Ancienne Belgique: 35 years of Ancienne Belgique

Right in the middle of the city, on top of the metro lines that transport thousands of people from north to south every day, the AB organises some 300 excellent concerts a year. Young artistic talent, commercial heavyweights and international big names bring rock, jazz, dance, reggae, soul, rap, Flemish pop and French chansons. Johan Ral delved into the fascinating history of the AB – from the 1930s to the present day. Based on thorough research and using some 200, often previously unpublished illustrations and photos, Ancienne Belgique tells the colourful story of the Brussels music house – and also of 80 years of music history. From Aznavour to Arbeid Adelt! and from Zappa to Zap Mama. From Brel and Brassens to Barman and Bettens, from Trenet and Piaf to Tura and Pawlowski, from Johnny Hallyday and Françoise Hardy to Herbie Hancock, from Oscar Denayer to Oscar And The Wolf… From theatre and dance to world music. Johan Ral spices up solid historical work with passionate testimonies. The book also describes the rescue of the AB at the end of the 1970s. Thanks to the political will to make it a Flemish institution in the capital, the AB offers Flemish artists a permanent home that is explicitly open to the world. Finally, Ancienne Belgique presents a portrait of the AB today: more than an internationally acclaimed and appreciated concert hall, a real “music house” that offers opportunities to new and alternative talent. With exclusive guest contributions by Arno, Jools Holland and an essay by Marc Didden. With exclusive guest contributions by Arno, Jools Holland and an essay by Marc Didden,. Didden, an AB fan from the very beginning, takes a trip down memory lane. From his very first concert – The Shadows, in the company of a dog that could write his name – to today. His conclusion is simple: 'My best live music souvenirs are in the Steenstraat in Brussels.' Johan Ral started his career as a journalist with