Oor and NME recently chose the best 10 albums since the 00's. The likes of The Strokes, Antony & The Johnsons, Interpol and The Streets adorn a richly filled Top 10. But how did the AB do?
Time (usually) tells. But still, when its 'chart time' we like to double-check. Definitely when it covers a period of 10 years. Because hypes of the moment can already implode only a year later. Does anyone still remember Plain White T’s or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? So see, it's not looking so bad after all …
For the first time in Belgium and straight onto the stage of the AB.
Both Oor and NME placed ‘Is This It’ by The Strokes at Number 1. And see: The Strokes played a solid set in the AB, for a full house, not long after the release (February ‘02). Antony & The Johnsons delivered one of the most beautiful albums of the past decade in ‘I am a Bird Now’. He also played solo for the first time in Belgium, in the ABClub as support act to CocoRosie (November 2004). His classic wasn't yet released at the time. In November ’05 he was back in AB again for a sold-out Flex.
Another topper: the addictive ‘Come on feel the Illinoise’ by Sufjan Stevens is still indestructible. Sufjan first appeared in the ABClub (October ’04) and later for a sold-out ABBox (October ’05). By the way, Sufjan, isn't it about high time to drop by AB again?
Interpol (in the NME chart with ‘Turn On The Bright Lights) also played for the first time in Belgium in the ABClub (October ’02) and topped it off with a hat-trick by later playing to a sold-out ABBox (April ’03, then still with Dead Man Ray) and then for a completely full house in December ’04.
Finally, The Streets (in the chart with ‘Original Pirate Material’) also performed for the first time in Belgium in a sold-out ABBox (November ’02).
What unfortunately never reached the stage of the AB…
‘Whatever People Say, I am, That’s What I’m Not’ by Arctic Monkeys and also ‘Funeral’ by Arcade Fire adorn high places in both charts, but unfortunately - three times 'oh'- never reached the stage of the AB. But Final Fantasy (aka Owen Pallett), who can be heard on ‘Funeral’ and did most of the string arrangements too, did make it. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (included in the chart with ‘Fever To Tell’) never reached the stage of the AB either, despite several attempts.
Even more top-class acts…
Radiohead (in the Oor chart with ‘Kid A’ and the NME chart with ‘In Rainbows’) played the AB in December ’95 (in ‘The Bends’ days), or rather in the former Luna Theatre (the current Kaai Theatre) while AB was programming gadabout.
Queens Of The Stone Age (‘Songs For The Deaf’) played AB in November ‘02 with their mates Millionaire as support act. We saw Josh Homme return again to the ABClub later as drummer to The Eagles Of Death Metal.
Franz Ferdinand (with the album of the same name) just played here earlier this year (March ’09).
Spinvis concludes the Oor chart with his fantastic debut and has meanwhile become something of an In-house performer to AB (in any case, we see that the man has certainly already had a handful of successful concerts in AB).
Rounding off the NME chart: PJ Harvey (with ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea’) who only concerted twice in the AB: February ’01 and also May ’09 with her guitarist John Parish - who, in turn, has lined up in AB many times already (and will be present again later this year, as special guest to Zita Swoon).
Finally, Primal Scream played in the AB for the first time in January ’92, then again in ’94 and unfortunately not in September ’08, due to a cancelled show.
Dubious live-performances…
In the category of dubious live-performances… Amy Winehouse (in the chart with ‘Back To Black’) appeared on the AB-stage in October ’07, though it was unfortunately without The Dapkings (who played the greater part of ‘Back To Black’ and who even lined up twice in AB with Sharon Jones)… Another dubious live-act: The Libertines (at number two in NME with ‘Up The Bracket’) who never performed in AB, but Pete Doherty did play here in February ’08 with his Babyshambles (and afterwards also briefly, acoustically, in front of the door on the Anspachlaan).
Yeah, the year end approaches again, we haven't even made our charts for 2009 and our chart for the 00's is still on our to-do list. We urgently need to contact Paul Baeten Gronda…
