Amber Arcades + Robin Kester live. Patronaat, Haarlem Sunday 26 March 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris

What can I add to everything that has already been written on this double-billed tour? Amber Arcades and Robin Kester both recently had a successful album release. There was no end to the extremely positive reviews and interviews preceding the release of 'Barefoot On Diamond Road' and 'Honeycomb Shades'. The same goes for the duo shows of the two artists. One would expect a sold out venue, but Haarlem did not seem up for it. Where are the people that should go to live shows of good alternatively rocking Dutch acts? Did they miss anything? Yes, excuse me, a double yes.

Amber Arcades and Robin Kester, totally unknown to them, had some shoes to fill. In the afternoon the Antwerp band The LVE gave a great show in a living room in Haarlem, playing their sad, sad songs to perfection. Total surrender and admiration were their share. And, to be honest, Amber Arcades' first part of the show suffered because of it. It took me some time to get into its, quite different, rhythm. Not even the excellent 'True Love' got me there. There's one cure: play 'Fading Lines'. She did and from that moment on I was totally alright.

What stood out and here is why this double bill works so well, is the atmospherics created by the band. There's loads and loads of bathroom effects on the voice and lead guitar, giving the mood something of fairytale that can move to the dark side at any moment. Like a puppy changing into to a snarling, huge dog.

The difference starts with the artists. In the middle of the first show is singer-guitarist-songwriter Annelotte de Graaf. On stage she appears like an unapproachable pop goddess. The sonic storms raging around her; silence descending, both not touching her, in any way. As if it all slides off her. Unassailable she is to her stage environment. At the same time she is responsible for it all. Off stage she changes back into herself; interested in making small talk with fans, signing records.

In her show both sides of her music come out well. The new songs are still finding their way to fans, the old ones are undoubtedly favourites of many. The new songs will get there, as I'm certain Amber Arcades will always play a few of them in the future. They're good and great additions to what was already there.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Robin Kester is a relatively new name. Personally I had not heard of her before the announcement of the shows. Her album, 'Honeycomb Shades' went down well on this blog, also. Not being overly familiar with the songs yet, I could undergo them with a relatively fresh mind. They held up well. Kester is a friendly stage personality, who smiles and seems to have a genuinely good time there. At the same time she appears still a bit uncertain. The use of electronics, there were two synthesizers that were used a lot, creating all sorts of weird noises in the high and the low end as well.

The bass sound was classic Moss. It is here that her collaboration with Marien Dorleyn came through most. That dry sound is a dead giveaway. The rest is far less so and it is here that the two acts meet in the middle. The shredding of the guitar with endless effects on the sound makes the music much louder than it truly is. Robin Kester makes a soft, dreamy kind of music that is allowed to go totally out of hand towards noisy finales without overdoing it (and so does Amber Arcades). Impressive is the word and then enter the synths.

The evening ended with a duet. Annelotte de Graaf came back on stage and together they played the famous The Velvet Underground & Nico song 'Femme Fatale'. Seductive as the song should be, the two played around each other taking lead vocal in turns and harmonising. What an ending to a huge musical day.

Amber Arcades and Robin Kester could start a band together if they wanted to and make each other even better. For now we have two very good alternative rock acts in this country to enjoy.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and buy Amber Arcades and Robin Kester here:

https://amberarcades.bandcamp.com/album/barefoot-on-diamond-road

https://robinkester.bandcamp.com/