VI.BE

The Bentley Brothers really took the audience by surprise, while performing their first public appearance in 2013; but this group went through an evolution to take every new song to the next level, while still building upon that energetic wall-of-sound they get characterised with.

The band started in 2012 when lead guitarist Tim Plessers hooked up with bassist Ben Aerts and drummer Chris Goyens, long-time friends and members from previous bands. When recording original material in Chris’ home studio, their dream of starting a post-rock band became reality pretty soon after.

They were joined by rhythm guitarist Bert Drijkoningen and saxophone player Kris Klug, who both expanded the band’s initial sound exponentially. ‘We listened a lot to Duyster, a post-rock radio show, and were heavily influenced by the likes of Mono and Mogwai’, recalls Ben, ‘But when Bert took over the rhythm parts from Tim, allowing him for more improvisational freedom, and Kris started blowing those epic saxophone tunes, that’s when we really defined our own sound!’

Excited as they were with their new line-up, blueprints for 9 original songs were transforming into a setlist, that truly became appreciated during live performances. The band never anticipated the enthusiasm that critics and fans alike found for their music. ‘An amazing sound’, comments local promoter and club owner Pieter Hilkens, ‘I’ve never seen a band without a singer put so much tension and energy in their songs. The melodies kept on building up to an explosion that blew the roof off!’

Record label owner Guido Op De Beeck agrees: ‘I recently recorded their first demo at Bobonne Records. They wield a unique sound that ventures beyond borders and genres.’

While working on new material, they are constantly looking out for gigs. ‘We don’t care how small or big our audience is’, says Chris, ‘In forty minutes, we want to get into the heads of every person in the room and make them still think about us the day after.’