PERE UBU – 4AD Club, Diksmuide, Belgium – 1 June 2018

Last Friday legendary Cleveland singer/songwriter/underground/rocker/poet/storyteller David Thomas and his PERE UBU band hit Belgium as part of an European tour following
the band’s release of the excellent 20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo LP last summer.
A flamboyant album showing (again) that Thomas still has the sound and vision – after almost 45 years – to inspire, to enrapture and to excite with verbal sharpness, cracking tales and kick-ass songs. Also live the 6-headed combo still knows how to get a hungry crowd of old and less older fans (not to forget some lifelong-super-devoted fans named one by one by chief Thomas) in a state of joyous agitation. Experienced musicians led by
a natural-born entertainer with a voice that whispers, sings, howls, screams and tells us stories about monkeys and about his burden: people very close to him beg on repeat to be… charming. Hilarious stuff. The roller coaster set featured several tracks from the new LP and some imperishable classics. Despite some physical problems nailing him to his chair the whole time Thomas rattled on and on with every single nerve he has in his body. After the last song, and a deserved ovation many, including myself, headed towards the bar, not expecting an encore. Oh my! Pere Ubu came back faster than we could order a drink and how! KICK-OUT-THE-JAMS-MOTHERFUCKERS! The biting and clamorous way Thomas spit that timeless line out, word by word, was nothing less than gobsmacking!
So was actually the whole smashing rendition of that MC5 classic. Thomas was playing guitar on his walking stick! Suddenly a splendid gig turned into one with an unforgettable moment of sheer euphoria. Hail hail! Fabulous!

Kick Out The Jams, Motherfuckers!…

20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
Stream newest album right here…

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(Concert pics by Turn Up The Volume!)