Das Pop @ O2 Islington Academy, 26th November 2009

The best thing to come out of Belgium since Tintin

The O2 Academy in Islington felt disappointingly empty when Das Pop took to the stage last night. However, the band soon filled the stage with their eclectic mix of impossible-to-stay-still-to beats, fantastic English and dungarees. Oh, and fun – the band are a huge amount of fun to experience.

Das Pop are a ¾ Belgian, ¼ New Zeeland pop band that have been making music since in some form or another since about 1998. Last year they supported Alphabeat and The Feeling on their UK tours. Their current headline tour of the UK was cut back so this and Glasgow were pretty much the only dates left.

The band thundered on to the stage with a powerful version of Fool For Love. As a non-native English speaker, lead singer Bent Van Looy’s lyrics are very precise and interesting in the same way that Abba managed. There aren’t many songs around today that include words like ‘reverberate’, which just goes to show the fact that the British are woeful at languages compared to the other European countries – even our own language...



Anyway, the set list was predominantly drawn from their 3rd album, the eponymously titles Das Pop, which was produced by fellow Belgians Soulwax and is generally great (and available from Amazon here).

As well as the lyrics, one of the things that seems to characterise an upbeat Das Pop song are really interesting beats that I personally find it very difficult to stay still to, All of the guys in the band seem to be accomplished musicians, and this is clear with the quality of the performance – it was really tight and sounded amazing.

So, despite the poor lighting that Bent seems to be constantly adjusting himself and made for some really poor photographic opportunities, Das Pop shone. Stand out tracks were Underground, The Last Thing, and a rather amazing cover version of Frank Sinatra’s Very Good Year.

If Dad Pop come back to these shores any time soon I would really urge you to catch a performance – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Das Pop’s third album, Das Pop, is out now