why the beautiful band should win the rock rally
this weekend, the first preselections of humo’s bi-annual rock rally are taking place. chances that this will bring as a few new bands like milow, jasper erkens or novastar (no, we don’t link to those). too bad.
however, at yesterday’s kraak-event at the bunker, we got to see the only belgian band that deserves the attention (and cash) that a rock rally-winner should get.
the beautiful band.
unfortunately, they haven’t enrolled for the rock rally, because there was just no way that the jury could have denied them the victory. why?
- this is a new band, without any output thusfar. not even on myspace or whatever.
- you’ll recognize some familiar faces though: laurent of ROT on guitars, bram of ignatz on vocals and guitars, paul of sunburned hand of the man on bass, and the drummer of either willo the wisp or starfield season, i don’t know). so no doubt about the talent present.
- beautiful band sounds surprisingly different than their other bands. you’re not totally wrong when describing their sound as ‘rock music’. and after all, its a ‘rock rally’
- as the rock rally jury likes, the beautiful band takes elements from older bands (lots and lots of velvet underground, quite a bit of crazy horse, the wahwah-style of julian cope, a touch of postpunk and/or postrock) and here and there you could hear some vague similarities with newer bands they would never compare themselves with - i’m thinking of diverse acts as zelienople or triumph of lethargy skinned alive to death - but anyone else who was there will say something else.
- you can tag them with words that most of the humo-readers never heard of: ‘improv’ ‘noisy’ ‘freewheelin’ ‘trainwreck’ or ‘abrassive’
- they sounded rather sloppy and unprepared (which they probably were). so the jury would see a ‘progression margin’.
- some might say all their songs sounded the same. we’ll say they have a very coherent sound.
- they don’t destroy guitars on stage. the beautiful band does break adaptors though. a very unique stage act.
- beautiful band simply blew headliner gary war away.
- the band members are old enough to be in the jury themselves. humo can’t go on letting 14-16 years old win, otherwise they might as well choose for televoting
- did i mention they sound like a sloppy version of the velvet underground?
no idea when their second show is, but i’d like to be there…
