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Sunday, 03 February 2008 |
29 Dec 2007
Rockcafe Backstage, Nijmegen, NL
“Unfortunately, the gig of tonight in Backstage Nijmegen, is cancelled. Due to an infection Alex, our leadguitarist, is unable to play. Alex, get well soon! We wish Non-Divine good luck tonight. We hope we can play in Backstage Nijmegen some time in the near future.” On briefly after an early warning has arrived via SMS, this message shows up on Picture of the Moon’s website, thereby reducing the double feature that evening to a solo show... and I band I even hadn’t been aware of?
So how could I have been missing out on all the buzz surrounding Non-Divine, a band getting a lot of attention after this year’s release of their debut album “Asylum 45”? A quick search across a number of websites turns up some impressive facts: even before winning the 2005 Aardschok’s Metal Bash competition they have been support act to artists like Dio, Anthrax and Murderdolls – lately adding W.A.S.P., Queensryche and Nevermore to their list.
Rockcafe Backstage in Nijmegen surely is a considerably smaller place than the locations the band has been playing as support band; but the band keeps close contact with its fan base, so the concert turns out to be a party amongst friends. The atmosphere is very relaxed – even before the first bar is played: support band had to cancel, no problem, we will just extend our set a bit. So for slightly less than one and a half hours Non-Divine rock the place, obviously enjoying having a good time. Despite the limited acoustics of the place, it is possible to get a fairly good impression of the music: it is engaging and thick, with a groove that kicks you right in the stomach. Although most of the evening’s musical material is taken from the band’s debut album “Asylum 45”, the set list extends further back (keep in mind the band was founded in 1999 already) and also does not shy away from incorporating cover versions close to their own sound. All four musicians know how to work their instruments, so the live rendering of all the songs is excellent. While the sound frequently has been associated with the grunge scene from Seattle, this not necessarily is the corner the band considers itself to live in – especially bearing in mind the acting on the stage, one more feels reminded of bands such as Metallica, with lead-singer Ivor van Beek coming across pretty intense.
So is there a conclusion? Yes, there is. If you haven’t been paying attention to Non-Divine, you surely should do so! If you are outside the Netherlands, listen up: Non-Divine will be doing a European tour with Flotsam and Jetsam in March 2008 – so keep your eyes open for concerts close to your place.
Set-list:
One Man, One Soul
Precious Wine
Head Down
Breathe
Sympathy
Mended Doll
Visions
Sleep
In Shame
Edge Crusher
Nothing
New Die-Hard Vampire
As Far As Eyes Can See
Crawling
All Over Again
Roots Bloody Roots
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