Ancienne Belgique

ABBota, alias 10 acts worthy of discovery for €10 per day (or €15 for a combi-ticket for the two days):On Friday 25 February, head down to the AB (Club and Box) from 7:00 pm on for: Applau...

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ABBota, alias 10 acts worthy of discovery for €10 per day (or €15 for a combi-ticket for the two days):

On Friday 25 February, head down to the AB (Club and Box) from 7:00 pm on for: Applause, The Sore Losers, Bikinians, Lucy Lucy! and Great Mountain Fire
and on Saturday 26 February to the Botanique (Rotonde and Orangerie) from 7:00 pm on for: De Fanfaar, Von Durden Project, Silver Junkie, A Brand and Arquettes.
This is already the fifth edition of this unique collaboration between the AB and the Botanique. With yet another new formula: this time a fine selection of, all up, 10 relevant bands from across the country and with a presale ticket price of €10 or €15 for combi-tickets that's the lowest ever (in ABBota's young history)

The band names don't mean much to you yet? We've gathered a bit of boasting below!

7:00 pm - Club - Applause
This Belgian quartet was formed at school and they provide elegant rock with a multitude of influences, from M – for whom they performed as support act in the AB – to La Fanfare du Belgistan. Behind the stylish, somber lyrics (usually in English, sometimes in French) lies a both nostalgic and abstract new-wave world. The single “Lighthouse”, which is played regularly on Radio Nova, certainly has you looking forward to their first album.

7:40 pm - Box - The Sore Losers
Silver medal winners at Humo’s Rock Rally 2010 and then an extremely solid untitled debut album produced by Pascal ‘Metal Molly/Broken Glass Heroes’ Deweze. Since 2009 they have mixed primary ingredients rock, country, blues and garage into their entirely own sound. Though we have also read comparisons with The Raconteurs, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys and other impressive performers. What's more, the band presents a spirited live-set. Their single ‘Beyond Repair’ apparently camped in the Studio Brussel's Afrekening for 15 weeks! And the clip is a - euh – smashing trip!

8:35 pm - Club - Bikinians
The brains behind Bikinians are the Lontie brothers. Their musical know-how comes from the likes of Supergrass and The Kinks... and more recently also from Cold War Kids, Black Mountain and The Willowz. Their latest EP ”Rhinocirrhosis” was produced by Charles de Schutter (Ozark Henry, Superbus, …) and John Roo (Sharko, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, …). The songs are more strongly arranged this time, though the music remains the most important thing, with both melodic and penetrating songs.

9:20 pm - Box - Lucy Lucy!
These inhabitants of Brussels, with Fabrice Detry as producer (also leader of Austin Lace and ingenious soundman to The Tellers), recently released their debut-EP ”The Morning Can Wait” with the single “Clock” as pacesetter. At the latest edition of Les Nuits we heard six curt, catchy songs in the Orangerie. Lucy Lucy! certainly doesn't let the grass grow under their feet: hair in the wind, smoothly slaloming between rock and folk. Their first album is soon to be released by 62tv Records.

10:30 pm - Club - Great Mountain Fire
These Brussels residents - also known under the pseudonym Nestor! - are back, this time as Great Mountain Fire. It all bathes in a minimalistic disco mood and the songs are original and at the same time complex, with a super-intense and dominant rhythm section. That provides a richly contrasting universe, inspired by electro-flash and post-punk and balancing between bitter-sweet and frenzied. Single “Cinderella” from their latest album (to be released in 2011) is already available online.