ABBota, alias 10 acts worthy of discovery for €10 per day (or €15 for a combi-ticket for the two days):

On Friday 25 February, head down to the AB (Club and Box) from 7:00 pm on for: Applause, The Sore Losers, Bikinians, Lucy Lucy! and Great Mountain Fire
and on Saturday 26 February to the Botanique (Rotonde and Orangerie) from 7:00 pm on for: De Fanfaar, Von Durden Project, Silver Junkie, A Brand and Arquettes.
This is already the fifth edition of this unique collaboration between the AB and the Botanique. With yet another new formula: this time a fine selection of, all up, 10 relevant bands from across the country and with a presale ticket price of €10 or €15 for combi-tickets that's the lowest ever (in ABBota's young history)

The band names don't mean much to you yet? We've gathered a bit of boasting below!

7:00 pm - Rotonde - De Fanfaar
Brussels' power-rock steamroller. Literally! As they play in the dialect of Brussels but are as tight musically as any other Queens Of The Stone Age'! D'ya get it? They launched their second CD 'Glorie Glorie' in a 'bougevolle' (jam-packed) ABClub in October 2010 and that left a crushing live impression: this is no comedy-act, it is hard-as-steel, well oiled, engaged cutting-edge speed-rock. Even their sometimes rather uneasy clips are recorded in Brussels.

7:40 pm - Orangerie - Von Durden Project
The band has been balancing between gore, energetic and swinging pop-rock since its debut, from now on also with a touch of electro and more room for vintage keyboards. Von Durden Project is currently working on a second album, “Dandy Animals”. Ambition: finding a combination of the live-energy of Baddies with the eccentricity of Late Of The Pier, the groove of Soulwax and the power of Queens Of The Stone Age. All that should provide a mix that we can classify as “stoner disco”: sexy, dark and with a high level of danceability, at the crossroads of British and American rock.

8:35 pm - Rotonde - Silver Junkie
An extremely intriguing performer that who opened for Grant-Lee Philips in the ABClub at the end of this 2010. The enduring project of singer/guitarist Tino Biddeloo. Right about now, Silver Junkie will be releasing his debut CD upon us: 'Streets & Boulevards' (produced by Frank Duchêne.) First single was 'Maria': be sure to listen to it with eyes wide open in that fascinating digital animation clip on his site.

9:20 pm - Orangerie - A Brand
Antwerp's most streamlined band. With a super tight sound and choreographically sound live-act. Have now finished a fourth CD and hopefully it offers plenty more of that unique cocktail of drums, four guitars and five voices.... Just remember singles like 'Hammerhead' (for Studio Brussel listeners it was the Best Song of 2006!) ‘Time’ and ‘Bubbles’. It's always a winner with met A Brand, live too, De Standaard already noted that at Pukkelpop: ‘A Brand has become one of our tightest-playing bands’.

10:30 pm - Rotonde - Arquettes
A revelation from Ghent. Doing well since 2006 but it was 2010 before they were entirely satisfied with their debut CD 'Wave On', recorded in the very legendary French Studio's of La Frette (see too: Feist, Patrick Watson...). They already came to the AB to launch their CD in the Club but have also opened for Brandon Flowers. That they're from Ghent? Just check out that great clip by Nic Baltazar.