On Stage: Brothers Of A Feather @ THT

The American rock band The Black Crowes always knew turbulent times. It went through numerous line-up changes and had several break ups. The core of the band are the Robinson brothers, whose relationship is not easy. Whenever the two don't get along, the band goes through a rough period. In 2015 the group disbanded due to an argument between the brothers. Last year the duo suddenly announced their reconciliation and a 2020 The Black Crowes tour with a whole new backing band to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their successful debut album Shake Your Moneymaker. Now the two brothers are sharing the stage for an acoustic tour as "Brothers of a Feather".

Brothers Of A Feather at Paradiso Noord Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, February 15 2020

Singer Chris Robinson states that not many people expected the brothers to appear on stage together so soon. Indeed I wasn't expecting it either, especially a show with just the two of them. I'm happy though to see the brothers are getting along again and are playing together, since they make great music and are always getting the best out of each other. Chris is the outgoing front man and singer, chatting to the crowd, while Rich is the more quiet one.

You can tell they have been making music together all of their lives and complete each other. Rich's groovy rhythm guitar is the base for every song and he sometimes adds harmonies to Chris' vocals. The two cut through The Black Crowes' catalogue with lovely versions of big hits like 'Jealous Again', 'Twice As Hard' and 'Remedy'. Also some deeper cuts like 'Nonfiction' and 'Good Friday' are on the setlist. Every song sounds amazing like this, stripped down to their bare core. Chris' powerful voice sounds wonderful with only a single acoustic guitar backing him.

Unfortunately there is quite a lot of chatting going on and Chris asks everyone to shut up. It's very sad that one of the musicians on stage has to ask people to be quiet. Fortunately it does have effect and the chatting dies out. Towards the end the back to back tracks 'Soul Singing' and 'She Talks To Angels' are absolutely gorgeous. The duo returns for an encore playing the only song that is not a The Black Crowes song, Ry Cooder's 'Boomer Song'. This was an incredible night, with the two brothers truly having fun at playing together again. I'm looking forward to this fall a lot when The Black Crowes return to Amsterdam.

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Setlist:
01. Jealous Again
02. Twice as Hard
03. Wiser Time
04. Thorn in My Pride
05. Good Friday
06. Cursed Diamond
07. Hotel Illness
08. Whoa Mule
09. Nonfiction
10. Soul Singing
11. She Talks to Angels
12. Remedy
Encore
13. Boomer's Story (Ry Cooder cover)


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On Stage: Ryley Walker @ THT

No too long ago Ryley Walker visited Amsterdam with his band to promote his latest record Deafman Glance. Not long after that he posted on social media he wasn't doing so well and needed professional help. He went away for a while but fortunately was able to overcome his demons and is now doing an acoustic tour all by himself.

Ryley Walker at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, February 12 2020

The musician certainly looks in better shape tonight than the last time. He has lost weight and seems to be in a much better place. He is cheerful on stage, chatting with the crowd, smiling and laughing a lot. Walker is a great entertainer and has no trouble pleasing the crowd tonight. In between songs he has short funny anecdotes and is cracking lots of jokes. It results in a relaxed atmosphere where Walker is the radiant centre piece.

He is an amazing song writer that is able to compose gorgeous tracks both musically and lyrically. In this acoustic setting this is even more clear and his music is perfect for it. Many songs have lovely guitar intros, intermezzos and solos where Walker is showing his impressive guitar skills. I love the way he builds up his songs around breezy finger picking parts, giving his music a light touch. With his pleasant voice tracks like 'Pimrose Green' and 'The Roundabout' wrap themselves around you. It truly is music to lose yourself and wallow in.

There are also a couple of covers tonight, John Martyn's 'Over The Hill' and Tim Hardin's 'If I Were A Carpenter'. You can leave it to Walker to do them truly justice and make them fit into his own catalogue perfectly. He is a gifted musician and I love his music. It's good to see he's doing well and hopefully he will be back soon to treat us to his lovely songs and maybe some new music too.

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On Stage: Temples @ THT

Ever since psych rock band Temples released their debut LP Sun Structures back in 2014 I've been keeping an eye on this band. I like their music a lot but the one time I saw them play at Best Kept Secret I wasn't really convinced about their live performance. Now they have their third record out, Hot Motion, which is full of great psych rock and pop songs once again. Time to see them play live again.

Temples at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, November 18 2019

By now the band officially is a trio, without a permanent drummer after Samuel Toms left the band in 2018. The band was already touring with Dutch drummer Rens Ottink, who you may know from his band PAUW. Clearly he brought a few friends with him tonight, who want to see him play. Ottink is a worthy add-on to the line up and fits right in with his retro style, playing tight grooves in a loose and relaxed way.

The band, fronted by James Bagshaw, looks and sounds energetic, playing their songs with a lot of fire. Those songs sound amazing, with the clear harmonies and the nice voice of Bagshaw. The band switches easily between sixties style psychedelic pop songs and seventies style heavier rock. Every single song seems to have some kind of hook and lovely melodies, which make them sound so good.

The foursome work their way through the setlist smoothly, without many breaks, except for the occasional guitar change. Bagshaw changes to a twelve string guitar occasionally, that is perfect for this fuzzy sound. Adam Smith adds another layer of guitar or keys and Thomas Walmsley completes the rhythm section with Ottink for the catchy grooves. It all combines into a contagious mix that you just have to bop your head to at the very least. Temples already had their sound down and now they certainly have their live performance down now as well, proving that tonight with a solid show at a sold out Paradiso THT.

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Setlist:
01. The Howl
02. Certainty
03. A Question Isn't Answered
04. You're Either on Something
05. Colours to Life
06. Holy Horses
07. The Golden Throne
08. Atomise
09. The Beam
10. Oh the Saviour
11. Context
12. Keep in the Dark
13. Shelter Song
14. Hot Motion
Encore:
15. Mesmerise


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On Stage: TaxiWars @ THT

After a successful club tour with dEUS celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Ideal Crash, Tom Barman is on the road again. This time he shares the stage with his buddies from TaxiWars, the exciting jazz combo he already released two albums with.

TaxiWars at Paradiso THT Amsterdam, November 9 2019

The band has just released their new LP Artificial Horizon and are doing a club tour around it. The last time I saw them three years back they were playing the small Bitterzoet venue, but this time they have moved to the larger Paradiso North which has filled up nicely. It’s not that common that jazz quartets fill up venues like this, especially when they are not world famous.

It’s for a good reason though, since it is a lot of fun seeing this band play. Robin Verheyen is playing amazing and expressive solos on his tenor sax, really blowing the most crazy notes. Most of the songs also have stunning grooves, that are really funky and give the tracks a sense of agitation. Both bass player Nicolas Thys and drum player Antoine Pierre make these grooves sound so good and make them stand out.

Barman uses theses grooves for his lyrics that he’s singing and talk singing, this way emphasising the agitation. At the same time he’s doing funky dances around stage. Clearly he’s totally into it, continuing his dancing even when he’s watching from the side, when the band leads into a solo. It’s really nice to see how this group loves playing together.

Verheyen is sometimes switching to piano for slower songs or to add an extra layer to the groove. Some songs are almost funky pop tunes spiced up with jazz. The quartet shows a lot of creativity in their music, that could easily feature in one of David Lynch’s movies. Tonight this venue turns into a smoky jazz club from a film noir movie for one and a half hour, and it's wonderful.

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On Stage: Moon Duo @ Paradiso THT

Wooden Shjips guitarist Ripley Johnson started Moon Duo ten years ago together with Sanae Yamada. The duo evolved into a successful psychedelic rock act that released their seventh LP Stars Are The Light earlier this year. I love their groovy sound with repetitive rhythms and a lot of fuzzed guitar. I got to see them only once so far, but couldn't wait to see them again.

Moon Duo at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, October 20 2019

At the venue we see a strange setup of instruments. Not the instruments themselves actually, but the screens that are assembled around them. They show a cube-like construction, that comes more close to a 3D trapezoid. The musicians enter through the back, where Johnson and Yamada are joined by drummer John Jeffrey. It turns out the screens are used to project all kinds of visuals with psychedelic colours, geometric patterns and lovely light effects.

Because of the transparent screens surrounding the band, including the front, it gives a wonderful 3D effect. Those projections alone are already an amazing vision, but combined with the psychedelic songs it is a spectacular sight. This way the three musicians are part of a space that seems to have come straight from a scene in the movie Tron. This is a definitely a stunning experience the two have put together. Johnson and Yamada have added more disco elements on their latest record, which make their songs even more danceable.

Surrounded by the ever changing light patterns, the trio keeps the beat going without many breaks. Yamada starts electronic beats that are joined by Jeffrey's drum grooves. She adds electronic layers with percussive sounds and warm synths. Johnson plays his guitar solos on top, that reminds me of a mix of The Doors and Dire Straits guitar riffs. It's a very effective combination and you simply have to let the music take you away, into that wonderful psychedelic world of music and visuals.

Moon Duo have really outdone themselves on this tour and blended their music perfectly with a light show that, although spectacular, never outshines the music. The ADE event taking place this same weekend probably had some spectacular shows on its own and I'm sure many people enjoying that event would have also loved this show here tonight.



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On Stage: Motorpsycho @ Paradiso THT

It's been two years since the last time Norwegian rock heroes visited this same place in Amsterdam. Back then I wrote I couldn't wait for the Motorpsycho space ship to dock again, which is absolutely true. There's a new album The Crucible with only three songs, that kind of continues where the previous LP The Tower left off. Tonight it feels like they are continuing where they left off two years ago as well.

Motorpsycho at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, September 30 2019

The band doesn't even have to release any new music for their hardcore fanbase to show up. I'm glad they do keep recording new music, since once again The Crucible is of epic proportions where the title track takes almost 21 minutes. All three of the songs make it on the setlist tonight with that monumental song in the middle of the set as the proud centre piece.

The band hasn't changed since the last time and only switched some bigger stage lights for ones that don't light them out as nicely. Together with continuous smoke it is impossible to make decent pictures with my small camera, which explains the poor quality of the ones in this post. But it's not about photography of course, but it's all about music. With this band you know you get a lot of that.

For two and a half hours the band keeps playing tirelessly taking us across the whole rock spectrum and beyond. From prog rock, to hard rock, to stoner and back, with dazzling solo's and mind blowing jams. Bent Sæther and Hans Magnus Ryan both take out a double neck guitar at one point and dive into another epic journey. Tomas Järmyr adds plenty of fireworks behind the drum kit, while Reine Fiske has joined them this tour for additional guitar and keyboard parts. These four together create this thick sound, that makes your head spin.

With so many albums full of long songs, the band could probably play for days. They stick to two and a half hours tonight and even throw in an encore. This is a unique band, that I keep coming back to whenever they release new music and visit a nearby venue. Looking forward to next time again.



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Setlist:
01. In Every Dream Home
02. The Alchemyst
03. Mountain
04. Pills, Powders + Passion Plays
05. The Jig Is Up (Kiss the Snake)
06. The Crucible
07. A Pacific Sonata
08. Überwagner or a Billion Bubbles in My Mind
09. The Pilgrim
10. Psychotzar
11. Hogwash
12. No Evil
13. Hey Jane
Encore:
14. Fools Gold


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On Stage: The Mystery Lights @ Paradiso THT

When The Mystery Lights were announced to be playing at Paradiso THT I vaguely remembered seeing them before and liking it. Indeed it turns out I saw them play Klikofest a year ago where I loved their vintage garage rock.

The Mystery Lights at Paradiso Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam September 6 2019

When the band steps on the stage I'm in doubt again though, since I don't remember the line-up. It turns out they toured without a keyboard player player back then and have added Lily Rogers this time. It's hard to imagine them playing without a keyboardist now, since her parts are essential to the sound of the band. She throws a big chunk of The Doors into the mix, which together with the vintage guitars, combines into classic psychedelic garagerock.

That doesn't mean the band is outdated, on the contrary. The songs sound refreshing enough and front man Mike Brandon's lively stage performance gives the show plenty of edge and energy. The group kicks off their European tour tonight and are still full of energy and stamina. They have warmed up enough though to play a good show even if it's the first one of the tour. There is a nice balance between explosive wild rock songs and more mellow ones, where they are taking the time to tell stories. The band name must be referring to the lighting plan of the night, where the band members are mostly lit from the back, showing only their silhouettes most of the time (and turning my pictures to shit).

The band is promoting their new LP Too Much Tension! which came out recently. On that album they continue the sound of their first one successfully. Tonight we get to hear new songs off that album of course that also sound very good live. That vintage sixties garage rock sound is very effective once you can get past Brandon's high and somewhat pinched voice. However once you do, the band has a lot to offer and prove so tonight.

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On Stage: A Giant Dog + The Molochs + The OBN III's @ Paradiso Tolhuistuin

For quite some years Paradiso has been organizing the London Calling festival, that grew from a festival for unknown Britpop bands into a two day festival for promising new indie bands anywhere in the world. The last couple of days they even added an extra night the day ahead to warm everyone up. That's a lot of fun too.

A Giant Dog + The Molochs + The OBN III's at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, May 23 2019

Even better, this night is slightly different with some indie rock and punk bands, just the way I like it!

The OBN III's

It's still pretty quiet when The OBN III's start the evening. Yeah, that's a weird name, but it actually makes sense when you know Orville Bateman Neeley III is the frontman for this band. And a frontman with a capital F he is! Or actually, all capitals because he spends more time off the stage and walks around the small crowd until his mic cable decides otherwise. Their music is seventies The Stooges kind of punk, straightforward rock songs, with plenty of energy. The band is flexing their muscles, especially Neeley who keeps challenging the audience like a young Iggy Pop. In a more crowded room later at night when booze has been flowing freely for a while, he would have completely turned the place into a wild party. That is not happening tonight but it's a lot of fun nevertheless.

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The Molochs

At least we got a good warmup so we are more than ready for the next band. This group definitely got their sound down, a blend between The Stone Roses and The Smiths. Nice clear ringing guitar lines, a groovy bass and drums. But these guys looks really pale on stage and lack any form of energy. It makes their songs go dead and there simply is not a spark in sight to light it up. In the end it even gets weary and the show seems to last forever. Too bad when you clearly have enough skills to write good songs.

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A Giant Dog

Fortunately the last band of the evening is here to get us back on our feet again. The band is described as one of Austin's thrilling bands, but that's an understatement. When the innocent looking Sabrina Ellis steps onto the stage and the band gets going, she turns into a wild animal. She's all over the place with little pirouettes, the best vogue dancing ever and one big ball of energy. On top of that, her voice is amazing and she's able to belt out her lyrics effortlessly while bouncing around stage.

It's as if you're watching a young Kate Bush on speed played fast forward. I am convinced I even spotted some Kate Bush in one of their songs but I can't get that cleared up. And boy the songs are great as well, heavy glamrock, punk and rock 'n' roll, all played by an active tight band that put all their heart in it. Definitely one of the most exciting live bands out there at the moment. I'm going to keep an eye out for them and listen to their records for sure.



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This was a fun night. I was planning on going to at least one of the London Calling nights but in the end didn't make it. This night was a good alternative though.

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On Stage: The Comet Is Coming @ Paradiso Tolhuistuin

It is good to see how some young jazz bands are able to mix modern music and jazz together into exciting musical adventures. They are appealing to a young audience and play some of the biggest pop festivals with great success. One of those band is The Comet Is Coming whose star is on the rise, to keep it in space. There's a new album out Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery and the band is touring in support of the new LP.

The Comet Is Coming at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, April 6 2019

The London based trio have found an exciting blend of electronica, jazz and anything psychedelic. The funky beats by Max "Betamax" Hallet and repeating freaky sax riffs by "King Shabaka" Hutchings are spiced up with spacy keys and pounding house beats by Dan "Danalogue" Leavers. It is clear why a young generation loves this, since these are great songs to dance to and the music is full of eruptive climaxes.

Once and a while Danalogue will say a few words, but mostly the band will simply keep on going, making sure the energy level stays high and the vibe never gets lost. Hutchings is working hard all night, making his sax squeak and grunt, trying to get the most out of the instrument. Sometimes the tempo goes down with gloomy dark keys that are an upbeat to more orgasmic explosions.

Even the obligatory break before the encore is kept short, so the trio can pick up as soon as possible where they left off. After 75 minutes the band plays the final note of the show, which seems to have lasted only half an hour. This wonderful trip through space sure lost any sense of time. Make sure to catch this band when you can on this tour or on any of those festivals this summer.



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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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On Stage: Mauro Pawlowski & Braaknoot Ensemble @ Paradiso Tolhuistuin

At the end of the sixties Dutch musician Boudewijn de Groot released Nacht & Ontij, a very experimental album that people found really hard to like. However now it is regarded a classic. It is a story about a witches' sabbath, backed up by music and songs, or actually the whole album is one piece of music. Now Mauro Pawlowski and the Braaknoot Ensemble are performing this musical piece, half a century later.

Mauro Pawlowski & Braaknoot Ensemble at Paradiso Tolhuistuin, December 13 2018

It feels a bit weird writing about this in English, since Boudewijn de Groot and his work are such a big part of Dutch musical history, but are probably not known outside the low lands. I already saw this performance at the Into The Great Wide Open festival earlier this year, but because we met some friends at that moment I couldn't really pay attention. Tonight I can really focus on this show that was orchestrated for the Motel Mozaïque festival and is now touring around some clubs. Mauro Pawlowski is probably best known for his time as guitar played for dEUS, but is no stranger to experimental music.

He has gathered a group of skilled musicians around him to play this crazy story of a gathering of witches. Belgian actress and singer Lore Dejonckheere is the one that had to study all the lines of the story, but is exactly right for the story telling and vocals. The rest of the band are playing the mysterious music backed up by even more psychedelic and strange visuals. In these mostly dark surroundings the group create a sinister atmosphere that totally fits the subject.

It works very well and the musicians pull you into this dark and mysterious world with exciting music that sometimes is whisper-soft but then swells up to rocking and thundering levels. It proves what a talented musician Boudewijn de Groot is, who happens to be in the audience tonight as well. He must have felt proud of his amazing music and of this fantastic group playing his cult piece in such an epic way.



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