Monday 13 March 2017

On Stage:Navarone @ Patronaat



For some reason it's hard to catch rock band Navarone in my hometown. They do play all over the country but it's been a while since I was able to see them in one of the clubs over here. With their new record Oscillation out they are touring the clubs again and fortunately came close enough to catch them on stage.

Navarone at Patronaat Haarlem, March 10 2017



The band from Nijmegen are visiting Haarlem which is not to far from Amsterdam, especially from the part of town where I live. So we head over to the Patronaat, the pop venue over there that always has an interesting program. There we find local young band Mantra on stage to warm us up. The group of four probably spent time discovering their parent's records who are probably about my age, since they draw inspiration from the nineties grunge era. Needless to say I can only approve of that and the band is showing their potential. The rock songs are powerful and the band look confident and are not too impressed with the small size hall of this venue. It's a good way to start this night.



After the support act the curtain is closed and we wait for the main act. When the curtain is drawn Navarone kick it off immediately with new song and opening track 'Snake' of Oscillation, a heavy rocker with a big riff that reminds of Soundgarden guitars. Immediately the band grasps our attention and doesn't let go any more. After releasing their first record the band has broadened their spectrum and have grown from a classic rock band into a more alround rock band, in the good sense. This is clear when listening to the new record. Next to the heavy rock they knock out an almost light pop rock song like 'Showtime', an epic classic hard rock anthem 'Days of Yore' and a rock ballad 'Free Together' that were so common in the eighties. However it all sounds fresh and it is clear this band was having fun making that record.



And exactly that is what showing on stage as well: these guys are having so much fun. Singer Merijn van Haren never fails to impress with his strong rock voice with amazing howls. Combined with a powerful rhythm section and mouth watering guitar shredding this band has it all, but the sheer joy they are showing is what makes this group such a delight to watch. So far all of the three albums are very strong where each one of them has a few instant classics. For instance 'Wander' from the previous one and 'The Red Queen Effect' from their first one that still is one of my favourites. All ingredients are in place for a smooth rock show and tonight it is much more. This band is on a roll and lays down a show that can tear apart any size venue. It's about time the rest of the country will discover this too and although I love to see them in such a small club, these guys deserve so much more.



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