Irish doomsters Mourning Beloveth will perform a special set in the Netherlands on Saturday 29th October when they make what will be their third appearance at Dutch Doom Days at the Baroeg, Rotterdam.  And their reasons for doing so?  Quite simple really - not only does Mourning Beloveth have a considerable following in the Netherlands, but they are also huge fans of the Rotterdam venue. Plus the football of course!  As the band explains:

"This will be our third Dutch Doom Days appearance and one we are really looking forward to. We first played Baroeg in 2003 when on the Doomination of Europe Tour with Morgion and The Prophecy, and this is what started  our love affair with the place.   So much so that even if we are not playing at Dutch Doom Days or making a stop there during a tour,  we have also become die-hard Rotterdam Hooligans - the Irish Branch.
 
"We have had many legendary nights at Baroeg, mainly when the gigs were over; from 4am doom sing-along to Feyenoord Gabba songs.  We were even asked by our Dutch friends at Baroeg to contribute to the letter from the venue to the Dutch Government for funding assistance, something that was a real honour for us.  And naturally with Feyenoord 5 points clear at the top of the Eredivise, and a home game next weekend we might even get some good football on Sunday morning."

 
So what exactly does Mourning Beloveth have in store for the fans and the venue on Saturday?
 
"The most important thing of course is the music, and we are due to headline the Saturday night and we have decided to do something special.  We will play Nick Cave's ‘The Weeping Song’ and this will be only third time that we perform it live.  We know this is a favourite amongst our Dutch friends, and the last time we played it on stage also happened to be at the Baroeg.   Unfortunately due to the gremlins that had taken up residence in our equipment, or maybe it was in our heads, we were not satisfied with the performance that time.   We're happy to say that rehearsals are going well, and if anyone knows the words they are more than welcome to help us out and sing along with us.
 
"We will also be playing an acoustic version of ‘A Terrible Beauty Is Born’, with the original video playing behind us.   It will be the first time we have played anything acoustically outside of rehearsals or the recording studio, and we hope everyone will enjoy it.  For those who don't know the song, the lyrics are taken from WB Yeats poem Easter 1916 which is about Ireland's fight for freedom and the changing attitudes of many people who witnessed the ultimate sacrifice made by so many men and women who laid down their lives for a free Ireland.  But the words of the poem could resonate in any country in the world where people have fought for freedom since the beginning of time, and the video reflects this.
 
"See ye in the dark corners...."

The video of "A Terrible Beauty Is Born" that will be used at Dutch Doom Days was created by the band and John Mulvaney and originally released on April 24th - the day that marked the Centenary of the Easter  Uprising.  Since its release there have been more than a few who have questioned what Yeats would have thought of his words being interpreted by a metal band, and some who questioned what the band's motivation was for writing the song.   So, earlier this year the band released an unscripted video where they explained what lies behind the track, the recording process, how such a different sound came about, and what it might lead to in the future.  Titled "A Terrible Interview Is Born", the video can be seen below: