Year In Review: 50. Big Ups and The Boon of confined spaces

We’re all walking through to no man’s land
But no one understands there’s a war in our hands
Keeping minds blank and replies frank
Or someone else is taking you to the bank - Big Ups - "Justice"


The other day at a friend's house, I stumbled upon a compilation of Dutch music called ONUTRECHTSE Toestanden. Inside was this fanzine with a myriad of articles that documented the fracas between riot squads and squatters at the NV-huis during the late seventies/early eighties. The NV-huis would ultimately be Tivoli Oudegracht. Inspiring stuff, the way these squatters stood their ground and fought for what would become a full-fledged pop venue. Maybe that sort of adamant Spartan disposition is exactly what's missing within today's music subcultures and scenes. At the very least, being forced to level yourself to the playing field of government facilities and councils has proven to be detrimental. Indeed, a total of 250 million euro on budget cuts would be quite the backbreaker.

Then again, fighting it might be a complete waste of energy this day and age. Over the years, the establishment has found out that simply ignoring the beast is way more effective than charging it head-on with batons and pepper spray. As a result, smaller off-the-map squat venues are basically left to their own devices. On the flipside, the long established ones, most notably Tivoli Oudegracht and Doornroosje, have recently experienced fresh overhaul. While I do understand the practicality of having a brand new, pristine facility to avoid one logistical disaster after another, there is something completely off about a security guard in expensive suit pointing out where Slint will be playing. "Please take this escalator, sir." Say what?

It's a complete buzzkill… wanting to attend a fucking rock show, when in fact you find yourself in a stupor at the Bijenkorf Plaza. So these days, I'm learning to cherish off-the-map places like Tilburg's Hall Of Fame, Rotterdam's Roodkapje, Amsterdam's Vondelbunker, Nijmegen's Extrapool, Eindhoven's Stroomhuisje, Utrecht's ACU or Leiden's SUB071 more than ever. Confined spaces where the energy of a band is so pervasive, it's an experience you cannot replicate as easily. There are still good people like Teun Heijmans of Belmont Bookings who roll up their sleeves to bring quality acts to these venues. Big Ups playing the SUB071 for instance was a complete hell raiser… No one within this confined space was safe from the scrap that took place.

Big Ups are one of those exciting bands that willingly drops between the seams of nineties alternative rock and eighties post-hardcore. Like The Jesus Lizard, The Descendants or Brainiac, they're somewhat of an abomination… They solicit confusion just as much as unruly, cutting edge fury. Even whilst serving as the band's lightning rod, their singer Joe Galarraga is somewhat of a Houdini in his shenanigans. One moment you're rocking out thinking he's in front of the stage. Next thing you know he jumps up from behind and mounts you like an equestrian. The guy was simply all over the place, reappearing and disappearing in whack-a-mole fashion. He was like the Night Crawler out there…

Anyway, I digress, which is something I'll be doing a lot. Point is, venues where that little bit of mobocracy remains untainted, they are getting harder and harder to come by. Unfortunately, allowing it to happen is something a lot of festivals are still struggling with. At this year's Best Kept Secret for instance, things turned awry during the Night Beats-slot. One of the guards intercepted a rabid crowd surfing kid mid-jump, causing his temple to almost rock the edge of the barricades. That would've been a brutal impact, perhaps even fatal. Suddenly we see 3voor12-writer Atze de Vrieze righteously scuttle to the front to get up in the guards face.

Sadly enough, this incident is an apt allegory for what's happening to venues like the SUB071. Forcefully held down by bullshit policies and subsequently bled out. I for one, am going to be appreciating the SUB071 while I still can. On December 9th, the fantastic Vin Blanc / White Wine will be performing there. You comin' too...?

Next up: 49. Hallo Venray are The San Antonio Spurs of Dutch contemporary rock