Live | The Great Southern Jam Night - Ernesto's Popcantina - Sittard [NL]

Live | The Great Southern Jam Night – Ernesto’s Popcantina – Sittard [NL]

1 December 2023

December 12, 2023 by Raymond Helebrand - More about our team

”Stichting Gas Erop” and guitarists Bas Maas [Doro] and Mark Vergoossen [Baby Killed The Roses] promised to organize a jam with touring musicians, who normally never find the time to be together on a stage. Often friends/acquaintances, who meet on stages/festivals and then go their separate ways again. Through the networks of the aforementioned, they managed to get as many as 25 musicians excited to participate in this The Great Southern Jam Night. And it paid off, because the first event organized by ”Stichting Gas Erop” may bear the label sold out.

Not surprising, with [ex-] musicians from bands like Evanescence, Ayreon, Vandenberg, Doro, Delain, Vicious Rumors, Fire, Stream Of Passion, Axxis, Jaded Heart, After Forever, Highway Chile, Civil War, Dear Mother, Sun Caged, Powerized, Baby Killed The Roses, Dreadlock Pussy, ACinDC, Pestilence, MaYaN, Ostrogoth, Supersonic Revolution and Praying Mantis.

KICK-OFF

Kicking off was the jam band, featuring Bas Maas, Mark Vergoossen on guitar, Nick McGrath [bass], Mischa Aussems [drums] and vocalists Kelly Sundown and Maggy Luyten, who took turns singing a song. This formation played a set of just under 50 minutes with the highlight being a fat version of the Krokus classic ,,Screaming In The Night”.

A more than successful kickoff to a beautiful and long evening. Between all the different assemblies there was always a short changeover break, to ease the wait the organization had arranged DJ Bas ‘Sjerruf’ Aldenzee to play some great tunes.

CLASSIC SONGS

Piece by piece the seasoned musicians provided beautiful renditions of such classics like ,,Out In The Fields”, ,,For Whom The Bell Tolls”, ,,Holy Diver” or ,,Here I Go Again”. Beautiful spontaneous jams, in surprising compositions. Although all the musicians did their part, a few stood out as far as I was concerned. I name a Nick Holleman, Jen Majura, Peter Rovers, Roel Käller and Maggy Luyten.

Later in the evening we even got to enjoy some harder work for a while, with a fat version of ,,Cowboys From Hell”. In any case, the audience could fully enjoy nice recognizable songs, where the harder and the softer side of the Hard and Heavy genre were all highlighted.

SEQUEL THE GREAT SOUTHERN JAM NIGHT

This first edition of the Great Southern Jam Night will most likely have a sequel, because the organization, as well as the musicians and audience were extremely enthusiastic.

PARTICIPATING MUSICIANS THE GREAT SOUTHERN JAM NIGHT

All photos by Raymond Helebrand