Deadbolt Closes the Night as Thrice Shake the Melkweg
For the sixth time in their career, Thrice returned to the iconic Melkweg in Amsterdam. The last time they played this venue was just over six years ago. Still, thanks to their loyal and dedicated fanbase, the band has remained a frequent presence in the Netherlands, performing at various venues and festivals in the years since. This time around, they brought along the French trio Lysistrata to open the night.
I arrived just in time to catch the end of Lysistrata’s set. The Frenchmen definitely know how to play music. Their songs are loud and stretch beyond the typical length of a modern rock track, but they never feel like a drag since each one seems very well composed. Having the drummer act as the lead singer also makes it even more interesting to watch. It’s not unique, but it’s definitely very rare. I only wish I could’ve seen them from the start, as they clearly made more than a decent impression on the crowd.
By now the venue had filled up and people were ready for Thrice. Having recently released their 12th (!!) studio album, ‘Horizons/West’, we could expect a good portion of the setlist to be dedicated to that record. And with a band like Thrice, who have changed the direction of their music on more than one occasion, it’s always a bit of a gamble what the crowd reaction will be like. Their first two songs,‘Blackout’ and ‘Gnash’, were indeed from their latest release. And although the crowd didn’t move as much as you might expect with a band that’s often grouped into post-hardcore and punk genre, they were definitely invested in the music.
That remained the case for a large portion of the night. Even though older songs like ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ and ‘Paper Tigers’ seemed to be received more enthusiastically, it wasn’t like the fans didn’t care about the newer material. Every song played seemed to get the attention it deserved, both from the band on stage as well as the people in the room. Still, you could feel the tension building. Something had to move eventually. People were singing louder and louder, and small groups started bumping into each other. Then finally, for the last song of the evening, the chaos broke out. Fan favourite ‘Deadbolt’ ignited a big mosh pit from the first second until the very last.
It was exactly the climax the night needed. As the band wrapped up their set, fans at the front row were rewarded with setlists and drumsticks handed out by the crew, leaving plenty of smiling faces behind. For a band returning to a familiar stage after several years away, Thrice proved once again why their connection with Dutch audiences remains as strong as ever.
