Simon RushworthNorth East rock fans waited more than 15 years for retro Dutch rockers DeWollf to make their Newcastle debut. Here are five things Rushonrock editor Simon Rushworth learnt from his first taste of the band’s legendary live show.
1. Raw psychedelic Southern rock is rather intoxicating
There’s an almost cultish quality about the mind-bending fare so lovingly crafted by Robin Piso and the van de Poel brothers.
Those waiting for a catchy chorus and jukebox ready, singalong single might be sorely disappointed but there’s a magical undertone to DeWolff’s addictive music at its meandering peak.
Perhaps best enjoyed with a little smoke from the band’s famously liberal home country, this is psych-infused rock that follows no rules and shows a flagrant disregard for convention.
It’s genuinely mesmerising and mysteriously moreish. No wonder an appreciate Cluny crowd nodded along with genuine wonder at one of the most sensory disruptive shows of the year.
2. Dutch courage reaps rich rewards
Pablo van de Poel loves to tell a story — whether in the conventional sense or through the nuanced narratives running through his band’s best music.
Taking a break from the tunes, he gestured to the Newcastle faithful to come closer and hear about just why it’s taken DeWolff 17 years to visit Tyneside.
Turns out it’s all the Germans’ fault.
DeWolff cut their teeth touring one of rock and metal’s European heartlands and were constantly told that playing shows in the UK was a thoroughly miserable experience.
Imagine Pablo’s surprise, therefore, when he realised a few dates in Blighty weren’t so bad after all.
He apologised for snubbing his Geordie followers for so long and pledged to return at the earliest opportunity.
3. Too light on Tascam Tapes
Now it’s tough to keep track of a DeWolff setlist at the best of times, given the band’s propensity for stretching out songs and using the live arena as a playground for sonic exploration.
But when you’re on the last leg of three gigs in three days and surviving on cans of alcohol-free porter, getting to grips with the Dutch masters is no easy task.
Nevertheless, I think — and without a setlist I stand to be corrected — that this show only included one song from the revelatory Tascam Tapes.
Released in 2020, a remarkable record cost less than €50 to write, perform and record.
But it comfortably bagged a Rushonrock Record Of The Week gong as we described its heady mix of ‘immediacy, authenticity, bravado and groove’.
Only Made It To 27 made the cut here. Disappointing.
4. DeWolff look as good as they sound
In order to appreciate the true allure of the full DeWolff package, it’s important to recognise that the band’s stage gear is just as unfashionable as their bluesy Southern-tinged psychedelic rock.
All three members sported outlaw country-styled shirts as intricate and detailed as your average van de Poel production.
And Piso, in particular, cut a dash as he tickled the Hammond ivories dressed in a delightfully patterned Nashville-influenced top.
On that subject there’s no doubt about the highlight of a DeWolff live show: Piso is a prince of the keys and his propensity for dropping other worldly sounds throughout the night made this gig worth the admission money alone.
5. Silveroller provide gold standard support
When you look and sound like DeWolff do, then discovering a similarly infectious support band must be difficult to say the least.
In Newcastle, the Dutch trio cracked it.
Scouse-fronted retro rockers Silveroller sizzled from start to finish with their bluesy classic rock rooted in early Purple, Free and Whitesnake.
Singer Jonny Hodson sounds like the bastard son of Paul Rodgers and (pre-1987) David Coverdale as he sashays his way through steepling tunes from the band’s delicious debut At Dawn.
Oh, and did we mention Silveroller is the vehicle for hotshot UK six stringer Aaron Keylock?