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Plato, Helmond, Netherlands
December 23rd 2005
SQY Rocking Team, Dirk Diggler

In Plato in Helmond a wide range of people has gathered for the Hard & Heavy X-mas Party, which is organised by SQY Rocking Team, headliner of the evening, although not playing last. The audience ranges from the first hour fans of SQY, in their mid-thirthies, to local adolescents interested in a heavy christmas eve. Tonight is a special occasion, since it’s not only a christmas but also a farewell party for SQY’s bass player Joris Le Clerq. When we arrive parts of the audience are already quite drunk - perhaps due to the free beer available on the busses that took them to Helmond? (Great service by the way, getting there and back home on a bus for only 7,50 euros. More gigs should have this accomodation). On arrival Alter Ego X has already performed, Dirk Diggler, the second band of the evening, is about kick off. Due to circumstances we are not able to see the last band, Imitallica, either.


Dirk Diggler

This name off course puts up expectations, reminding of a world famous porn star with neverending stamina. Dirk Diggler in this case is a cover band from Veldhoven, with four men in their early thirthies in jackets with glittering shirts underneath. They play mainly hard rock covers with some songs of their own in between.

Music
Plato unfortunately isn’t the best place to have heavy live music, especially since the room has been made smaller and the sound therefore reflects even more on the bare walls. This makes the sound more massive, it’s harder to make out the different layers. In spite of that the instruments are well-balanced, although the volume is rather loud.
With the third song, a ‘Rage Against The Machine’-one, the band is getting warmed up. The same goes for the luke-warm audience, where some nodding heads can be seen. Jilles Eikelenboom is quite a decent singer, whose voice best suits the Metallica-song Fuel. This is when the band to me was at its best, allthough it’s a bit weird to play a Metallica-song when the last band is a Metallica-coverband. Guitarplayer Eric Berben and bassplayer Bart van Oeffelen do their job with visible effort, as well as Jan der Kinderen who plays the drums, but though at some points entertaining, they are never truly convincing. All in all a decent cover set.



Performance
With a nice jacket and a shiny shirt you just don’t get there. Though stamina is definitely present, unfortunately this is not used in interaction with the audience. At some points you can even see three backs since all bandmenbers have turned to Jan der Kinderen. To add up the lighting is not exactly brilliant – to much red lights which make the guys from Dirk Diggler look more sweaty and aged. A small part of the audience is singing along and moving, but most are moving more to the back of the place and do not seem impressed. As Dirk Diggler put it on their website: “Do you want to experience a dazzling rock show? A spectacle of sound and light with an overwhelming performance? […] Then Dirk Diggler is not the band you are looking for!” A missed chance not to use their enthousiasm and down-to-earth humour to reach out to the audience.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 6
Sound: 6
Light: 6
Total: 6






SQY Rocking Team

In light of earlier reviews on this website SQY hardly needs an introduction. It’s cleary visible: these guys rock! Today is the farewell of bassplayer Joris Le Clerq, leaving the band after 12.5 years. He is replaced by Martijn Mansvelders, previously in Vettige Matjes and God’s Chosen Dealer.
In general I think it’s a good thing not to be to much of a fan when writing about a band. You can judge them more objectively and give a less coloured review. With SQY this is impossible. They just take you on a musical rollercoasterride you can’t resist. And leave you very impressed.

Music
SQY Rocking Team brings heavy, rocking music. Technically they perform very well. The guitarwork is solid, drums are to the tact, bass is groovy, but Harald van Kruysdijks singing is what takes the music to a higher level. He dedicates the song “Tonight” to Joris, the bassplayer who is leaving the band. What was the case for Dirk Diggler regarding the sound in Plato, goes as well for SQY: the room makes the sound very thick and massive and the volume is again to high. When near the end of the show the turning table (?) is ruined by spilled beer, technical problems leave a big mark on the evening. SQY has to stop while the technical staff tries to solve the problems, which unfortunately doesn’t succeed.



Performance
In spite of all this, SQY keeps on performing as if it comes natural – maybe it does? Harald is off course complete with hat and sunglasses and SQY’s custom made outfits are perfectly fitting, both to them and to the music. Harald shows off, spits, throws the microphone standard in the air and brings two lovely girls on stage to strip them, give them SQY shirts, but most of all to dare their boyfriends to fight him. Perfectly entertaining and very smooth! The only blemish on their show is the lighting – there is to much frontlight and the lighting doesn’t support the music, nor is it in any way creative. The part where they say goodbye to Joris is touching – he is presented a robe and slippers with SQY logo, because he’ll be sitting on a couch now at night. But this moving moment (as Joris says “Rockers don’t cry”) is quickly interupted by the christening of the new bassplayer, Martijn Mansvelders, with many bottles of champagne. Even when the technical problems arise these guys show they are professionals, finishing the song before trying to solve them. They play two more songs much hampered by the impaired sound, but nevertheless very energetic and convincing. SQY would make a great opener for every festival – not because they wouldn’t be suited as headliner, but because they can rock a place anytime, anywhere!

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Sound: 7(/4)
Light: 6
Total: 8





 
More photos on page 2

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