Concert Review of Naked at the Oude Mol, The Hague July 9th, 2012.
I (Arlette our new guest blogger) know Naked quite well. Having shared a stage with them a few times, and having seen them even more often, I went to see them this time expecting the same as always; a good show and fun with their -very diverse- fan base. Which means I can also go see them on my own.
Naked is a folk rock band from The Hague, Netherlands consisting of very experienced musicians.The band members all have been around for over a decade or more playing in different Dutch bands. However, do not mistake them for your random bunch of gentlemen who just so happen to play music … Fiddle player Willem previously toured with the Hillbilly Stringpickers, and singer/guitarist Arie Spaans not only won an important pop prize with his rock band the Suburbs but also wrote Rollercoaster, and a cover version of it by Di-rect made it big on the Dutch music charts.
For a few years now, Naked has been experimenting and growing towards their own unique sound. Fiddle, stand-up bass, accordeon and guitar combined with Spaans’ voice go perfectly together and create a sound and vibe that will touch you. Whether it makes you want to dance, cry or sing along, it just works.
I tend to go with singing along – I thought I knew every tune there was. But this is where it all came together and I did not get what I expected….but I got a lot more. The lovely and cosy venue the Oude Mol was packed. And the gentlemen adjusted their set list while playing, improvised, stuck in a cover song or two and blew every single person away with their full on dreamy performance.
It has been a while since a local band really surprised me, but it happened here. Was it the long, catchy stand-up bass solo in Self Chosen Loneliness? Was it the dead silence of the audience when requested during Falling Star? The solos on fiddle or accordion?
I’m not sure. But I am sure to recommend Naked to anyone out there – they could certainly pull off playing a larger stage!
Fuzz on!