For most people in Western Europe, Sunday is a day of rest. It’s a day that is either reserved for church or spewing sermons of your own into a porcelain bowl. There’s rarely a middle ground. But sometimes, if you’ve been good, you’ll be blessed with a balls out, no holds barred bar room rock show in the same town that hosts the annual Roadburn Festival. I guess I’ve been a good boy lately because Sunday June 14th was the day that Valley of the Sun hit the Little Devil in Tilburg and provided exactly what this long haired rock n’ roll addict needed: a kick to the teeth
Valley of the Sun is a
power trio that produces an onslaught of sound. This is in no small part thanks
to drummer Aaron, whose physical being seemed to actually increase when he sat
down behind his kit. Before I knew it, there was a monster up on stage towering
over his drum set, shooting funny looks at everyone. His playing was hard,
tight, and when accented by rising from his drumstool, bombastic. To his left
was a jittery, frizzy haired, fair skinned maniac taking care of the low end,
which he did without any qualms. His jumping on to, off of, and into things
made it clear he was down with all frequencies. And finally, running the show
there was singer-guitarist Ryan and on this day it happened to be his birthday.
His stage presence didn’t sizzle like the grease his comrades were cooking
with, but that’s what happens when you’re gripped firmly by the curse of being
both the singer and the guitarist. This bit of calm – a word I use here in its
loosest sense - served as an anchor for the show, keeping things centered and
focused, but no less palpable.
The band treated us to a
short set that was chock full of fan favorites. They laid down “Deep Light
Burns” from the band’s EP with the same power as “Maya” and “Nomads,” which
were lifted from their full-length release. That Valley of the Sun could pull
off songs from their EP with this much confidence goes to show just how much of
a mature outing it was and that it deserves the special re-release vinyl
treatment it got courtesy of Kozmik Artifactz. Another stand out moment was one
of the new songs they played, whose high paced groove hasn’t left my head
since the show. The song orbitted around a guitar riff that was both relentless
and repetitive, which eventually broke free in the bridge. Aaron then filled
all the empty spaces up with rolling tom hits, sending the song
tumbling forward while Ryan accentuated the whole package with more woo-ho-oo
goodness.
The rest of the set came in like
missiles in a first person shooter. With each song, the band got closer to the
crowd, playing with the tipping point but ultimately not giving in and becoming
overbearing. As the temperature in the room rose, so did the volume of both the
band and the drunken, friendly banter of the crowd. There may not have been
many in attendance, but those who were there, were there for Valley of the
Sun. It was this vibe that made the bar feel like it was hosting a sell-out
crowd. We stood right up front, toes to the stage, shooting equally awkward
glares right back at Aaron. I was having a good time, my buddies were too, and
I could tell that Ryan was enjoying his birthday
Words by: Victor
van Ommen.
