Bane - October 23th - Gent

I loved the early Bane recordings, but kind of lost touch with them after 'Give Blood'. So I never checked out 'The Note' when it came out and only did so years later. It's easy to say that Bane is one of my favorite active bands around. They have the message, the music and the shows that keep me interested.

Their new records are solid. And after my wife got to see them in New York it was my turn for some Bane action.

Johan Reflections, Bust! and I geared up for a roadtrip to Gent. After setting up shop in the venue and eating some fries it was time for the bands to begin. And for me to sell records.

As for the bands: Belgium newcomers Hessian played a solid set of metalcore, not unlike Rise and Fall who in my opinion aren't as good as they used to be. Their set just didn't rip like they used to. Los Angeles band Alpha and Omega have released a pretty good record, but couldn't live up to it in Gent. They seemed to be going to the motions and not really interested in the show. When Trapped Under Ice hit it, they do it good. Though I'm not into their style, I can appreciate a band that knows how to set a whole bunch of hardcore kids on fire. And tonight was pure mayhem.



Bane. Swan Song, Count Me Out, Can We Start Again, Pot Comitted. New songs and old ones. Good words between the songs. Stage-dives and singalongs. Up front with x-es on my hand.



I can still see the reasons
that I opened my eyes to this scene in the first place.
I can still feel my beliefs growing stronger - stronger everyday.


Pics by Anne Kohler.

Midnight Souls release show - october 1st - Herenthout

Readers of this blog probably know I like the new Belgium band Midnight Souls a lot. Thankfully Johan Reflections asked me to go with him to the record release show in Belgium last friday. Upon arriving with the van we thought this show was going to be a disaster. No one was at the venue besides two or three guys from Midnight Souls. And we were already late.

At last the show started 1,5 hours after scheduled with Fundamental. This is a fairly new band form Belgium who remind me a bit of Rise and Fall. They played 'Paint It Black' by the Rolling Stones which is okay, but not if you fuck it up. Meanwhile the venue got more and more packed, I think in the end at least 150 kids were there. If this show took place in the Netherlands I think there would only be 30 people attending, so expectations were set for the rest of the night.


Belgium youngsters Accept the Change put up an impressing set. I'd seen the band before but love the new direction they're taking. Think Have Heart meets Undertow and done really intense. These guys should record these songs soon and get on the road. Definately a band that stands out in the crowd.


Together is a band from Germany. I never heard of them before but boy did they also play a solid show. Defeater and Verse come to mind when seeing this band. They have a new record coming out which I'll definately check and it was great to see the mayhem when they kicked in a Modern Life Is War song.


Though the crowd was moving and appreciating all the bands, none got as much response as hometown heroes Midnight Souls. Stagedives and singalongs, pit action and all around chaos ensued when they started playing. They gave everything and received even more from the kids. This set alone was worth the drive.


A hard task for Ritual to finish up the night. But if there is one band capable of doing so it's them. They played lots of songs from the awesome 'Beneath Aging Flesh and Bone' record and some songs from the upcoming 7". This band is such a tight live unit it's incredible. I will for sure check them out this saturday at This Is Europe Fest.

With the show over, it was time to put the merch back in the van. That's when we noticed it was pouring. After an okay drive back to Johan's place I got on my bike for the last fifteen minutes home. I was soaking wet when I got there, but it was worth it.

All pics by Nous Davidse. See more of this show here.

Midnight Souls: 'Always our own worst critics'

A lot of bands out there could do with more exposure. Midnight Souls sure is one of them. Especially if like me you can't get enough of bands who kind of play the same style as Modern Life Is War and American Nightmare, and are good in what they do. Enter Midnight Souls frontman Donny.

The 'Colder' 7" is out for a couple of weeks. Are you satisfied with the endresult? Are there already things you wanted to have done differently?

We are very happy with the way things worked out. We achieved everything we wanted for our follow up to the demo. We tried to make a heavier, darker, more intense record that reflected our live performance and I think we succeeded in doing so.

We got the chance to work with the best in the business on almost every level. The mastering was done by Alan Douches, who has worked on so many records, the cover art by Linas Garsys looks amazing and when Europe’s biggest record label agrees to put out your record, it just can’t get any better.

We are always our own worst critics and in hindsight there will always be things we could have done better, but right now we are all very proud of our release. It captured us at our best in that moment in time.

In 'Black Lung Disease' you paint the picture of the town were you live. Has music been your getaway from those surroundings? How did you get in touch with hc and punk? How do you see your life evolve and how much of that has been because of the music you listen to?

Music has always been important to me. Even at a very young age I was really interested in different genres, the artists themselves and what they were about.

I’ve always been a big Guns n’ Roses fan and at the age of 12 I started getting into heavier music, bands like Metallica, Pantera, . Then one day, I think I was 13 at the time, a friend handed me this copied tape to check out. It was a bootleg recording of a Sick Of It All show. It sounded awful, noisy and I didn’t like it. But somehow I gave it another chance and the second time around I understood what was going on. I felt the energy that oozed from the speakers, the intensity of the vocals and guitars combined with the pace of the drums. I was hooked. I started checking out other bands and got more involved in the entire culture. Back then it meant ordering stuff from The Lost & Found catalogue, based on single line descriptions, reading thanks lists for other bands to check out…you know them good old days.

I’m turning 29 this year I’ve seen many things come and go. The music changes, the people change but in the end everything remains the same.

It has always been the backbeat to my life. How much influence did music have? I don’t know. To quote Rob Gordon in High Fidelity “Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” It made me feel less alone at times and helped me through some difficult moments.

There are moments when I’m a bit burned out on the HC genre when nothing interesting comes my way, but it’s always a part of who I am. These days I explore other genres more cause I still like to be surprised by music and that’s something’s that doesn’t happen that often anymore after 16 years of Punkrock.

You're from Belgium. Can you tell me why for a pretty small European country, you guys always have been playing a main role in the international hardcore scene. Starting with Nations On Fire, then the whole h8000 scene of Congress, Liar etc, GoodLife Recordings, Dead Stop, Rise and Fall, Justice and True Colors.

It’s hard to explain why. Maybe it’s something in our water, I don’t know... I think we’ve always had a quite active scene. We support our locals as well as the many touring bands that have played Belgium. Maybe it’s our central location in Europe that works to our benefit, who will tell? I don’t think anyone can provide a truthful answer to this question. Some things just are the way they are. Water is wet, the sun is hot and Belgium has produced quite a few amazing bands


There seems to be a struggle going on in your country where the northern dutch speaking part wants to separate from the french speaking part. Do you notice anything about that in daily life and what is your opinion on the crisis in Belgium?

To be honest, I think it’s just a political problem experienced in parliament and on the news. Nobody notices it in their daily lives. I remember a few months ago people were outraged by the prices of diesel and it was all over the news. Eventually the prices were lowered and the problem went away. Nowadays the diesel prices are skyrocketing again and no one seems to care, cause our focus is somewhere else. So I think sooner or later politicians and the media will find a new shocking tale to tell and this too will go away for some time

Speaking of which how come all the bands I mentioned above are Flemish and I personally can't recall any Wallonian bands.

Daggers is a Wallonian band and they are amazing. You also have Do Or Die I think…
I don’t know why there aren’t many bands from the Southern part of our country. Maybe the scene isn’t as active as it is in Flanders.

The 'Colder' 7"is out what's up next for Midnight Souls? Are you already working on songs for a full length?

At the moment we are focusing on our release show this Friday. Other than that we’re trying to play as many shows as we can to promote our record. In the first year we hit the stage, we focused on Belgium and now we’d like to get out more and play in different countries. We’re working on a tour and some weekenders.

Musically we’re taking the first steps in writing new music for a next release, trying out new things so that we don’t end up repeating ourselves.

Which Belgium bands should we all check out?

Accept The Change, Fundamental, Hessian, Worms Feed, Daggers and so many more…

True Colors: Consider It Done!

After five years of doing shows, tours, two full length records and three ep's one of the best straight edge hardcore bands around called it quits. But first a final show in Mol, Belgium just across the border of where I live.

So last saturday I cyled to the Reflections HQ and got in the Reflections van with Johan for a day of record selling, catching up with friends and saying goodbye to True Colors.

We took the backroads to Mol and after arriving decided to set up the distro outside the venue. Since the weather was great and most people were hanging outside between bands this was a very good decision.

The first thing I did after setting up, was getting a copy of the Get The Most - Together full length out of the distro for myself. By far the best youth crew full length I've heard in a while and I love the classic layout as well.

I have to confess that besides True Colors I didn't see any bands since the weather was so good and people kept on coming up to the distro to buy records or hang around.

Now imagine 400 kids packed in a small venue. People from Belgium and The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe all there to see True Colors one last time. It was a show I'll remember. There was no tough guy moshing but there were plenty of stage dives, singalongs and fingerpointing.

Too bad the show had to be stopped for a while because a girl was injured so bad that an ambulance had to come and pick her up. From what I heard she's doing fine now and True Colors picked up the show where they left off.

Ending with 'Focus On The Light' the band left a long lasting impression on me and everyone else. Consider it done.



Pics by Live Your Heart Photography

Groezrock 2010: Ash and dust

No Sunny Day Real Estate, no Saves The Day and no Snapcase. It almost made me wonder why I bought a ticket for day 1 and not for day 2 of the annual Groezrock festival. Well if Mother Nature doesn't want these bands to play, she must know something I don't.

Groezrock, the yearly festival full of drunk punks, bad emobands, shitty sounds and more. Yet I find myself there every year. The atmosphere is great, it's a nice way to see some bands I wouldn't normally go and see in a club and it's not like I have anything better to do anyway. 

To summarize this edition:

This Is Hell is American Nightmare mixed with too much mosh, okay for a song or two.

Glassjaw is the most boring band I've seen in a long time.

Banner Pilot are okay though.

Face To Face made worth the ticketprice, the dust on my car, the dirt on my shoes.

It's always good hanging out in the merchtent with the people of Shield Recordings and Reflections Records.

+ I picked up the new Mindset 7"and the book Sober Living For The Revolution.

Still I would love to have seen this

And this:

Easter 2010: Three shows in four days

Ten years ago it wouldn't be special going to multiple shows in a week. At this stage of my life however it is special enough to write about it.

After cleaning the house and the car on friday I drove to Merksplas, Belgium for a show together with A Strength Within and This Routine Is Hell. The drive there was really nice. Because Merksplas is right across the border I was able to avoid the dull highway and drove through small villages and stuff.

The show was well organised and a good amount of people came up to see us play one of our worst shows so far. Probably because bassplayer Marijn thought it a good idea to get tattooed on his elbow just hours before the show. And that might be the reason he didn't hit all the right chords. Despite all that people seemed to be into our set. Which left me pretty exhausted to be honest. Since things were already behind schedule I decided to skip the other bands and head home cause with kids you just knew that it will be an early morning. I heard This Routine Is Hell brought the house down. And I can't wait to see them play on May 7.

Saturday: no show

And then it was sundayevening. Time to get off the couch and head to the Little Devil venue. Gert and Fieke of Shield Recordings had been on the road with The Fake Boys and The Real Danger the past weeks and it was nice hearing about the tour which came to an end in Tilburg.

The Fake Boys played a decent set, somehow reminding me of Serpico. And I wish I could tell you more about The Real Danger (other than that their new record kicks ass and I bought a shirt) but I can't since I left before they started to play. (Don't blame me but a bunch of Americans who heard there was a coffeeshop close to the venue so they got back late).

However there is footage of the show wherein The Real Danger does a Misfits cover:

Frank Turner had the honour to close the list of shows on monday. And he did a great job. The band was having fun on stage. They interacted with the crowd. Turner said some funny and some serious things. He played all the 'hits'. He's just one of the newer bands I really like. It's great that his liveshows are even better than his records. Because where his records have their dull moments, live there is enough going on to keep your attention. I also picked up his 'First three years' record.

Cracks In The Wall/ State Of Affairs -february 26 -Namurs - show

When we were asked to play in Namurs, Belgium with Cracks In The Wall I honestly didn't know what to expect. I'd never been in Namurs and also never heard other bands talking out the city in south of Belgium. 

Well the show was great. It was full of young and older punks who couldn't speak a word English but were having a good time moshing, drinking, screaming along. There was so much energy in the room incredible.  

So bands when you get asked to play Namurs, don't hesitate just do it.

More pics can be found at shootmeagain.com

Teenage Lust - There Is A Light That Does Go Out

Belgian band Teenage Lust announced that they're on an indefinite hiatus as for now. In normal words: they're breaking up.
Though this news will not hit as hard as that of another Belgian band breaking up I'm still sad to see Teenage Lust go.

I wasn't around during the first youth crew wave or the rise of communist European hardcore. Though I witnessed the rise and fall of the second (or third) wave of youth crew with bands like Mainstrike, Atari, Floorpunch and Reaching Forward to me the most interesting moment in hardcore happened right after that. Bands like American Nightmare, Panic and Count Me Out were a great inspiration to me. And Teenage Lust was one of the few existing bands able to pull of that same style without going for the more slower Unbroken-esque attitude.

Besides being a good band, the guys in Teenage Lust were so nice to let State Of Affairs play at their recordrelease show. At the time of the show they didn't have the 7" out yet, but that never killed the fun I had that night. In return I asked them to play in Tilburg with The Effort, something they put off nicely.

Teenage Lust is no more. The last time I saw them live was opening up for The Hope Conspiracy in Antwerp. A great show yet I rather had seen them one last time in some small Belgian youth centre.

Teenage Lust 2007-2010

One last thing: if guitarplayer Flip Lust wants to do a hardcoreband combining sxe pride with morrissey-esque lyrics and Carry On riffs, he should get in contact with me.

The Hope Conspiracy - January 9 - Antwerp, Belgium - show

When The Hope Conspiracy plays anywhere near your town don't hesitate. Go and see them. They don't play too often but, at least in my opinion, they're the only existing band to come out of the American Nightmare, Panic, Suicide File, Count Me Out - scene.

That said when The Hope Conspiracy plays an hour drive away from you but the weather forecasts are really bad, you must check all weatherforecasts from minute to minute to see if there's just a slight chance the weather will be better the next hour.

After some calls between Johan Reflections and myself we decided to try and get the new Reflections van on the road and see if we could arrive in Antwerp safe and sound. Well the roads were way better than the news told them to be (never trust the media, and yes I'm a journalist myself) so after only 75 minutes we arrived in Antwerp safe and sound. We unloaded the van and brought the crates filled with vinyl, cd's and books inside the club.

People started coming in shortly after and I guess there were at least 250 more kids who ignored the weatherconditions and decided they would take their change to see The Hope Conspiracy. Well not before Belgian bands had their say.

The show started with newcomers Midnight Souls who sound a lot like Modern Life Is War. Sometimes those influences were a bit to obvious but they did have a great presence on stage. I liked them better than the next band called The Jonah who were all about nineties hardcore riffs I couldn't stand back then and still don't enjoy. They played a way too long set before Teenage Lust hit the stage with their fast American Nightmare-esque songs. I love this band but think they could still improve writing songs that really stick in your head.

Then the audience was up for a surprise when Rain came on stage. This band broke up some 12 years ago and apparantly is now back. I liked the two new songs they played.

Rise and Fall are a worldwide hardcore machine by now but I think the amount of shows they play really takes its toll on singer Bjorns' voice. The new songs sound great though and they sure got the Belgian kids rocking.

But we were all in the club for one reason. To witness the band that released records like ' Cold Blue' and ' Endnote' a long time ago. The band that didn't play Belgium for the past six years: The Hope Conpspiracy.

And damn what a great performance. They played lots of songs of ' Endnote' with ' For Love' as a highlight as well as songs from ' Death Knows Your Name' and the ' True Nihilist' ep. It has been a long while that I saw an American band having so much fun on stage, playing their hearts and guts out. If this show was in 2009 I would have said it was the best show of the year. Since it's just early in 2010 I won't go as far as say that, but I predict it will be in my top 3 of the year.

After the show was over, Johan and me loaded the van and went back home. Both with a ressurected love for hardcore I guess.