Maynard James Keenan is known as one of the most active musicians in alternative rock today. He is currently touring Europe with Puscifer to support their latest album, Normal Isn’t, showing that his schedule remains full. Earlier this year, he completed a tour with A Perfect Circle, and it has not been very long since TOOL also played a show in Amsterdam. Because of this high output, there is almost always something happening across his different musical projects, which is great news for the fans who follow his work.
For this specific stop, the band played at the Gashouder in Amsterdam. The venue is becoming a regular destination for major live music events in the city. Unlike traditional music halls, this former industrial gasworks building has a unique circular structure with high ceilings and brick architecture. This was our first time visiting the Gashouder for a concert, and it left a positive impression. The acoustics inside the round room were clear and well-balanced, allowing the instruments and vocals to come through properly. In addition to the audio quality, the event was well-organized and the staff working at the location were helpful and polite throughout the evening. With its capacity of 3500 concert goers, Gashouder is the perfect segway between Melkweg and Paradiso, who are both on about 1500 attendees, and the AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome which carry 6.000 and 17.5000 fans respectively.
Puscifer is widely considered to be the most experimental band out of Keenan’s three main groups, and the live show reflected that. When playing with TOOL or A Perfect Circle, Keenan usually stays toward the back of the stage in the darker areas. In Puscifer, however, he spends a lot of time at the front of the stage. He and co-vocalist Carina Round moved continuously around the platform, creating an active stage dynamic. Their vocals work well together in person, just as they do on the studio recordings, switching smoothly between lead parts and harmonies during the songs.
The concert also made use of a large visual screen positioned behind the band. When the musicians took brief breaks between sections of the set, the screen showed humorous video sketches. The most notable interlude was a parody of a television baking show. In the clip, the band members took over the kitchen and gradually pulled the confused host into their strange, fictional universe before returning to the instruments to start the next song.
Musically, the performance was clean and well-rehearsed. The combination of Keenan and Round’s vocals was strong and precise, while the backing musicians played through the set without any noticeable mistakes. The arrangements balanced electronic beats, bass lines, and rock guitar sections effectively. Fans expect high technical skill from any project involving Keenan, and Puscifer delivered that standard while maintaining their own distinct musical approach.
The setlist focused heavily on songs from the new record, Normal Isn’t, which gave the audience an opportunity to hear the fresh material live. At the same time, the band made sure to include several older, well-known tracks from their previous albums. One of the highlights of the night was the new track “Self Evident,” which was received warmly by the crowd, with many people singing along to the lyrics. Another standout moment was the performance of “Momma Sed”. The band played an alternative arrangement of the song that proved to be one of the best moments of the entire evening.
To document the event, photographer Eva van den Bosch was in attendance to shoot the show from the photo pit. You can view her photo gallery from the evening below to see how the concert looked in person.
