Why yes, I am posting this gig almost a year late, thank you for noticing.
This was my last gig of 2023. It was the end of December, dark, it had been a very long and turbulent year, I was neck deep in stress about writing my research project proposal, and I don’t think I was super excited about trekking all the way up to Zwolle. But The Cool Quest always put on a great show, and this was a home town gig for them, with a few new songs they’d released earlier in the year. I took the train, because I dislike driving in the dark.
It was also the first non-arena gig with my still new-ish iPhone 15 Pro, and its camera system that was streets ahead of my old iPhone X. (The first gig I went to with the 15 Pro was Melanie Martinez at the Glasgow Hydro.) Close up to the stage, the 15 Pro produces very noticeably better images, which is nice.
Support act was Dutch singer-songwriter MICHA, performing solo with a guitar. Not really my kind of thing, but the songs were melodious, his voice was strong, and the emotion he expressed while playing in front of a large crowd was heartfelt.
This was the third time I’d seen The Cool Quest, and they were amazing again. Their lineup had changed a bit: Vincent Bergsma (vocals), Sander Moorlag (keys), and Ilse de Vries (bass) formed the core, but Vadim Neef on guitar has been replaced by Cedric Siegers, and Mira Burgers took her place on drums. Mira was a powerhouse, and Cedric was technically excellent, but I missed the playful and intricate back-and-forth that Vadim and Sander used to have during their solos. Vincent was in fine voice, was excited to be back on stage in Zwolle, and he pumped up the audience to a frenzy. As a rare treat, they brought out two players on trumpet and saxophone to round out some of their songs from their first album Funkin’ Badass that featured horns extensively.
They’re such a great party band. Even if you’re not familiar with their music, I’m sure the energy would be infectious and you’d have a great time.
Set list:
- Party on the Bloc
- My Little Peace of Mind
- Screw Up 2.0
- Daily Grind 2.0
- Last Dance
- Dancing with the Devil
- Funkin’ Badass
- Shine
- VIVID medley: Deadlines, Runnin’, Coastline
- Punisher (acoustic)
- Rain
- You Got What I Need
- Temporary
- Gypsy Woman (Crystal Waters cover)
- Dark Matter
- Celebrate the Struggle
- Storm
Encore:
- Hesitate
- Loose Cannon
