The Billabong is a venue with far from ideal circumstances for a perfect sound. Besides that I can only appreciate the venue for being a stage for live music. Although I am convinced of the efforts of the sound engineer; closer to the stage I pick up some of the cacophony on stage. This, and the situation of a stand in drummer, must be the cause for some mistakes on stage. But this not something to discourage the band. With a little humor and lots of disarming fun in the band’s performance, they masked it very well.

The set list consists mostly of songs from their latest (third) album, called Let’s Play Boys & Girls, a more powerful album than the first two albums. On stage this is pretty handy. The “alternative poppy rock” is more powerful than ever, and suits the band very well. Although the bassist doesn’t take his place in the spotlight, his driving bass lines are a solid basis for the rest to freak out. The (sometimes distorted) violin is played with passion, sometimes switched with keyboards, and though the back up vocal lines are not the most logical ones, they are a job well done. The band’s eye-catcher/singer/guitarist is well worth her place with catching devotion and true craft(wo)manship.

After being treated with several songs, mainly of the band’s last album, the audience is not send home just yet. Some improvisation with good old Creedence Clearwater Revival, attempts at “Paranoid”, and “Eye Of The Tiger”, followed by a repetition of the first song played this evening (“for all those people who got here too late”), and the 2001 “hit single” called “William, Tell Me”. In short: An evening well spend.

(Review & Pics: Cor Schilstra)