Its certainly a rarity: a band that names an album after a venue – in this case, Ancienne Belgique. It even happened twice in a row. Thank you, friends from Calexico!
It happens often: a band that records a live album in AB. We're always plenty pleased about that (and, by the way, the list of bands doing so is getting longer, and more impressive, by the day). In recent years there have been various albums/DVDs containing live recordings from in AB, by both national figureheads (see: Arno, Ozark Henry, Daan, Raymond van het Groenewoud and Channel Zero) and international toppers (Jónsi, Iggy Pop, The Hives, Queens Of the Stone Age and Kings Of Leon).
But it's much less common to have an album named after AB itself. Einstürzende Neubauten’s live album was simply called ‘9-15.2000. Brussels’. Jónsi assigned the title ‘Go Live’, Ozark Henry ‘Easter Sunday’, Daan ‘Camera’ and Kings Of Leon ‘Day Old Belgian Blues’.
A step up – that we from the AB are even more proud of, of course – are the live albums in which AB appears in the title; like those of Channel Zero, Yeasayer, Briskey Big Band or Archive, all bearing the title ‘Live at the Ancienne Belgique’.
It's even scarcer that a band recorded a number of live albums in AB and also named them after the venue. At the top of the list is Franco Saint De Bakker, the temporary union of Elko Blijweert and Karel De Backer who titled their albums ‘Live At The Ancienne Belgique I’, ‘II’ and ‘III’ respectively.
In a totally other league are artists who simply name their album after the venue. Let's just secretly call it the ultimate category. Let's just say: those who are the best ambassadors of AB. So previously there was ‘Ancienne Belgique vol. 1’, a live recording of Calexico from ’08. Now there is a sequel: ‘Ancienne Belgique vol. 2’. 14 tracks that beautifully capture the atmosphere of their steaming show in September last year, one which was sold out long in advance.
Calexico: you are the best AB-ambassador to date. Worldwide. Thank you for the tribute!
Watch the concert from 13/10/2008 here!
