The last time I saw a balladeer perform as a band was om their theatertour in February 2010. After that show, guitarist Erik Meereboer left the band, and with drummer Tijs Stehman being busy with his day job singer Marinus de Goederen went solo as mr. a balladeer with the excellent album Sorry, Kid. If you’ve read my website, you might have noticed.
If you believe in omens, the US release of that album under the a balladeer banner might have been one. In october a balladeer made it’s ‘comeback’ with another excellent album, I Can’t Keep Track of Each Fallen Robin. And, joy of joys: a tour. Three shows. With a full band.
I saw the first of the three, Tivoli de Helling, and to sum it up in one tweet:
Dat je na een half nummer weer weet waarom je ook alweer verliefd bent op @aballadeerhere. Het was een prachtavond in Tivoli.
— Petra Eikelenboom (@PetraEik) November 16, 2012
Half a song, and I was totally into it. Kicking of with “Plan B” and “Jesus Doesn’t Love Me” it was just like the last time I saw them in rock band-mode—most of the faces on stage may have changed, but the experience was the same.
I can’t quite recall the set list from the top of my head, but it included almost everything I wanted to hear, and then some. The new songs fitted nicely in between the older and solo songs. And I wouldn’t mind hearing that band version of “Where Are You, Bambi Woods?” again.
- Seen live
- a balladeer + Martijn van Agt at Tivoli de Helling on November 15th, 2012
- Approximate set list
- Plan B / Jesus Doesn’t Love Me / Questionnaire / Superman Can’t Move His Legs / [not in order: Karaoke Night (with Laura Lijbers) / A Little Rain Never Hurt Someone / Swim with Sam / Tarot, Tequila / One Sunday / Good Year for the Papers / Where Are You, Bambi Woods? (band version) / Sirens] / Mary Had a Secret // My “I’m Sorry” Song To You / Robin / Robin II / When a Law’s Been Broken / Fortune Teller