Frenchy’s Fracas

General Info
Artist: Rad. ||
Location: De Melkweg, Amsterdam
When: 01 March 2008

Who?
I know Rad. or Rose Ann Dimalanta from her 1992 album Radified. It’s a nostalgia thing, love the album. Read she’d be performing live with a great band including saxophone majesty Eric Leeds, I was curious.
Check out some of his performances at .

The Show
Ouch.. The place was at half its capacity and it showed. Rad. did their best to give a prodfessional show, and they succeeded, more or less.

Songs that Stood Out
Homegirls Cha Cha Network
Great nostalgic feeling.

10 (Madhouse track)
Listen, boys and girls: Madhouse is one of my favorite bands, read my review of one their albums.
So to get the chance to hear a track from them co-performed by original band member Eric Leeds, was an absolute treat!!

Wishy
That’s when we left..

Conclusion
Hard to rate this concert: on the one hand, the material wasn’t that captivating. While on the other, the band commanded respect for their hard work.
It just didn’t work. Thrilled about Eric Leeds, and I wasn’t the only one: former Paisley Park co-worker and Dutch sax-diva Candy Dulfer was in the crowd along with her dad, Hans Dulfer, another sax-master from the Lowlands.
Meh, nostalgia doesn’t always work, I guess..

Rating: (Mostly because of the band, not the gig itself)

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General Info
Artist: Koop || ||
Location: De Melkweg, Amsterdam
When: 21 February 2008

Who?
Liked their recent release Koop Islands, saw them at The Hague Jazz last year, thought it’d be fun to go see them again.
Check out some of his performances at .

The Show
The Melkweg is an excellent location for this kind of concert: practical, nice acoustics and not too steaming hot.
The guys started on time, and the moment the band was on stage, you knew you were getting a show from performers that love their music and love to share it with the audience. Although, somehow there still is this disconnect between crowd and band, can’t put my finger on it.
I really am getting old coz I was ready to choke some people in the audience for talking all the frigging time through almost all of the songs. You know what? If you wanna chat with your friends, move the frak out of this building and go find a bar, pretty please, with sugar on top?
Stand-in vocalist for this evening, dunno her name, but she almost made me forget the cute and lovely Miss Yukimi Nagano. This did a great job performing the songs in her own way and boy, does she now how to perform..

Songs that Stood Out
Come To Me
Closing song, always a crowd pleaser.

Koop Islands Song
Probably the opening track, strong presence from leading vocal lady

Unknown Song Relaxin’ at club F****n
Possibly on earlier albums, a great dance track straight from the laptop where the band joins in almost instrument by instrument. Better up-tempo work, something the show really needed.

Conclusion
The band has a limited playlist and seeing them again within twelve months doesn’t help either. It’s friggin’ weird: on the one hand, the show felt a bit boring and tame; on the other, you really get pulled into the excitement of the band’s excellent craftsmanship.
But that’s just not enough for me this evening.
Go see them if you get the chance, just don’t go for a second time within a year.

Rating:

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