92-08-09 Onward – Blindfold – Spirit Of Youth – Burning Fight

‘Blindfold’ & ‘Onward’ on tour; with Andreas Grüter, Michael Müller, Peter Hoeren, U.J., etc.

Wim (who sang for ‘Blindfold’) wrote a report on their tour with ‘Onward’ (in his zine Reminder #2) of which this here was the last gig:

>>We arrived in time to see ‘Burning Fight’ and ‘Spirit Of Youth’ (which was our goal). There’s a saying ‘You don’t have to convince a home-crowd’ but I don’t think you can say that for this one… A lot of kids I never saw showed up. This show turned out to be the second best on this tour [8 dates] for both ‘Blindfold’ and ‘Onward’. It felt good to be back.

It was the first tour for everybody involved. When I look back at it, there’s only one thing to say: there couldn’t have been a better band to tour with. A million thanks to Peter Hoeren, Michael Müller, Thomas Baldsovik and Andreas Grüter.<<

‘Blindfold’ did a lot of shows at the V.V. (They rehearsed there if I remember correctly.); even before this one… The (international) attention grew and this one here was during their first European tour. They were ready for it! After this they would record their Sober Mind Meditation 7” (@ CATS Studio in Brugge, Sep ’92; their 2^nd studio-experience), a year after Deprogrammers Do Not Exist (the first official release on P.M.A., Hans & UJ’s label).

‘Blindfold’ photographed by Jean-Paul Frijns

‘Onward’, a straight-edge hardcore band from Oslo were: Arne (Olav) Haabeth (bass), ‘Bhakta’ Ollie Andersen (drums), Peter Amdam (guitar) and Torgny Amdam (vocals; later in ‘Amulet’). In 1991 they had a demo out and did a 7” for Crucial Response recs (Peter Hoeren would also release the LP In A Different Place the next year.). Later some of them formed ‘Sportswear’… Ollie was into Hare Krshna: did Wim ‘Blindfold’ pick up the interest for that kind of spirituality while touring with them…?

‘Burning Fight’, a SxE band from the Belgian coast, had already played here half a year before (92-02-22)…

After the gigs with Hans Verbeke drumming (91-06-08, 91-09-01, 91-12-21), little Fred started hitting the drums in ‘Spirit Of Youth’; Ignace De Meyer played bass and during a short while Edward Verhaeghe was singing (instead of Jan Maelfait, before he came back by the end of this year). That period they did a demo (released by Edward on Warehouse recs) with that line-up. The songs were later re-released on Love, Truth & Honesty (the name that ‘Spirit Of Youth’ took for a while)’s 7” (entitled The Impossible Dream…) on Jeroen’s Machination recs. Their Abyss 7” (Crucial Response recs) was recorded in October 1992 with Jan back on vocals.

Brob

‘Spirit Of Youth’ (with Ward singing; Jörg Jacoby in the red T-shirt) – photos by Jean-Paul Frijns

My band, ‘Growing Concern’ didn’t play -nor did ‘Open Season’- in August ‘92; but some members of GC and OS were there (Steve & Davide -who later joined GC- of OS and Andrew of GC) since they were travelling with Interrail through Europe. [‘Growing Concern’ came over to play twice later on: 93-01-09 & 94-01-08]

Gianni Pantaloni, ‘Growing Concern’ drummer

>>Some members of ‘Ironside’, ‘N.O.F.’, ‘Growing Concern’, ‘Blindfold’, ‘Onward’ and ‘Step One’ + the guy of Enemy’s Voice zine<< (photo courtesy of Jase Fox)

After my 1^st gig at the V.V. [92-07-25], I came back to the V.V. twice that summer, I was completely set alight by the straight-edge scene… I visited again for this one and later for the Ieper-fest (Wasn’t that the very first time that fest took place? [1st ‘Ieperfest’?])…

Jörg Jacoby, visitor from Saarbrücken

L.S.C., the Last Struggle Crew was a militant leftist, socialist, politically oriented group straight-edgers from various countries; hence also the name Red Edge. It was more a reaction to various op militant straight-edge groups, mainly in the US, that focussed purely on straight-edge. Straight-edge was of course also very important to us but it was a part of a bigger, politcal setting.

Har, ‘Feeding The Fire’/’No Sense’

excerpts from the V.V. guestbook:

“Thank you for a pleasant stay. We stayed here for 2 nights and had a great time.” (Catherine Skar & Anne Mette Bergseth, from Norway)

Italian visiters…

Peter Hoeren (Crucial Response recs)

Last Struggle Crew, ‘Gloves Of Destruction’ (see 91-12-21), Jase ‘Step One’, …

additions wellcome!…