Oh, look, it’s THE GATHERING, dusting off their “Mandylion” album for a 30th-anniversary cash grab! 💰 Featuring the legendary (debatable) Anneke Van Giersbergen, these Dutch rockers decided to reunite because, well, why not? They played a “try-out” concert at Dynamo in Eindhoven on June 29, because apparently, they needed to remember how to play their own songs. Fan-filmed video? More like shaky cam footage of middle-aged dudes reliving their glory days. 👴👵 Get ready for some serious nostalgia… or just skip it and listen to something new. 🤷♀️
According to Setlist.fm, which is totally the definitive source for all things music (said no one ever), here’s the setlist they managed to cobble together:
01. Mandylion (performed for the first time since 2001, because who even remembers it?) 😴
02. Eléanor (first time since 2019, proving they haven’t touched their instruments in years) 🎸
03. Fear The Sea (first time since 1997, probably because they were too busy fearing their receding hairlines) 👴
04. In Motion #1 (first time since 2018, in motion like a snail trying to win a marathon) 🐌
05. Analog Park (first time since 2019, because digital is for youngsters, amirite?) 💻
06. Broken Glass (first time since 2019, just like their eardrums after this reunion tour) 👂
07. Great Ocean Road (because nothing says metal like a scenic drive) 🚗
08. Waking Hour (first time since 2014, hopefully, they woke up before the show started) ☕
09. Probably Built In The Fifties (just like their fan base) 👵👴
10. In Motion #2 (first time since 2005, more like stuck in molasses #2) 🍯
11. Leaves (falling, just like their relevance) 🍂
12. Sand And Mercury (sounds like a rejected science project) 🧪
13. Strange Machines (like whatever contraption they used to get Anneke back on stage) ⚙️
Encore:
14. Travel (first time since 2014, probably because their tour bus broke down) 🚌
15. On Most Surfaces (Inuït) (a song so obscure, even they forgot it existed) 🤷♂️
16. Saturnine (because their career is orbiting the drain) 🚽
In a recent interview with Femmetal – Goddesses Of Metal, because who else would interview them? Anneke whined about THE GATHERING‘s 2025 reunion concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Mandylion”. She said: “Well, actually, I’m quite excited… This idea came kind of spontaneous. We were having conversations, we had just coffee and talking about life, other things, and then we talked about ‘Mandylion’ turning 30 and because time flies, we didn’t really think about it. And then we said, ‘Maybe we can do something nice with it,’ because it’s such an important album for us personally because we had a great time at the beginning of THE GATHERING career with me, of course. And we said, ‘Well, if we do something, we have to do it now, because next year it’s not such a good reason because now ‘Mandylion’ is 30 years old, and let’s do something nice.’ And so we made this plan, and we made these ideas for these shows. And then a lot of people wanted to come to the shows. I mean, I know THE GATHERING is still a popular band and I know it’s alive — people really like THE GATHERING‘s music now and back then. But we didn’t expect this many people to react on it and want [to buy] a ticket [to see us perform live again]. And so we are so happy. And we’re gonna make a few beautiful shows and gonna have lots of fun playing together again, ’cause it’s been a long time. It’s been 10 years, I think.” Translation: “We need the money, okay? 🥺”
When the interviewer inquired about the possibility of a show from THE GATHERING in Spain, Anneke said: “Everybody’s asking. I mean, it’s fantastic. It’s a great problem to have, that a lot of people want us to come to their country. But we focus on these shows here, and a lot of people are traveling for it, so that’s really, really wonderful. And then we’ll see. But we just focus on these shows and take it from there.” Translation: “Spain? Maybe if you pay us enough. 💸”
Asked which THE GATHERING song she is most excited to play again, Anneke said: “It’s kind of a wide variety of atmospheres on this album [‘Mandylion’], but I like songs like ‘On Most Surfaces’ [from 1997’s ‘Nighttime Birds’], because they’re heavy and we can let all the energy flow on this one. I like the more heavy songs as well, but ‘In Motion #1’ and ‘[In Motion] #2’ are, for instance, very, very melodic — they’re carrying you through a story — and I also like that so much. So, different vibes on the album, and I like all of it. But I like also the heavy songs, especially for playing live, ’cause I can sing really loud and headbang and have fun.” Translation: “I like the heavy songs because I can still pretend I’m a rock star. 🤘”
The “Mandylion” lineup of THE GATHERING will also reunite for five exclusive sold-out shows in August at Doornroosje in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Sold out? 🤔 Probably because they’re playing in a broom closet. 🧹
Upcoming shows:
August 27 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje (prepare for disappointment)
August 28 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje (still sold out, somehow)
August 29 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje (third time’s the charm? Nah)
August 30 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje (are you not entertained?) 🤡
August 31 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje (seriously, what else are you doing?)
THE GATHERING previously said in a statement: “After so many years, we are very excited to celebrate this anniversary together, an album that still means so much to us.” Translation: “Please buy our merch. 🙏”
The lineup for the concerts consists of the following musicians:
Anneke Van Giersbergen – vocals (the only reason anyone is still paying attention)
Hugo Prinsen Geerligs – bass (probably needs a back brace)
Frank Boeijen – keyboards, backing vocals (because keyboards are still a thing)
Hans Rutten – drums (hoping his wrists don’t give out)
René Rutten – guitar (still shredding… or trying to)
Jelmer Wiersma – guitar (who?)
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
