A Farewell to an Icon: Patronaat’s final hour

Last shot at the Patronaat venue by photographer Paul Verhagen

Since it’s first inclusion as a venue in various festivals in Tilburg, het Patronaat has become a loved venue for all. Not just for Roadburn, but also for Incubate, Netherlands Deathfest and many other events the venue played a vital part. Now, it’s doors close for live concerts for good and Imperial Triumphant was the band to play the final notes in the upstairs venue with the pretty carpeted balcony and beautiful stained glass windows and wooden beams.

We have seen many legendary shows in the venue and as a little homage to The Patronaat, so we collected some of our dearest memories as a little homage or tribute to the venue you couldn’t get into.

GOAT (Effenaar, 2016), foto Paul Verhagen

Lisa Gritter
Goat – Roadburn 2013
A never before seen mix of doom, gloom and fun in a voodoo like ritual that even got the most stubborn metalheads dancing.

Ingmar Griffioen
Elder – Roadburn 2013
I had only the faintest idea about Elder, just read the text at the Roadburn site (mentioning stonerdoom), listened to Dead Roots Stirring once and entered the Patronaat venue on one (soon to be) glorious day in 2013. They played that album and some more and grabbed me from the first note. I don’t remember much sets where I headbanged to from the first to the last minute. Following albums, Lore and Reflections of a Floating World were sublime as well, but I had to wait to Desertfest 2018 to see them again. Therein Antwerpen Jurgen (Roadburn Records) was good enough to sell and save me the last copy of the freshly released ‘Elder live at Roadburn 2013′ record. Praise the lord of doom.

The Patronaat venue will be so dearly missed. This year’s edition saw a.o. Marissa Nadler, GOLD, Messa and the whole Maalstroom day elevate themselves in this special atmosphere. Praying for a worthy replacement, but I have no doubt Roadburn will have some clever solutions up their sleeves.

Zeal & Ardor at Roadburn 2017, photo Roy Wolters

MisÞyrming at Roadburn 2016, photo Paul Verhagen

Roy Wolters
Zeal and Ardor – Roadburn 2017
“This is what happens if you sing about the devil in a church.” Manuel Gagneux after the PA fails them twice during their performance. During those unplanned intermezzos, the audience filled the void by singing out loud “The devil is fine”.

Guido Segers
Úlfsmessa (Misþyrming, Naðra, NYIÞ and Grafir) – Roadburn 2016
I’m not sure what was most impressive about this piece, but it stands vividly in my memory as something monumental. I was there an hour before in a packed venue to experience total and utter darkness from the Icelandic reinvigorators of the black metal genre. The show was intense and unnerving, but oh so powerful. I think the sacral setting only enhanced that feeling.

Justina Lukosiute
CHVE – Roadburn 2016
The ritualistic nature of the songs of CHVE works very well in the atmosphere of an old church building. The heat and stuffy atmosphere made its distant calling even more strong and sensory.

Tim van der Steen

Inter Arma op Roadburn 2017, foto: Paul Verhagen

Inter Arma – Roadburn 2017
They were the very last band to play on the Sunday of Roadburn 2017, and what a beating that would prove to be. After four days of festival, most of us were more dead than alive, but the bludgeoning force of Inter Arma got us back up again. Last drinks were had, last horns were raised, everything came together perfectly in the hallowed halls of het Patronaat while Jesus himself watched it all from the stained glass windows.

Stefan Kemp
Birds in Row – Roadburn 2019
WIthout knowing what I was about to see and experience, this show completely blew me away. Totally hit the sweet spot between hardcore and alternative.

Daan Holthuis
‘Hieros Gamos’ – Roadburn 2018
After seeing this ritualistic piece coming to life in Reykjavik during Oration MMVIII, seeing the ritual in its full glory in Patronaat’s sacral setting is one of my most valuable Roadburn experiences. The Hieros Gamos is a centuries-old ritual where two deities are united by a sacred marriage performed by human participants. As reinterpreted by the Icelandic NYIÞ collective and Wormlust’s H.V Lyngdal, the captivating performance and accompanying caleidoscopic visuals have left me thinking to this very day.

Our video team spoke to Imperial Triumphant about their Patronaat gig: