Just before the end of the concert-season the Ooievaar foundation managed to pick a winner. In a packed Romein (Romans) last night the Americans of Sixteen Horsepower played their exorcising songs. Twice the enthusiastic crowd yelled out for an encore and twice the musicians dragged themselves back on stage and squeezed the last bit of sweat from their pores.

The concert clarified two things: there really is an audience in Leeuwarden for the right band in the right place and the theatre's manager Ed Bausch should allow popconcerts in the former church a lot more often. The auditorium is suited to the purpose splendidly and the town pines after more of these shows.

It will have eluded most people, but Romein experienced a very christian evening. Sixteen Horsepower leader David Eugene Edwards believes in the Lord and he let's that be heard too. On the debut-CD Sackcloth 'n Ashes the deeply religious Edwards sings about the eternal struggle between God and Satan, about temptation, revenge and death. He does so with a catch in the sound of his voice that also graced the late Gun Club singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce. However, there is a difference. The way things look now, Edwards will never drink himself to death.

It took a while last night before the band from Colorado got inspired. Sixteen Horsepower started as a modest acoustic trio. Thank God a guitar-string broke during the third song. An irritated Edwards allowed himself a heartfelt "fuck" and stopped. Then drummer Jean-Yves Tola sat down behind his drum kit. Only then did the four of them pour out their seething combination of gospel, hillbilly and rock over the audience with vehemence.