The former trotting track in Groningen’s Stadspark was transformed into the Summerstage for a series of summer evening concerts for the first time.
The headliner on the final night of a well-attended three-part series that featured Neil Young and Van Morrison earlier in the week: none other than The Teskey Brothers.
The band, formed by Australian brothers Josh and Sam Teskey, has become a fixture in the contemporary soul and blues scene in recent years and also boasts a large fan base in the Netherlands.
Fortunately, they have consistently managed to find their way to our country in recent years, including in 2025, where they performed not only in Groningen but also in Soestdijk (Royal Park Live). A report from the Far North.
The Teskey Brothers’ popularity in the Netherlands is evident from the constant crowds around the merchandise stall on the festival grounds. The staff on duty can barely handle the crowd, and fans are everywhere, wearing caps, shirts, and LPs of the band.
It’s afternoon in Groningen, a slightly cool breeze is blowing across the festival grounds, and the sun has hidden behind the clouds. Before the Aussies make their appearance, however, there’s a different lineup; starting with the British folk-rock band The Heavy Heavy, founded by Georgie Fuller and William Turner.
The energetic band has a retro sound reminiscent of the sounds typical of bands from the West Coast of the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. They play original material from their EP Life And Life Only and their album One Of A Kind, released last year.
During a full, hour-long set, they gradually manage to captivate the slowly filling venue and create a chill vibe, as they say.
That chill vibe quickly dissipates when, after a good forty-five minutes of intermission, the Dutch band DeWolff takes the stage. Between some loud and raw guitar licks, frontman Pablo van de Poel immediately gets the crowd going by repeatedly asking if Groningen is ready for some rock ‘n’ roll. The tempo immediately increases, and we all board the Night Train, off we go for a banging performance that will fly by.
After just half an hour, Pablo announces the final song. Luckily, we don’t have to worry yet; the final song lasts at least twenty-five minutes, we’re assured. “Rosita,” which also runs a good fifteen minutes on the album (Love, Death & In Between, 2023), follows a true rhapsody, full of tempo changes and musical solos. The young DeWolffs seem inexhaustible, even when Pablo misjudges the distance from the stage to the ground and takes a rather heavy fall, but they keep playing (the lead singer has to be lifted back onto the stage by two people).
The final applause is justifiably enthusiastic, and hopefully, the bandleader’s physical injuries are not too bad. A quick tip: there’s a recording of DeWolff’s performance at Pinkpop this year on YouTube, very similar to tonight’s.
With many hearts pounding with anticipation, the Teskeys arrive right on time. Following them are a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and two horn players/backing vocalists.
Although I hold The Teskey Brothers in high regard, I’d never seen them in person until today. I’d always been a bit wary of their live performances because I’d heard they didn’t deviate much from the way the songs are presented on their studio albums.
However, all doubts are dispelled within a minute when the band, which usually plays few covers, opens with Freddie King’s “I Love The Woman.” The sound is immediately superb, and brother Sam plays some delicious blues licks before Josh unleashes his signature raw soul voice for the first time, something the audience immediately responds to.
The horns sound great, and the opening track flows seamlessly into “Pain and Misery,” the group’s debut single.
Josh Teskey greets Groningen in unadulterated local dialect: “Moi Grunn” (My Father) and expresses his gratitude at several points for being here, his hands constantly on his chest to emphasize this.
The songs performed tonight are a selection from all three studio albums, and the quality is undeniably high.
The audience is wildly enthusiastic throughout the concert; many in attendance can sing along to the lyrics word for word. Unfortunately, however, there’s a lot of chatter in between; the Dutch Disease seems to be thriving here, but the band seems unaffected by it.
Towards the end, the band seems to improve even further, playing more freely and creating more space for musical interludes. Groningen’s Stadspark briefly becomes very small during the intimate “Carry Me Home,” and on “Shiny Moon,” Josh Teskey briefly takes over lead guitar (slide).
“Paint My Heart,” from Run Home Slow, is the musical highlight of the evening. The song starts off quietly, gradually building to a climax where Sam once again pulls out all the stops on his Fender and Josh goes wild not only vocally but also on his harmonica—and how!
The second and final song of the encore is “Hold Me,” the band’s standard closing act, where the instruments are removed and the audience claps and sings along with the Teskey Brothers for minutes.
It seems like it’s never-ending, but it’s still enjoyable, good for a sense of community, and a very positive ending to a fantastic evening.
