POM with Mood Bored live. Rotown, Rotterdam, Friday 1 December 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris

Two Mattan Records acts sharing the stage of Rotown. The Rotterdam based record label has two very talented indie/alternative rock acts in its stable. Both bands convinced totally live and may be expected to become even better in the future.

POM from Amsterdam was the lead act. After a steady stream of singles and EPs over the past four years, in November the debut album finally saw the light of day. Over the few weeks of its release I found myself playing it more and more. The expectations for the show rose accordingly. They were all met with a critical note I'll come back to.

POM played its album integrally and showed how proud it is of being able to present the album. The fun the band has of being able to play the songs for an audience, was matched by the enthusiasm of that audience, that was truly there for the band. POM packed in the few stragglers with ease.

The mix of alternative rock with a punky edge here and there made the audience go wild at all the right moments. Singer Liza van As has everything to make an audience respond to her enthusiasm, while also showing the surprise on her face of what is happening in front of her. The initial innocence is obviously still there. The band matches her energy, with drummer Justin Dwarswaard, who from a distance looks 15 and jumps behind his drumkit and over the stage when he can, like young puppy, up front. Living the dream totally, he is.

The other three play together really well, giving the songs both body and melody. The harmony vocals of bassist Michael Josua stand out. Live the resemblance to The Strokes of 2001 were even clearer to me, with POM matching that band's best song with its own best songs with ease. 'Together We Go' and 'Exoskeleton' are more than top songs, they are extremely good songs. The other band I'm remembered of in the softer songs, is Wolf Alice. That band may be and certainly live further in its development, POM is far wilder.

There are lessons though, coming from a very well-meaning observer. POM's best songs are on the album. To give them all away before the encore is something to contemplate for the next tour. In the encore attention waned, I noticed, coming back in the final song. Mix the two sets and come back for two songs only, the absolute winners. The encore was also a little more messier. For the rest, I had a great night, thank you.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Mood Bored from Tilburg started the evening and surprised me. The band has released a digital mini album earlier this year. A nice album, showing the promise the band has. Live the music received an extra layer of intensity. The music moved more to the rock side of the equation. With singer Myrte Driesenaar adding a nice extra element to her singing. She has the ability to change her voice into that typical sound many female punkrock singers have, adding a totally different mood to the songs of Mood Bored. Looking at the trio, the mood was all but bored. Here was a band really going for it and getting the audience on its side pure on the basis of the quality of its songs and enthusiasm.

What remains with me the most, is that the two bands both have the ability to grow bigger. Yes, the competition is huge and certainly from the U.K. My take is that POM and Mood Bored can compete here. The songs have that little extra they need to grab a person. POM is a step ahead but nothing that can't be bridged. Mattan Records may have gold in its hand if it can get the bands in the right slots in the near future.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and buy the bands' music here:

https://pomtheband.bandcamp.com/album/we-were-girls-together

https://moodboredband.bandcamp.com/album/bored-ep