REVIEW | Bazart @Lotto Arena, Antwerp: Haters turn to damnation (★★★½)
Bazart posted their third album on Friday en route for a mouth mask-free Lotto Arena. Our recent one was spot on.
Can they count the hits written by Mathieu Terryn, Simon Nuytten and Oliver Symons? Not anymore. With a hit parade consisting of Gold, Chaos and tunnels delivered on their debut album Echo already had an unprecedented number of hits. Album 2 was welcomed, but with songs like Grab (Embrace Me) and Among us reapplied them every hundreds of hours airplay to collect. Continued on June 4 of this year en route: a record that the trio could work on for an extra long time, thanks to the pandemic. It did their Damen, they told us earlier on an interview. Friday it was time for the premiere of their concert weekend.
But before it was the trio’s turn, the almost full arena was presented with Froukje. The Dutchman is not yet well known in our country, but that will soon change after her passage in Antwerp. She brought a strong set with nothing in between and I want to dance as highlights. the intimate A sign was just a little too quiet for the audience and could count on little attention. Froukje already delivered a very good support act, thanks to her uptempo songs. Anyone who is curious about more can see her at work solo in 2022 in Depot, Vooruit and Trix.
Ecstasy was in the air
And then it was time for le moment supreme: Bazaar. Over the past few days, the band has been calling on people to come to their show without fear and despite a lot of tickets being sold second-hand, the Lotto Arena was packed. The trio on stage in 70’s invented suits. A fashion statement that we soon forgave the three when they played opening song Different blast through the boxes. A first shot of confetti was supposed to make the Lotto Arena wide awake – it turned out to be unnecessary, because ecstasy had already lingered for several hours. “Keep afloat / I just don’t know where”, Mathieu continued on night, a first song from their debut album.
on Let me go The gentlemen mixed a fatter version of their studio track. That was actually the red line in the set list tonight. Because the band was not alone on stage. On time they were assisted by backing vocals and horn players. It subtly propelled the songs to a higher level and that made vapors. Do you want the songs of en route sound, in contrast to the previous albums, less like a stream of pop hits. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s a factor to consider with a younger audience.
Fortunately, Bazart was musically top notch, thanks to the excellent musicians and experience they have on board. That’s what it sounded like Whenever You Go nice and that little bit more thanks to the drum solo by Mario Goosens. also If I Fall Sounds masterful.
Met luxury and Moonlight Bazart grabbed hits from their previous record, and then slowed down on Fragile. A rest stop that deserved attention, but the Lotto Arena was for dancing. Luckily there was breathlessness to solve that. And then the biggest hits are yet to come. “I can’t hear you,” Terryn rushed into the room, lateros erupted and the band got a standing ovation. “I think they know”, Mathieu, later Gold echoed and the confetti fluttered a second time.
Three songs were still awarded to the Lotto Arena. The closing trio introductory act Bazart with the sensitive Everything from Nothing. The explosive Grab (Embrace Me) and Don’t Think About Tomorrow descriptions the final end of the evening. It was for the band and the audience a climax in a year full of misery. Haters are going to hell, because this band even made that damn virus forget and how. Will they have the party in the Sportpaleis next year? We already do.