Wormer, The Netherlands – As we all know, these are challenging times. Not just for musicians, but also for everyone behind the scenes in the music industry. However, as it is with most negatives, there is always a positive side. Beautiful things can come when people are pushed to be creative.
Finding a creative solution to the problem of not being able to tour is exactly what Dutch artist Eefje de Visser has done. With the tour of her new album, Bitterzoet, postponed until later this year, she found another way to share her new music. After a few different live streams, she now has made a concert film that was recorded in her own home at Robot Studios in Gent, Belgium. On July 3rd, fans were able to buy a ticket to receive a link directing them to the live stream of the film. Besides watching the concert film from the comfort of your own home, there were also many music venues from all over the Netherlands and Belgium where the film was shown.
Fans also had an option to donate extra money towards Eefje and her crew. With the donation, you helped everyone who had a part in making the film happen. In return for your donation, there were extras included depending on how much you donated. Some of the options were a signed poster or a vinyl of her latest album, while one option gave the possibility to have a Zoom Q&A with Eefje de Visser.
The film starts by showing some of the preparations that were made before the show. In a short documentary, Eefje de Visser tells about how she came to be a musician, where it all started, and how the idea of this film came about.
After that, the show begins. The first song, “Groen”, is performed solo by Eefje sitting behind her piano. With the first delicate notes she sings, your attention is pulled right in. She then joins her back vocalists and the band for the next song “Stilstand”. The song, meaning standstill, was released this March, and although this song was written much earlier than the Coronavirus crisis, the meaning is something we probably all can identify with. Almost every song of the new album is played, including hit singles “Zwarte Zon”, “Bitterzoet” and “Lange Vinnen”. There are also a few songs off older albums, like “Stof” and “Scheef”.
In the first half of the setlist, the room is brightly lit with sunlight shining in from outside. Along with the styling of the décor, the atmosphere gives a very dreamy feeling overall. With the second half of the set, it is getting dark and the lighting is from some fluorescent tubes, giving a more sultry, club vibe. It fits perfectly with the beautiful, harmonic singing and the dance choreography of Eefje and her vocalists. The choreography is inspired by artists like Kate Bush or Christine & the Queens, but also some parts are sign language used poetically.
The sound and camera work in this film are incredible, shows true craftsmanship, and has made it an overwhelming experience to watch. It also shows how well-prepared the whole band was to share this show with the fans. As unfortunate as it is that the live shows had to be postponed, with this film one can only get more excited about the live shows coming up!
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Setlist:
Groen
Stilstand
Stof
Oh
Jong
Ongeveer
Controle
Overstaanbaar
Zwarte Zon
De Parade
Terug
Staan
Lange Vinnen
Maak Het Stil
Bitterzoet
Scheef
Groen
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Pixels
The Band:
Eefje de Visser – vocals, guitar, dance
Wieteke Wijte – vocals, dance
Aysha de Groot – vocals, dance
Annelie de Vries – synths, keys, vocals
Daan Schepers – synths, bass, vocals
Klaas de Somer – drums, electronic and acoustic
