XAVIER RUDD

Nothing could be easier than giving the weather forecast for the coming months in and around Lokeren: it's going to be “Follow the sun!” all the way, but also “Thank yous”, 'Merci's', “Danke schöns” and  – with a Crocodile Dundee accent – “G'day Mate!s” are pouring down, now that we can announce that we have invited your Australian favourite, XAVIER RUDD, on Tuesday 4 August. Of all our favourite kings of melancholy, Rudd is our King of Hearts, and since we first heard him at the beginning of this century, we have been in a state of absolute adoration. What's more, if goosebumps were a drug, we would be hooked after listening to Rudd gems such as “Solace” (2004), ‘White Moth’ (2007) or ‘Dark Shades of Blue’ (2008), we would be so high that we would put on our running shoes time and time again to go and get a boule de berlin in Blankenberge before eight in the morning, only to be back at the office in Lokeren by quarter to nine. We even know someone who became so addicted to Rudd's infinitely beautiful album ‘Storm Boy’ (2018) that she promptly stopped listening to it after four years. The result was a massive cold turkey, and when she woke up, the doctor sitting on the edge of her hospital bed did not prescribe any medication, but gave her the then new album “Jan Juc Moon” (2022). The sparkle in her eyes since then urgently needs to be painted by someone. We don't immediately see Rudd as a drunken uncle who entertains his nieces and nephews at family gatherings by juggling with 6 and 7, nor do we see him cruising down Dorpsstraat on a fat bike. We see him as a generous performer who travels from city to city, scoring highly on the Bob Dylan/Bob Marley scale with his guitar and a large collection of autumnal songs, as he did during that unforgettable concert in the Barn at Rock Werchter 2023.  Four August 2026, mark your calendars. The day when tender hearts will become even more tender.