna End Tonight' which are greeted with excitement. Especially when a small machine is blowing foam snow flakes covering the first row. They even manage to form two circle pits in the crowd. Great job by these newcomers who hopefully will treat us to a lot more in the future.


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Miles Kane
More excitement with Miles Kane later on. And the English musician deserves it. His performance is convincing as is his stage appearance. The album he released last year holds enough songs to captivate the crowd and Kane himself is getting more excited by the minute. This results in an inspired and stretched out 'Come Closer' at the end of the set where everyone keeps singing the "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah" part even when Kane already has gone off the stage.



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Gossip
Beth Ditto and her band have to work a lot harder to keep every one's attention. She has broken her ankle and is less active than usual. Her voice is shrill and starts to get on my nerves. They have a few decent songs but it's not enough to lift this performance to a higher level, no matter what Ditto is trying today.

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Jack White
Contrary to Ditto, Jack White has no trouble getting the best out of his band. He chose the all-male band today, Los Buzzardos, and that is working out well. All dressed in black and blue, they are tight and simply sound great. White himself is quite chatty and seems to be enjoying himself. He has this impressive catalogue that he can choose from, playing songs by The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and of course his solo album. Like that album it's admirable to see how he's able to weld all this variety in songs together. 'Hotel Yorba', 'Steady As She Goes' and 'Sixteen Saltines' all blend together nicely. It's great to hear that The White Stripes songs sound so good when he's backed up with a full band and a good drummer (sorry Meg). He finishes us off with an insane 'Seven Nation Army'.



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dEUS
Still touring clubs and festivals in support of their album Keep You Close, Belgian's pride and glory dEUS are on familiar ground here. In the meanwhile they have released a new album Following Sea out of the blue that got mixed reviews. With so many great songs, this brilliant band cannot go wrong. But I would have expected a bit more fireworks on their home ground. Nevertheless I can never get tired seeing them play songs like 'Hotel Lobby', 'Instant Street' and 'Bad Timing'. Even when watching them from the side, waiting to get up front with Pearl Jam.



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Pearl Jam
At the concert last Tuesday we were quite far in the back and we want to see them up close this time. We thought we knew what to expect but still are pleasantly surprised how well they play their headlining slot. Of course this time they play a greatest hit set list with the usual suspects like 'Corduroy' with 'Interstellar Overdrive' intro again, 'Even Flow' and 'Alive'. That doesn't mean that this is just your avarage show. They blend 'Daughter' with Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall' and play PiL's 'Public Image'.



Eddie Vedder again holds a small speech in Flemish and looks even more inspired and fired up this time. He makes jumps from monitor speakers several times and stands at the side of the stage now and then, as if he wants to admire this great rock band. He dedicates a ferocious 'Spin The Black Circle' to Jack White. The set closes with 'Rockin' In The Free World' where he's getting a dazed young boy and his excited dad on stage to play the tambourine. The last song of the night is the traditional closer 'Yellow Ledbetter'. Vedder smokes a cigarette sitting down on a monitor speaker before leaving a stunned Werchter audience behind. No band will be able to top this I'm sure, but I hope they will try.



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After this explosive end of the day we decide to take a rest for a few beers. Unfortunately that also means we're missing Beirut. Hopefully we will be able to catch them some other time soon.

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Monday 9 July 2012

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 1: A Friendly Welcome

We're off to a promising start this year. Taking off from a friend's house in Belgium where we arrived the night before, we make it to the camping site in no time. The weather has changed from monsoon rains into simmering hot. So let the cold beers flow and bring on the first band.

Rock Werchter 2012 Day 1, June 28 2012



Bombay Bicycle Club
This band from London were the next best thing a few years ago but never could live up to it on the main land. They play a decent set and are lucky that the crowd is willing to party today. They have a few nice songs and it all sounds cheerful and happy, but still it doesn't make them more than just another indie band. It is a nice way to start the festival though, but not one that will stay with us for long.
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Amon Tobin
We decide to check out Amon Tobin's visuals. I don't really like his music, but his visuals should be quite spectacular. A construction of white blocks is standing on stage, hiding the man himself in one of them. Images are projected on the blocks which give a spectacular effect. After a while the effect wears off a bit though, so that's enough for us.
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The Maccabees
This band raised my interest a while ago when they opened for Editors. Today the group shows they have grown a lot and play a convincing set. Singer Orlando Weeks has turned into a charismatic front man with a strong voice. A tight band and good songs do the rest. At the end they receive a well deserved applause.



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Garbage
Cypress Hill take too long to show up and we want to see Garbage play. Shirley Manson gained a few years, but still is the sexy front woman of the band with drummer Butch Vig, the famous producer. And that's exacly the problem. It's all well produced even into the smallest details. All the poses, little speeches are thought through and it feels a little fake. They are there for everyone who doesn't really fit in, says Manson tonight. I want to believe her, but I can't. Their image and audience have been chosen with too much accuracy. So even though they play a solid set and the crowd does respond well, it kind of leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
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Elbow
We've seen this band so many times before. They were here last year as well. Still we decide to stick around and like every time get sucked into singer Guy Garvey's world, where everyone is doing okay. How do they do it? It must be the combination of a very solid band and a very charismatic front man. Within no time we're singing along to 'The Birds', 'Lippy Kids' and of course closer 'One Day Like This'.



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The Cure
I thought this would be the first time I was going to see The Cure, but definitely was there when The Cure played Werchter for the last time in 2004. I just don't remember it. Can't be the beers right? We get up close where Robert Smith and friends play a good set. They could have easily played two hours of hits but decide not to and play many old songs as well. A risky choice on a festival. It's a convincing set and Smith looks pretty pleased. But it may have mostly pleased just the real fans and it just won't get memorable. For me personally that means I was still really happy to have seen them play and at least they go out on a high with 'Boys Don't Cry'.
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We try a piece of Justice but decide to call it a day. Time for this year's first cervela!

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Rock Werchter 2012 Day 2
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Tuesday 3 July 2012

Pearl Jam Is Aging Beautifully



Watching your heroes age can be painful. Bands like The Rolling Stones and U2 have been around for decades and sometimes you can see them struggle, losing a bit of their greatness. Pearl Jam have been around for over two decades now and are slowly moving into the line of bands that seem to have been around forever. Their music left their traces in history and now they were going to play the brand new Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam two nights in a row.



Pearl Jam at the Ziggo Dome, June 26 2012



Another band that has been around forever are X, the punk rockers who started in the late 70s and despite not achieving any mainstream success are considered a major influence. They play a tight set and are clearly still going strong. At the end of the set Eddie Vedder steps in with his tambourine to play with them.



A short while later he steps back on stage with the rest of Pearl Jam starting off with Pink Floyd's 'Interstellar Overdrive'. Immediately making clear that they may have gotten older, but definitely haven't slowed down, it is followed by 'Corduroy' and 'Why Go'. They only slow down in the always great 'Given To Fly'.



What follows is a spectacular night. The band have more energy than ever and look very eager and inspired. Eddie Vedder has a sparkle in his eyes throughout the show and is moving around the stage a lot. Maybe he's not that wild as in the old days but is definitely looking very fit and full of fire. He reads a small speech in Dutch which makes him even more beloved this evening.



There also are a few surprises tonight. They play The Kinks cover 'Better Things' for the first time ever and don't play 'Alive' at all, which is pretty rare. 'Do The Evolution' closes their regular set, but this night is still young. A five song encore follows with a beautiful 'Just Breath'. A second encore follows with two fan requests, 'Smile' and 'Green Disease'. Several times Vedder is running towards his band mates to discuss changes to the set list. Of course fan favourite 'Black' is one of the highlights. Neil Young's 'Rocking In A Free World' assisted by X's John Doe, followed by 'Indifference' close this terrific night. Pearl Jam is proving that a rock band can age very well. Like good whisky it may lose it's rough edges but gain more depth and variety. This way we can hopefully enjoy them for some more decades to come.



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Setlist
1. Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd cover)
2. Corduroy
3. Why Go
4. Given To Fly
5. Brain Of J.
6. Amongst The Waves
7. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
8. In Hiding
9. Even Flow
10. World Wide Suicide
11. Rats
12. Lukin
13. Not For You
14. Better Things (The Kinks cover)
15. Nothingman
16. The Fixer
17. Do The Evolution
Encore 1:
18. Last Kiss (Wayne Cochran cover)
19. Just Breathe
20. Comatose
21. Unthought Known
22. Porch
Encore 2:
23. Smile
24. Green Disease
25. Love, Reign O'er Me (The Who cover)
26. Black
27. Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
28. Indifference
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