Report: Rage Against The Machine @ Sportpaleis, Antwerp

Everyone must have some kind of a Best Concert - Top 10, but the thing is: how do you decide which goes on top and why? I have to say, I've seen a lot of gigs the last 15 years, and had some very special moments: Billy Joe Armstrong singing 'Time Of Your Life" in his underwear while the full Green Day-equipment (including amps and drums) literally goes up in flames behind him at the end of a crazy show, Faithless at AB and Pinkpop (check out the second half of the "God Is A Dj"-music video, taped during that gig, still glad I was there :)), Muse at a private showcase for 500 people in Brussels, Smashing Pumpkins in Ghent some 10 years ago, Madonna in Amsterdam, the Peppers in a small venue in Paris, Tool at Ozzfest, Beastie Boys at Rock Werchter '98, The Prodigy at Torhout '96, Junkie XL in Cactus Club, Nine Inch Nails in AB, and I'm probably forgetting a bunch.

One I'll never forget and ranked very high in my personal top 10 is Rage Against The Machine in '94 in Torhout: 4 guys in a Red Devils-shirt (we still played the world cup back then) walking on stage hand in hand, before dropping a massive bomb on the crowd... What a gig! My only (lucky me) near-death experience I ever had, trapped in the crazy crowd, gasping for air, but it was worth it.

And yesterday, they were back: they rocked back then, today they rock more than ever! From the first notes of "Testify" untill the final riff of "Killing In the Name": a blast of energy, turning the Sportpaleis in one giant moshpit & sauna. It took me only two songs to be exhausted (I'm not 21 any more, oh no), but the music and the fantastic crowd gave me the energy to hold on untill the very end. I don't recall the tracklist, but they must have played about all of their hits. Maybe Phantom can help me out here with his report ;)

Some impressions: (didn't shoot any vids myself this time, no occasion to do so ;))

Crowd going wild during "Testify" at the start of the concert:

"Testify":

"Bombtrack":

"Killing In The Name":

Some more things:

The crowd was really amazing, never seen so much people going wild, but being so friendly at the same time. To the crowdsurfer who landed in my neck and apologized twice: no probs, dude, no permanent damage :). To the guy who lost his glasses and was protected by 10 guys while looking for them: hope you've found them unharmed. To the girl and boy I've launched crowdsurfing but didn't get far: hope your backs don't hurt too much today. To the girl who didn't let go of my arm during the first 5 minutes of the gig: hope you survived ;)

Oh, and I finally have that molotov-shirt I wanted since back in the mid nineties :) Although the 'Battle Of Antwerp" - shirts were very neat too... The fact that I was soaking wet was a very good excuse. (my pants and shirt still aren't dry...)

I guess this Rage - concert will be on top of my 'Best Concert' - top 10. If I ever decide to make one... I'm still hurting all over my body, but it was totally worth it, just like back in '94!  One more time: Rage rules!!!

PS: some Dutch critic gave the Rage-concert at Pinkpop only a 6/10 "because it was slow, musically not OK, all songs sounded the same" and thought Rage was something for Pinkpop Classic. Huh!??? 60.000 people at Pinkpop, and 15.000 at Antwerp proved you wrong, mister!