Line-up

Venue

De Roma

Turnhoutsebaan 286, 2140, Borgerhout, Belgium

www.deroma.be

Capacity: 2,000

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Additional details

Tour name: Wish You Were Near 2022

Doors open: 19:00

Concert in your area for Indie & Alt and Hip-Hop.

Find out more about Hip-Hop.

The Afghan Whigs biography

The Afghan Whigs are an alternative rock band from Ohio, US who formed in 1986 and since their inception have influenced the likes of Gaslight Anthem, The National and Jimmy Eat World.

Rising from the ashes of his former band The Black Republicans, Greg Dulli (vocals, guitar) came together with John Curley (bass) and Steve Earle (drums) to form The Afghan Whigs in 1986. The trio bonded through their mutual love for good old R&B and the first song they rehearsed as a collective was a cover of The Temptations track “Psychedelic Shack”.

In 1988 the band released their debut self-titled album on their own label, Ultrasuede. The following year they signed to Sub Pop where they would record their second album “Up In It” (1990) recorded by Nirvana producer Jack Endino. The album served favourably on college radio stations with the track “Retarded” while critics praised its brutal honesty complimented by the powerfully dramatic rhythms. Despite not achieving chart success, the album paved the way for The Afghan Whigs as they were slowly evolving into the monumentally inspiring band they would later become. To support the album release, the band embarked on a package tour across North America with the masters of grunge Mudhoney and Bullet Volta.

Their 1992 album “Congregation” saw the band incorporate elements of psychedelic punk into their already punchy rock tones, finally solidifying their distinctive sound. Tracks “Conjure Me” and “Turn on the Water” featured heavily on MTV as they picked out The Afghan Whigs as the ones to watch.

The increasing popularity extending from the MTV exposure led to the band signing a lucrative deal with Elektra Records in 1993. Locking themselves away at Ardent Studio (who accommodated Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin to name a few) the band worked on their major label debut and produced the album “Gentlemen” later that year. The album featured the top 20 track “Debonair” and “Fountain and Fairfax”. As The Afghan Whigs became ever more present in the public eye, the band appeared on several film soundtracks.

In 1996 the band released their fifth studio album “Black Love” which revealed a much darker insight into Dulli’s psyche discussing themes of paranoia and murder with tracks like “Blame Etc” and “Crime Scene Part One”. The album peaked at number 79 on the Billboard charts and during the promotion cycle the band opened for Neil Young. A combination of the label’s unhappiness at the lack of chart success and the unveiling of several shady dealings led to the label parting ways with The Afghan Whigs in 1998.

In no time at all, the band signed with Columbia Records to produce the 1998 album “1965” which saw The Afghan Whigs further diversify their sound as they blended soul and rock with tracks “Somethin’ Hot”, “Uptown Again” and “Crazy”. The band went onto to support Aerosmith and whilst on the album promotion tour Dulli was seriously attacked outside a show resulting in him slipping into a two month coma. Once he had recovered, The Afghan Whigs went straight back on tour.

In 2001 the band went on a five year hiatus and returned briefly in 2006 to release their greatest hits album “Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990-2006”. Five years later The Afghan Whigs announced their permanent return in 2011 with a string of festival appearances at: Lollapalooza, Primavera and SXSW.

For the first time in 16 years, the band had produced new material in the form of “Do The Beast” in 2014 which peaked at number 34 in the US charts. With an extensive career spanning over twenty years, The Afghan Whigs have become an instrumental band in the evolution of the alternative rock genre, inspiring generations to come.

Live reviews

Not every rock band can transform its strongest songs and curated covers into something even more powerful live. The Afghan Whigs started doing it decades ago. They took a break about 15 years ago, and reemerged in 2012 - but this is no 90s nostalgia show. The band's primary creative force and lead singer, Greg Dulli, never really left. His other projects - The Twilight Singers and Gutter Twins (with Mark Lanegan) filled that void and all have proven to be great live bands in their own right. The Afghan Whigs hit the stage each and every night with boundless energy. A potent mix of strong vocals, sensuality and driving guitars power songs like "Parked Outside" from the latest album Do to the Beast or "Something Hot" from 1965. Whether you know every song or not, you'll be compelled to give them your full attention. The Afghan Whigs originally hail from, Cincinnati, Ohio, but their touring band has evolved into a collection of some of the best musicians from Los Angeles and New Orleans. If you're lucky, you might even be treated to a horn section, giving extra funk to songs like "Blame, etc." or "John The Baptist".
Tickets to the occasional smaller venue shows, like Bowery Ballroom in NYC sell out quickly. Expect an engaged, hot, passionate crowd, especially near the front of the stage. As part of their long-time, dedicated fan base, I've been to every NYC show since 1993. Set lists change frequently, so if you don't hear your favorite song one night, be sure to come back again. They will often play their first alt rock radio hit "Debonair", and maybe mix in a song from Jesus Christ Superstar or some Prince. Expect a full-on live experience, that's often unpredictable and always worth the price of admission.

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DebNYC

Regarded as something of an institution by his considerable, dedicated fanbase (people of refined taste, one and all), the once Mercury Prize-nominated Ed Harcourt is a man of many talents. Of course, the most obvious of these are displayed across his burgeoning back catalogue of records; that soulful yet deeply weary voice, his Waitsian way around the keys of a piano, his mastery of melancholic and life-affirming melody. But that only tells half the story when it comes to his equally impressive live sets. Harcourt, far from the being the character of the downtrodden troubadour that’s so often centre stage in his songs, is both a wild partier and formidable comedian on stage, often taking breaks to indulge in a brief tipple or conversation with individual audience members that can soon have an entire room in stitches. It can be a little unnerving even to one witnessing his shtick for the first time, but it soon becomes part of what makes Harcourt brilliant – he gives you his heart and soul in his music, but to truly witness his whole, rounded personality, you need the wit and danger that comes with watching him run through those songs while in the very same room.

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