Live Report - Golden Earring at Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht

There’s a surprising mix in the demographic attending tonight’s show, especially when you take into account the band have been in existence since 1961. This is the last night of the band’s Winter Club Tour taking place in the Ronda hall at the contemporary music complex Tivoli Vredenburg - a venue consisting of five halls each acoustically designed for a specific music genre.

With such an extensive discography there is plenty of variety aired. “45 Miles” immediately brings the crowd back in time in a loud sing-along, with Rinus Gerritsen leading the charge. Not letting the momentum die, they’re straight into “Twilight Zone”, their addictively catchy 80’s hit, which is followed by a Rinus Gerritsen bass solo that leads into a marathon 12-minute plus version of their classic anthem “Radar Love”.

Dutch saxophonist Bertus Borgers lends his skills to half the tracks, but especially stands out for “She Flies on Strange Wings”, one of the few early 70’s tunes in the set list. “Holy Holy Life” closes of the night’s proceeding, killing any hope of a few more from the Golden era.

The home crowd’s love for the band is evident throughout, as is frontman George Kooymans’ stage banter, which makes for a congenial atmosphere. With members already in their 70s and no visible signs that they’ll be stopping any time soon, Golden Earring have all the energy of a young band with that stage presence you only achieve with experience.