CHURCH CONCERT: MOUNT EERIE @ LES BRIGITINNES

During the new concert season, AB is spreading its wings even wider, and programming concerts (again) outside its own walls. After the successful church concerts that AB organised last year in the Onze-Lieve Vrouwekerk church in Laeken (with An Pierlé's organ concert) and the Sint-Jan Baptist ten Begijnhofkerk church in the heart of Brussels (with Stars of the Lid), we have now chalked up a 'church hat-trick' within a year.

Together with Mount Eerie, we were looking for the right location for the presentation of his latest, particularly understated album ‘A Crow Looked At Me’. In other words: the particularly poignant account of the death of his wife, and one of the albums of the year. The chosen location was the Chapel of the Brigittines, the contemporary arts centre for movement and voice that is barely 10 minutes' walk from the AB and Brussels Central Station.

On the programme:

• MOUNT EERIE > SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER > LES BRIGITINNES 

CARTE BLANCHE & CURATORSHIP: AMENRA, SUBBACULTCHA & THE BRUSSELS YOUTH CENTRES

Nothing is more refreshing than to hand over the programming of your own venue. Although that is also an art, because the in-house AB programming team likes to outline the artistic guidelines. Yet in the forthcoming concert season, we will often hand over the reins when it comes to programming. That ensures fresh input and a different way of looking at things.

So the Brussels youth centres - which have literally moved into AB over the last few months - will be handed the keys of the ABClub for a few evenings in the spring of 2018, to do whatever they want. Subbacultcha – a monthly contemporary magazine with attitude that has New Music for New People as its baseline - is given carte blanche to forecast the future of music. The result: The Sound Of The Belgian Underground, which will be presenting no fewer than 10 promising acts from the fringes of the music scene.

At their show on 31 October, which is already a sell-out, AmenRa will not only be presenting their brand-new album ‘Mass VI’, but the next day, they have been given carte blanche to offer a platform to bands they know and appreciate

On the programme:

• AMENRA – MASS VI > TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER 
• WIEGEDOOD + CHVE vs SYNDROME + IIVII + SEMBLER DEAH + FÄR > WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 

• SOUND OF THE BELGIAN UNDERGROUND > SUNDAY 28 JANUARY 

EUROPEAN CONCERT VENUES PROJECT LIVEUROPE EXTENDED FOR 3 YEARS

Finally, excellent news for the Liveurope project that first saw the light of day under the aegis of AB 3 years ago. This network - which brings together 13 European venues - has received the final go-ahead from the European Commission for a 3-year extension to the project. The platform, which supports young European talent, can continue to grow, and the door will be opened to new members with even more clout.