Periode : 1 januari 2000
In dit deel : Front 242, LaTchak, Zamu, Jacques Brel, Alex & The Dinner
Club, Soulwax, Zap Mama, Noorderslag/Eurosonic, Wim de Craene.
January 9, 2000
NOTHING'S QUIET ON FRONT 242 The
electro-pioneers Front 242 are still busy
as always :
- Richard 23 has put together a new project : LaTchak. You might have heard the
first single of the band already, characterised by the vocals of Sunzoo
Manley (aka Piet Goddaer of Ozark Henry)
"If This is Love" .
The debut album "Business Musical" should be out in the shops in February,
on Groove Records.
The band has already opened a stylish website at www.latchak.com
(including a 35 Megabyte video of the single, shot by Parabellum-director Olivier
Vanhoofstad).
- Front 242 is rumoured to prepare for a new albumn (the last one dates from over
5 years ago), since they promise some new songs for their gig at the Ancienne
Belgique of February 12.
- Cleopatra Records has released another "tribute"-album, on which VNV
Nation, Electro Assassin, K-Nitrate, V-Sequence, TVOD ... do something new with
old songs from the Front.
- C-Tec, one of the projects of Jean-Luc Demeyer, has also finished a new album,
called "Cut", but the release-date keeps on getting postponed due to
a conflict with TVT Records.
DESIGN THE ZAMU TROPHY
Easthetically endowed readers of this pop-telex might find new inspiration for
their creative energy in the fact that ZAMU is looking for someone to design the
"ZAMU Music Award". They have written out a contest (prize = 40.000
Bef + the chance to hand out one to the winner of one category) for a statue or
trophy, which will be handed out to artists in 14 categories during their yearly
ceremony.
Zamu (vereniging voor Zangers & Muzikanten) is an organisation that advises
it's mebers and promote the interests of the singers & musicians v.a.v. the
government, music industry, Sabam ...
This year's ceremony will be held at the Ancienne Belgique on March 7th.
Deadline for the contest = January 31st. More info on the contest & the awards
at zamu@ping.be
BREL-MUSICAL UNDER FIRE
De Standaard
reported last week that "Anonymous Society", a play with 19 songs of
the Belgian singer-poet Jacques Brel, has gotten
in conflict with the Brel Foundation, as there wasn't given permission to use
his songs in the play. The show got great reviews in the British press, but a
conflict about the rights could jeopardise the future of it.
"Anonymous Society" is a production of vzw Stage-Art, who debuted the
play in the deserted docks of Boel two years ago as "Brel op de Boelwerf".
In Flanders, the production got harsh reviews and not a lot of visitors. The show
that is on stage in London now, is shorter, with a new choreography, and British
directors (Andrew Hale & Perrin Allen). Also, the songs of Brel which are
sung during the play all have got a new English translation.
Article (in dutch) should still be online at this
location.
ALEX & THE DINNER CLUB
Presenting : a brand new band (they have only given two gigs to this date).
Alex & The Dinner club is a semi-acoustic band consisting of Erik Van Biesen
(bass-player with Gorki), Mario Vermandel (was with Kadril
for years, also into jazz with Ronny Verbiest), Nils Decaster (played with Perry
Rose, Elliot Murphy, Bruno, Roland, Lieven
Tavernier ...) and Alexander Brackx (Horn, Marjan
Debaene ...). As the bio says, the music of the band is "new, exciting,
surprising, with the "feel" of Buena Vista Social Club, Los Lobos, Daniel
Lanois or Tom Waits". Ambitions : a cd in 2000, and a lot of gigs.
The immediate plans :
- 16 jan. : Kaffee Planchee, Zottegem om 20.30u
- 4 febr. : De Knoet, Aarschot( om 20.00u)
- 6 febr.: De Fabriek, Gent (om 20.00u)
- 17 febr.: Elefanto Branco, St .-Niklaas (om 21.00u)
- 23 febr.: Au Casino, Kortrijk (om 20.00u)
- 24 maart: 'De Leute' in Aalbeke (om 20.00u)
Contact : Alexander Brackx
SOULWAX 2000
In an interview with Dutch NCRV-radioshow De
Groef, Soulwax revealed some of the plans for the year that has started.
- First of all, they want to finish recording a new album this year, but it is
highly unlikely that it will already be released in 2000. Success in England (happening
now) or the States might jeopardize this.
- They will start preparations for a theater show : Arne Sierens (celebrated theater
director whose plays include "Bernadetje" (with An
Pierlé), "Mijn Blackie" & "de Drumleraar" (with
Thou), has asked the brothers Dewaele to perform
and act in a play. The brothers won't make their debut on theater-stage with this
(they played with Eva Bal in their youth), but it would be the first time they
would compose especially for a theater play.
You can listen to the interview in Real-audio from this
location.
5 januari 2000
NOORDERSLAG / EUROSONIC
Next Friday and Saturday January 7 & 8, the focus of Belgian music will shift
North a bit, since there are a lot of bands from over here appearing at the "Eurosonic/Noorderslag
Festival" in the Dutch city of Groningen. Eurosonic is the European
Showcase festival that gives upcoming European rock, pop and dance acts the opportunity
to present themselves to audience, industry and media. Noorderslag is where
the new breed of contemporary Dutch rock, pop and dance music presents itself.
Studio Brussels has sent Arid as their
entry for the Europan Broadcasting Union series of gigs, where they follow in
the steps of TC Matic, Neven,
Soulwax, La
Fille d’Ernest, Betty goes green,
Evil Superstars and Hoover
who were selected at one time or another during the past 20 years.
But Arid won't certainly be the only Belgian participant at the festival, since
Laïs, Angelico
(ex-members of Ashbury Faith, Noordkaap
and Sin Alley, signed on Universal), Soulsucker
(for the first time with a fifth member. There's a try-out on Thursday the 6th
of January, at 21:00 at the Boogie Woogie in Geraardsbergen !!!), The Dill
Brothers and Buscemi also got a place on the line-up. Also scheduled
were Venus and Eden,
but they can't make it.
A large part of the festival will be broadcasted live
on the internet (which makes this message slightly more relevant, since it
is already sold out anyhow).
More info about the festival at http://www.noorderslag.nl
ROCK RALLY 2000 ... THE NAMES, THE PLACES
The bi-annual Humo's Rock Rally,
the most important "battle of the bands" that is organized in our country,
has selected the 100 names that will be lining up to become the successor to the
last winners Das Pop.
The 10 preselections are on/at/with:
- January 21, Jeugdhuis Nijdrop in Opwijk with Alma Luna, Tongue (see our
demo-section), Cupcake, The Temple, Sonic Scheme,
Fie, Eletrified, Monsoon, Nefast, Sexytiger.
- January 22, De Hemel in Zichem : Little Big Man, The Skunks, Captain
Ferris, Steering Wheel, The Beautifulls, Crane, Tydal, Bruce, Posing Plaudit,
Blue Hue, August.
- January 28, Heist-Op-Den-Berg : Ray 268, Humb, The Exploding Donuts,
Malinas in de mist, Troissoeur, Triskel, Elvis lives in us all, Gemini Luv Deluxe,
Stingray, The New Fools.
- January 29, Zaal Racing in Gavere : Groove Grocery, Nephritis, Gloin,
The Flavour, Chaos, Urban Salad, Driver, Misses Bombie, Venus in Flames, Koen
d'Artagnan Wostyn.
- February 4, Velinx in Tongeren : Elysian, Fox, Yearn, Scarrots, Meklar,
Perfume Garden, Sideshow, The dodgems, Mint, Epic.
- February 5 at the Cactus Club in Brugge : Spaceman Spiff, Leather Snake,
No More Broadcasting, Cowboys & Aliens, Higgins, Keratine, No Hands Mama,
Phillibustaz, Dr. Pepper Family, Sunscape.
- February 11, CC De Kimpel in Bilzen : No Law, Disfunktional, Tequila
Waitress, Tony & The Hangmatten, Bottom's Dream, Zornik
Breknov, The Fruitsons, Flurk, choky, Zafirlukast.
- February 12, CC De Herbakker in Eeklo : Ganja Kid, De Egels, Top Tequila,
Wickers, BM April, Admiral Freebee, Reptilian, Ernie Dexter, Lara, Vliegend Wild.
- February 18, CC 't Heilar in Beerse : Eye Scream, The Rosswells, L'Ocean,
Mintzkov Luna, Thumbs Down, Convict, Country Feedback Club, Crosseyed Monkey,
Kretzlnköpf, Polzki Fiat.
- February 19, de Kreun in Bissegem : Jealousy Parker, Tainted Towels,
Mickey's Mind, Model T, The Junes, Little, Wrong in the Garret, Basics, !Cojones
Grandes! and El Niño.
All the preselctions will be presented by Roos Van Acker of Eden.
4 januari 2000
Zap Mama impresses the States again Zap
Mama, the multi-etnic adventurous worldbeat group of Marie Daulne, is slowly
but surely making a big impression in the States once again. They have just finished
a tour over there, and are about to announce dates for a new one already. Meanwhile,
"A Ma Zone" (which as you can see on the right has received a very different
sleeve from Luaka Bop than the one which was released in Europe) is getting great
reviews all over, and is currently topping the "World Music" chart of
CMJ and AAA Radio. The
CMJ-reviewer described the album as "Zap Mama's strain of Afropop is an
ever-evolving global party hosted by melodies and textures that hail from everywhere
under the sun. On the brilliant A Ma Zone, this renowned female sextet ... continues
to take its musical approach even further into the urban jungle. ... This true
must-hear has finally brought the beat box into the brave new world"
(full review here)
Zap Mama will do a single Belgian concert on February 6 at the AB in Brussels.
Don't know "A Ma Zone" ?? Read my review,
or buy it at Frontstage.
Millenniumconcert voor Wim De Craene Wetteren,
thuisbasis van de 10 jaar geleden overleden zanger Wim
De Craene, organiseert in het kader van haar millenniumvieringen (waarbij
ook de stunt met de 80 excuus 15 trouwende paartjes op oudejaarsavond) een herdenkingsconcert
(de precieze 10de verjaardag is overigens 14 september 2000). Ook vijf jaar geleden
werd er in de Oost-Vlaamse gemeente al een gelijkaardig initiatief genomen.
Op de affiche van vrijdag 7 en zaterdag 8 januari staan een aantal Vlaamse zangers
(vb. Yasmine, Bart Herman, Hans De Booij,
Stijn Meuris, en "het is een samenzwering van de homo's" Marijn De Valck)
die een interpretatie van nummers van Wim zullen brengen.
Meer info : de millenniumsite
van Wetteren.
Het Belgisch Pop & Rock Archief was tot begin 2002 in handen van Dirk
Houbrechts. Om persoonlijke redenen (lees
hier waarom) stopte hij met deze website. Het archief is nu toevertrouwd
aan het Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen (www.muziekcentrum.be),
het steunpunt voor de professionele muzieksector. Contact: webmaster@muziekcentrum.be
of per post naar Muziekcentrum Vlaanderen, Steenstraat 25, 1000 Brussel.
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conform de toelatingsvoorwaarden overeengekomen met de Belgische auteursrechtenvereniging
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