Underground concert halls: an endangered species

Sad news for the world of underground music in Wallonia: "Le Cercle", a small

Room located in Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont, is threatened with closure.

After complaints from the neighbourhood, the mayor indicated that the room might have to close.

It seems difficult for some people to have to live with more than 50 decibels … More and more small concert halls and festivals are dying …

However, the public will certainly not forget to spend a fortune to go to the Graspop festival (one of the biggest metal festival in Europe) and see the same big bands again and again. The metal scene will go far away like that ...

There is also the example of the Hellfest in France, which each year is sold out only a few days after the tickets are put on sale. It happens in other music styles too : see the example of the festivals Werchter or Tomorrowland, which bring thousands of people each year. The public apparently prefers to preserve the myth rather than create new ones. We should move to support and preserve our local scenes first and foremost!

Some resistances

The "Warehouse", in the center of Arlon, and “Le Magick” in Namur makes resistance and regularly displays groups with a wide variety of influences. But these rooms are unfortunately just exceptions in the Belgian musical landscape.

No doubt our Flemish neighbours are doing better than us. The reputation of the number of small concert halls in Flanders is no longer to be done! Already in the nineties, tiny halls like "The Rock Temple", located in Ruddervoorde, were the delight of extreme metal lovers. Is there still a hope of being known as a band, when you have nowhere to play and show what you can do?