DeWolff came and blew this house down. It was a mild March evening. St Patrick’s Day was upon us. The Irish celebrations were in full swing in Manchester’s city centre and everything seemed to be in place for a memorable evening.
Night & Day Cafe was the location for the only act you would want to see in town. A grassroots, historic venue, which has had its own struggles recently with regards to noise complaints. As the clock approached 7.30pm, fans began to trickle in for the band’s performance.
There was excitement in the crowd for the band from the Netherlands, having already captured Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
It was a mixture of all ages, predominantly the psychedelic rock crowd, but a broad appeal nonetheless. An appreciative crowd that knew their music. The venue for this evening was packed, hot and sweaty. This is what we were waiting for.
DeWolff emerged onto the stage, like they owned the place. They swung into ‘Night Train’ to get things off. It was- shock and awe and was the perfect bluesy goodness remedy for a Sunday night. Quickly taking the set onto ‘Made it to 27’, which ignited and energised the crowd even more.
Fans were straight into the vibe and were swinging and swaying with the beat.
At any given moment, Pablo Van De Poel could be seen riffing delicious solos against the front row of the crowd. Always interacting with the fans and checking they’re OK. Luka Van De Poel led the charge on the drums with his precision and finesse. This band was one of the best bands that I have seen in a while. You can see why they have been so warmly welcomed across their UK tour.
Luka van de Poel on drums, leads the way on the breakdown to ‘Treasure City Moonchild’. There’s something majestic about seeing siblings synergy onstage.
There were lots of cool, face-melting jams going on. With keys player -magnifico: Robin Piso, adding layers of depth hammering those keys like you’ve never seen before. The man fastens the band together.
A nice slow soulful intro into ‘Will o’the Wisp’, you can really hear those old R&B records coming through. Reminiscent of the likes of Sam Cooke, The Clovers and Ray Charles.
‘Tragedy? Not Today’ then begun with hints of that southern rock sound we know and love with the stomping beats and heavy riffs. “ Snake eyes got me in the morning, I’ll die behind the wheel looking for a better deal” sang Pablo van de Poel.
Back into ‘The Pistol’ from the 2011 album ‘ Orchards/Lupine’.Which was a nice drop in tempo ready for the onslaught of the rest of the set.
‘Live Like You’ with its delicious blues riffage and the rumbling drum beats. This was the epitome of rock and roll. The band was beginning to peak and the energy was reflected by the mesmerised audience.
The encore at 10.20pm featured ‘Rosita’ – announcing they would play the shortened version of the track at 16 mins long. La pièce de résistance.
Pablo Van de Poel immersed himself throughout the whole crowd at times singing away on the wireless microphone. It was the encore that just kept giving, like a groundbreaking LSD trip that just wouldn’t stop. And why would you want it to?
The electrifying performance left the crowd begging for more.
As the final notes faded away, Pablo van de Poel, asked “Manchester will I see you again someday?” The answer, of course, was wholeheartedly yes!
De Wolff left their mark on the city proving themselves to be a band of unparalleled talent and charm. The night they return, will be another great night for the city to remember.
SET LIST
Night train.
Made it to 27.
(SOLO)
Treasure city moon child.
Will o the wisp.
Tragedy no to today.
The Pistol.
Live like you.
Rosita
