THE STREETS

Like a gift from God, THE STREETS' debut album ‘Original Pirate Material’, a masterpiece sent from the heavens in 2001, was embraced by an audience hungry for new trends and fresh sounds. Mike Skinner, the more official name of The Streets, surprised friends and less-than-friends alike with a new kind of pop music. Delivered with swagger, bravado and more attitude than the combined fan bases of Millwall, Everton and West Ham United. With the follow-up ‘A Grand Don't Come for Free’ (2004) proved that Mike Skinner is not a one-hit wonder, but rather a many-hit wonder. It is an album like old-fashioned 21 July fireworks: wobbly sparklers, loud bangs, brightly coloured streamers and giant fireballs alternate until you clap your hands like a five-year-old full of childlike enthusiasm. A Grand Don't Come for Free is one of those records that only received reviews in which the five stars under the article almost fought with the superlatives in the text itself, and that for your attention. The hits (“Fit but you know it”, “Dry your eyes”, “Blinded by the lights”) weren't even the Yamine Lamal, Vinicius Junior or Jérémy Doku of the team, but rather album tracks such as “Could well be in”, “It was supposed to be so easy” and “Not addicted”.  We are listing all this here because The Streets will be playing “A Grand Don't Come for Free” in its entirety on our Grote Kaai on Thursday 6 August. Consider that concert a gift from heaven, one that will be captured by at least one camera crew from Het Journaal, by one or two chroniclers who will one day write a book about legendary Belgian festival nights, and above all by your diary, which will reserve an extra seven pages just for the hearts you draw to vent your emotions afterwards.