One of the city's great hidden treasures, the Brussels music scene hosts some of the biggest and best up-and-coming artists and bands in the international, European and Belgian scene.
Every month, Europe's capital has no shortage of thrilling concerts – and it can be tough to pick out the best gigs. This is why we have decided to put together a guide to discover the best live acts in the city, perfect for new and old Brusseleirs alike.
Carefully selected by music journalist Simon Taylor, here are The Brussels Times' choices for the concerts and gigs that you and your friends should not miss throughout June 2024.
Best gigs in Brussels:
6 June
Chastity Belt
Botanique
June in Brussels offers fewer gigs in venues than previous months as artists tend to be off playing at festivals in Belgium, Europe and beyond. Nevertheless, there are some rubies in the dust. First up is all-female indie guitar band Chastity Belt (or Chazzy Belt as they like to be called) from Washington State in the US’ Pacific North-West.
Chastity Belt Band
It’s hard to resist comparing them to other all-female bands from that state such as indie rockers Sleater-Kinney and Seattle’s surf-rock-influenced La Luz. What Chazzy have in common with those bands is wry lyrics, inverting the usual gender stereotypes. But above all they have a real sense of fun to their music-making, both in the studio and live. They are touring their latest album Live Laugh Love and playing in Botanique’s smallest and most intimate room, the Witloof bar.
7 June
Barry Adamson
BXL Central
Barry Adamson is arguably the most important person in the Manchester music scene you’ve never heard of. He was in at the beginning of Manchester’s punk explosion as a member of Magazine, the band Howard Devoto formed when he left the original line-up of the Buzzcocks in 1977. (Howard makes a brief appearance in 24 Hour Party People, the film about the Manchester music scene). Unlikely as it seems, Adamson was a member of New Romantic/futurist "supergroup" Visage, known for their hit Fade to Grey.
Barry Adamson
After a stint with Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds, Adamson concentrated on making his own music and working on film scores. He contributed to the music for David Lynch’s 1997 classic, Lost Highway, along with other luminaries of the alternative music scene such as Trent Reznor of Ministry/Nine Inch Nails and Angelo Badalmenti. Adamson is appearing at record shop BXL Central near Brussels’ Comic Book Museum. The shop, in the ground floor of the offices of record label PIAS, has hosted several interesting artists in more intimate settings such as PJ Harvey, the Black Pumas and Telex, Belgium’s 1979 Eurovision entry.
12 June
Sylvain Chaveau
Botanique
Belgian pianist Sylvain Chaveau will be appearing with Manu Louis, his labelmate from Zero Carbon records, which they founded together. Chaveau will be playing harmonium (which is like an accordeon played on its side or a bellows-powered organ) rather than his usual piano. He will be accompanied by a group of five musicians. Chaveau is a pianist and composer in the style of US Minimalist Philip Glass and contemporary musicians like Nils Frahm (who also plays a harmonium live) and Joop Beving.
Sylvain Chauveau
He is presenting his new album Ultra-minimal. Louis plays guitar and electronics. True to their label’s name, the concert will be entirely acoustic, performed without the use of electricity (will there be lights?) The artists plan to travel to Botanique by foot or by bike, to avoid using energy from fossil fuels, and are encouraging the audience to do the same, or, at least, use public transport.
14 June
Gaika
Beursschouwburg
Gaika’s record label, Warp, describes his music as "gothic dancehall and industrial electronics” while he himself has written of his music as "Ghettofuturism". I first saw him in an underground car park at a music festival in Barcelona where the huge bass ricocheted off the concrete walls and added to the atmosphere of urban paranoia and menace.
Gaika
His music draws on sound-system culture of the UK’s Caribbean diaspora communities and the straight-from-the-streets directness of Grime but mixes in doomy, harsh metallic sounds from the scarier edges of industrial music. Gaika is appearing as part of Out Loud, an evening co-organised with Ancienne Belgique. He will be bringing a live band so expect a new depth of musical experience from this most distinctive of contemporary black British voices.
15 June
Saw Doctors
La Madeleine
I can confidently predict that a good number of Brussels’ Irish ex-pats will be at this concert. So, if you’re looking for a good night out with a great live band and a great atmosphere with loads of singing along, this is one to choose. The Saw Doctors formed back in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway and have been very successful in Ireland, with eighteen top 30 hits, three number ones and the country’s biggest selling number one single I Useta Love Her.
Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors never made it as big outside Ireland, only reaching number 15 in the UK singles chart, and they remained in the shadow of the breakout bands such as U2 and the Boomtown Rats. Expect a rollicking evening. For maximum enjoyment, try to learn the words to some of their hits, such as N17 about the road that runs from Galway to County Sligo, before the gig.
27 June
Chelsea Wolfe
Ancienne Belgique, Ballroom
More doom and gloom this month from US singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe (see preview of Gaika above). She grew up the daughter of a country singer and was partly raised by her grandmother who taught her about healing arts such as aromatherapy and reiki. Her music combines doomy neo-folk with the macabre obsessions of the fringes of extreme metal.
Chelsea Wolfe
At the same time, she quotes 90s R’n’B star Aaliyah as one of her inspirations. Wolfe has collaborated with US post-metal band Russian Circles. Wolfe will be playing in the AB Ballroom which is the main hall but with the balconies covered.
29 June
Belle & Sebastian
Ancienne Belgique
While the Saw Doctors’ gig will be full of Irish fans, I suspect that the audience at Belle and Sebastian’s gig at Ancienne Belgique will have a much broader range in the audience than just their Scottish and British fan base. The band formed in 1996 and were everyone’s favourites with their gentle indie-folk music and gently ironic lyrics.
Belle & Sebastian at Ancienne Belgique in 2012. Credit: Kmeron
You could scarcely spend the evening at a mate’s flat without someone slipping on their LPs If You’re Feeling Sinister and The Boy With the Arab Strap or their cover of the Smiths’ Reel Around the Fountain. Fast forward to 2023 and the band released its 12th studio album, Late Developers. The gig is not sold out yet (as we went to press) and I hope that they manage to fill the venue reasonably well. If not, the audience might be treated to an intimate performance which would suit their mix of acoustic and electric instruments.
