About nine years ago, Acda and De Munnik announced their retirement as a duo. Now there is the – a cynic would say inevitable – comeback. And what kind. Of course there’s a new album, AEDM but more impressive is the number of tickets sold in the Ziggo Dome: six times 17,000 visitors.
Photography Mick de Jong
The break was initiated by Paul de Munnik, who wanted to see what he could do alone in the song business and released solo records. In recent years, Thomas Acda has mainly appeared as an actor in All Stars for example, in theaters or in commercial breaks on TV, and he wrote a book. But when the record company announced that the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough was coming, the rehearsal space was quickly booked. Any accusations about breaking up the relationship had already been resolved.
When the lights go out for their first concert after the farewell in Carré in 2015, we watch a pre-recorded sketch, set in the ‘AEDM museum’ in the year 2052. The leading actors are at each other’s throats with a lot of grief. others the (future) facelifts of Thomas.
Through accusations about ‘that shitty harp’ and ‘that shitty piano’ we arrive at those good old photos from the Ziggo Dome in 2023; photos from the first of four comeback series over the years – so we can get our chest wet. And considering what these six comeback performances accomplish, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Then the screen slides apart into two halves, each moving to the side of the stage, like a curtain opening, and the ball is open.
The Captain Part II sounds, a song that is so burned into the collective memory that the lips of 17,000 people in the hall move along automatically. Are there only people in the room who experienced the heyday of the CD (‘CD from you, CD from me, but given to me by my mother, from my mother, so from me’)?
Not that. The majority would have been students when Acda and De Munnik visited theaters, but today’s students also used to grab the CDs from their parents’ rack and sing themselves hoarse. Below is another one from the same category: Not Or Never Been.
After that we might expect some new songs, which simply have to be played because there is a new record to promote. Not here. Acda takes the floor and says: ‘Nice to have you all here. This is what it is, it doesn’t get more fun than this. We won’t bother you too much with new songs.’
De Munnik: ‘We have rehearsed the songs you know as best as possible in the way you like them most.’ Are those intentions immediately clear: no nonsense, just do what the people came for.
Thomas Acda, of course on acoustic guitar and Paul de Munnik behind the piano, are accompanied by a band of six people on most songs, which provides a rich sound to the hits as we know them. Acda and De Munnik are in good form. Of course they have performed in recent years, but especially for Acda, six times ‘the Ziggo’ is different from De Vrienden Van Amstel (and the resulting De Streamers).
In De Volkskrant he admitted that he really had to give up the drink, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept it up. And with results: it is as if they have never been away. For a moment the evening resembles the same Friends of Amstel, when Dik Hout first comes by for a reunion of the Poemas, followed by Maan and Typhoon. Later even Guus Meeuwis sings along on two songs, but it is not entirely clear why.
We walk to the bar for a Heineken and think about the gigantic legacy that Acda and De Munnik have. Especially when – the moment of the evening – It’s Raining Sunbeams sounds and everyone collectively stands up to dance and shout along. Afterwards, the duo’s logo from the sketch is on screen with the text: ‘Order tickets now for the Ziggo Dome 23/10/2055’. Presumably the fifth reunion, and it cannot be ruled out that we will be there again.
Seen: October 26, 2023 in Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
The post first appeared on oor.nl