Baggy pants? Check. Long, sweaty hair? Check. A good amount of fuzz and wah? Check. Today saw Fu Manchu and Tusky shredding Haarlem’ Patronaat, and it all starts off with Tusky. The Utrecht-based band are here to provide a good dose of solid rock, once again proving that the genre is not dead – and far from it. A short, albeit powerful half hour set set the tone for what was about to come, with the ex-John Coffey members laying down some solid punk rock bangers that set the crowd alight. The groovy Smack Me With Your Bible Belt, one of the most iconic tracks from their debut album, shut the crowd up and made them dance to a point where most of them had to prevent beer spillage. A show to be rated: Gnar!
Then, Fu Manchu came along. The stoner rock legends (hailing all the way from Orange County) are back to present their latest project, Clone of the Universe! Kicking off with Eatin’ Dust, the almost packed crowd knew exactly what they were in for: lots of fuzz, lots of wah, and exceptionally groovy basslines. Their second song, which is the title track from their latest project, sadly did not provoke as much excitement as their older material, which the crowd seemed to know better.
By the time the third song rolled in, the epic California Crossing, guitarist Scott Hill was offered a full bag of Holland’s finest smokeables which he gladly accepted it, dedicating it to the fan who so gladly offered him this gift. By the time their most biggest song, King of the Road, kicked in, the whole crowd became a sea of headbanging heads, perfectly synchronised while Hill meticulously strummed his see-through, glass guitar. In between songs, lead guitarist Bob Balch would pull off some incredibly complex riffs which left the crowd in awe. Tusky and Fu Manchu in Haarlem: an incredible support set by an exciting upcoming band, followed by a spectacular show by one of stoner rock’s most incredible cult legends. Sébastien Gamez.
