Live

MCLUSKY – British Noizz Bulldozers Welcomed Like Heroes From The Past In Brussels

Posted on by JL

20 May 2025

British notorious post-punk bulldozers MCLUSKY, featuring diabolic loudmouth
Andrew Falkous, made a loud and clear mark on the indie list of decibels-producing
acts between 1993 and 2005 with three ear-piercing and politically outspoken albums.

The break-up wasn’t clearly a happy one.

Falkous told the world: “The three piece rock band known as mclusky have disbanded,
as of Friday 7 January 2005. The reason for this parting is private, though probably not
as entertaining as you’d imagine. Personally, I would like to thank all the people, places and times that occurred on or near us. I’m grateful for the love and to a lesser degree, the hate. There’ll be more music soon, from all of us.”

Then Falkous formed another significant, blaring group, named Future Of The Left,
including his wife on bass. They shook the planet with 5 full CDs (so far).

In between, in 2014 Mclusky returned with new bassist/vocalist Damien Sayell for a benefit gig in London and played some more here and there. In 2023, they released a new 4-track EP, called Unpopular Parts Of A Pig / The Digger You Deep to fund a delayed US tour.

And only 2 weeks ago, they launched brand-new LP THE WORLD IS STILL HERE AND SO ARE WE. A splendiferous chop-chop-chop record, which they’re now about to present to half of the world on an extensive tour.

last Sunday, they landed in Brussels at Les Nuits Botanique
festival in Brussels and they smashed it big time.


Andrew goes Aaaaaarrgghhhh

They were greeted with rapturous cheers by their old and new fans as
heroes who suddenly and unexpectedly came back from what seemed like
an eternity.

And the trio were, clearly, impressed and entranced with the ecstatic reception. In return, they delivered a bloodcurdling set stuffed with old and new sucker-punches that came out of the gigantic speakers as exploding Molotov cocktails. They produce an amount of illegal decibels that cause a sort of electric chair experience.


Bass/voice freak Damien

Mclusky is one of those noizz bullies that wield their bass/guitar/drums battleaxes with a fearless ferocity that makes your body and mind go ballistic and out-of-control. They have no mercy. They slash, trash and crash, and aim for your brain and your psyche.

Most of the crowd screamed the old and the new words along with well-oiled vocal
cords that almost matched Falkous and Damien Sayell‘s immense, clamorous, badass voices. Gloriously deafening. Everybody, all ears included, was extremely over the
moon with this exorcistic happening. One of those rare reunions that feels/sounds
totally relevant and AWESOME. They did Brussels instead of Dallas this time.

SETLIST

1. Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues
2. Without MSG I Am Nothing
3. Collagen Rock
4. What We’ve Learned
5. Unpopular Parts of a Pig
6. Falco vs. The Young Canoeist
7. She Will Only Bring You Happiness
8. Autofocus on the Prime Directive
9. You Should Be Ashamed, Seamus
10. Kafka‐Esque Novelist Franz Kafka
11. The Battle of Los Angelsea
12. Alan Is a Cowboy Killer
13. Chases
14. People Person
15. Whoyouknow
16. To Hell With Good Intentions

THE WORLD IS STILL HERE AND SO ARE WE


.
TOUR 2025

Live photos by Turn Up The Volume

RIDE – British Shoegaze Legends Overwhelmed FRANCE With A Psychedelic Hurricane

Posted on by JL

n

26 April 2025

British shoegaze legends RIDE were one of the greatest and most popular bands
of the genre between 1988-1996, scoring 4 successful albums. Afterward, each
member pursued his own musical path.

But in 2014 they got back together for a new chapter, with (so far) 3 full lengths, of
which last year’s Interplay is not only their most recent one, but also a pop masterpiece according to TUTV‘s aural verdict. I still have the album on my earphones, on a regular basis.

All songs are sublimely orchestrated and bathe in a psychedelic jacuzzi,
while vocalist Mark Gardner‘s velvet vocals match the radiant atmosphere
exquisitely.


Mark Gardner

So, I was totally blissed-out, hearing 6 (Monaco, Last Night, Peace Sign, Last Frontier, I Came To See The Wreck, and the brilliant Light In A Quiet Room) out of the 12 LP’s gems getting the Ride live treatment last Wednesday in Lille, France.

The 4-piece build an awesome wall-of-psychedelic-guitar hysteria throughout the concert. Yet, vocalists Mark Gardener and Andy Bell managed somehow to get them heard, despite the titanic hurricane, fueled with long, gobsmacking outros.

All burners and all cylinders on, decibels up, amps up, temperature up, ecstasy up.


Andy Bell

Obviously, golden oldies such as Leave Them All Behind, Seagull, Twisterella, Black Nite Crash and Future Love were greeted with euphoric delight. No, not one dull moment. One small remark. Now and then, the sound volume was that high that you couldn’t hear yourself think.

It was a wild ride, one to remember for a long time.

INTERPLAY


.
SETLIST

1. Monaco
2. Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream
3. Dreams Burn Down
4. Future Love
5. Last Frontier
6. I Came to See the Wreck
7. Unfamiliar
8. Lannoy Point
9. Peace Sign
10. Black Nite Crash
11. Cool Your Boots
12. Sennen
13. Vapour Trail
14. Seagull

Encores:
15. Light in a Quiet Room
16. Leave Them All Behind
17. Chelsea Girl

Instagram – All Albums

Live photos by Turn Up The Volume

Belgian Turbulent Turbo ‘WIJF.’ Produce Hysterical Havoc On Stage

Posted on by JL

19 April 2025


📸 Wittekop

Band: WIJF.
Who: Noizz hit team from Belgium
coming up faster than a comet.

Last December, this fresh Belgian turbo released their smashing debut single
Hysterical. Along with a series of jaw-dropping gigs they became the talk
of the town, as displayed last Thursday in their own Ghent.

WIJF. grab you by the throat from the kick-off and never lose their grip.
Their Herculean metallic stoner rock hullabaloo is MASSIVE. Think Deftones,
Queens Of Stone Of The Age, Wolfmother and Rage Against The Machine all
rolled into one. LOUD! VERY LOUD!

Vivacious singer Marie De Graeve is the vocal and visual magnet in the middle.

Her sky-scraping voice is just overwhelming, as strong and tall as the Eiffel Tower.
Her blistering and explosive stage presence showed us that she’s a natural-born performer.

And when you’re backed by a trashing & slashing powerhouse band that produce
an illegal amount of decibels, and you have the titanic tunes to get your audience
to go bonkers, you know that this WIJF. engine is coming up as fast as a supersonic jet.

This was a small, sauna-like, club concert. Soon they’ll need bigger venues to welcome their unstoppably growing fan base. Next step is an EP and more live helter-skelter.

For those about to rock hard WIJF. salute you!

HYSTERICAL


.
Instagram – Facebook

(Live photos by Turn Up The Volume)

Watch THE KILLERS And BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Do 3 Flabbergasting Encores At The Garden In NYC In 2022

Posted on by JL

14 April 2025

Last Saturday on Record Store Day one of the countless special releases
was a 12-inch containing the 3 encores that Bruce Spingsteen played with
The Killers at their massive concert in Madison Square Garden in NYC in
October 2022.

They performed two Springsteen crackers, Badlands
and Born To Run, and one Killers one with Dustland.

The 12-inch was only pressed on 5000 copies. I guess those are all long gone.
But you can enjoy the flabbergasting performances, officially posted on YT now,
with Badlands as the overwhelming stunner, in 5-star HQ, right here.

Rock ‘n’ roll at its euphoric best.

Badlands
Dustland
Born To Run

FIGHTING OLIGARCHY In LOS ANGELES This Saturday, April 12th

Posted on by JL

In recent weeks famous Democrat senator Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. democratic representative for New York‘s 14th congressional district,
have got a huge response and massive attendance at their Fighting Oligarchy rallies, attacking Donald Trump’s devastating presidency.

This Saturday, April 12, will one of the biggest events of the tour when Sanders and AOC will appear at Gloria Molina Grand Park in Los Angeles with an impressive bill of musical opening acts, such as Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers.

Keep on Sanders in the free world, Neil.

GAVIN FRIDAY – Former Virgin Prune Brought His Church Of Love To Belgium

Posted on by JL

6 April 2025

Irish cult singer/songwriter GAVIN FRIDAY made a name for himself as the melodramatic spearhead of new art wave outfit Virgin Prunes (1977-1986). Afterward he started his own creative journey.

Last year he released his 5th LP, named Ecce Homo his first one in 13 years. An enlivening electro-pop record, still frequently playing, with single The Church Of Love as one of the many highlights.

Last Tuesday Friday came to my hometown of Ghent (Belgium) to entertain a packed venue, mostly former Virgin Prunes fans. He performed Ecce Homo almost in full, with a couple of Virgin Prunes classics in between. It was a 90 minutes long trancey dance event, only interrupted by Friday‘s expressions of joy between songs (which, at times slowed down the concert’s spellbound flow).

His catholic upbringing and Ireland‘s God-fearing past still haunts him and his work. Religion as an oppressive tool to control people is still boggling his mind and triggers him to cast out his demons, on record and on stage, which caused a kind of spiritual ambiance that worked as a magnet for all of us. With his glittery appearance, he filled the whole house. With his disco bangers he increased the temperature, time and time again.

At 65, Friday still knows perfectly well how to enamour his
audience and give them a memorable night. Thank you.

SETLIST

Lovesubzero
Ecce Homo
The Church of Love
Stations of the Cross
Apologia
Lady Esquire
Amaranthus (Loves Lies Bleeding)
Lamento
Sandpaper Lullaby
(Virgin Prunes song)
Caucasian Walk
(Virgin Prunes song)
King of Trash
When the World Was Young

Encores:
When the World Was Young (Reprise)
Cabarotica
Daze
Angel


.
Instagram – Website

Join MODEST MOUSE & Friends On A Cruise Next Year

Posted on by JL

Veteran rockers MODEST MOUSE are going on a concert cruise.
The band have announced Ice Cream Floats, a four-night live event
slated for February 5-9, 2026, that will take Modest Mouse fans from
Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, aboard the Norwegian Pearl.

What’s next? An all-inclusive plane tour.

MERCURY REV – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark In Belgium

Posted on by JL

25 March 2025

My guess is that this last Sunday it was 17th time I saw one of my
all-time fav bands, on record and on stage. It happened in Kortrijk,
Belgium.

MERCURY REV formed in
1989 in Buffalo New York.

Their first three LPs (Yerself Is Steam – 1991 / Boces – 1993 / See You
On The Other Side – 1995) were dope-infused, psych-driven records.

From there on the two remaining, original key members, devotional
vocalist and co-songwritter Jonathan Donahue, who played for two
years with The Flaming Lips, and musical orchestrator and sublime
guitarist Grasshopper (born Sean Thomas Mackowiak) created their
renowned trancelike aura, with another six albums.

Last year’s Born Horses is the most recent one.

Last Sunday was a vintage Rev experience, another spiritual happening. Of course,
all very familiar to my eyes and ears with Donahue as the visual attraction who regularly conducted the band with grand gestures and Grasshopper as the voltaic motor of the band’s sonic rhapsody.

Their symphonic trademark sound is what defines them for a long time now. Also, their bone-chilling, psychedelic outros, lasting often longer than the songs themselves, were omnipresent. But it didn’t work all the time on this occasion and threatened to suck the flow out of the performance, now and then.

Goddess On A Hiway

Then again when magical golden oldies like Tonight It Shows, Holes, Opus 40 and,
of course Goddess On A Hiway (all from their 1998 magnum opus ‘Deserter’s Songs’
filled the cozy venue, shivers ran down your spine.

Add Tides Of The Moon and the usual, magistral closer The Dark Is Rising (both from
All Is Dream their 2nd best album ever, from 2001) and you have the blistering half
of the full set. Weirdly enough, with Ancient Love we got only one track of the new LP.

The Dark Is Rising – Live in Belgium, 2002

Although not as balanced as I’m used to, Mercury Rev offered enough orchestral
manoeuvres in the dark, once again, to relive in your head for a couple of days.

Instagram – All Albums

All photos by Turn Up The Volume