On stage

16 June 2026

After more than 30 years, GARBAGE still operate with their original line-up.
Vocalist/lyricist Shirley Manson, guitar/bass Duke Erikson, guitarist Steve Marker
and drummer Butch Vig. Quite rare, after such a long time.

And with the four of them, they released their 8th, widely praised album,
titled Let All That We Imagine Be The Light (stream below) last year.

Soon after, they hit the road for a long tour. At one point, Manson announced
that it would be their final one as the overall costs of playing live around the
world were getting too high.

As part of the final live chapter, Garbage landed in Antwerp, Belgium, last Saturday.

Shirley Manson was welcomed like a goddess. And it obviously touched her genuinely. Her utterly cool presence and, most of all, her phenomenal voice affected the whole crowd.

The sound was overpowering from start to finish, the band rocked badass, and as said Manson filled the special open-air setting, in a park in the middle of Antwerp, with her mesmerizing vocal exploit.

After two blazing tracks from last year’s album, three huge hits from the past Empty,
I Think I’m Paranoid and Stupid Girl kicked in and dynamized the elated audience that
sang along word-for-word.

Euphoria everywhere. Several hits would follow, and in between, top drawer tunes
taken from their 30-plus-year career kept the fire burning, while Manson tackled the orange monkey in the White House and expressed her support for the discriminated
LGBTQIA+ community between songs.

Manson felt super, performed super, and reacted totally happy to the audience’s non-stop cheers, although it didn’t rain. This was by far the best galvanic concert I witnessed this year (so far).

At the end, just before the encores, Manson did a wonderful thing. She told the band
to wait to play while she jumped off the stage and let a young fan (with whom she had interacted a few times during the set) take a selfie with her. While some stars moan
about people’s phones at concerts, Shirley did this. Class!

I’m still thriving on the amount of love and electricity
that marked this show. Don’t stop yet, guys!

In the back Nicole Fiorentino, who also played with Smashing Pumpkins
and other bands before, played bass and did some backing vocals

Setlist

1. There’s No Future in Optimism
2. Hold
3. Empty
4. I Think I’m Paranoid
5. Stupid Girl
6. Right Between the Eyes
7. Vow
8. No Horses
9. It’s All Over but the Crying
10. Have We Met (The Void)
11. Control
12. Chinese Fire Horse
13. Boys Wanna Fight
14. Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)
15. Push It
16. The Day That I Met God

Encore:

17. Lovesong
(The Cure cover)
18. Special
19. Only Happy When It Rains 

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Instagram – Linktree – All Albums

Photos by Turn Up The Volume