Period : May 6th-11th, 1999
In this issue : Soeur Sourire, Arid, Struggler, Sweater, Zap Mama, Stricktly
Rockers, K's Choice, Stairway to Heaven, Dour Festival.
May 11th 1999
FILM ABOUT THE LIFE OF SOEUR SOURIRE Newspapers
Het Belang van Limburg & Gazet van Antwerpen brought a story last weekend
about production company Kladaradatsch! who have plans to make a movie about the
life & times of the singing nun Soeur
Sourire.
The scripts was written by Luc Maddelein & Leen van den Berg, and will focus
on all the adversities the sister had to cope with during her life. The synopsis
doesn't promise a happy film : "Lesbian nun scores world hit and commits
suicide 20 years later".
This would be the second film devoted to the story of Jeanine Deckers by the way,
after the "doubfull Hollywood-musical" from the sixties that had "Sister
Smile" performed by a cheerful Debbie Reynolds.
ARID & K'S CHOICE IN WERCHTER After the attempts Herman Schueremans of Rock Werchter had been undertaking
to organise a European leg for the Lilith Fair Tour, had failed, he has now grasped
the opportunity to organize a concert with K's
Choice. As a matter of fact, there will be a sort of "extra festivalday",
a week before the actual Werchter Festival. On Sunday June 27th on the terrain
of the festival there will be concerts by Arid,
K's Choice and another group that will be announced later on.
Prices are rather on the high side (950 fr. for a three gigs in a tent), but apparently
this will be the "last chance to catch K's Choice on stage before the end
of the milennium". There's also a real chance that demand will surpass the
seats since the tent can hold only 5.800 people.
Source & presales : On-Line With Rock,
who also learnt that K's Choice will soon be releasing "If You're Not Scared"
as a single in the US of A and will go back to the studio from the fall onwards
to record a fourth cd (release certainly after 2000).
May 9th, 1999
Because we were lagging behind a bit on the Belgian Pop News last week : here's
a triple superfat edition:
STRUGGLER IS ALIVE & KICKING The
and SStruggler (early eighties band that got some fame as an exponent of cold-wave
in Belgium with groups such as de Brassers
and Siglo XX - the best known song being "Night
Fever")
has leapt back in a surge of activity.
The group will perform live on the Eurorock-festival later on this year (wave-festival
in Neerpelt that had Anne Clark, Sisters of Mercey etc. on the black line-up last
year). Even better : they have just finished the recordings of a CD-single, that
will be released (without a record company) at the end of May.
As an absolute world-première, we can let you hear some excerpts of the
new songs from "Life Update +" on this website : "Perfect
Team",
"Electronic Waves",
"The Other Side"en
"That's Your Dream".
Listening to these, we spontaneously thought of names such as The (early) Cure,
P.I.L and The Virgin Prunes. What about you ?
Contact Struggler : René Hulsbosch, Dijk 8, 3930 Hamont - tel : 0032.11.61.12.67
SWEATER HAS SPLIT Another
group that was based in Limburg, of a very different caliber, has thrown in the
towel. On Saturday, this sad message from Jo Smeets, the singer/guitar-player
of Sweater, reached us "After 7 years
we're calling it quits. We got bronze during the Rock Rally of '94. We have played
about 300 times on big & somewhat less big festivals. Parkpop The Hague &
Marktrock Leuven were beautiful ... Studio Brussel made 'Haunted Soul' and 'Lovebirds'
into small radio-hits, for which we thank them. Al our singles, with the exceptions
of 'Everything' made it into "De Afrekening". So why do we quit ? The
options were getting limited, and only Elvis lives forever. Thanks for your attention.
No need to mourn."
ZAP MAMA "A MA ZONE" Fortunatly,
there's also happier news : Belgium's most world-oriented pop group Zap
Mama has launched "A Ma Zone", their fourth cd, last week.
Much more thatn on "7", the group has evolved from an a-capella group
of female singers into a playful Marie Daulne backed up by a group of musicians
and singers. This has lead to for instance the perfect African pop (the first
single "Yepe Yepe"),
but also surprising drum'n'bass (Songe) or a warmblooded verison of Björk
(Call Waiting).
Contributors to the album include names such as Manu Dibango, DJ Grazzhoppa, Ahmir
Thompson & Black Thought, Richard "The Roots" Nichols and the very
famous "many others" as well.
STRICKTLY ROCKERS There's
always the possibility that you couldn't care less, but Serge Feys, Rudy Cloet,
Kloot Per W and Mirko Banovic (that is 2/4 of TC
Matic, 1/4th Belgian experimental rock-history and a popular session-bass-player)
have formed a group under the name "Stricktly Rockers". Curiously enough,
the name of the singer has to remain a secret for the time being (Tom Barman with
Island-obligations??).
As can be read on the KPW-website,
they already have a producer (Jean-Marie Aerts will raise the TC-Matic-ness a
little more), but are still looking for a (better) record deal.
LOMMEL GOES "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"
Next weekend, May 14 and 15 1999, there will be a festival in the Limburg-town
Lommel. The first day will contain a high amount of Belgian Blues (Blues Lee,
Sticks 'n Stones, Last Call, The
Seatsniffers, El Fish, B.J.
Scott en de Amerikaanse Walter Trout Band). The second day will have rock
from the low countries with the Dutch people of Burma Shave (We're all Hippies!)
and Herman Brood (Saturday Night) and the compatriots Das
Pop, Gorki and De
Mens.
Organizers of this happening are Rock & Fun, Schamprood 111, 3920 Lommel.
Fax: +32.11/54 68 39
K'S CHOICE GOES ON LILITH FAIR-TOUR Although
their passage last year was only a modest succes, K's
Choice have been asked again to join the American Lilith Fair-tour this summer.
Lilith Fair, an initiative of singer Sarah McLachLan is a sort of "Women
On Stage" (or was it the other way round), will be held on 40 places this
year, with ever changing names on the line-up. The top-acts this year are Suzanne
Vega, The Pretenders, Sheryl Crow en Shawn Colvin. K's Choice will take part on
the tour for the gigs in Chicago, Toronto, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Bonner Springs,
Denver & Edmonton.
In the meantime, the plans for the Lilith Fair-tour to also organize a European
leg have been buried. More info : The Lilith
Fair-website.
"SOME NAMES " FOR DOUR.
All these names put together make a bit of a chaotic spectacle (like a second
hand shop), but the organisers of the yearly Dour-festival have announced the
"first names" for the biggest festival in the south of Belgium :
Thursdaynight, July 8th : Freddy Fresh, Plastikman, Williman, Pushy, Krust,
Aphrodite, Bailey, Geoffrey, Olivier Grosseries, A1 People, Adam F/J Magic & Mcmc,
James Hardway, Gene Farris, Jeff Mills, Scott Grooves,…
Friday July 9th :
- A "world"-programme with Fabulous Trobadours New York Ska Jazz Ensemble,
Amadou & Mariam, Matmatah, Faudel, Musafir, Natacha Atlas, Sergent Garcia, …
- A stage with Big Beat, Nu Funk and other Funky beats : Spaceraiders, Derek Dah
Large, Adam Freeland, Indian Ropeman…
- On a third stage : French pop & electro-sounds The following bands have
already confirmed their participation : Mellow, Le Tone, Alex Gopher, Rhinocerose,
Impulsion, Sexy Cool, Superfunk, Micronauts, Yvan Smaggle…
- On podium n° 4 attention to new pop with Spain, Tarwater, Calexico, Dominique
A, Kristin Hersch, Morphine…
- A selection of promising Belgian bands and groups from the label "Sonic
Star" : De Mens, 7 Zuma 7, Vandal
X, Andre Williams & The Countdowns, Sloy, Queens Of The Stone Age…
- And as always at Dour a Metal-Hardcore-Punk-programme : Crawl Space, Void Section,
Thumbs Down, Run Devil Run, Crowbar, Gang Green, Rykers, Earth Crisis, Pro Pain.
Saturday July 10th :
- "Natty Roots Saturday" on a reggae stage with : Luciano, Pierpoljak
and Jr Delgado. More "big names" will be announced.
- The pop-stage will host The Delgados, Snowpony, Vincent Venet, Drugstore and
Sophia.
- A Metal-Hardcore-Punk stage with Enemy Of The Sun, Gwillons, Vitality, All Out
War, Blood For Blood, Deviate, Satanic Surfers, Skarhead, Dropkick Murphys…
- Black raven will gather for Aimless, Ataraxia, Hekate, Bis Ende, Kirlian Camera,
Gittane Demon, Oomph, Das Ich, The Creatures…
- The other two stage are not complete yet, but already Tricky and Audioactive
have signed.
Sunday July 11th :
- A lot of big names on the main stage : The Toasters, Godflesh, Bloodhound Gang,
Fun Lovin' Criminals, Ministry, The Residents
- The last part of the pop/rock programme with Daan,
Cornelius, Rl Burnside, Mogwai, Swell.
- A hip-hop-stage with Rival, Pete Rock, Oxmo Pucino, 3eme Oeil, Peanut Butter
Wolf, Pyroman, Company Flow…
- A Death-Metal stage with Napalm Death, Vader, Mortiis, Immortal…
- A Gothic-Industrial-New Wave stage with Inkubbus Sukkubus, Malochia, Meira Asher,
Legendary Pink Dots, Clan Of Xymox…
- One stage hasn't been filled yet, but SHRI& Badmarsh, Nittin Sahwney and State
of Bengale will be there.
Tickets will cost 1.600 BEF for the four days or 900 BEF for a one-day ticket
and will be on sale on most common presale-points.
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There's
always the possibility that you couldn't care less, but Serge Feys, Rudy Cloet,
Kloot Per W and Mirko Banovic (that is 2/4 of 
