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 picking out the best gigs can be tough. This is why we have put together a monthly guide to discover the best live acts in the city, perfect for new and old Brussels folk 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 April 2025.
Best gigs this month:
5 April
Elliot Galvin
Ancienne Belgique (BRDCST festival)
Galvin, a pianist and keyboard player, has quickly established himself as one of the most creative musicians on the current UK jazz and global music scene. Despite his age (he was born in 1991), Galvin has five solo albums to his name and has recorded with the DINOSAUR group as well as collaborating with other UK jazz luminaries including Emma Jane-Thackeray and Shabaka Hutchings.
Elliot Galvin. Credit: Dave Stapleton / Edition Records
He played piano and synths on Hutching’s recent gig at Flagey and the saxophonist and flute player has returned the favour by appearing on Galvin’s latest solo LP, The Ruin. Galvin is a consummate improviser and adds to his performances on piano with modular synths to provide an ethereal atmosphere. Recently he has been playing live with vocalist and bass player Ruth Goller and drummer Seb Roachford.
6 April
Colin Stetson
Ancienne Belgique (BRDCST festival)
Colin Stetson, an American-born saxophonist now living in Canada, has taken on the mantle of avant-garde blowers like Peter Brötzmann, free jazzer Anthony Braxton and John Surman. Apart from his experimental projects, Stetson is very much in demand with a huge number of indie acts who get him to provide his distinctive tone to their recordings. In the past, he has played with Bon Iver, The National, Arcade Fire and Feist. Stetson has also written soundtracks for 15 movies.
Saxofonist Colin Stetson
He is curating one of the evenings at BRDCST festival and will appear with a new trio including guitarist Stian Westerhus and drummer Erland Dahlen, both from Norway. Stetson will also perform with Francesco Donadello, a producer and sound engineer, who will play tapes and modular synths. Donadello worked with Icelandic composer Hildur Gudnadóttir on the soundtrack for the TV series Chernobyl.
Ben LaMar Gay Ensemble
Ancienne Belgique (BRDCST festival)
LaMar Gay is one of the stars of Chicago’s International Anthem record label. A jazz musician and singer, his music takes in hip hop and influences from minimalist composers like Steve Reich as well as African polyhythms from musicians like Fela Kuti. His eclecticism puts him in the ranks of players like bassist Thundercat, pianist Robert Glasper and saxophonist Kamasi Washington.
Ben Lamar Gay
His record label has just released his first album, Downtown Castles Can’t Block Out the Sun, which first came out in 2018. The new version contains extra tracks and is the best starting point to understand his prodigious talent.
9 April
Shovel Dance Collective
Ancienne Belgique
Shovel Dance Collective
Nine-piece Shovel Dance Collective take a well-known approach to traditional folk songs, i.e. they dig around in the archives to find little-known gems. They have recreated songs from from American folk collections as well as exploring tunes from English, Scottish and Irish history. While many folk songs already tell tales of murder, betrayal and cruelty, the Collective are not afraid to add their own dark twist when performing these songs for a modern audience.
11 April
The Mary Wallopers
Botanique
If all-conquering Irish folk noir band Lankum are the Plantxy of their generation, (albeit in a ket hole, as they were once described), The Mary Wallopers are the current day Pogues or the Dubliners, more accessible so even your mammy would like some of their songs. They were founded in 2019 by two brothers, Charles and Andrew Hendy, in Dundalk, County Louth, which borders Armagh to the north. They carry on the Pogues’ raucous spirit of drinking and singing and their no-airs-or-graces approach to tunes has even had them dismissed as "mediocre singers and musicians" by a member of the Dubliners.
The Mary Wallopers. Credit: Sorcha Frances Ryder
I suspect that the Wallopers secretly liked being recognised for not taking things too seriously. Radie Peat, one of the main singers from Lankum, clearly didn’t share the Dubliner’s view as she guested on Frost Is All Over, one of the tracks on the Wallopers’ first album. I say this every time that an Irish band plays Brussels, but I’ll not be wrong predicting that the Botanique will be full of the Wallopers’ compatriots singing along to their tunes at the tops of their voices. Also worth mentioning Scottish folk artist Sam Shackleton on support duties, a friend of the band and a raconteur of the musical oral traditions of Scotland.
24 April
Pomrad
Pilar, VUB Etterbeek
Pomrad (real name: Adriaan Van de Velde) is a young musician from Antwerp who is one of the most exciting Belgian artists to emerge in recent years. His music is a distinctive blend of 80s electro-funk with a large nod to Prince, delivered with a large dose of humour.
Pomrad
Pomrad (who is also part of the duo Lander and Adriaan) is a trained jazz musicians and delights in using vintage synths that were popular in the 80s to recreate that era’s distinctive sound. Fans of Whitney Houston and the theme from Miami Vice (the TV show, not the film) will enjoy his sounds. And yet Pomrad manages to bring something distinctive and original to his music. His latest album, Silver Blue, came out in March.
25 April
Tujiko Noriko
Atelier 210
Respect to Atelier 210, a former theatre in Etterbeek turned into a performing arts centre, for booking some of the most obscure yet interesting acts around.
Tujiko Noriko
This time, it’s Tujiko Noriko, a Japanese ambient electronic musician. Noriko, who now lives in France, released her latest LP, Crépuscule I & II, in 2023, a dreamy ethereal collection of soundscapes with ominous dark tones lurking in the music’s corners. Noriko will be joined by Belgian multi-media artist Mikamayonnaise.
27 April
Anika
AB Club
Anika is a German singer and musician with a voice like Nico, the former model and Warhol protegée who lent her distinctive vocals to many of the Velvet Underground’s greatest tracks, such as “Femme Fatale”. She released her first album, “Anika”, back in 2010 with West Country krautrockers Beak> as her backing band. The album was heavily influenced by the dub-punk crossover of The Slits. It wasn’t until 2021 that she released a follow-up, “Change”.
Anika. Credit: Jess Huerta
Since then she has played with the Mexican psychedlic band Exploded View. Her latest album, “Eat Liquid”, released in 2023 is also heavy on the pyschedelic influences. She has also recorded some great cover versions of classic songs like Dylan’s “Masters of War”, The Pretenders’ “I Go To Sleep”, and the Corgis’ “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometimes”, which she delivers in the style of slowcore band, Cigarettes After Sex. She has a new album, “Abyss”, coming out this year.
