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4 December, 2001, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium review by Hervé Brussels, Ancienne Belgique, 04/12/2001 After 5 hours on the road reaching Brussels (from Strasbourg, France), my old friend Raphael and i arrived around 7 hours before the concert. We were looking after the Ancienne Belgique and when we found it, who were in front of it? Mark Lanegan, Dave Catching and Mike Johnson, so we have a little talk with them, Mike and Mark signed "Field Song" and "I feel alright"'s cover. Mark was not so communicative but he shakes our hands to
say us goodbye, a big moment for us! Mike was more friendly, very impressed
that we've got one of his album. The Ancienne Belgique is really intimist, about 400 persons only in the club, the concert was sold out! About the gig, we've got a first surprise with Mike Johnson playing 5 new songs of his future album in the first part of the concert. He articulates so well that i don't understand any of the tittles :( . The songs are terrific, a real pleasure listening to it. He plays "All there is" too at the end of his part. His show was about 35 minutes long, 35 good long minutes. About Mark Lanegan's show, i have not enough words to describe the quality of his set, all the musicians were perfect, they gave another dimension of so many songs, especially "No easy action", really more powerful in live. They opened with Pendulum as usual, the rest of the setlist was, not in order, Borracho, No easy action, On Jesus Program, Don't forget me, Field Song, Winding sheet, Because of this, Fix, Gospel plow, Creeping coastline of lights, Mockingbirds, One way street, i think i've forgotten one or two, if my brain restart to work, i will let you know this couple of songs! It was the first time that we saw Mark live, it was one of the best day ever in our lives 04/12: AB-club , Brussels (B): Mark Lanegan At the same time the popular Stereo MC’s were playing at the big stage of the AB (app. 2.500 people), Mark Lanegan had the honor to enter the small stage of the AB-club (app. 200 people). And from the first moments he took everybody on a trip full of ‘’deadslowrocknroll’’, assisted by Brett Netson (Built to Spill) and Mike Johnson (ex-Dinosaur Jr.) on guitar, Gene Trautman (ex-QoTSA) on drums and Dave Catching (QoTSA/Earthlings?) on bass. The ideal party to tread us with some very dark emotional gripping poetic songs. Sometimes I thought I was part of history because it felt I was back in time at one of the first gigs of ‘the Doors’. Not because of the music, but because of the mystical sphere that was around this club. The incorruptible looks and fascinating modest gripping singing of Mark can be best described as a piece of art. And his friends on the stage made him the man of the night, by playing with same feeling he was singing. It’s been a long time I’ve seen such emotion and prosper beauty on a stage. It still makes me shiver.
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