Something reminding of Sixteen Horsepower makes me stay a little longer. It seems like these Dutch guys wanna build towards something more powerful: although the guitars remain pretty thin, it’s getting more and more rock ‘n roll.

Influences of Them and Buzzcocks can be heard, and the musicians are getting loose. They start spreading their joy about playing and sharing a stage with their heroes, and working towards the end of the show they start to explode into some very powerful songs.

Being pretty impressed by a dragging song full of tension, which will be on their new album, I hope it’s not the last we’ve heard of them.

Slobberbone
Having seen Slobberbone before, I knew the studio work is not really representing this band playing live. Especially their latest CD is pretty neat, laid back. But opening this evening with good old “Barrel Chested”, in the highest gear, makes it clear. They wanna rock! This bunch is The Ramones of country rock.

On stage you could see a devoted band with songs that convince through emotion and drive. Long legged Brian Lane, standing wide spread and steady, taking care of the solid rhythm basis together with Tony Harper. Angry looks and mean riffs from the ever smoking Jess Barr, and a high (on music?) performing front man Brent Best.

The audience was treated with “classics” as: a speedy version of “Give Me Back My Dog”, “Engine Joe”, “Billy Prichard”, and a beautiful “Josephine”, with an audience singing loudly along. And although a song like “Sister Beams” of the latest CD is suitable for a romantic evening, and not that known yet, it was well received by the audience.

As a finishing touch, the band replied to the requests from the audience, and loudly screaming people in front of the stage could shout along “I’ll Be Damned”. This was followed by a thundering up-tempo “One Rung”, so that the almost sold out venue could get rid of their last bits of energy, together with the band.

Given the latest CD, and the good reviews, people could have been in for a surprise. Must have been that the people present were familiar with the live reputation of the band, or they were not scared away, but overwhelmed by this energetic band.

(Pics: Nicky Danen)

(Review & Pics: Cor Schilstra)