Groene Engel-Oss Feb 26, 2005
-Gothic rock band Asrai is one of the most interesting Dutch bands at the moment. The band has been playing together for quite some time now and this is finally starting to pay off. A couple of months ago the band even won a prestigious music prize in their home country and their following seems to be growing with every gig the band plays. As a matter of fact I was curious which of the two bands was actually headlining the show. Personally I am a little bit surprised by the amount of attention Asrai has gained the last couple of months. I gave their latest album a try, but it didn't impress me that much. When I entered De Groene Engel I saw a very relaxed Asrai standing behind their merchandise stand. It seemed to me that Epica was about to open the show. Would this have something to do with all the young girls standing out in the crowd?
The first surprise of the evening was the fact that Asrai did in fact open with a forty five minute show. It was nice to see that this band was so relaxed, confident and loyal to their fans, that they are open to the crowd up until just a few minutes before the start of the show. It didn't take too long for me to find out why this band is becoming more and more popular. Watching the expressive lead singer Margriet flanked by an impressive guitar player Rik and bassist Martin made clear that this is a real live band. Looking at the reactions from the crowd, my guess is that there were a lot of fans of the band in the audience. Despite the fact that the sound in the hall could have been better, the band convinced me to give their new album another try. I liked what I was hearing and I know that I wasn't the only one impressed by the band.
(Review: Geert Oldenmenger
Pics: Geert Oldenmenger)
© Rockezine Feb 26, 2005
