Kaaimen, Antwerp, Belgium 17/07/01 by QUINTEN VAN WICHELEN

Just got back from Zita Swoon in Kaaiman in Antwerp. I must say I still can't listen to that album, but I was impressed from what I saw tonight. I've never seen them so electric & loud & energetic before. Maybe it had something to do with the tiny venue (about 200 people max- it was packed), or with the fact that they were playing in their hometown again. Stef explicitly thanked the people at Kaaiman for being more or less the only place in town where you can still see gigs. Personal highlight for me was at the beginning, with a never-ending and bombastic version of Ice Guitars, the only Moondog Jr song they played (if I recall well). It was very heated, four guys playing electric guitars, and LOUD. Stamina was very heavy on guitars as well, completely different from the album version, but very cool. I must say Zita Swoon does score big points when it comes down to keeping their own songs interesting. Then they played one or two songs from the new album, I don't know the names, but once again they turned the ultra-poppy/produced sound from the album into a delightful guitar-fest. It makes me realise I just don't like the production of Life=a sexy sanctuary, a few exceptions aside, there are some very good ideas and songs on there I think. I just hope they consider working with a producer again for their next album. (Michael Blair would do fine for me...) Anyway, by then the crowd already had been dancing quite a lot, and everybody (including the band) was sweating like a pig. Then came Hot Hotter Hottest, Banana Queen (not too fond of that one), Spider Grinder, and then a 80% improvised take on Disco! A bizarre thing was Tomas de Smet wasn't playing bass, some other guy called "Dirko" or "Mirco" (or something like that), played instead. In the Disco!-impro, Stef stepped into the crowd and walked up to Tomas, who was apparently simply standing in the middle of the audience. They danced a bit, Tomas did a human beatbox (or what do you call it?) like a genuine MC. Then both of them came back on stage, and they both danced some more during the Disco-impro, which must have lasted at least ten minutes. Quite nice, to see them improvising that much, although it wasn't the most exciting bit of the evening. I think they played another Plage Tattoo song (I'm horrible with names), another L=ASS one, another one which sounded like a cover to me (or a new song perhaps, but I don't think so), and they ended with Maria, which was even pretty heavy on guitars. No encores, the band had to leave the same night for Montreux in Switzerland, so they had a lane/train/tourbus to catch. Still, most faces had big smiles on them when leaving, I think the band really enjoyed themselves too. Anyway, I had a great time, but I don't think I would've enjoyed myself as much if it wouldn't have been in such a small place. Everyone was enthusiastic, the band was playing on a small stage (which is far more cosy than big stages), and I didn’t have to watch them a hundred yards away in the distance. I had a really good time, they really surprised me tonight.

Kaaimen, Antwerp, Belgium 17/07/01 by KIM