London‘s nu-rap-metal sensation WARGASM – Milkie Way and Sam Matlock – raised
to stardom in the UK last year with their vitriolic debut albumVenom. A demonic
tsunami of deafening headbangers and sucker-punches.
Last Tuesday, the razorblade act landed in Belgium at Lokerse Feesten for a nuclear performance with angry
songs for sad people. Flaming set under a very hot sun.
One of the best LPs of 2024 to TUTV’s ears: “It truly a staggering record, filled with several melodramatic power ballads that generate goosebumps and some stoner rock outbursts. Carter sings his heart out with monumental vivaciousness. A vocal tour de force throughout, dealing with mixed love emotions.”
Last February the muscular Brits played in Brussels. They came, they saw, they rocked their butts off and got the elated audience (including me) all turned-on in Belgium‘s capital. And last Tuesday Carter & his snakes stunned our country again, but this time for far a bigger crowd, atLokerse Feesten .
Tattoo artist Frank joined the people and let a fan do the singing of half a song. He organised an ‘only-ladies‘ moshpit and did what he and his band do best: making your adrenalin production go nuts, making you feel enraptured and making your day (and a couple afterward). Hail hail! Another loud and clear triumph!
Veteran (although, next to The Stones they’re teenagers) post-punk outfit FRAGMENT from Ghent, Belgium consists of 4 seasoned musicians who love
(read: who are addicted to) the dark sonic ages of the 80s.
On last year’s notable debut LP There’s A Riot Going On stuffed with jagged
jackhammers (stream below) you’ll hear echoes of Joy Division, Killing Joke,
Bauhaus and other related twilight acts from that memorable era.
Single
Last Thursday they played at a local festival in Lokeren, Belgium and they nailed it big time.
The impressive way Fragment moved and grooved from start to finish had an instant impact on hips and heads in the audience. This 4-piece clicks like first-class glue.
With their pushing drum/bass tandem, their guitarist’s electrifying sparks that made
me think, now and then, of Keith Levene, whose piercing 6-string play was instrumental to PIL‘s sound on their first 2 albums and their flamboyant vocalist who runs in all directions while spitting his passionate vocals, they combine for an oiled rock engine.
They steamed fast-forward through a set, containing mostly tracks from said album
and a couple of cutting new ones. They definitely had a white riot of their own, one The Clash desperately wanted, and they do not hesitate to soundtrack it by tackling social issues. They’re far more than just a post-punk revival fragment.
Power pop champ and former The Verve (1990–1995, 1996–1999, 2007–2009)
frontman RICHARD ASHCROFT (aged 52 now) came, saw, and conquered Belgium
last Monday at Lokerse Feesten.
He did it with only 9 songs (with long outros) over a one-hour set. 6 epic ones from The Verve‘s grand 1997 opusUrban Hymns and 3 solo songs. This is what all artists/bands should do at festivals (to my ears), limiting their show to 1 hour, performing all the fans’ favorites in 60 non-stop ecstatic minutes.
Ashcroft is an expert in the matter. Every song was sung-along by the exultant crowd.
Every song was worth a gold medal. Everybody had a big smile, from left to right and
back on their faces even long after the show. Passionate music unites people.
And that’s what former weirdo Richard‘s goal is at every one of his concerts (as I witnessed myself several times), connecting the audience in an over-the-moon rapture. This time he got a big helping hand from his new guitarist, who got space and time for some mind-boggling guitar solos à la, yes, Jimi Hendrix. Exhilarating, just exhilarating.
Of course, as expected, RA closed the near-spiritual spectacle with all-time classic Bittersweet Symphony (more than one billion streams on Spotify). One of the best ever concert closers in my extensive concerts book. Watch fan footage here… Hail hail Ashcroft!
Hail hail Ashcroft!
SETLIST
1. Space and Time
2. Sonnet
3. Weeping Willow
4. Music Is Power
5. A Song for the Lovers
6. Break the Night With Colour
7. The Drugs Don’t Work
8. Lucky Man
9. Bitter Sweet Symphony
JAH WOBBLE‘s (born John Joseph Wardle, 66 years ago in London) supreme
dub bass work on Public Image‘s groundbreaking, second LPMetal Box
from 1979, was his start for an everlasting solo career.
He released multiple solo albums and a series of collaborative ones.
Last Monday he played at Lokerse Feesten in Belgium. The show was billed
as ‘Jah Wobble’s Metal Box.” Three years ago he recorded/released his own,
imaginative version of that brilliant album. Superb stuff. Stream it below.
He gave us the whole ‘Metal Box: Rebuilt In Dub‘. We got one long jungly jam, with some
dry Wobble humor in between. The mind-bending, spellbinding vibes created a trance-like experience and went, now and then, in all directions (made me think of Zappa‘s wayward live performances you can watch on YouTube). Trippy extravaganza all the way.
Jah is a groove expert, an experimental musician at heart. I’m very familiar with his PIL work, and some of his solo work but seeing the man in action, backed by a fantastic band, for the first time was an astonishing revelation.
London‘s legendary punks THE DAMNED are smashing things up since 1976 and have no intention whatsoever to call it quits. They’re those kinds of musicians who would go insane when they have to stay home, and get endlessly bored with painting their fence, mow the grass, work in their garden etc.
Last night they played, with 3 heroes of the original line-up (drummer Rat Scabies, guitarist Captain Sensible and frontman Dave Vanian) at Lokerse Feesten in Belgium. Within an hour they went from blistering hot to boring cold and back.
Blistering hot with roasting renditions of golden oldies New Rose, Neat Neat Neat, Love Song and Eloise. Boring cold with lesser known tracks that just didn’t work out to get the crowd afire, and then Captain Sensible losing himself in totally boring guitar solos. Guitar solos? Wasn’t punk invended to get rid of macho guitars solos and dinosaur rock? I thought so.
– NEW ROSE –
Set opener
Of course, the die-hard fans loved it, as well as they did like the beers. Good for them. Unfortunately The Damned sounded mostly as a cover band of their own. Glorious past? YES. Glorious present? NO.
To celebrate the anniversary, the band hit the road, mostly UK
and European shows, but end the trip in the US with 3 specials
shows (Chicago, Austin and L.A.) when they’ll play the album in
its entirety.
SINGLE ‘Slow Hands’
ALBUM
. US
06/13 — Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room 06/14 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
EU
06/19 — Monchengladbach, DE @ Sparkassen Park # 06/21 — Hanover, DE @ ZAG Arena # 06/22 — Berlin, DE @ Parkbuhne Wuhlheide # 06/24 — Vienna, AT @ Wiener Stadthalle # 06/25 — Gardone, IT @ Anfiteatro del Vittoriale 06/26 — Zurich, CH @ X-TRA 06/28 — Luxembourg City, LU @ Luxexpo The Box # 06/29 — Rotterdam, NL @ Rotterdam Ahoy # 06/30 — Antwerp, BE @ Live is Live Festival 07/02 — Gliwice, PL @ PreZero Arena # 10/19 — Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus ! 10/20 — Copenhagen, DK @ National Radio Koncerthuset ! 10/29 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso ! 10/30 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso !
UK
11/01 — Wolverhampton, UK @ The Halls of Wolverhampton !^^ 11/02 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo Manchester !^^ 11/04 — Glasgow, UK @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall !^^ 11/05 — Newcastle, UK @ O2 City Hall Newcastle !^^ 11/07 — Bristol, UK @ Bristol Beacon !^^ 11/08 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace !^^ 11/10 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena !
US
11/19 – Chicago, US @ The Salt Shed 11/21 – Austin, US @ Moody Amphitheatre 11/23 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
