GIG REVIEW: Lianne La Havas supported by Roseau at Paradiso, Amsterdam
I had the privilege of seeing these two London beauties, Lianne La Havas and her good friend/support act Roseau, perform a sold-out show in Amsterdam's iconic Paradiso. I played with Roseau on the small stage of Paradiso in 2013, when she performed in duo Peter & Kerry. Roseau's (Kerry Leatham) new act is more electronic, introverted and less 'singer-songwriter' than Peter & Kerry. The music is definitely closer to her heart and comes from within.
The last time I saw Lianne was in the Summer at Lowlands 2015. Lianne was great. The crowd was a mix of very young fans at the front, dads in the back, and other mainstreamers (including me and my date for the evening) from 20-35. The crowd was super attentive and very quiet when Lianne played with her guitar alone. Lianne's old tracks were a hit with the crowd, and some of the new ones had a different feel, some more happy, and some more rocky. It's cool to see her experimenting a little with styles.
REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Carré, Amsterdam
Australian classic movie The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert was turned into a theatre production, starring Neighbour's very own Jason Donovan. Drag queens, blokes and songs by gay icons such as Village People, Kylie Minogue, CeCe Peniston, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin made the show extraordinarily energetic, and even the usually dull-Dutch were clapping along and gave a standing ovation to the cast & crew, in the last show of the Amsterdam tour. I thought it was great! I've been to Paradise but I've never been to me.
GIG REVIEW: Chvrches at Melkweg, Amsterdam
Arrived a little late but managed to catch Chvrches' support act, Australia's homegrown Mansionair, who's song 'Hold Me Down' is really catchy. They seemed a bit fresh though and I was really there to see Chvrches.
Chvrches' music is really strong, and the music production is really good. One can tell their band has some experienced backbones. Singer Lauren Mayberry has a crystal clear voice and despite her petite stance on the stage, she still manages to make a presence. But for me it's the music that makes Chvrches so successful. The beats and electronic sounds are so powerful.
GIG REVIEW: Calefax 30! at Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam
I saw my amazing friend Stefan Lakatos perform on his Trimba with Calefax - The Netherlands' famous reed quintet at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. As expected, when Stefan is involved, they performed the songs of Moondog, the blind composer known as The Viking of 6th Avenue.