12-05-2009 Therapy?

Supports: Secret Handshake Club; Venue: Tivoli Oude Gracht, Utrecht (Netherlands)
By: Sabine van Gameren

Therapy? Was playing in Utrecht this evening. The grunge metal band from Ireland is mostly known for their hit Diane. But Diane dates back from 1995 and the guys have recently released thirteenth album. There were still a couple of tickets available at the doors when the evening was still young, but when the bands were playing the sold out signs were hanging on the doors.

The evening starts with a support act called Secret Handshake Club. They filled the stage with several musicians and two chick in the background who did not really seem to have any useful function at all besides being stage decoration. Their music was an attempt of being explosive and energetic, but as they were playing for a collection of statues their music did not really made an impact. Guitarists did a good job actually, but the vocals sounded really bad, overdone. The band tried to make an act by bringing a man dressed as a chick on stage but on a few drunks there was hardly any response from the audience. It seems like the audience was not interested in them at all and just wanted them to leave soon, so that the stage could be cleared for Therapy?

Compared to before the stage was empty when the men of Therapy? walked onstage. They were welcomed with applause and they started playing with a smile on their faces. The band put stress on playing music from their latest album but did not forget on the old favorites either. Michael McKeegan plucks his bass fanatically, producing the raw edge sound that is so Therapy?-own. It took a while before the band really got into it. The band is quite static as they are all bounded on their microphones most of the time, which make the show sometimes a bit flat. But why Therapy? gigs are still better to see than just putting on of their albums is not questionable. The band seems to have fun playing although it took them a while to warm up but when the show is going further in the setlist the band shows their skills of and you get a closer look on the intense, sophisticated way the guys take on to their instruments.

Therapy? is a non-bullshit band, never play on ego’s besides the ego of the whole band at once. The performance was maybe a bit naked, an empty stage with empty spaces hardly filled up. A three piece of musicians with their own kingdoms, rarely crossing the border physically but let the music do that job.