I've seen the future of European rock 'n roll, and it's called:
THE WHITE SUICIDE RHYTHM & BLUES COLLECTIVE!!
By Sjarm13, Golden God Extraordinaire
In September 2005 I left The White Suicide Rhythm 'n Blues Collective (since we're friends we'll just call 'm The White Suicide) for what I thought was a better job with a band across the pond. I regretted that decision ever since, mostly because a week earlier I promised to write the band's bio. My new job turned out to be pretty time consuming, so I never got around to actually writing the damn thing, plus I hoped the guys would eventually forget about it and write the fucker themselves. Against my expectations I got emails every other couple days asking what was taking me so long, which made me realise The White Suicide got one of the most important qualities a band needs to succeed in the cut-throat music business; they're persistent like a family of roaches in a N.Y. loft appartment.
So here I am, on a Saturday night at a party with a bunch of White Suicide members, holding a knife to my back forcing me to finally deliver on what I promised 11 months ago. This makes me realise they also got the single most important quality a band needs to succeed in the cut-throat music business; they are absolutely the most crazy combination of insane people I have ever seen, but through all the insanity they manage to keep their shit together. I hope... Because if not, I'll get stabbed.
Writing this makes me realise how much has happened for them in such a short time span. From that first practice in their hometown Rotterdam they have grown out to be the one voted most likely to be Europe's new rock sensation. And judging from stories I hear from people that have witnessed their adrenaline fueled live shows, rave reviews I read in pretty much every press outlet I come across and the high demand from promoters to have them play their club or festival, it looks like The White Suicide are meeting the high expectations people have, and more often even raising them. Within mere weeks they had played well known national clubs like Waterfront, Melkweg and Patronaat and landed a slot on the prestigious Metropolis Festival. All this makes perfect sense in my mind, obviously there can never be a shortage of bands influenced by MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, The Rolling Stones or The Clash, however it turns out there often is an actual shortage of bands taking those influences the right way and turning them into the dirty, gritty, raw punkrock like The White Suicide do.
A band like this only comes around every once in a while, but they never come out of nowhere. All the members of The White Suicide have learned the ropes in different bands that all have been succesfull in one way or another, I'm not gonna name them since nobody reads this far anyway, but rest asured these guys probably have more band experience in their pinky than you will gather in a lifetime. It's a shitty job but somebody's gotta do it. It just takes you until thirty seconds into the first song on their four song maxi-single (read again and notice how amazing a format a maxi-single is!) to realise what I just said is true and as turns out I'm not the only one to take not. Rotterdam's all girl rockband The Riplets were eager to be part of the hype and share a slab of vinyl with my brothers from different mothers. This means The White Suicide will technically have two debut releases at the same time since both items are gonna be released in september. Mark your calenders people!
As I reread the paragraph above I'm growing slightly sad since I'm not gonna be in Holland at that time to notice The White Suicide bursting onto the scene first hand. However, I feel slightly privileged to be able to take a step back and seeing things come together for them from a few steps away. I'm bummed out I'm no longer an actual member of this truely special band, but I take pride in the fact I was there in the absolute beginning, when it already was clear as day this band is gonna go a long way. I suggest you get into them now before that nerdy wannabe rock and roll kid in your history class does.
The Hellacopters are running around claiming rock and roll is dead, The White Suicide proves them wrong, thank God. It was about time somebody did.
