The indie rock formation Pip Blom comes from the Netherlands, but is making an international name for itself. With an energetic stage presentation that makes the joy of playing shine and songs that stick in your head, the group has already performed at festivals from Best Kept Secret (Netherlands) to Glastonbury (England). Ever since its formation in 2016, the group has not only been praised by the public, but also enthusiastically received by the media. This was the case with debut album 'Boat' from 2019 as well as with successor 'Welcome Break' in 2021. The Dutch paper Volkskrant gave the album four stars, as did the British NME: "An effort that fizzes with confidence and self-belief." XS Noize went a step further: "Welcome Break is one of the best records of the year. Don't Sleep on it. (10/10)" Meanwhile the third album is released, where they take a new fresh direction. The catchy pop songs with a twist remain, but where the old material was all about guitars, now synthesizers, samples and computers also play a role. A new, clever sound, without losing the appeal and characteristics of the old. We are fans here at PILAR.

Personal Trainer is all your favorite indie acts compressed into one band. The only constant factor is Willem Smit,  driving force of the growing Amsterdam guitar scene. Other than that, Personal Trainer is all about improvising. Often that means quite a few musicians on a stage: members of Chanshaker Pi, Pip Blom, Bull, Steve French, The Klittens, and Home Counties have participated as members of Personal Trainer. That insidiously changeable mindset makes every Personal Trainer performance another unique never-to-be-repeated spectacle. Nothing is too crazy for Willem Smit and his indie rock orchestra: like James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, he is both bandleader and the biggest music fan in the room. Personal Trainer is love, chaos, unpredictability and camaraderie.