Reflections Tour wrap up

Whereas I initially planned to be a part of this tour for all ten dates due to circumstances I only ended up attenting the first two shows of the tour and the last one. But hell it was a great time.

Reflections Records turned 15 years old this year. I still remember getting to know Reflections through the magazine they did which eventually grew into a label releasing bands like Reaching Forward, American Nightmare, Modern Life Is War, Paint It Black and No Turning Back to name but a few.

To celebrate this six current bands on the label played ten shows together all over Europe.

The whole thing kicked off in Ibbenburen Germany where a full crowd moved to the likes of Deal With It, Ritual and No Turning Back as you can see here:



The second date was in Mol, Belgium at the same venue where True Colors said goodbye last year. This show was great as well if only for the awesome hangouts behind the distro and the boys of Deal With It singing boisterous songs.

The next couple of days I couldn't attend but I sure as hell didn't want to miss the last show in Den Bosch. Deal With It did an impressive cover of Life Of Agony, Midnight Souls and New Morality both showed why they're the future of European hardcore each with a style of their own and Ritual raged as usual. No Turning Back finished it all off with one last set full of singalongs.

To have such a package of bands go on tour with only great shows... amazing.

Defeater + Carpathian + Striking Justice, Eindhoven

Hardcore show number 2 for me this year and one that sold out in presale. Since I helped putting the kids in their pj's I wasn't on time in Eindhoven to see Striking Justice play.

However I was in time to inhale all the smoke that was in the bar. In my opinion it really sucks that lots of people are starting to smoke in venues and bars again. Please keep that shit outside.

Australia's Carpathian released a mediocre record called Isolation some time ago. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing special about it as well. It's Modern Life Is War meets the lyrics of Ian Curtis with a Deathwish touch. Therefore unsurprisingly the band couldn't hold my attention on stage. Yet to see so many Dutch kids go wild was a good thing.



The only band that mattered today though was Defeater. Debut record Travels is an okay record but the Lost Ground ep really opened my eyes. When the acoustic track 'I don't mind' found it's way on the internet I was sold.

Suffice to say expectations were high for this show but Defeater made it real. Opening acoustic and the rushing into songs like 'The Red, White and Blues' and the new song 'Dear Father', causing mayhem on stage with singalongs and stagedives and an overall intense feeling made me enjoy this show a lot. I somehow got the same feeling as I had when watching Touche Amore in Belgium last year. Another newer band setting a new generation of kids in flames with an intelligent approach to hardcore.
(Though it still is kind of strange seeing teenagers singing that they're lying in the trenches of World War 1 etc.)



I picked up the new Defeater record, which surely isn't dissapointing as well.

This is the ending of the Defeater set as taped by Nico Welmer:


Pics by Anne Carolien Kohler. Go here for more pictures.

No Turning Back - Take Control - cd/lp

'Take Control, take a stand, take the world in your hand'. Ever since getting the new No Turning Back record at the record release show in Tilburg these lines keep popping up in my head.

I have never been the biggest fan of No Turning Back, though I prefer their later records over the early more beatdownesque stuff. I've seen this band grow and do things not many other European hardcore bands have done before. For example the 'Stronger' world tour which brought them to all continents except for the North and South Poles.

Unlike most bands No Turning Back never went for a drastic change in the music they play, they always keep things within the bounderies of hardcore.

'Take Control' might therefore be received as an another No Turning Back record. If you hear one, you've heard them all. If that's your opinion, you're not really listening. Play 'Damage Done'(probably the best NTB record to date) and after that 'Take Control' and you'll hear the subtle differences.

'Take Control'is in a way similar to Terror's 'Keepers Of The Faith'. There are hooks and guitarmelodies which make the songs more melodic without resulting in a melodic hardcore record.

If anything 'Take Control' is as much about anger (Justice) as it is about looking back (Always Will Be). It's the comfort of meeting up with old friends, discovering not everything has to change over the years (Strife).

'Take Control' is a new milestone in the discography of No Turning Back and shows a band that's cool with what they've acomplished so far, yet still eager and hungry to take things to the next level.

Here's some footage of the record release show in Tilburg:

Touche Amore + Midnight Souls - November 18th - Tilburg

Another hardcoreshow that proved me there's still hope for hardcore in The Netherlands.

Rebuild, formerly known as Set It Off, opened up with their mix of Verse-like hardcore and more screaming parts. The band wasn't really tight but did their best.


Midnight Souls; I have seen them a lot of times this year and everytime their performance is good and different from the show before. Singer Donny spend most of his time off stage, stirring up the audience. The band played yet another energetic set. This in combination with the fact that all bandmembers seem to be nice guys, makes Midnight Souls one of my favourite new bands of 2010.


Germany's Lighthouse were up next. The very ugly merch of this band didn't set my expectations on a high level and after a song or two I was already bored. I don't really like bands who pretend to have a whole artistic thing going on. Just play good music or go home and make a painting.


Touche Amore is one of the most talked about bands around. I love their debutrecord and was curious to see how the band would do on stage. Tilburg isn't the place to play for hot and happening bands I thought, well I was wrong. There were a lot of kids at the show and they rushed the stage to singalong with songs like 'History Reshits Itself'. The band played a great set and singer Jeremy Bohm seemed to be really happy about being in Europe and playing great shows. The night ended with 'Honest Sleep' and on last assault on the stage, massive singalongs and all around chaos.



There is still hope for hardcore in The Netherlands.

All pics by Anne Kohler. See more here.

Dave Smalley + The Real Danger and more - October 24th - Tilburg

Still somewhat tired from the Bane show the night before, my wife and I decided to go and support Shield Recordings by attending the show they'd set up in Little Devil.

Because of dinner we missed Ravens but were right in time for Swiss punkrockers Hateful Monday who played a very nice set of uptempo punkrock.

Gert and Fieke of Shield Recordings had been on tour for two weeks with The Fake Boys and this was their homecoming show. Though I like The Fake Boys on record, their live shows are a bit too boring for me. I do have to confess that I've spend much of the time behind the Shield distro selling records.

The Real Danger were up next and ripped through a set of their best songs. It's always a pleasure to see this band. Uplifting, energetic, catchy punkrock.

As a last minute headliner of the show, Dave Smalley of DYS, Dag Nasty and Down By Law fame took the stage, for an acoustic set. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was good. Dave played songs from Dag Nasty as well as Down By Law, shared lots of anecdotes on his past and played some covers by bands that inspired him. In the end I ended up doing his merch at the show. Which is always a good way to spend a night.

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.

Ceremony - October 13th - Eindhoven

Unfortunately I wasn't able to go to the This Is Europe fest. So when the opportunity came along to go and see Ceremony a few days later I jumped in the Reflections van and went for it.

The Dynamo youth centre is a great place for hardcore shows. But you never know how the Dutch audience will respond to a band. Will it be 'let's stand and see' or 'let's have fun together'?

Midnight Souls opened up the night. Despite my review and interview the Dutch haven't warmed up to this band so far. Which is a shame if you aks me. Besides the bad sound and a bit of an apathetic crowd reception Midnight Souls played a pretty solid set.

Next up were Sabretooth Zombie. By far the worst band I've seen this year, though other people seemed to think differently. The riffs and weird song structures just aren't my thing.

So Ceremony. I actually only like their latest record a lot and was a bit sceptical about tonight's perfomance. Which soon dissapeared after the band pressed go and went for a highly energetic, entertaining set. A lot of younger kids went wild on the band. Massive pile-ons, weird stagedives and even weirder dances were introduced this night. All around mayhem. With suprisingly Get The Most/ Devotion drummer Aaron behind the Ceremony drumkit.

A nice way to spend a wednesday evening.







All pics are by Anne Kohler. See more here.

Up next: Bane this saturday in Gent and The Real Danger, The Fake Boys and Dave Smalley in Tilburg this sunday! Good times!

BoemTikFest - October 8th - Goes

Often the shows you expect nothing from, turn out to be the best. Namur, Belgium with Cracks In The Wall was such a show and our set at the BoemTikFest may be added to that hall of fame as well.

Take two small bars next to eachother, set up a show with some of the best punkbands around in The Netherlands (The Real Danger and Antillectual), make sure lots of local people drop by and you have one hell of an evening.

Due to circumstances I only saw Hard Rain perform. I like their swing at traditional hardcore.

And as for State Of Affairs, we had fun, we had bruises, we have hoarse throats.





All pics by Nous. See way more here.

Good times ahead

So you went to This Is Hardcore fest and saw Kid Dynamite and Hands Tied or enjoyed the mayhem at React! Fest? Big deal. Tonight and tomorrow Europe will have the best fests and I'm going.

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.

Youth Of Today - September 19th - Den Bosch

Youth Of Today in 2010. I can't compare this show to the one they gave in Den Bosch in 1989. I didn't start going to 'bigger' hardcoreshows till '96. One of the first ones was in fact Shelter in the W2 in Den Bosch.

Since it was a sundaymatinee lots of people who told me they were going eventually cancelled, leaving Johan Reflections, my wife and me to hop in the Reflections van, drive to Den Bosch, unload the distro, set-up shop and go upfront to see This Routine Is Hell playing a tight set with lots of songs from 'The Verve Crusade'. It still beats me why everyone is all hyped on Ceremony and Trash Talk whereas this Dutch band has equally great songs but don't get that much attention.



Next up was the fastest raging Dutch hardcorepunk band around: Citizens Patrol. This band is everything you want in hardcore. They're as good as Dead Stop. Check them out. (To be honest I only caught a short glimpse of their set since I was behind the Reflections distro talking people into buying records. This also goes for the Spermbids. Though what I could hear from others these legendary Germans did a great job.)



Time for Youth Of Today to show they're still as vital as 20 years ago. Somehow I liked this set more than the one I saw in 2004. I was upfront and had fun singinalong to classics like 'Can't Close My Eyes', 'No More', 'Break Down The Walls', 'Disengage' etc.

Sammy ofcourse did a great job behind the drums. Porcell seemed to be enjoying himself and Ray entertained the audience with anecdotes from the past as well as his signature jumps. All in all a good show.




That's me upfront and singingalong.

All pics by Nous Davidse. See way more here.

We're not in this alone 2010

I'm no big fan of reunion shows and already saw Youth Of Today in 2000 or something like that. Still to see Youth Of Today perform in the venue were I saw my first real hardcoreshows is special. And it doesn't hurt that two of the best Dutch bands around right now are on the bill as well: Citizens Patrol and This Routine Is Hell.

I read somewhere that Tim 'Mouthpiece, Hands Tied, Double Cross' McMahon designed some new Youth of Today shirts for this tour so I'll check those out as well.

Take a staaaaannnnnnddd!!!

Right Idea + Rearranged - July 30 - Tilburg

Finally the day was there, almost a year after putting up my first hardcore show with The Effort and Teenage Lust, the time was right for number 2. Despite Incarnation cancelling it was a nice show after all.

Right Idea was already hanging out at the venue when I arrived so I quickly brought the food in I made for them and Rearranged and took the time to catch up with Robert Refuse Records.

The first time I met Robert was when I was driving Reaching Forward all over Europe. Robert released a Reaching Forward tape and got the band a show in Warsaw. He also accompanied us on some shows of that tour. Got us out of the hands of some corrupted cops and was one of the many in the van who suffered from food poisoning. The last time I met Robert was in 2002 so we had some catching up to do.

I also talked a bit with Nate from Right Idea about their tour so far and then the van full of Russian and Ukranian guys pulled up the curb. Rearrange had arrived and it was time to set up gear and do some soundchecking.

Eventually people from Birds x Of A Feather, Johnny Forward and more old and new hardcorekids showed up at the venue. Right in time to see Rearranged play a long but solid set of Uniform Choice, Dag Nasty inspired hardcore. I always love seeing a band on stage who got something to say. Vic from Rearranged was no let down on that part. I quickly picked up the band's new record 'New Forms'. I personally think the limited summer tour sleeve is better than the original artwork.



After our set (which went pretty okay considering State Of Affairs once again didn't practice for months) it was time for Right Idea to give Tilburg the Right Idea. These Cleveland guys played a solid set including songs from the 'Our World' record and the new 7" which I picked up as well.





The guys from Right Idea slept at the Shield house and the next morning my whole family got on the bike, went over to the Shield house and together with Jelle we bought them some breakfast and other stuff before they left for the next show in Belgium.

Though I met many bands throughout my years and heard a lot more stories about bands I can truly say I never encountered such a well mannered band as Right Idea. Before leaving they did the dishes, checked if everything was tidy. That band truly has the right idea.

Midnight Souls - July 15 - Tilburg

It's bloggerin' time. My vacation is over, so it's back to the computer and back to my blog. Posts about Right Idea and Rearranged are coming up soon. But first I want to share the show of Midnight Souls in Tilburg on July 15.

Midnight Souls is the latest addition to the Reflections roster. A 7" entitled 'Colder' is coming soon with artwork by Linas Garsys.

The last time I saw the band was when they opened up for The Hope Conspiracy in Antwerp. Big stage, big venue so I was curious how these new Belgium heroes would do it in the small intimate setting of the Little Devil.

Boy they blew me away. Midnight Souls is somewhere between Modern Life Is War and American Nightmare. While many bands play a similar style, Midnight Souls bring something extra which makes them stand out from the rest of the wolfpack. They have a very intense show. The future is bright for these guys, though their lyrics are kind of dark.

Can't wait for the ep to arrive.

Bane in Brooklyn

My wife went to visit New York a couple of weeks ago. On twitter I read Bane, Strike Anywhere and Touche Amore were playing the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Since that is a line-up I would love to see, I contacted her and she went. She got me some nice Bane-shirts and 7" and some stuff from Touche Amore.

Bane, they might just be one of the best bands around right now. I was really into their first stuff, but kind of lost my interest around 'Give Blood'. That's also why I didn't pick up 'The Note' untill years after it's release. Since then I'm totally into the band again.

The combination of simple, heartfelt lyrics with some of the best tunes out there plus having something to say on stage make Bane one of the few bands that will stand the test of time.

My friend Jammi York made some pics during the show in Brooklyn:

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

Our show!

True Colors: Consider it packed!!!

Whoa! According to facebook, the source of all knowlegde, 371 people will attend the last show of True Colors. I don't know how many people fit in the venue, but I expect the place to be packed. And rightfully so. Let's all say goodbye to one of the best bands in the youth crew genre.

Still here, sincere, after all these crazy years

H20 in a small club. Any hardcore and punkkid in the right mind would love to see that. So it was no surprise to me that the venue was sold out on this sundaymatinee.
What did surprise me however when entering the venue together with the fine people of Shield Recordings was the absence of H20 merch.

First band Noyalty opened on time and did an impressive set of American Nightmare meets StretchArmstrong songs. Personally I didn't like the full sound of the band. On the record the melodies are way better than live.



When Noyalty was done, there was still no sign of H20. People were getting itchy and more restless by the minute (the ones who weren't drinking at least). Cindy of All For Nothing couldn't bring a better message than 'H20 are in the building'. But first All For Nothing was up to show the Netherlands why all over Europe their early Comeback Kid hardcore with a female singer is recognised as awesome. I guess the Dutch are finally learning as well since there was plenty of crowd movement and singalongs.

After 10 hours in a small van, the last day of the tour, away from family on mother's day we all got a more pissed off and aggressive H20 than I've seen in years. From song 1 the whole place exploded. Divers everywhere. Massive singalongs, fingerpointing, moshing. Sweat, bruised knees, people on the floor. Hardcore 2010 can be as excited as the first H20 shows 15 years ago.



The band played a lot of songs from their latest record as well as some old hits and covers. Their Cro-Mags intro was hard!

Ofcourse I was x-ed up and waiting for one of my favorite songs 'Still Here'. When that one came along I did my best to singalong and do some stage dives (My first in I think three years).

I sticked around up front and decided to do some more dives on the last song 'What happened'.



What a sunday. If you told me 15 years ago I would still have much fun if not more at a H20 show I might have looked a bit confused but this was definately one of the best shows of 2010, hell of everything the recent years.

pics by Live Your Heart Photography.

Here's a short clip from the show:

Breda: There's smoke in the bar

What is there to say about the show in Breda:

Well, the soundsystem couldn't handle the amount of noise of the bands. And I think smoking should be prohibited in all bars. Just when I got used to the cleaner air at shows, bars seem to allow everyone to smoke inside again. YUK!

Despite speculation on the way to the show Malfunction doesn't sound like a Cro-Mags band. They rather have a Trash Talk, early Ceremony thing going.

State Of Affairs guitarplayer Rowan is pretty good on the drums as well, though guitarplay Wilco really should get more knowlegde of his amplifier.

Cracks In The Wall do sick covers of Infest and Black Flag which makes people mosh and they have their demotape available in all the colours of the world. Yet vocalist Theun shouldn't listen to Deep Purple in the car when I'm going along, because I can't stand long songs with boring solos.

Static Radio are from New Jersey, play a great Saves The Day cover and do have quite some memorable songs of themselves as well. I'm glad I have finally seen this band and think everyone into Lifetime should pick up their record.

This Routine Is Hell is probably one of the better Dutch hardcore bands around at the moment. They ripped the bar apart and had lots of people dancing, singingalong and whatnot. Despite all that they're also nice fellows and great neighbours at the merchtable. Best thing is that the bassplayer is a Dr.Pepper fanatic.

Some pics taken by Iris van Turnhout:
Malfunction



State Of Affairs:



Static Radio NJ:



This Routine Is Hell:



More pics can be found here.