Hallo Venray

The true Godfathers of Dutch alternative rock, Hallo Venray is a band that combines fearsome pyrotechnics with an astute ear for sound and melody, as well as a tremendous back catalogue. Henk Koorn’s unique gift for balancing atonal freak-outs with driving melodies has stood the test of time well enough, as 2008’s “Leather on My Soul” testifies.

Renowned as serial-giggers (hence their name, a wry comment on playing in another out-of the way joint), the band are a brilliant proposition live. As a writer for incendiary magazine said of the Liverpool gig on their last U.K. tour: “My god, these fuckers ought to be massive, such is the primal monolith-esque nature of their sound. Maybe they don’t want that…maybe Holland doesn’t need that. I don’t know, I’m merely speculating… but I find myself trying to reconcile the success of much lesser acts with what Hallo Venray achieves here tonight.” Nuff said.