Roadburn 2015 Pre-Sale Party – The Machine / Radar Men From The Moon @ O13 Venue, Tilburg 16/10/2014
Roadburn! The time has come for people to purchase tickets for the festival of the year and Christmas thus comes early for the fans of all that is heavy. Obviously the Shaman has to be present during the pre-sale event. A line of eager people has already lined up outside of the 013 venue when the clock strikes seven.
Tickets sell like hot cakes and the crowd moves along rapidly. Inside excited conversations start, people have a drink and discuss the next edition of the fest. Walter himself is walking past the lines, shaking hands, hinting at what is yet to come and generally embodies the festival in his brimming excitement. Of course there is music inside, not only from some of the best records, but also from the stage where two bands will demonstrate their skills today.
Radar Men From The Moon
Who better to open up this night full of wonder then the fuzzy space rockers from Eindhoven? They start their set with what seems like an endless repetitive rhythm, creating a static sound that might leave the visitors unfamiliar with a confused impression. Some indeed decided that getting a drink is a better plan. When the band then kicks into the warm and catchy ‘Surrealist Appearance’, people quickly come back to check out the sounds of the four guys on stage. Visuals show abstract shapes, mostly black and white, creating that immersing experience they are so good at.
The rest of the set veers between controlled songs and freewheeling jams, it’s always hard to tell, but constantly captivating. Freely soaring for a moment on the shattering guitar play and samples by Glenn Peeters en Niek Manders, then again constrained by the throbbing bass and tight and condensed drumming.
The bass sound is pretty strong for the onlooker, sometimes blowing away the subtleties of the sound, but that is hardly discrediting the musicianship of the boys on stage. Luckily Titus Verkuijlen knows how to drive the sound and creates space for the other sound to take the front. Concluding their hour long set is a free jam, ending with drummer Tony Lathouwers standing up and slowly hitting the cymbals till the Radar Men train comes to a slow stand still.
The Machine
Long ago, when Radar Men From The Moon was called Boners Inc. and still had a singer, the band played live with The Machine. That gives a special flavor to this show. The guys from Schiedam, Sliedrecht and Dordrecht already were known by then for their endless jams and nothing has really change when it comes to the quality of the band. Instead of jams, the band has mostly tightly packed stoner gems that fall well with the crowd tonight.
Downside for these guys is the dwindling of the crowd, most people have been here for a while already, because they came to score some tickets. That is a shame, because the heavy and powerful sound of these guys is not something you would want to miss out on. The band seems to be having a good time on stage as well, which provides a laid-back atmosphere tonight. The riffs sound great and the band feels just right, but maybe that is the magic and excitement one can feel in the air tonight. With a set of tickets in ones back pocket, nothing could ruin tonight, The Machine and Radar Men From The Moon just provide you with the cherry on top of the pie.
Scribed by: Guido Segers
Photos by: Paul Verhagen (www.achromemoments.nl)
