Let me see a show of hands!

Background story: I participated in this mixtape project, right? It's this fun thing where a unch of people sign up to make mixtapes/mixcds and send 'em to other people, who in turn send theirs to people. It's fun cause you get to listen to new music and share your own. I got one from this guy called Toon. I knew who he was, but I don't think he knew me, which is pretty funny actually.
Anyway, so I get this mixcd from him, late December, and it's all bands from Limburg, and he made like a cardboard map, cut into the shape of Limburg and indicated which bands were from which town, which bands were still active and other stuff. I was really impressed and stoked. Toon later contacted me through Facebook and asked if I got it and if I liked it, and what bands were my favourite. So I tell him I like the song by Longlost a lot. He tells me they're playing a show in Brussels on Friday, 10th of January, together with his own band, Six Hands, and this other band on the mixcd, The Guru Guru. So three Limburgian bands on one night in a bar in Brussels. Sounds like fun, so I decided to go.

I get there at 8:30 and hang out at the bar until the bands start (at 9). I should be studying but okay, whatever. I wasn't. I was drinking beer and whiskey and stuff. The bar was called Rock Classic, for some reason, and we pretty cool. The stage was super high, which was weird at first but when the venue got pretty packed it wasn't really that awkward anymore.

At 9-ish, Six Hands started. Also, my friend Bram had arrived, that was cool. We drank beers. I've seen Six Hands before, that's how I knew who Toon was, and why the knowledge was not mutual. Toon plays bass. There's only six hands in this bands, so a quick mathematical equation confirms that there are two other dudes, one at the drums and one at the guitar. And they played music together. I like them a lot. It's mathrock or something? I really don't know how to describe them. For reference, listen to Fugazi's Brendan #1. But you could just as easily just listen to Six Hands, of course. Jumpy melodies, tense bass parts, insane drumming, the guys know how to put down a great song and play it live like it should be done. Appropriate "whoo"s and perfect buildups. Great band.

Longlost was up next. To be honest, I lost my mind for some time. Like, literally. My mind was wandering somewhere else and I had trouble finding it back. So I wasn't as attentive to Longlost's set entirely, although I was really looking forward to seeing them. The parts I actively remember were very, very cool though. There's also only six hands in this band, so the guitarist pulled some tricks with loops and all, and it worked out so that was great. Interesting musical dynamics, mostly just wild, and a bit crazy. Wicked vocal effects and backing vocals. A rock'n'roll attitude that I find in many a Limburg-based band, actually. Cool.

I met Toon afterwards. I thanked him for the mixcd, and he said he didn't even get one from anyone so I promised him I'd make one for him. Also, he used to be in a screamo band or something, that's cool. He's a really nice person, if you ever meet hem, be sure to, you know, meet him. Make him a mixtape or something. Romance him. Tell him he's pretty. Whatever.

After a nice and particularly weird conversation with 2 Bulgarian dudes, one of which was pretty excited about my zine, The Guru Guru started playing. Whoa. That was awesome. I'm not sure if they actually were, but half the band looked like they were on drugs. And that's not surprising if you hear them play. Funky, groovy, psychedelic music with a charming singer. Very rad set, I enjoyed it a lot. It helped that I was a bit under the influence as well. Also people did a mosh pit at the end? That was weird I think. I don't really remember if it was weird or if it made sense. I'm gonna go with weird.

Afterparty in Leuven. Forgot my party time watch, cause I wasn't planning on party-timing, but hey, sometimes the party finds you. I'm the worst.
I should be studying.