After a strong opening act from the JPK Band, Zac, Ben, and Ant went full throttle with highlights like “She Does It Right,” “Bad Penny,” “Voodoo Child,” and a masterful “Hellhounds on My Trail.”
A dynamic performance that wowed the audience and will remain in the memory for a long time.
A hot afternoon awaited us. Upon arrival at De Pul, we discovered that local guitar hero Jan Pieter Kuijten and his JPK Band were ready to hit the ground running as the opening act.
With his unadulterated Brabant dialect and guitar work inspired by SRV and Chuck Berry, he quickly created the perfect atmosphere in the venue.
In a set featuring only original songs, the set progressed from drawn-out instrumentals and slow blues to what Jan Pieter and his band truly excel at: blues with a touch of rock ‘n’ roll.
That extra dose of Chuck Berry is what makes their performances so enjoyable. Judging by the dancing crowd, I wasn’t the only one having a blast.
Zac Schulze doesn’t need to be told that they can always go the extra mile. Last year, he and his Gang toured the Netherlands frequently.
Although I saw them perform in Germany a month ago, you simply can’t miss a gig in nearby Uden. Many elements recur in their shows, yet each performance is unique.
The Gang always captures the atmosphere of the day in a dazzling performance. Zac, Ben, and Ant were clearly enjoying themselves this Sunday afternoon – so much so that photographer Marco sighed: “Just stand still for once.”
It’s clear that you can take great photos in action, too.
With an instrumental opener to warm up the fingers, the Gang thundered on with High Roller, one of the strongest tracks from their recent album Straight to It.
They proved their immediate success with two tracks from their debut EP, Hole in My Pocket, and a killer rendition of Walking the Dog.
The first highlight came with the punk rock version of Dr. Feelgood’s “She Does It Right”: incredible power and brilliant guitar control, immediately followed by Rory Gallagher’s “Bad Penny.”
The band then seemingly slowed down with a slow blues, but for The Zac Schulze Gang, that’s just the foundation for a total explosion. Zac plays so smoothly, so intuitively; what his mind conceives, his fingers roll out—complete with funny faces, grimaces, and constant movement.
He’s a unique guitarist, unmatched among newcomers to the blues scene. As good as DK Harrell and Christone Ingram are, they’re no match for the sheer power Zac brings to the stage.
Besides their own work, the band also enjoys honoring their sources of inspiration. Lynyrd Skynyrd was honored with a performance of “Swamp Music” sung by bassist Ant Greenwell, and Zac strung together a thunderous rendition of “Voodoo Child,” which also included a snippet of “Whole Lotta Love.”
Ben Schulze’s expressive drumming provided the pounding foundation on which the Schulze brothers’ show is built.
Through “Damaged Man,” another gem from their latest album, and a medley featuring elements of “Paranoid,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Freebird,” they built to the absolute highlight: a phenomenal rendition of Tony Dowler’s “Hellhounds on My Trail.”
In the encore, the band unleashed two more hits: Gallagher’s “Messing with the Kid” and Peter Green’s “Oh Well.”
In Zac Schulze’s hands, these songs undergo a true transformation, yet remain undeniably true to his guitar heroes.
Completely blown away and still filled with amazement at what we had experienced that afternoon, we returned home in a daze.
This was an afternoon we won’t soon forget.
