And welcome to one of the loudest indoor parties of the year! The hype was real, the lines were long, and the line-up was unexpected. Rooler’s and Sickmode’s first “Welcome to the Gang” edition for sure left a footprint in the party agenda and surprised faces on many fans.
Melanie Engel
Seriously, when there is currently someone hyped then its Sickmode and Rooler. But even mere hyped its their live act “The Gang”. Comprising a mixture of hard kicks, funny vocals and a weird show from farts to TV vocals, these guys know how to entertain the crowd. The creator of Rebirth festival invited now to a very special indoor show. Welcome to the Gang!
THE TRAVEL
Poppodium 013 is one of the most easily accessible indoor venues when traveling by public transport. From Tilburg station, it’s only a 10-minute walk to 013 – easy to find as we just followed the big mass of colorful “Gang” T-Shirts heading in the same direction. We arrived at the venue at 13:40 – 20 minutes prior to the event – only to be in line for another 30 minutes after the event started.
The entrance line was insane, probably due to the secret line-up and no one wanting to miss out on their favorite surprise act. But we kind of expected that already – no biggie! Once inside, we got a locker and got some drinks. The locker system was a bit confusing, as you had to open it via a link on your smartphone, which is tricky if the internet connection is not exactly playing along. What I did like a lot, though, is that there was no token system, and you could just walk up to the bar and pay for everything by card.
THE VENUE
013 itself is an interesting venue, with many levels, secret areas, and a podium in the main hall. Going up the stairs to the first floor, you found yourself overlooking the mainstage from the top back of the room, and going up another flight of stairs brought you directly to the podium. The location offered a lot of bars, a stand to get “Rebirth” merchandise, a cocktail bar, and some food options. The outdoor space was right behind the main stage and quite popular, despite the almost freezing temperatures. Considering the hype and amount of people, the venue could have been even bigger! A lot bigger!
STAGES
“Welcome to the Gang” came with two stages: The main stage and the “Boiler Room,” which was downstairs and a bit smaller. The most outstanding part of the main area might be the big stairs in the back, which slowly lead up to the first floor. There you’ll find yet another bar and a great view of the stage and across the entire hall. This view can only be topped by going all the way up to the podium – which I highly recommend.
The “Boiler Room” also did not disappoint: With the stage right in the middle of the triangle-shaped room, the atmosphere was much cozier than anywhere else that day. The back part of the area, right behind the DJ, was even slightly elevated for a true VIP feeling. All in all a great option to take a wild break from the mass of the main stage!
MAINSTAGE LINEUP
Good job in keeping the line-up a secret for that long! No one knew what to expect, but surely no one expected THAT. And the first big surprise of the day was:
Atmozfears
Oh boy, the disbelief in many of the faces was just hilarious. Of course, I didn’t expect him at this event either, but I think that was exactly their point! He started off with some of his more euphoric songs but then quickly showed the crowd that he well deserved his place on the Raw stage! With tracks like “Handz Up” and Remixes of “Bassface” and “Vieze Asbak” he got the crowd hot and going for the following artists:
D-Block & S-te-Fan
Surprise! Again! D-Block & S-te-Fan began their set with the Headhunterz Remix of their famous track “Twilight Zone” and continued playing some of their most known songs like “Feel Inside,” “We don’t stop (Lights out),” and “Darkest Hour.”
At this point, the timetable slowly began to make its sneaky way around the crowd and was secretly shared amongst friends and groups. This both added and took away some of the excitement – on the one hand, there were no more mystery reveals. On the other hand, the timetable looked NICE!
Next on the schedule was Sefa, bringing some Frenchcore kicks and more BPM to the crowd with “Infinity,” “Killing in the name,” and his remixes of “Too Cold” and “Incoming.”
Followed by Malice and Mish, it was finally time for The Gang to come on stage and bring their party to the next level. This half-hour was packed with full Sickmode and Rooler action, beginning with “Go Stupid” and ending with them at the front of the stage, together with Levenkhan.
Not only did Levenkhan once more prove his vocal talents live on stage, but the 3 of them also showed off their brand-new collab track, which they made together with Sefa.
SICKMODE AND ROOLER
Gang-Member #1 was one of the most expected DJs of the evening. With his live performance “ON” he played tracks like “Go Stupid,” “Klaplongen,” and “Lalalalala.” Mish even joined him on stage for their track “Rave Love.”
Rooler
Gang-Member #2 also played Live, of course. Amongst other songs, the crowd got to hear “Hammertime,” “Diskotek,” “Too Cold,” and “Move 2 da Beat.” The atmosphere was probably at its highest, the area was packed, and everyone was in full raving mode!
BOILER ROOM
The “Boiler Room” Line-up was a good mix of upcoming and known artists, with the biggest surprise probably being Malice playing a one-hour set there just shortly after he had been on the main stage. Some of the other artists were Ecstatic, Joey Riot, and Omnya.
Closing the “Boiler Room” was Levenkhan. He was mainly playing tracks from his brand-new album “Stalin Wear Balenciaga (SWB),” like “Rest of my Life,” “Fucked Up,” “Triple S,” and an upcoming collab with Rayvolt.
The timetable
The line-up of the Main area, hosted by MC Livid:
14:00 – 14:50 Classics Set (Pre-Recorded)
14:40 – 15:00 Green Screen Memes
15:00 – 16:00 Atmozfears
16:00 – 17:00 D-Block & S-te-Fan
17:00 – 17:30 Sefa
17:30 – 18:30 Malice
18:30 – 19:25 Mish
19:25 – 19:30 INTERMEZZO
19:30 – 20:00 The Gang LIVE
20:00 – 20:30 Riot Shift pres. DYSTOPIA
20:30 – 21:00 Sickmode ON
21:00 – 21:30 Rooler LIVE
21:30 – 22:30 Mutilator
22:30 – 23:00 Aggressive Act
23:00 – 23:55 Major Conspiracy
23:55 – 00:00 Endshow
The Line-up of the “Boiler Room”:
14:00 – 15:30 Ecstatic
15:30 – 16:00 Berber
16:00 – 17:15 PL4Y
17:15 – 18:30 Joey Riot
19:30 – 20:00 Classic Set (Pre-Recorded)
20:00 – 21:00 Malice (Boiler Room Showcase)
21:00 – 22:00 Murdock
22:00 – 23:00 Omnya
23:00 – 23:55 Levenkhan
SFX AND MORE
Many lasers, much bass! The light show, visuals, and show were great. Just in front of the stage were three full rows of lasers, with many more on the ceiling. The big screens behind the DJ area and the fire effects just added a little extra show effect. The sound quality was crisp and clear, and the bass even hit when sitting in the food corner trying to enjoy a hotdog. Loud and lekker! Indoor parties always seem louder than outdoor festivals, but this one has earned my gold medal in loudness so far.
CONCLUSION
This was SICK, and the hype was real. “Welcome to the Gang” was a party hosted by Rebirth Events, and I hope it was not the last one of its kind. Although the venue felt a bit overcrowded at times, especially when the headliners were playing, the overall experience was great, and the line-up did not disappoint. It only showed that we need a bigger venue next time!