Review: Balthazar’s Live Is Live Performance in Belgium

Balthazar brought their signature fun and hit songs to the stage at Linkeroever, but their performance at this scarce Belgian festival summer passage seemed like just another routine job for the band.

Over the past ten years, Balthazar has consistently delivered the fun and hits that their fans love. The withered Middenvijver field came alive as the crowd danced and sang along to indie hits like ‘Don’t claim them anymore’ and ‘Fever’. However, this time there was nothing more than confirmation for the West Flemings.

Aside from a show at the Lokerse Feesten, Balthazar’s performance at Live Is Live was their only Belgian summer show of the year. Unfortunately for those who had already seen the quintet at Rock Werchter last year, the band recycled the set list from that performance. The only noticeable difference was that drummer Michiel Belcaen was allowed to keep his hair locks this time.

One advantage of the festival was the use of reusable cups, which was evident during the performance of ‘Blood like wine’. The song, which used to be the closing number, was briefly promoted to the opening salvo and has now become a fixed value in the middle of the set. The lyrics, “Raise your glass to the nighttime and the ways / To choose a mood and have it replaced,” served as a preview of the sultry night that was to come.

The beginning of the show was dominated by old songs, although ‘The boatman’ was downsized to an instrumental cut-scene. During ‘Moment’, the group transformed into “bas-thazar” as Maarten Devoldere took a moment to hydrate while his sparring partner Jinte Deprez hyped up the audience.

Later in the show, Maarten politely inquired about the previous performances of Warpaint and his former lover Sylvie Kreusch. This was well-timed, as Sylvie was referenced in the song ‘Leaving Antwerp’ shortly after. Even this love break now passes routinely, serving as a reassurance that time truly does heal all heartaches, or at least provides enough calluses.

While words like passionate and enthusiastic could be used to describe the performance, this time Balthazar, especially for their loyal fans, seemed to stick to an above-average routine. The question remains: can we expect more from these belpop kings?

Balthazar was seen on June 24th at Live Is Live, providing a lavish yet routine performance that left fans wanting more.

What factors may have contributed to Balthazar’s lack of excitement and passion during their performance at the Linkeroever festival?

Balthazar, the popular band known for their fun and catchy songs, recently performed at Linkeroever. Despite their signature energy, their performance at this less-than-thrilling Belgian festival felt like just another day at the office for the band.

For the last decade, Balthazar has consistently delighted their fans with their lively music and hit songs. As they took to the stage at the Middenvijver field, the crowd came alive, dancing and singing along to indie favorites such as ‘Don’t claim them anymore’ and ‘Fever’. However, this time around, there seemed to be something missing, as if the band was going through the motions without any added excitement or passion.