Poppodium Boerderij, Zoetermeer [NL]
Friday, 20th March 2026
Italian prog-rock band Barock Project is back in the country. After a cancelled show late last year due to frontman Luca Zabbini’s illness, the Italians finally take the stage at Poppodium Boerderij. The atmosphere is warm and expectant; roughly 300 visitors have chosen the Zoetermeer pop temple for their evening out. Following the well‑received studio album Time Voyager (2024), the band also released a live album, Live Voyager, in late 2025, more than enough reason to look forward to tonight’s performance with interest and anticipation.
Carry On opens the show. The vocals are immediately excellent, though the sound mix is not (yet) up to par — one of Zabbini’s keyboards is clearly malfunctioning. Without introductions or delay, the band launches into Summer Set You Free, its bluesy Hammond solo a delight, matched by Marco Mazzuoccolo’s razor‑sharp guitar work. The next song, Happy To See You, proves aptly titled; Zabbini’s introduction, vocals, and acoustic guitar visibly move him. After last year’s serious illness, he truly is happy to see us. Baroque keyboards and Olbelli’s powerhouse drumming dominate the track.
An Ordinary Day’s Odyssey and the title track Voyager represent the newer material, hard, fast, space‑themed rock. When Zabbini’s keyboard refuses to cooperate, a frustrated “Fuck technology!” escapes him. Standing at the front, I can see the perfectionist’s irritation growing. The sea‑shanty tinged The Lost Ship Tavern, one of seven Time Voyager tracks on tonight’s setlist, feels like Angelo Branduardi on steroids. The melodic ballad Broken, sung by Zabbini with delicate piano accompaniment, closes the first half.
After a fifteen‑minute break, the band returns with Overture, rich in classical overtones and nods to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. During the band member introductions, the crew attempts to solve the worsening technical issues. Eventually, two keyboards are swapped. In the meantime, Alex Mari reveals his inner Freddie Mercury with an impromptu Somebody To Love, much to the audience’s delight and amusement. Morning Train, with its gorgeous intro, also carries a strong Queen flavour, thanks largely to Mazzuoccolo’s rock‑driven guitar.
By now, the cursed keyboard has been declared officially ‘deceased’, however a snippet of Bohemian Rhapsody, complete with audience participation, rescues the moment. Speaking of rescue: the poppy Rescue Me was originally written to counter criticism that the band’s songs were too long and complex. Voyager’s Homecoming is a top‑tier prog epic, reprising the theme from Carry On. From the older catalogue comes Tired, a “Queen meets Toto” hybrid. And then, lo and behold and it’s a miracle as the ‘dead’ keyboard suddenly works again during The Longest Sigh. Just in time, too: during the encore Fool’s Epilogue, with its almost classical intro, the full ‘orchestra‑from‑a‑box’ returns. The exuberant crowd rewards the hard‑working Italians with a standing ovation, followed by an emotional thank‑you from Luca and Alex for the audience’s unwavering support.
Virtuoso keyboardist Zabbini, now fully recovered, juggles piano, Hammond, and Moog with ease; only the mellotron betrays him tonight. Sequencers and tapes run alongside as he switches to acoustic guitar. He even strikes the occasional rock‑god pose, legs wide, hands free among his instruments. The technical gremlins clearly affect him, but as he says, ‘the show must go on’ – extremely professional, and that is how it should be. Even knocking over the microphone stand doesn’t phase him. ‘Just like Iggy Pop,’ he jokes.
Bassist Eduardo Gamberoni earns extra applause as the last‑minute replacement for Francesco Caliendo, whose absence remains unexplained; remarkably, the change is barely noticeable. Alex Mari has grown into a charismatic frontman, once the weak link, now a genuine asset despite his shaky English. His spontaneous Freddie Mercury moment wins the crowd over and helps salvage the evening. Bravo! The setlist mirrors the latest live album almost exactly, with the exception of Alone. Tonight is baROCK above all and Queen’s influence looms large. I couldn’t help wondering: if Queen and Keith Emerson had ever collaborated, would a kind of Baroque Project-style music have emerged?
The audience, wildly enthusiastic, makes enough noise for twice its number, including a trio of rather boozy hooligans at the front; there’s always a few. Sound and lighting are excellent, as always at the Boerderij. The band were scheduled to play in England two days later – hopefully the technical gremlins were exorcised by then.
[Live photos courtesy of Monica Duffels (Poppodium Boerderij)]
SETLIST
Carry On
Summer Set You Free
Happy to See You
An Ordinary Day’s Odyssey
Voyager
The Lost Ship Tavern
Broken
– Interval –
Somebody to Love (Queen)
Overture
Morning Train
Rescue Me
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
Voyager’s Homecoming
Tired
The Longest Sigh
~ Encore:
Fool’s Epilogue
MUSICIANS
Eduardo Gamberoni – Bass
Alex Mari – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Marco Mazzuoccolo – Electric Guitars, Vocals
Eric Ombelli – Drums, Percussion
Luca Zabbini – Keyboards, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
LINKS
Barock Project – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
