Madou / 4AD

Madou Tijdloze Belpophelden. Last concerts with co-founder Wiet Van De Leest. In 1981, Madou released their debut single 'Witte Nachten'. An instant hit, followed by the knockout blow of 'Niets is voor altijd' (Nothing is forever). The group immediately climbed to become a major player in national music history. Or as Jan Delvaux (Belpop Bonanza) puts it: “Whoever is not moved by the voice of Vera Coomans is dead inside. She is the Marianne Faithfull van Vlaanderen.” After an extremely long break, Madou released their second album 'Is er iets?' (Is something wrong?) in September 2021, which once again received a great deal of critical acclaim. No new 4-decade break this time, but moving full steam ahead. After an impressive 'REWIND' show at the AB, new music is released and we can welcome Madou to our very last Blankaart session. Madou was resurrected in recent years thanks to the next generation. The driving force was Thomas Devos, son of Jan and Vera. He brought fresh material that rekindled the fire and made new arrangements for older songs. Wiet Van De Leest, co-founder of Madou, returned, and his son Louis Van De Leest was also brought in. Mattijs Vanderleen (including Marble Sounds and Tommigun) took care of the rhythm section, and Marc De Maeseneer, one of the country's best saxophonists, joined the band on stage. The sector also acknowledges that the resurrection of Madou is a highlight in our music history: Vera Coomans was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Flanders Folk Awards, a more than deserved trophy. But unfortunately there is also less pleasant news: Wiet Van De Leest is saying goodbye to the band after years and will play his final concerts in Belgium in January 2027. End of the band Madou, but the story of Vera Coomans will undoubtedly continue for quite some time. This autumn, a vinyl box set will be released by Excelsior Records that will definitively anchor Madou's oeuvre. But first we say a live farewell to this lineup in our club. Lineup: • Vera Coomans: Vocals and backing vocals • Wiet Van De Leest: Violin, keyboards • Louis Van De Leest: Keyboards, Wurlitzer • Thomas Devos: Guitar and backing vocals • Marc De Maeseneer: Sax • Mattijs Vanderleen: Drums