Even the audience, replete in their “know it all ‘cos I’m in the media” Amsterdam confidence are impressed… of course they don’t show it too much.
Even the audience, replete in their “know it all ‘cos I’m in the media” Amsterdam confidence are impressed… of course they don’t show it too much.
Appie Kim, Pfaff, Moi Non Plus – Zaal 100, Amsterdam 29/06/07
Great! Appie Kim again! Always worth seeing, they’ve increased Incendiary’s excitement level by playing a triple bill with music-exhibitionists Pfaff (now down to a line up of one) and Moi Non Plus, (who we have to confess we missed due to train times; by all accounts you rocked hard Moi Non Plus, and that’s not just being all nice and embarrassed on your behalf).
Zaal 100 is a nice venue at the end of the Haarlemerstraat, just where trendy boho- Amsterdam meets rough "gangsta" Amsterdam full on. It’s cheap and possesses a beautiful stage with great sound, something Appie are always fond of (given their recent history). On the two of them saunter, kicking off into Sail and 60 Blows to His Shadow, songs that are going to propel this band into contenders for the best Dutch band around; I mean, they are so bloody tuneful this lot. As usual we get poems, brittle, fragile silences instrument swapping and fabulous melodies. It takes guts to play a set like this (especially reading a poem about a cat)… There are some brilliant, softer new songs tonight, which will be doubtless aired on the forthcoming LP. Even the audience, replete in their "know it all ‘cos I’m in the media" Amsterdam confidence are impressed… of course they don’t show it too much. A triumphant gig considering Natasha falls over, dramatically spills beer onto her equipment and finds she can’t turn up her guitar loud enough. It just doesn’t mater.
Next up are (or is) Pfaff, now reduced to just Bas; on drums… which is a shame as I actually like this guy’s imagination, and his songs, which are glorious lo-fi rants; its just that playing drums to a backing tape actually does him justice. I’m sure lots of people will say "ah you’re missing the point" and I am sure there are plenty of great conceptual reasons for playing the gig, but I just find it bloody boring and even pointless watching a drummer playing to a backing tape. It is in no way a performance. And it is no way to promote an album (of very fine songs). At this point I had to shoot off, missing MNP.
Still, get yourself down Zaal 100.
Words: Richard Foster