The Amsterdams are a post punk / indie / power pop band based in Bucharest, Romania. The present line-up consists of Andrei Hategan (lead vocals, synth), Ovidiu Bejan (guitar, backing vocals), Augustin Nicolae (bass, backing vocals), Andrei Ungureanu (guitar) and Vlad Stoica (drums).
The band was put together in the summer of 2005 by Andrei Hategan and Andrei Ungureanu who took their cue from their love of British pop music, from 80s guitar-pop to 90s brit-pop and the 2000 post-punk revival. Shortly, the band added Dan Olaru on bass and Vlad Stoica on drums by the end of the year.
As for the name of the band, „we wanted it to sound different from the already-existing local bands”, says lead-vocalist Andrei Hategan. „As we weren't keen on „heavy” garage, underground names suggesting various chemicals or funerary practices, we thought we'd choose one to express freedom of spirit in every sense, so Amsterdams was the natural choice. We added “The” to make it clear we were those Amsterdams... The only ones there!”.
The band rehearsed fastidiously only to play their first gig in Bucharest club Big Mamou, in February 2006. By the summer of 2006, they already played in Ploiesti and a few more Bucharest clubs. Due to musical differences, Dan Olaru and Vlad Stoica quit the band to focus on their own project entitled Guillotines . By the end of the year, Andrei Hategan and Andrei Ungureanu manage to recruit Ovidiu Bejan (guitar) and Augustin Nicolae (bass), who will leave their own mark on The Amsterdams' already defined sound.
One of the main problems in the beginnings of the band was finding a good drummer to fit the sound and be available for gigs: the band tried out no less than 13 drummers before choosing Alex Ghita, who, despite working with other bands as well, managed to stay with The Amsterdams and help them make up a steady repertoire.
In 2007, The Amsterdams take on the recording studio and their song Taking care of Anna is on rotation at the now-defunct but avantgarde radio station 89 FM. This is the beginning of a fortunate period of ever-growing popularity for the band. They play at the 3rd edition of UnderLondon Fest in Bucharest and, with their small stage appearance at The Stufstock 5 Festival in Vama Veche, Romania, catch the eye and ears of headlining band The Dandy Warhols . TDW leader Courtney Taylor-Taylor even dedicates a song to them during their main stage concert at the festival.
The fall of 2007 brings a new separation from drummer Alex Ghita, who is replaced by Paul Ballo, formerly of Go To Berlin. The band's rise to fame continues in 2008, as they record their songs in a professional studio and launch their first EP, Automatic, in May, followed by two concerts abroad, a gig at Dublin Castle in London and an appearance at the Europa Vox Festival, in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
In the fall of 2008, the band let go of Paul Ballo and reunite with their first drummer, Vlad Stoica.
The Amsterdams released in May their first album entitled "Adolessons". Chased By The Housewives is the first single from "Adolessons". The band will play a couple of local festivals this summer and plans to enter the studio for a new recording session in the next months.
Vineri, 27 noiembrie, ora 21:00, trupa OLIVER va sustine in club Studio Martin primul concert oficial din 2009. Avand un nou album in lucru, fanii vor putea asculta o parte din noile compozitii intr-o prima auditie.
Cunoscuta ca o trupa cu reprezentatii rare dar spectaculoase, alegandu-si cu atentie locatiile si momentele concertistice, OLIVER va sustine vineri primul concert din acest an. OLIVER isi dozeaza fortele, fara sa supraaglomereze lista concertistica, pentru ca in acele rare concerte sa dea toata energia necesara, neezitand in a cheltui pana si ultima farama de mojo in cantarile ce vibreaza de energie.
OLIVER, este trupa ce aduce muzica si poezia aproape de public printr-o combinatie de energie, romantism si subtilitate. Nu-ti serveste muzica pe tava, ci te lasa pe tine sa o gasesti pe undeva pe scena, printr-o feerie de lumini. OLIVER nu iti da hit-uri ci iti ofera momente pe care fiecare le simte in felul lui, care genereaza in fiecare cate o senzatie, o stare. Inca de la inceput, trupa s-a bazat pe profesionalismul celor de la City Events pentru tot ceea ce inseamna productie sunet si lumini, creand adevarate show-uri. Astfel, OLIVER nu ofera doar simple concerte ci momente speciale, adevarate productii OLIVER.
OLIVER a luat fiinta in 2005, avand in componenta patru muzicieni experimentati: Doru Puscasu – voce, chitara si pian, Mircea Moroianu - chitara, Horia Gridan – bas si Razvan Rizea – tobe.
Hope your concert's a BLAST! I don't think I'll make it given I'm in the central US. But, thanks for all of your posts. I thought I'd send some original music your way, Enjoy!
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Prea tare.
