I had planned to go to Ghent today but the rain started at midnight and didn’t get up until after 1pm. There are plans tonight so let’s explore the city a little more. Let’s grab a pastry for breakfast and eventually find a late lunch
We’re really close to the waterfront, let’s go explore the old dock area.
Headed back into town you can see how the main church never got the second spiral built.
The bronze status records how in ancient times a giant lived at the port opening. He demanded 50% of anything the fisherman brought to the city. If they didn’t catch anything the giant would demand their hand as payment. Here, in a David vs Goliath moment, a young man takes on the giant, cuts his head off, then cuts his hand off. Legend claims the hand was given as an offering to the sea gods for a good fishing experience.
Tonight is the whole reason for this trip. First, a quick dash back through the train station, through the front doors and we’re at the venue.
Apparently the venue tonight is the most acoustically perfect concert hall on earth. Many have said the Sydney Opera House isn’t as good. Those are some high bars.
The ceiling? Yeah, that’s the actual concert venue. The entire stage is sitting on air so as to minimize frequency distortion.
In the mid 1990s radio stations started playing a song unlike any other on the airwaves at the times. At the beginning, instead of impressing you with complexity, it created tension through minimalism, timing, and atmosphere. A kick drum and snare sound is introduced, deep and physical rather than crisp or flashy. Your brain wants the musical pattern to expand and resolve into a familiar 4/4 rock beat, but it keeps delaying that satisfaction. All you’re given is continued silence and spacing, feeling like a slow transformation from mystery into hypnosis. It never really “takes off” in the traditional sense. Instead, it pulls you deeper into the same atmospheric established at the opening. By the end, it feels less like you’ve listened to a song and more like you’ve spent four minutes inside a dream. It blended trip-hop, jazz, downtempo, and cinematic music without fully belonging to any of them.
I needed to know more of this new band. As quick as I could I drove to my nearest Tower Records and bought the cd – “New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular“. Fitting title given the initial single. And thus began my love of the band Hooverphonic.
Then in 2012 with the band becoming more popular, they were able to do what was initially dreamed of when that first album was created and money was unavailable – they performed the album with a full 40-member orchestra. I hear the recording and wished to experience this evening myself. Small problem, the band doesn’t tour outside the Belgium region, ever. They also didn’t repeat the one-off event.
That’s until 2026. To celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary of the album release, they’re recreating that 2012 experience. There’s no way I’m about to miss this night. In her first night back since being fired by one of the founding band members (who ironically “retired” last week rather than share the stage with her again for being too sexy and taking limelight away from him), lead singer Noémie Wolfs returned to the stage in a revenge red sultry pantsuit and showed everyone it’s not her looks that got her an invitation back onto that stage. Her voice leveled the house.
Overall, Antwerp is a sleepy, beautiful town. If you want a small taste of Paris and Amsterdam without the dirt or fear someone is going to pick your pocket, this is worth a visit. Tomorrow is moving day.
