Last Saturday, July 17th 2004, Sixteen Horsepower played their last show before heading home to the US. The venue of the show was the beautiful open-air theatre in Deurne, Antwerp. The show was as good as sold out, with about 1200 fans. The evening began with two Belgian bands who gave a fair warming up. But it became very obvious that everyone was waiting for David Eugene Edwards and his men.

Just before the sun went under Sixteen Horsepower began their concert. It was a mix of old and newer material. The setlist was very similar to Tivoli and Nighttown. They played for about one hour and a half. It was a good concert but you could hear that it was the last gig before going home. I've seen them much better before. Anyway, the vibes of classics like "I Seen What I Saw" and others did make some of the seated audience go wild. There was one guy who jumped into the fountain and others were dancing like crazy!

You could see that the band really enjoyed it! David asked himself why it was the first time they played in Antwerp, as they have played throughout Belgium a lot. One guy yelled: "Come again!" Very funny! The crowd gave them a standing ovation after they ended the concert. I didn't manage to get a setlist as there was a fountain between the public and the concert floor and a security guy guarding so that no one could get close.

After we went out of the festival ground we walked in the artist's entrance where the Sixteen Horsepower tour bus was waiting. And after 5 minutes we saw David Eugene Edwards. He was very friendly and told us how much he liked the place. It was the nicest venue he did this year, he told us. He signed our albums and said he hoped to see us back in Brussels next January for the Woven Hand/Blush Music concerts. As you can read, it was a really nice evening!

By Kris

Whilst the rest of the country has to cope with a genuine mini-hurricane, the sky above the idyllic Deurne Rivierenhof open-air theatre brightens up. Umbrellas are closed warily, water is swept from the seats and an enchanting summer evening can begin.

16 Horsepower provides the right atmosphere and music. They played the Dour festival yesterday, now it's their very first time in Antwerp. David Eugene Edwards and his guitar take their stool, Jean-Yves Tola sits down behind a single drum and Pascal Humbert curls round his double-bass. With the opener "Hutterite Mile" the first ominous sounds spread through the theatre, everybody moves up to the edge of his bench gripped. During "Poor Mouth" we experience the first magic moment of pure intensity. The band obviously is gung ho, and the audience too lets itself be carried away totally. After "Straw Foot" Tola exchanges his lone drum for a complete drum-kit. Now the guys can really go for it, which they do immediately. During "American Wheeze", "Strong Man" and "Brimstone Rock" they bang as menacing and dark as of yore.

Pictures by Marcel Valkema - Tada!

Last year we were rather disappointed by the horsemen with their flat show at the Brussels Ancienne Belgique; there was no sparkle. We then feared for the future of 16 Horsepower a little, but now they're definitely back and that inspired fire has returned too. They pick songs from their complete back-catalogue, but deliberately bypass hits like "Black Soul Choir" or "For Heaven’s Sake". A good 16 Horsepower-set doesn't stand or fall with these slightly better-known songs, but with the enthusiasm of Edwards and Co., and it's more than all right in that department.

The drums thunder, louring like dark storm-clouds, the double bass vibrates low and deep, the bandoneon laments and rocks to and fro: the brilliant "Harm’s Way" wins the theatre over completely. One song succeeds the other, between song banter is superfluous: music and dedication is all we need. Only before the three encores does Edwards address us briefly. Asking if the whole of Antwerp is so green and quiet? If only… They finish with a sublime cover of Joy Division's "Heart and soul", and with the traditional blessing of David Eugene Edwards.

The magic has returned, you can be sure of that.