Dutch rockers DeWolff deliver electrifying, soulful live shows that blend psychedelia, blues, and gospel energy into pure sonic joy.
If guitar tones could heal then DeWolff would be a lifesaving prescription*.
The Dutch trio have garnered a reputation for their authentic take on classic rock that encompasses blues, psychedelic and heavier sounds, delivered through their creative recording and production processes and utterly riveting live performances. Although already a well-established (and award-winning) outfit in continental Europe, UK audiences have had limited exposure to the DeWolff live extravaganza until relatively recently.
The band find themselves headlining their second UK tour within 13 months, off the back of the release of their 10th studio album, the soul-infused Muscle Shoals, in December 2024. Judging by the reception they’re given in Glasgow on the opening night, people are in dire need of this medicine. A mixed congregation – some veteran rockers, some young hippies, blues, roots and prog fans, some friends of friends who had nothing better to do with their Saturday night – have all gathered under the mutual understanding that they’re here for a good time.
Tommy Arch warms up the show with his almost-husky and resonant take on northern country blues. He carries a wealth of Geordie calm-before-the-storm energy and even though – by his own admission – he doesn’t have the accent, his natural confidence shines through in his songs.
For the fresh-faced and uninitiated, a DeWolff live show is very much a communal experience, spiritually situated somewhere between a gritty underground nightclub, a glam rock arena spectacular, and a Sunday morning gospel sermon, with lead singer and guitarist Pablo van der Poel in the role of evangelical frontman. He welcomes the assembly, even offering his personal rock and roll blessing with an outstretched hand, before launching into proceedings. Connection is key: Van der Poel commands the undivided attention of the room. He primes the audience to loosen their voices on Night Train before leading a call and response on Heart Stopping Kinda Show. Whether he is throwing high kicks on the stage or weaving his way through shadowy regions of the dancefloor, testing his falsetto behind a dazzling chrome microphone or shredding fuzz with a vintage Gibson in hand, all eyes and ears are on Pablo.
To be clear though, the magic of DeWolff is not exclusively about the guitar. There’s plenty to be said for the soul-nourishing qualities of a Hammond organ and Robin Piso certainly fuels this discussion. Whirring flourishes fortify Out On The Town, while on Will o’ the Wisp the keys create a lush, dreamy, expansive soundscape for the band and audience to relax and groove in. It’s a necessarily mellow moment within an otherwise non-stop rock show, but it hits just as powerfully because of the tenderness of Piso’s playing.
There’s even restorative power in a three-minute drum solo, as proven when Luka van der Poel delivers his treatment during Out On The Town. The audience is rapt, breathless and unblinking, with hearts in mouths waiting to see where this exploration leads. It’s the very definition of awesome. Even as Live Like You runs on into Snowbird, and the last song of the set winds and swells its way towards climax, there’s a measured, soothing sense of rhythm. This is where the three-piece are at their most potent, as every element stands alone and unified, all at once.
An unexpected lull ensues when the band leave the stage – Stereo is a notoriously difficult room to escape quickly so some artists choose to forego encore conventions – but DeWolff return promptly with a semi-apology from Pablo: “We just went off and found we’d played less than an hour which is very unlike us.” It is. Those acts who do entertain the encore farce in this environment often carry a weight of expectation and responsibility to deliver after such a faff; is it really worth wasting those three minutes to come back for just one or two songs? DeWolff have no such worries because what they bring back to the stage, the 21-minute opus that is Rosita, is untouchable. The tonal quality, the musicality, the breadth and depth of songwriting and the band’s innate synchronicity are all balanced and blended into this one-song rock opera. It leaves both audience and band in the clouds, sky-high, jubilant and carefree. Even a disco loadout can’t diminish the good vibes of a night spent in the fellowship of DeWolff.
*Warning: Excess consumption can lead to addiction. Please use DeWolff responsibility.
Words and pictures: Kendall Wilson @softcrowclassic