Green Pop

A couple of days before the Belgian general election I headed down to Cirque Royal for Vert Pop, a fundraiser for the French-speaking community's green party, Ecolo.
The star turn of the evening was Mani from the Stone Roses/Primal Scream (and latterly of Freebass with Andy Rourke and Peter Hook, who himself DJd at Vert Pop 2006). Mani, who nowadays also plays every Monday on Manchester radio station, 96.2 The Revolution, spun a sharp mix of mostly 60s/70s soul and late 80s/early 90s hip-hop, interleaved with Big Beat, punk classics and the Prodigy. Top one!
Also taking tuns behind the decks were 'the Belgian Bono', Tom Barman from Deus, Richard23 of Front 242 and rising local star Darko (Statik Dancin'). A live set from UK mash-up arrivistes iPunx was rather lame - two blokes in boiler suits and miners' helmets prancing around to a largely pre-recorded backing.
Much more engaging was the evening's other live experience, Convulsions in the City, a show mixing gymnastics, acrobatics, contemporary dance, audience participation and grungey rock. Not entirely successful (mainly due to the slightly dated, if powerful, music), Convulsions in the City is striving towards something very special indeed.