Genres and atmospheres, operateske dada blues punk pop, a high-pitched voice, dark beats and theatricality make spring of this grandly intimate spectacle.

The band The Unrequired Love of Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe and Laurens Mariën release an LP and an electronic concert that navigates between a spectacle and a love ritual. Fluctuating genres and atmospheres, operatesque dada blues punk pop, a highpitched voice, dark beats and theatricality make spring of this grandly intimate spectacle. Together with dancer Hanako Hayakawa and writer Louise van den Eede, they cherish hope for a different society where people find each other around poppy fires, where spectacles have a liberating primal force, where all possible forms of love constantly exchange costumes.

“... a piece of unadulterated magic. Meirhaeghe's impressive stage presence and his breathtaking vocal range has something to do with this. ... He combines pure operatic vocals with blues, intimate jazz and a sweep of screaming rock. This is passion kneased into music - 'operatic dada-blues-punk pop' - that cannot be tamed into a genre. ... Spectacles is a spectacular delight for every heart.”

Els Van Steenberghe - Focus Knack **** - 01.09.2021

“Benjamin is a hallucinatory talent. It’s a creator, a composer, a singer. … Benjamin plays both in the Flemish Opera and in the Vooruit. He is going to change things. … Spectales is a punk pop dada blues opera that plays with genres, with ambiances and dreams of a better word.”

Julien Broquet - Focus Vif – 02.09.2021

“His universe is baroque, grotesque, excessive, but also: beneficant, embracing, conciliatory. After two decades of theatre with sober forms and an explicit political approach, it seems that with Meirhaeghe there is again an enthusiasm for form and repertoire research, for play, for ensemble and above all: for theatre of doing instead of saying. For theatre that, if all goes well, prefers the politicising power of a daze to dry reflection. Celebrating there is an act of defiance.”

Evelyne Coussens - De Morgen - 09.09.2021

Credits

Location Dates Hour  
De Parade (Amsterdam)
+31 (0)20 2386393
Show on map
9/7/2021
9/7/2021
9/7/2021
10/7/2021
10/7/2021
11/7/2021
12/7/2021
12/7/2021
13/7/2021
-
17:30
21:00
17:30
21:00
17:30
17:30
21:00
17:30









De Studio (Antwerpen)
+32 3 202 46 46
www.destudio.com
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12/8/2021
19:00

Kunstencentrum Vooruit (Gent)
https://www.vooruit.be/
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28/8/2021
29/8/2021
21:00
21:00


Ancienne Belgique (Brussel)
+32 2 548 24 84
https://www.abconcerts.be
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9/9/2021
20:00

REWIRE festival (Den Haag)
https://www.rewirefestival.nl/
Show on map
10/9/2021
-

Kaap vzw (Brugge)
+32 50 33 05 29
www.kaap.be
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2/10/2021
20:30

Pilar (Brussels)
https://pilar.brussels/
Show on map
7/10/2021
20:00

Handelsbeurs Gent (Gent)
+32 9 265 91 60
http://www.handelsbeurs.be
Show on map
15/2/2022
20:15

CC De Schakel Waregem (Waregem)
+32 56 62 13 40
www.ccdeschakel.be
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19/2/2022
21:00

Kunstencentrum nona Mechelen (Mechelen)
+32 15 20 37 80
www.nona.be
Show on map
25/2/2022
20:30

Muziekcentrum TRIX (Antwerpen (Borgerhout))
+32 3 670 09 00
www.trixonline.be
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18/3/2022
19:00