On February 16th, it was finally time for the highly anticipated show of Knocked Loose at Patronaat in Haarlem. Supporting them on this tour are Headbussa from Paris and Deafhaven from San Francisco.
Walking into the venue, you can already feel the energy filling the room. Even with no one on stage yet, the crowd left a big open space in the middle of the venue where people were already practising their karate kicks and cartwheels for later.
Headbussa was the first on stage and got the crowd moving from the first second. It did not take long for this hardcore band to get the crowd to two-step in the pit. The singer encouraged everyone to check out their merch after the show and gave a shout out to the working class before getting into the song ‘The Chain’. The band put on an amazing and energetic show. The crowd was going crazy and definitely warmed up.
Between bands, the venue filled up more and more and the big open pit got smaller by the minute. Next up on stage was Deafhaven. The band has been labelled many genres through the years, like black metal, post-metal, and shoegaze. One thing was clear from the start: their music is heavily focused on the instrumentals rather than the vocals. The microphone was noticeably quieter than the rest and was hard to hear above the rest of the band. The crowd was once again going crazy and the band only got fuelled more by their energy.
With all the energy the crowd has already given during the openers, you might think they would be tired by now. However, you could not be more wrong. From the second Knocked Loose entered the stage, everyone in the venue started moving and the room became one giant mosh pit. There was no barricade at this venue and the stage wasn’t the highest either, so as expected a lot of people climbed on stage and dived off back into the crowd. Some even added a somersault or took a running start before diving.
Knocked Loose’s first time in The Netherlands was with Counterparts back in 2016, which was also at Patronaat. After that they have also headlined here, so this venue must be a special place for the band. Singer Bryan Garris thanked everyone for coming and most importantly for sticking around. The next song ‘All My Friends’ was dedicated to the supporting acts, Headbussa and Deafhaven, and to everyone that came to the show tonight. During ‘Counting Worms’, the floor was noticeably shaking and the stage was filled with two stepping people. Overall, this was a night to remember.
If you’re ready for a night full of hardcore and two stepping, a Knocked Loose show is definitely where you should be. The band will be touring until March 10th, so make sure to catch them if they are near you. Tour dates and tickets can be found here!
