On Stage: Excelsior Supporters Day

The Excelsior Recordings record label always had a fine nose for interesting and quality bands. I like their mentality and a lot of the music they released and that's why I became a supporter of the label a couple of years ago. Now they are organizing the first Excelsior Supporters Day with a lot of music and performances by some of their most successful bands.

Excelsior Supporters Day at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, February 24 2019

Moss

By the time we arrive at the venue, the first of these bands is ready for their performance. Moss is one of the crown jewels of the label and has come a long way. They never made things easy for themselves but always stayed true to their own believes. Record by record they got better until they found their perfect form, resulting in the last album Strike. On stage they have found this form as well, looking comfortable and focused.

They try out a few new songs today and it almost seems as if you're in their practice studio, since these songs have not been rehearsed endlessly for live performances. Drummer Finn Kruyning asks what tempo a song is in and in another song they try to figure out where to start. This is a band that is not afraid to show this to an audience that has collectively embraced this band. I am looking forward to that new album they are working on a lot.



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The day continues with performances by Bewilder's Maurits Westerik, Awkard I (Djurre de Haan) and Bertolf(Lentink). It makes sense putting these artists on stage one after another, where Westerik and Awkward I perform solo on acoustic guitar. Bertolf brought his band and on top of that, Jelle Paulusma joins them for one song as well. It is the Excelsior way to encourage these collaborations and let artists discover their musical direction and spectrum, let them experiment and support them to explore joint projects.

Johan

The day comes to an end with one of the most successful bands on the label and without a doubt one of their most popular ones. Johan is one of my favourite bands and I am not alone in this. The beautiful songs with lovely melodies are so well done, it's no denying they are one of the best bands in the low lands. They had a very successful year releasing a new LP Pull Up and touring every stage and festival out there. It never gets old hearing these beautiful tunes where the newest songs already feel familiar between the classics.

This band simply is a delight to watch, who simply never are able to sound bad. This music is of such high quality that every single song sounds like a hit. Even when the band makes tiny mistakes it doesn't affect them or the music in the slightest bit. It results in a few smiles between members, but the band keeps going strong. What a great way to end this day.



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There's kind of a jolly atmosphere in here today, as if we're all part of this family, even though not every one is a supporter and it was also possible to simply buy a ticket. That is maybe the best compliment for this record label though, that they managed to make everybody feel part of a big family, both fans and artists. I hope this turns into an annual event.

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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2

We wake up to a rainy day but still manage to have our breakfast outside our bungalow. We can't waste any more time because the first band is waiting!

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2, June 18 2016

Audacity
I've seen this Californian band play before a few years ago and love their latest album Hyper Vessels. Their cheerful and powerful punkrock songs are a great way to start off the day. The lads themselves are in a good mood as well and are cracking jokes and having lots of fun at the same time. Although the jokes are sometimes a bit corny their music is far from that. The band play their music with a lot of heart and it sounds very convincing. Needless to say it goes down well with the crowd. It's a shame they play this early. because imagine what would have happened if they played later today to a crowd that downed a few more beers.

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Bewilder
Dutch musician Maurits Westerik has come a long way since he pulled the plug from his former band GEM. He had to reinvent himself and surely did a great job at that. After releasing the album Dear Island everywhere Bewilder goes they end up on top. The pop rock songs are well written and the experienced and top notch band play them with a lot of feeling. Westerik is the always active and friendly front man, that is turning into the Dutch Bruce Springsteen. His dance moves are getting more unique every time I see them. Today again the band knows how to win everyone over. Of course set closer 'Forza' ends this show on a high.



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Weaves
A name that has been buzzing around for a while is this band from Toronto. You never know if a band can live up to the hype, especially when their first record has just come out. That album is amazing by the way and the band doesn't disappoint for a bit. They play very tight and funky guitars and grooves mixed with heavy riffs and rhythms, with hints to Pixies and Pavement. On top of that is the unique voice and personality of Jasmyn Burke who is wandering around stage as if it's her living room. It combines into a crazy and intriguing show that for me was one of the best this weekend. Can't wait to see them play again soon.

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Dinosaur Jr.
When singer J. Mascis walks onto the stage he explains that is he is feeling very sick but didn't want to cancel. Instead he will be sitting down the whole show. It is very obvious he is far from healthy and therefore it's actually quite impressive that he is still able to play his wonderful guitar parts and sing at the same time. Of course this band made so many great songs and the other two musicians, bass player Lou Barlow and drummer Murph, are totally into the music. It's a shame we can't see a fit Mascis, but even like this Dinosaur Jr. doesn't disappoint.

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Wild Nothing
I listened to a few songs by Wild Nothing and kind of liked their dreamy music. I expected maybe a bit of a slow show but was surprised how they sounded live and their songs actually had quite a bit of a rock edge to it. The band themselves doesn't exactly explode off the stage with a lot of energy but they show a lot of heart and play an inspired show. I found out I saw them play a few years ago and they have shown plenty of progression. If they can grow some more they could be heading for big things.

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Editors
Today is Editors day which drives many extra people to the festival. This resulted in huge traffic jams and long lines for the toilets, bars and food stands. The weather has been bad all day long and the band walk onto the stage while the rain is still steadily coming down. "The weather is miserable and so is our music" says singer Tom Smith, referring to their dark music. But you can leave it to this band to make us all forget about the weather. Although I have mixed feelings about the last two albums, this band always delivers live. Tonight is no difference with an inspired performance and a band that is in top shape. Smith's voice is clear and dark as the rain clouds themselves. Many songs of the new album come by but I simply like their older songs better, that aren't that blown up. 'Papillon' is always good to leave the crowd behind on a high with all the fireworks, but nowadays the band leaves us with 'Marching Orders' which does sound like an anthem but at the same time is a bit too bloated for me. In the end though Editors live up to their big reputation and totally deliver today.



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Although the weather didn't exactly cooperate, today was prove the organisation didn't cope well with the extra visitors. The festival grew by 4000/5000 visitors per day and yesterday already showed the site was too crowded. Today with Editors driving in a huge crowd, it simply was too much and the festival lacked the intimate and relaxed atmosphere of the past editions. Standing in line for the toilets, that also weren't laid out very efficiently, and having to wait a lot to get a drink or something to eat became a nuisance. Of course it was a great day nevertheless with good music, but it was kind of a let down at the same time. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3

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Record Store Day 2016

For a few years in a row I got up early and queued up at the record store on Record Store Day to get my hands on those nice limited releases. But the last few years you can see that especially the bigger labels are driving up the prices and kind of put filler on so called limited releases. Smaller labels are experiencing longer production times and get in trouble with their regular releases. Therefore I don't get up early any more and just go to the stores for the bands and still will pick up some releases along the way. And that's what it really is about in the end right?

This year I rode my bike between Velvet Music and my favourite record store Concerto to see a few bands. Both stores have put together an interesting line-up and the day turns out great. Time for the pictures!

Bewilder

Naive Set

El Pino & The Volunteers

Giant Tiger Hooch

The Black Cult

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ITGWO 2015 Thursday and Friday

This year we are among the fortunate ones again that managed to get tickets for Into The Great Wide Open. But apparently some of those lucky people can't handle bad weather and days before the festival many tickets are up for sale on the internet for lower prices. The weather forecast is really bad though, but if you bring the right clothing and are prepared you can still have a wonderful time. So let's go back to the island of Vlieland!

The trip starts with a 45 minute effort to leave our city Amsterdam because of traffic accidents and closed down highway entrances. In the end we do make it on time for the ferry and even have 10 minutes left. On the boat the weather already gets grim and there's a cold wind blowing. It's a little preview of what we can expect this weekend. We do get treated on a waterspout in the distance that I fail to capture on camera.

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Thursday September 3 2015

Once we get settled in at our cosy little apartment we try to see story teller Jaap Boots but the the little theatre already if full. So we have a beer instead and make our way to the Fortweg stage in the dunes.



Intergalactic Lovers
There we meet the wonderful Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers again, that we saw a week ago as well, that time in a warm tent when it was sunny outside. Now they are playing while the sun is setting and it's getting really chilly. The place of the stage is lovely but very windy and the sea breeze cools the place down considerably. Singer Lara Chedraoui looks like she's pretty cold indeed, wearing a big winter coat, but their warm music warms up the band and the crowd. The lovely pop songs go down well and Chedraoui's charming personality and humour turn this into a enjoyable first show at this stage.

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PAUW
We stay in the dunes to watch the Dutch psychedelic band PAUW. The young trio are successfully working their way up in the music scene with a convincing EP and performances across the country. The setting is great between the dunes in the dark and the group treats us to a hypnotic trip with dazzling guitar licks, floaty synths and groovy rhythms. Guitar player and singer Brian Pots is impressing with his guitar skills and his floating melodies. It is clear why this band is drawing so much attention. They close the set with the epic song 'Shambhala' with a very contagious guitar hook. I'm looking forward to their first album a lot.

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More Thursday Pictures

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Friday September 4 2015

We wake up to a grey, windy and rainy new day and count our blessings that we decided to rent an apartment this time. Today is the first full day of the festival and the line-up is incredible! Forget about the weather, because this promises to be a long but fulfilling day.



Bruut!
The grim weather has turned the sports field into a mud field and to make the main stage more accessible the organization has dumped a layer of beach sand in front of it, with a small plastic palm tree on it. That's right, we are ignoring the weather and are determined to have a good time. Jazz combo Bruut! are helping with it by playing groovy and jazzy tunes that are easy to dance to. The catchy jazz music isn't very hard to swallow, even when you're not into jazz too much. It's all about the groove with nice light solos sprinkled on top. This is exactly how a swinging jazz combo should sound nowadays. The foursome make the rain stop and magically the sun appears.

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Bewilder
We cycle to the stage in the dunes where Bewilder has started their set. It's a new band with singer Maurits Westerik that presented their strong first album Dear Island last week. The songs are also working well live on this stage and once again the sun is showing itself. Westerik is a hard working musician and Bewilder looks like a good band for him. Of course his fellow band members are no strangers to him so it is a group that has proven to work in the past. The music is a blend of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Velvet Underground with a touch of Springsteen mixed in. Westerik looks like he borrowed some dance moves from the boss which seems fittingly. In the end the band receives a well earned applause.

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Afterpartees
Then we have to rush back to the sports field again since we don't want to miss too much from our favourite Dutch punk rock band Afterpartees. If there's one band who can turn any stage into a party, come rain or come shine, it's this young band. Singer Niek Nellen only seems to work harder when the elements are against us and the crowd is not jumping and laughing hard enough. He's cracking his best jokes and showing his best poses and by now you know he's going to jump into the crowd to drag everyone into the wonderful Afterpartees world. Their cover of 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain' is their way of saying they don't care about the weather either. And so once again everyone is laughing while the rain comes pouring down.

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Kevin Morby
We find former Woods bassist, Kevin Morby, in the woods which is a good place for him. His gentle patient rock songs sound good between the trees, where everyone is listening closely. His songs seem to come alive in this forest and that is a good thing since Morby isn't really adding a lot himself to it. But sometimes you just don't need a lot to play nice music.

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My Baby
When we return to the sports field My Baby has already started their set. It's a group that consists of Dutch singer Cato van Dijck with her brother Joost and New Zeeland drummer Daniel Johnston. Their music is describes as "Delta trance Louisiana dub indie funk" which comes down to very groovy danceable blues rock with funky and sometimes spacy vocals. The exotic looking Cato is slapping her guitar while screaming, shouting and singing. At the same time brother Joost is playing rocking solos and Johnston is taking care of the heavy beats to make it danceable. This actually works well and it is very contagious so that many people are rocking away with them. After a few songs you notice though that many songs are similar and Cato's high pitch shouts can get too much. But who cares today, when it's nice to dance to. Hey, isn't that the sun!?

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Wand
By then it's time to leave the daylight and go over to the dark side. Wand are playing in The Bolder stage, the only indoor stage of the festival. The dark psych rock music of this band is at the right place here. Lots of noise and drones are drowned in reverb and fuzz with the high pitch voice of singer Cory Hanson. It may scare some people away but this is a very interesting band that sounds pretty good today. Long stretched jams put you in a trance and make you forget about the wet world outside.

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Savages
We stay in the dark with the ladies from Savages, who played an impressive show here a few years ago (that I missed) even before their first album was out. Now they are working on their second LP and are here to try out some of the new songs. It's not exactly a light party band and the crowd seems somewhat reluctant. But singer Jehnny Beth (real name Camille Berthomier) doesn't take no for an answer and with an impressive performance the four women take the crowd by the throat who can only give in. It's an intense show, even more intense than I have seen them play in the past and one that raises a high anticipation for the new LP next year.

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Girl Band
We return to the indoor stage for another band that flourishes best in the dark. Irish band Girl Band definitely isn't one for the masses, the strange blend of noise rock and dance, which is the opposite of what their name suggests. Instead it's a dark rock interpretation of aggressive techno with pounding drum grooves, noisy guitars and the staccato vocals that sometimes turns into hysterical singing as if singer Dara Kiely is trying to exorcise his demons. This is really intense and one of the highlights is a violent version of Blawan's 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage'. Definitely a band to watch.

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De Staat
We are back at the dunes to close this amazing day with Dutch rock band De Staat who turn out to be in great shape. Their heavy grooves work well at this surreal place between the dunes. The songs sound more tight and coherent than ever and the group treat us to a smooth solid rock show. Singer and master mind Torre Florim never looked more convincing and relaxed on stage. He introduces four new songs they will play back to back and by the sound of it the new album is going to be a killer once more. This show was the icing of the giant and wonderful tasting cake of this day which proved to be one of my best festival days ever.

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This calls for a celebration and we head to the camping restaurant where two Afterpartees members are spinning records and close this day in style with a lovely set of punk and rock n roll record that they are singing and dancing to themselves the hardest. I just don't want to go to sleep!

More Friday Pictures

Into The Great Wide Open Saturday and Sunday

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