Nick Oliveri with General Midnight – Live at De Pul, Uden

Nick Oliveri with General Midnight – Live at De Pul, Uden

13-08-15

The holiday season is still raging over here in the Lowlands. Festivals abundant baiting us all into spending weekends with truckloads of lukewarm beer in small tents. And ofcourse the weird wines and psychedelic snails that lure many of us abroad. So when Nick Oliveri decided to do a five date stint in the Netherlands during the height of this period I feared for the attendance. Especially since Uden isn’t the biggest of places to play. But with local band General Midnight also on the bill and the weather sunny and begging for cold beer and wild nights, our fear was unfounded.

The foyer was nicely filled with people as General Midnight took the stage. The local boys delivered a damn fine self-titled album last year and were still riding high on the wave of the great reception it received. It was almost a first and certainly a one-off for them to perform their songs acoustic. But as always with great songs, all of them held up and sounded wonderful with a three piece performance. Single Moon was once again such a great song, in this version as well, that one wondered if that song could be butchered in any way. One could ask Mr. Oliveri in attendance tonight, cause his goal is to try and do songs that aren't supposed to be done acoustically. Oliveri, without who General Midnight would never even have existed, thanks to his work with Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age, and it was only logical to ask him to perform one song with them… And Oliveri being the man that he is, gladly accepted, even though the song also features on his own setlist… You Think I Ain’t Worth A Guilder, But I Feel Like A Millionaire… 

After a short break that took everyone outside to smoke up and feel the pressure of the thunderstorms closing in Mr. Oliveri took the stage. Who rushed through the first five songs like a lightning strike. As if he felt the crowd would not be as pleased with his Uncontrollable songs as with the rest he planned to play. As if he was still finding his own momentum and his own perfect spot. But as Green Machine ended and the crowd was back inside again, he started babbling, and the punk troubadour turned into a comedian, story teller and one hell of a performer. Trying to wreck songs by the Ramones (Endless Vacation) and Turbonegro (Back to Dungaree High), but also with all-time favorites like Bloody Hammer and Gonna Leave You. Which he couldn’t ofcourse. Cause everything sounds perfect when delivered Death Acoustically by Oliveri. His stories were infectious and his playing turned wilder and wilder and his delivery into a perfect tempest. Even though the sing-a-long version of Feel Good Hit Of The Summer was mostly saved by General Midnight singer Kneel van den Boom as he jumped on stage with his bullhorn to help out when the rest of the audience on stage did not perform very loudly. His own version of Millionaire proved this as did Another Love Song, Love Has Passed Me By and Autopilot…

He ended the show after a round of returns like a slam poet screaming Six Shooter at full force, making the ground shake harder than the thunder closing in outside… 

Stay tuned for the interview with General Midnight… Soon!

And stay tuned for the interview with Nick Oliveri… Soon!