On Stage: Tusky @ Sugarfactory

I loved the rock band John Coffey and it was really too bad they disbanded a few years ago. Their live shows were legendary and the energy of the band was simply hard to resist. Fortunately from its ashes rose Tusky, with John Coffey's guitarists Alfred van Luttikhuizen and Christoffer van Teijlingen (now on bass), completed with drummer Bas Allein Richir and John Coffey guitar-tech Sjors van Reeuwijk. The music is still punkrock but more straightforward powerrock than John Coffey. Think about a mix of early Foo Fighters and The Offspring and you get the idea. Time to see how if this band can live up to the live reputation of its illustrious predecessor.

Tusky at Sugarfactory Amsterdam, November 16 2018

The debut album of the band Rated Gnar is promising enough just from its cover art. A pink background with a cheerful but at the same time disturbing hairy male cartoon figure and the Tusky logo as its head. Just as the cover art the songs are both cheerful and energetic but also heavy, powerful and a bit aggressive. Enough to raise your fist to any way. As if it comes as a surprise, on stage this combines into a lively rock show that checks all the right boxes.

Van Luttikhuizen and van Teijlingen have seen many stages of all kinds of sizes during their time with John Coffey. This is clear from the convincing way they play at the front of the stage and act as if they are playing a much bigger venue than the small Sugarfactory. This translates into a big ball of energy and a fired up crowd. People are crowd surfing, moshing and even form a wall of death. The music does the rest and it is clear everyone inside here is having a great time. When van Teijlingen asks for a circle pit around the sound table, people obey willingly and start running around the sound engineer who is desperately fencing off the expensive equipment. He's smiling though as he knows it is just innocent play and he knows how these shows go down.

The catchy punkrock songs are a perfect soundtrack of course for a wild night on the dance floor and Tusky's music can be regarded as such. It is rock music to have fun with and have a good time. This is exactly what the band is showing on stage as well, simply four guys having the time of their lives playing in a rock band. That's exactly the way I like it. Like their album art, Tusky is a band that is about simply having fun, but with a rough edge. John Coffey is dead, long live Tusky!



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On Stage: John Coffey @ Paradiso

It came as a total surprise when Dutch rockers John Coffey announced they were going to call it quits. The band was doing really well and also getting lots of attention abroad. No real specific reasons were given, but life on the road simply ain't easy and bands like this aren't exactly making tons of money either. Before leaving us they would do one final tour and their last show was at Paradiso.

John Coffey at Paradiso Amsterdam, September 30 2016

This night sold out in no time and you can feel a buzz in the air. Everyone here tonight knows it will be the last time we can party with this unique rock band. We arrive at the venue when Black Peaks have just taken the stage for their support slot and I like what I hear. The heavy hard core songs are tight and go down well with the main hall that's already quite full. By the time the main act is about to take off, the hall is packed and everyone is eager to see their heroes one last time.

It's not just the heavy rock songs that make a John Coffey show so special. It's the energetic performance of the band and their positive attitude that do the trick and that reflects on the crowd. These guys will always give it all and put a smile on everyone's face where ever they play. Needless to say tonight both the band and their fans give it all they've got for one last time. From the beginning to the end the floor turns into a giant pit with people jumping, dancing, stage diving and crowd surfing everywhere you can see. It's as if people are partying like it's the last night on earth.

The band isn't wasting a lot of time and singer David Achter De Molen says they wanted to play only party songs tonight and don't want to spend a lot of time talking about this being the last show. It's hard to believe that we won't be hearing songs like 'Broke Neck' and 'Heart Of A traitor' live on stage from these guys any more. The last time I saw John Coffey play here, I was amazed by the energy from the crowd and how crazy they went. That was nothing compared to tonight where people are bouncing off the walls.

This is exactly what this band is all about, what they do to people. They radiate energy and positive vibes and people simply go mental. It's great to see everyone tearing down this place and partying their asses off. But sadly there has to be an end to it all as well and after fan favourite 'Romans' it's really time to say goodbye to these wonderful five guys who have given us so much joy. They are hugging on stage while tears are flowing off stage when people realize this was it. John Coffey were like a comet in the Dutch music scene, one that was shining bright and full of fire. Tonight they went out with a loud bang, the only way they knew. I thank this band from the bottom of my heart for all the good times and every time I will be spinning their records, I will think back of all those wonderful moments.

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Setist:
01. Intro

02. Needles

03. Dirt & Stones

04. Featherless Redheads

05. Relief

06. Dear Thomas Schell

 07. No House For Thee

08. Son

09. Bright Companions

 10. Wreckage and Scars

11. Nails On The Blackboard

12. The Well

13. Me vs. I

14. Broke Neck

15. Redrum

16. Oh, Oh, Calamity

17. Jean Trompette

18. Heart of a Traitor

 19. It's Beginning to Change

 20. Guerilla Radio (Rage Against the Machine cover)

21. Breed(Nirvana cover, with Black Peaks)

22. Eagle Chasing Flies

Encore:

23. Romans



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Top 10 Albums 2015

Yes, it's that time on the year again where people like to look back and make a best-of-list. 2015 was another great year where I saw many great concerts, heard wonderful music and discovered some new bands on the go. So for what it's worth, here's my top 10 album list. Have a great new year's and let's make 2016 at least as good.

1. D’Angelo - Black Messiah
Play in Spotify

2. Tame Impala - Currents
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3. Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect
Play in Spotify

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
Play in Spotify

5. Daniel Norgren - Alabursy
Play in Spotify

6. The Icarus Line - All Things Under Heaven
Play in Spotify

7. Ought - Sun Coming Down
Play in Spotify

8. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool
Play in Spotify

9. Blur - The Magic Whip
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10. John Coffey - The Great News
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On Stage: John Coffey at Paradiso Amsterdam

Dutch rockers John Coffey are having one heck of a year. Their latest album The Great News is doing very well and got good reviews, they landed a spot on the Pinkpop festival and since then the band never looked back. When they announced a show in the Paradiso main hall I was pretty surprised, since that's quite a venue for a band that doesn't make middle of the road rock songs. Even better, they managed to sell it out way ahead of the gig.

John Coffey at Paradiso Amsterdam, October 17 2015



A John Coffey show always is a wild party which I already experienced at the Best Kept Secret Festival earlier this year. Little did I know how this night would turn out. When you think you've seen bands take Paradiso by storm, or impress with magical shows, you don't get surprised that easily. Support band Steak Number Eight did a good job warming us up and stretching our ear drums for the main act of the evening. A cellist starts playing, that turns out to be sitting on the balcony right above us. It's a quiet and nice beginning of the show, where you notice the crowd are waiting with anticipation. Something's buzzing tonight and after this intro it explodes right away when the band goes into 'Broke Neck'. The hall turns into a crazy whirlpool of jumping, dancing, crowd surfing pile of people going absolutely mental. And the band simply is loving it.



Like with every good concert this inspires the group to even play better and work harder than they probably have ever done, which means a lot since these guys always deliver. Yes, it's one of those nights where band and crowd reach perfect synergy and rise above themselves. Singer David Achter de Molen climbs onto the balcony, uses every corner of the stage, jumps into the crowd and is all over the place while the rest of the band is one big ball of energy. It makes the crowd even more crazy and by now there's a steady flow of stage divers that climb the stage from everywhere.



The group loves it and doesn't slow down the pace except for a short moment in the set for 'Jean Trompette' where the trumpet solo enables everyone to regain their breath before once again the venue explodes when the song leads into 'Heart Of A Traitor'. I don't think I've ever seen such a wild party that has people absolutely going out of their minds and with such good vibes. Tonight everyone is winning here and this show turned into an absolute epic one, one people will still be talking about for years to come. Did you ever see people in a banana and gorilla suit jump off a stage at a concert? I mean, a guy in a gorilla suit! Yes, it was...wait for it...completely bananas (kaboom tsching).

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Setlist: 01. It's Beginning To Change
02. Broke Neck
03. Dirt & Stones
04. Relief
05. Son
06. Bright Companions
07. Redrum
08. The Singing Ship
09. I've Got a BASTARD VIRUS and I Don't Even Know Where it Came From
10. Featherless Redheads
11. The Well
12. Me vs. I
13. Jean Trompette
14. Heart of a Traitor
15. Oh, Oh, Calamity
16. Breed (Nirvana cover)
17. Romans
18. Eagle Chasing Flies


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Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 2

After an incredible first day where we saw so many bands and great shows it's time for a hearty breakfast. This means bacon and eggs of course and fresh coffee. We can relax since there's no rush to get to the site where a different kind of coffee awaits.

Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 2, June 20 2015



John Coffey
Things are moving fast for Dutch hardcore punkers John Coffey. There latest album The Great News ia getting plenty of attention and they are playing shows all over the place. And then of course they landed that Pinkpop slot where the famous beer catch went viral. Today they prove they don't need a viral video to impress. Powerful songs combined with an even more powerful performance doesn't miss its effect. Relentless energy with a healthy amount of testosterone and a lot of good times on stage are a delight to watch. Singer David Achter de Molen climbs the stage scaffolding, runs around and is showing his best rock poses while the rest of the band are pounding away the uptempo rock songs. Needless to say there is plenty of crowd surfing going on. Yes, more Coffey please.



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Temples
The album Sun Structures was one of my favourite albums of last year. The psychedelic rock songs sound wonderful and I was really looking forward to seeing this band play. The trio is performing on the main stage at the middle of the afternoon. This is not a great choice since the songs that sound so great on the album don't really come across on the big field that is enjoying the sun. This stage is too big today for the somewhat static musicians as well. Sometimes when the songs are more heavy, the band sounds better, but I'm sure they would have left a better impression on one of the smaller and darker stages together with some psychedelic colourful visuals.



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Cheatahs
At Primavera a few weeks earlier I was somewhat disappointed in Cheatahs. I really like their music but live on stage they didn't add much. They are playing the small Stage 5 which should be quite suitable for them. But again, although their music actually sounds pretty good, I can't get into their performance. The band simply doesn't make an effort to light a fire and seemingly play their set on routine.



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Death Cab For Cutie
This is different for Death Cab For Cutie, a band that is admired by many fellow musicians and other bands. I can see why, since the American rock band is playing an impressive show. Patiently they are building up there songs, never pushing too hard. Singer Ben Gibbard's voice is clear and wonderful and slowly I get sucked into their music. This is how you keep a crowd on their toes, even without a lot of interaction, but simply by playing it with a lot of heart.



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Balthazar
By now Balthazar are at the top of the Belgian rock scene and doing good beyond as well. From the first time I've seen them play this band kept growing and doesn't seem to stop. Today the band shows that the main stage is a piece of cake to them. It's remarkable how all subtleties in the songs don't get lost and how relaxed the band moves around the stage. Some of them sometimes climb the big wooden boxes that are standing around them, while they play a well balanced set. I always have a bit of difficulty with how unmoved they look when they are playing. But their music simply is so good and well performed that it doesn't matter. Of course everyone raises their glass once again to the tradional closer 'Blood Like Wine' and toast with this wonderful band.



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Ride
British nineties band Ride are having a successful reunion so far as they are playing large venues and big stages on festivals everywhere. At Primavera I witnessed a convincing show and tonight it's no different. Stage Two is perfect for their music that combines shoegaze and britpop, a combination of The Stone Roses and My Bloody Valentine. I'm no expert on their songs, but again the band sounds great and many songs are wonderful. It makes you wonder why they didn't get bigger in the nineties. But maybe it is time for them to come up with new music and build on their newly acclaimed fame.



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By then it's time for Hookworms, the band that released an amazing album and played a great show in Barcelona. Before I have even seen anything of the band, one of my friends makes a nasty fall and we end up bringing him to first aid. Fortunately he seems alright but to make sure we leave for the bungalow where I can keep an eye on him. I'm glad the next day he turns out to be fine, although I did miss Hookworms and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Nothing a nice Belgian beer and a cigar can't fix.

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Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 3

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Get Shorty: New Reviews

It's nice to see that so many good albums from my home country The Netherlands are being released. I guess there's a lot of talent in this small place and some bands sure sound promising: DeWolff, C-Mon & Kypski a.o. Catch these and Julian Casablancas, Weezer reviews and more in this times' short reviews!


C-Mon & Kypski - We Are Square (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
The Dutch band are back with a record packed with cathy dancable tunes. Including guest appearences by some of the most swinging Dutch musicians like Kyteman and Benjamin Herman.



Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The young (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
The last The Strokes member to put out a solo album is singer Casablancas. Strokes like songs covered with lots of 80s electronics make this an enjoyable album.



John Coffey - Vanity (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Another Dutch band but now with trashy rock songs that sound rough and dirty. Not all songs are equally strong but it has some good ones on it.



Hello=Fire - Hello=Fire (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Queens of the Stone Age guitarist/keyboar player Dean Fertita's solo album is a pop/rock album with a mix between Queens of the Stone age like grooves and Beck like songs. The vocals especially come close to Beck in some songs.



DeWolff - Strange Fruits And Undiscovered Plants (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Another band that relies heavily on 70s style rock and this time it's from the south of the Netherlands. They lean more towards psychedelic rock songs. Too bad the vocals aren't too great since it's a good album from a promising new band.



Weezer - Raditude (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)
The world hasn't changed a bit for Weezer since their first record. More of the same teenage pop/rock songs that you already have forgotten about by the time the record has finished.
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