Monday 30 June 2014

A Fun Night Out With ZZ Top



Some artists and bands you just have to see at least once in your life. ZZ Top is one of those legendary bands that I never saw play live before and I just wanted to check out. In fourty years they built an impressive discography with many hits. Their beards have grown longer, but the three piece keeps going strong.



ZZ Top at Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam, June 24 2014

At the beginning of the show, the two screens on stage start showing some kind of road movie with a hot sexy blonde girl. As seniors, the members of ZZ Top clearly still appreciate beautiful girls and cars. The transition from the movie to the live show isn't really smooth, but the three blues men don't mind and go right at it with 'Got Me Under Pressure'. It sets the mood for the one and a half hour show right away. Drummer Frank Beard is sitting behind his big drum kit, that looks like it got hit by a car shop. He remains a bit in the background while Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill do their thing at the front.



It looks like everything they play is quite rehearsed and there doesn't seem to be a lot of improvisation. But the easy and relaxed way they are showing is very entertaining. In all those years they are like Siamese twins, the way they move around stage, how the two look at each other. The blues men probably know how to read each other like a book. Their faces are hidden behind sunglasses (cheap ones I assume?) and their long beards, but now and then you can see a smile peep through.



Especially when they are playing a really slow blues or the Muddy Waters cover 'Catfish Blues' or the Hendrix cover 'Foxy Lady', they are definitely enjoying themselves. Bass player Hill is sometimes facing the screen, enjoying the visuals on it, that are quite nice actually. He must be enjoying the sexy blond from up close when pieces of the road movie are displayed. This way the show is very enjoyable and the fans love every minute of it.



The die hards must have seen it a hundred times and from the noise of chatting people around us, the big mess and beer on the floor, I can tell most people here are on a night out with friends, having a good time at a show of their favourite band. Normally this would be very annoying, but tonight it makes for a great atmosphere. It may not be a surprising show, but definitely one where both, musicians and fans, are having a good time. And isn't that what music is all about?



More Pictures

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

Setlist
01. Got Me Under Pressure
02. Waitin' for the Bus
03. Jesus Just Left Chicago
04. Gimme All Your Lovin'
06. 05. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
07. Pincushion
08. I Gotsta Get Paid
09. Flyin' High
10. Foxy Lady
11. Catfish Blues
12. Cheap Sunglasses
13. My Head's in Mississippi
14. Chartreuse
15. Sharp Dressed Man
16. Legs
Encore
17. La Grange / Sloppy Drunk Jam
18. Tush
Encore
19. Tube Snake Boogie


Read more!

Friday 27 June 2014

Best Kept Secret Day 3: One Day Like This



Normally being in a tent is quite uncomfortable at festivals. By the time the alcohol is wearing off, you'll find yourself waking up in total agony. So after doing the bare necessities to give yourself a decent enough appearance you drag yourself to the festival site to see the first band. Since this isn't the case over here, we're way too comfortably waking up, having breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice. I really love it, but the downside is we are missing out on the first few bands.

Best Kept Secret Festival Day 3, June 22 2014

So by the the time we make it to the festival site, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Truckfighters and Fucked Up are already done. But there's plenty to see today, so we head for the first show of the day.



Heavy Times
"Chicago's most hated band" had the same trouble getting up as us, or so it seems. Their show is very messy and not tight at all. It's the second show of their drum player the singer tells us, so maybe that's why their garage rock songs are not coming together today. It may also explain their set is cut 15 minutes short.

Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Spotify



Elephant Stone
I expect a lot more from Elephant Stone who impressed me last year with a wonderful record and a nice performance in the woods at the Into The Great Wide Open Festival. They don't disappoint at all. The band sounds more full and even more convincing than last time. It doesn't take long for their music to slowly lift me up and embrace me. The sitar of course is still a big add-on to the show and its amazing sound is incredible. The Horrors' keyboard player Tom Cowan is making a guest appearance at the end of the set, but that doesn't really add anything to an already convincing performance.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify



The Horrors
Although the sun is shining at its brightest today, it's time to go into the dark. The Horrors released a new album this year, that didn't quite live up to the expectations. Fortunately their live performance does. Even better, the band has grown a lot since I've seen them. The songs on the new album make a bigger impact on stage than they do on the album, where they were kind of wearing off too quickly. The band sounds great and tight, while singer Faris Badwan is drawing attention with his stage appearance. slightly leaning forward most of the time. If only they could transfer this onto a record.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



The Notwist
German band The Notwist have been around for quite a while but never made it really big. Their music has transformed into indie pop songs with big arrangements. Today the band is showing to be capable of putting down a convincing performance. The song structures and sound are very creative and the band is very focused. This is no middle-of-the road indie band, but a very skilled team. It seems to go down very well with the crowd, although their performance is a bit static. But the way they handle their instruments and how they produce these smart compositions is stunning.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Belle & Sebastian
At the beginning of the evening Belle & Sebastian have the perfect setting for a nice show in the sun, while everyone is feeling absolutely delighted. They also have the perfect songs for it, nothing too heavy on the heart. However somehow it doesn't really work for me. I don't really see the fire in their performance, although singer Stuart Murdoch is doing his best. It also doesn't draw a lot of response from the crowd, who are apparently dozing off in the sun. It's time we fire things up a bit.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Deap Vally You can leave it to the two ladies of Deap Vally to rough things up with their sharp rock songs. Screaming guitars and vocals and heavy grooving drums in the style of the old rock legends. Together with their sexy appearance it causes testosterone levels to go up as well as the temperature. And it gives the security guy another hard time.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Fat White Family
To rough things up more, Fat White Family are totally living up to their live reputations. The boys have already taken their shirts off and treat us to a high energy and aggressive show. Their garage rock is like a smack in the face and the band is giving it all on stage. Singer Lias Saoudi is screaming at the top of his lungs, while the rest of the band are working their way through a set of mean and gritty rock funk songs. And the crowd loves every minute of it.



Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



Elbow
Things slow down a bit when Elbow is starting their performance, already the last one of the weekend, closing down this magical festival in style. Backed up by his steady band, Guy Garvey is the charming gentleman he always is. His beautiful voice alone is already enough to please, but together with the band, a string and horn section and an impressive set of screens, Elbow take their show to the next level. It doesn't really matter that their last album is a bit of a let down, today everything sounds spot on. And they couldn't have been more right, closing the night with 'One Day Like This' singing "one day like this a year would see me right". Or three days like this would be even better.



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

The festival closes down shortly after, which leaves us with a few cups that cost us a deposit and no way to get that back. Also it leaves us with some money on the chip on our wristband. Something for the organization to take into account next year and only a minor setback in an otherwise glorious weekend. We'll definitely be back then to enjoy a great festival and a comfortable jungalow.

More Pictures

Best Kept Secret Day 1
Best Kept Secret Day 2

Read more!

Thursday 26 June 2014

Best Kept Secret 2014 Day 2: The Party Is On



We wake up to the sound of chirping birds in a real bed. After a refreshing warm shower without waiting in line, the smell of fried eggs and fresh coffee fills the little house. We can even have breakfast outside at a real table with real chairs. This is such luxury at a festival and pure joy. I feel really great and am totally ready for day two.

Best Kept Secret Festival Day 2, June 21 2014

But it's so relaxed sitting outside sipping our coffee that we take it a bit too slow and by the time we make it to the main stage, The Bots are saying their goodbyes. So we walk back to stage Three for our first band of the day.



Pins
The four ladies from Manchester are like a younger and lighter version of Savages in a good way. They do bring that dark eighties sound, but add just enough punk and colour to it. And they also add plenty of smiles especially guitarist Lois McDonald who looks like she's having a blast on stage. This band could come a long way.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



Moss
Dutch band Moss released another good album earlier this year. They fully understand the concept of "less is more" and showcase that this afternoon. This doesn't mean they only play slow minimal songs, sometimes the band plays one of their more uptempo rock songs. The slower songs are a bit hard to chew for the crowd as the sun is getting brighter and warmer and the beers colder. But they are definitely one of the more interesting acts on the bill.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



Radkey
On stage Three we stumble on a full on rock party. Three young men, made up of the three Radke brothers, are completely killing it here, playing super energetic rock songs and totally look cool doing. Bass player Isaiah seems to have walked out of an eighties video while singer Dee is shaking his dreads. You wouldn't expect such a powerful voice from this little man. But they are growing big on stage and are one of the nicest surprises on this festival.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



School Is Cool
The second album by Belgian band School Is Cool is a lot darker and complex than their catchy debut. The band is clearly growing up and so is singer Johannes Genard who seems to be quite fond of his new hairstyle. The band had a few line up changes but sound pretty tight together. Not all of their new songs are very easy and they like to make it hard on their audience. But Gennard is clearly planning on getting every single one us on his side. It's definitely a band that is still growing and has a lot to offer. Their hard work is paying off and that is showing today.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube



Wild Beasts
Another band that doesn't like to make things easy are Wild Beasts. But they also aren´t really appealing to me, mostly because of the falsetto vocals by Tom Flemming. Together with the slow and dramatic compositions it is getting on my nerves. They did bring nice lighting with them and I understand that it can turn magical when you're into their music. The foursome is playing a convincing and focused set but this is just not for me.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube



Miles Kane
Another cup of tea and definitely mine is Miles Kane. More and more he is growing into a wanted festival act and for a good reason. He's playing his in-your-face rock music with so much energy and enthusiasm it's too hard to resist. Today is no exception. Kane is working hard as always and is enjoying every minute of his show in the sun. For some people it may not be refined enough or too simple, but they must admit that Miles Kane is able to throw a good party wherever he is showing up. And I think most people on this spot today are agreeing to that.



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Afterpartees
A band that also knows how to throw a party, before, during or after, are Dutch rockers Afterpartees. This young band have moulded their punk and garage rock songs into super catchy party anthems and have just the right front man to perform them. Niek Nellen looks like he was born to perform, with a natural feeling for rock poses and the right amount of cheekiness. The band knows exactly what the people want today and give it to them in large amounts and lots of energy. The security guy is getting more and more desperate by the minute to keep an eye out for illegal crowd surfers. He never stood a chance.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



The War On Drugs
One of the most anticipated acts this weekend is probably The War On Drugs. The band is getting bigger every day and their latest album is bound to end up high in the end of the year lists. Today they prove this is all justified. Their music, a mix of Bob Dylan and Springsteen with a pinch of Dire Straits, may not be really appealing on paper but it definitely is. The warm and dreamy songs are also spot on in the nice evening sun. Many people subdue themselves to this band and let themselves slowly carry away.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify





Franz Ferdinand
If you want a headliner that is guaranteed to throw a party, who do you call? Franz Ferdinand! Maybe not the most original festival act or music, but can we ever get enough of them? Not when it is performed with so much energy and aimed at people having a good time. Charismatic front man Alex Kapranos is looking totally relaxed again, while they fire away one hit after another. Resistance is futile so we keep the beer flowing and the jumping going. "This fire is out of control" you bet ya.



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

And so we feel right at home at this festival that is turning into one of our favourites. Everything is in balance, everything is relaxed and musical wise there's something to everyone's taste. And having a few more beers in your jungalow before you climb into a real bed is just icing on the cake. Yes, I like the word "jungalow" a lot.

More Pictures

Best Kept Secret Day 1
Best Kept Secret Day 3

Read more!

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Best Kept Secret 2014 Day 1: Jungalow Galore

It's hard to keep a secret. The Best Kept Secret festival couldn't keep it a secret that they had a dream start last year with their first edition. So this second edition we decided to check it out for ourselves. For the first time on a festival, we would not be camping but we were going to stay in a bungalow, or jungalow how they are called here, since the festival is at the site of safari park Beekse Bergen. This is a winner right from the start.

Best Kept Secret Festival Day 1, June 20 2014

After we are settled in in our comfortable leopard print jungalow in the woods, we head to the festival site but are not in time to catch Telegram. Sorry guys.



To Kill A King
So instead we end up at to Kill A King's set. This band wasn't on my list and for a good reason. They aren't exactly my cup of tea with their folky indie pop music. Of course the main stage along the lake is the right setting but it gets to weary in the end.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Circa Waves
Circa Waves are the ones who really kick off the festival for me and the band from Liverpool do a good job. The four piece bring garage rock from the catchiest kind with guitar hooks, singalong lines like The Strokes can (or could?) do so well. This band is not even one year old and already looking good. Now we're eagerly awaiting their debut album.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Daryll-Ann
The pride of Dutch alternative music are taking their reunion tour to Hilvarenbeek as well. It should be the ideal setting for them, on a festival whose target group are all potential fans. But the band are playing a routine set that is actually a bit slow. Instead of a magical moment things are only turning nostalgic for those who fell in love with the band back in the nineties. There's no spark like at their Paradiso show earlier this year.

Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify



Birth Of Joy
Fortunately three piece rockers Birth Of Joy are the ones replacing , who are eagerly taking this chance. Within no time they are setting fire to stage Two, playing their contagious blues rock with plenty of heart. The guitar is screaming, the drums are rolling, the organ is boogying and the crowd is going mental. It turns into an unexpected highlight of the day.



Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify



Midlake
Midlake are taking it more slow on the main stage, or stage One. Their dreamy folk rock is actually quite nice at the start of the evening, when the beers are starting to sink in. It's nothing to go wild about, but it feels nice dozing off to the light tunes that are circling around our heads.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



Breton
But it's way too early to doze off and we need a good wake up call. Bring on Breton! The Londoners are just the right amount of pepper we need to spice things up. Their highly danceable songs catch on really well with the crowd who are all switched on to party mode by now. Dancing and partying is exactly what they want us to do.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



James Blake
But then James Blake comes in to bring us down again. This one probably goes into the category "it's me, I know, but I don't get it", since everyone seems to love this electro music producer except me. I'm pretty sure his minimal electronic songs will go down better in a much darker place, than right now on the main stage while the sun is still up. But it simply doesn't do anything for me. His music is too slow to my taste and his voice is annoying me. Time to grab me one of those burgers I guess.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Interpol
It's been a while since we last heard from Interpol. That's about to change with a new album coming up and here they are back on the road again. Their show is quite intense and tight, especially songs from their earliest and best records. It doesn't offer any new insights though, so I'm curious how the new album is going to sound.

Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify



Pixies
The highly anticipated album by the Pixies was quite a disappoint in April. The urgency and impact they had is gone now and so all that's left is "just" a good rock band. This was already clear from the shows I saw them play over the past few years. But today Black Francis and his band mates are doing well, playing a tight and fierce set in the dark on the main stage. Now and then you can even see a few traces from their golden years shine through.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify



Bombay Show Pig
The golden years for Bombay Show Pig are still ahead of them I think. They are getting better and better every time I see them and their is still so much potential. The duo are now a trio since they added a bass player. It is a smart move, because it gives their music more body and depth. The bass is emphasizing Linda van Leeuwen's grooves, making the songs more powerful. I can't wait to hear their new album.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Caribou
We close the night with Caribou. Although the beers are setting in by now, I understand why people are so excited about this musician's live shows. His electronic music sounds really natural and quite intense. It reminds me of Atoms for Peace whose music has the same feel and Caribou and his live band also know how to make his music breath and how to sound organic.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

We are off to a great start on this first day of the festival. It's a lot of fun exploring the festival site that is new to us. The program was really full today, but still I managed to see a lot of the bands I picked out. But how am I ever going to have time for all the great food that's around?

More Pictures

Best Kept Secret Day 2
Best Kept Secret Day 3

Read more!

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Sniffing The Grass: Warming Up For Best Kept Secret 2014



Last year was the first edition of the Best Kept Secret festival. It got raving reviews and more importantly the people visiting the festival thought it was heaven. The combination of a very good line-up, good food and a bungalow instead of a camping was one hard to resist. So this year we will make our way to the wild animals of the safari park where the festival is taking place. I never danced with a giraffe before, so I am looking forward to it a lot. What can we see there? Read all about it.



One thing is clear, there's not much time to try out all the nice food, especially the first two days. The bookers did such a good job, that my schedule is very full with all the bands I plan on checking out. And of course I have to make tough choices.

Friday
Why not start off on a high right away with Telegram's punk. Then continue down this road with some Strokes kind of rock songs by Circa Waves. Or some psych rock by the Cosmonauts instead? I'm definitely not gonna miss that amazing Dutch indie band Daryll-Ann and their perfect songs. Remember The Walkmen? Peter Matthew Bauer was playing bass and keys for them and has now released his first solo album. Let's see how that sounds live. Midlake are going to treat us to some nice seventies psych softrock and then it's time to dance to Breton and their synth pop songs. Although not a fan of his music I want to see what James Blake is all about. Interpol are back! Hopefully their dark songs are still impressive. Otherwise I can always go and check out Tijuana Panthers instead and their catchy punk and surf songs. Pixies aren't the band of the old days anymore and I've seen them play a few disappointing shows. So I'll definitely will check out Bombay Showpig as well and their exciting music. So many people like the live shows of Caribou and I'm willing to give it a try although it's not exactly my cup of tea. I can always switch to Archie Bronson Outfit and their psych garage rock.
That's a full festival day. I'm gonna sleep so well in a real band in the jungalow. After a few more beers probably. Guess who: it's Joe Piler!

Three tips for today:
1. Daryll-Ann
2. Midlake
3. Bombay Showpig




Saturday
Woohoo! Waking up in a real bed in a bungalow means a proper toilet, a shower without queue and cooking our own breakfast with fresh coffee. And then we kick off with The Bots, those two youngsters that play garage rock like The Black Keys. Pins are a band that play dark 80s inspired songs like Savages, which sound real interesting. Moss are never disappointing with their melodic indie songs, so we may not have time for September Girls' garage rock and Radkey's punk rock. Belgian band School Is Cool made a totally different second album that sounds a lot darker and is definitely worth checking out. Miles Kane is guaranteed to rock us off our socks. Maybe after that we can grab a bit of Traams' garage rock. Many people are excited about Slowdive who are back together, but their shoegaze may be to dreamy for me. Afterpartees definitely is not too dreamy and I am willing to give up most of Babyshambles's show for it. Pink Mountaintops are playing grooving psych rock songs which I love, but The Wytches are throwing their crazy punk show at the same time. The War On Drugs are the talk of the town after the release of their fantastic new album, so that's a no-brainer. Chrvrches are probably too slow for me, but I'll give them a try since everyone is so crazy about them. Or I'll just check out some insane garage rock from Together Pangea. And we'll close the night with a guaranteed Franz Ferdinand party, which means I'll have to miss Night Beats' rock 'n roll soul porn.

Three tips for today:
1. Afterpartees
2. The War On Drugs
3. Franz Ferdinand




Sunday
The final day of the festival leaves more room for some breaks, which means we can also discover all the great food. The happy indie rock of Catfish and the Bottlemen should get us started. We'll wash it down with some heavy stoner rock from Truckfighters. If that's too heavy on the stomach the summery garage rock songs of Heavy Times should lighten us up. And otherwise Elephant Stone will definitely get us high with their psychedelic music. The Horrors new album sounds less dark, but their show probably won't. Germans The Notwist will bring back the light with their happy indie pop, the gorgeous pop songs of Belle & Sebastian definitely will. It means I will have to skip the hard rocking ladies of Deap Vally. Garage rockers Fat White Family have quite a live reputation and I want to check it out myself. I'm sure Elbow will close the festival in style.

Three tips for today:
1. Elephant Stone
2. Belle & Sebastian
3. Fat White Family




This promises to be a very nice weekend, full of great music, good food, good company and our close friend Joe Piler. See the full line-up over here and the time schedule over here.

Read more!

Saturday 14 June 2014

Jumping With Franz Ferdinand



At the height of their fame Franz Ferdinand started playing the bigger venues. At the same time it looked as if they weren't enjoying themselves anymore. Things had to change and the band took a long break. In the meantime their fame slowly started to fade again. But last year they returned with a strong new album and an impressive and energetic show at the Lowlands Festival. Now they were going to play Paradiso, a smaller venue than usual and this could only mean one thing: party!



Franz Ferdinand at Paradiso Amsterdam, June 12 2014

First Dutch new wave band Rats on Rafts are going to warm us up. It's no secret Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kopranos is a big fan, so it's no surprise they are the support act. They play a rough and dark set of songs, heavy on reverb. The band has grown over the years and they start to sound really tight. Their newly released single 'Powder Monkey' sounds great as well, so things look really promising for this band.



Things have changed for Franz Ferdinand since their long break from fame. The band looks a lot more relaxed on stage and it seems they have found a way of dealing with their place in a famous band and with each other. Kopranos is smiling throughout the show, looks very pleased and is without a doubt enjoying himself a lot. No one can stand still when they start playing, including Kopranos himself, who is doing split jumps from time to time. There's a lot of energy on stage and in the crowd who have come here to party. On the last album the band is emphasizing that they want us to dance, by including disco influences like on 'Can't Stop Feeling'. This proves to be very effective live as well.



But of course the band did write so many great songs that no one can resist and should get everyone moving. They may not always be very original but they are so effective. Every single one of their records has at least a few irresistible dancing tunes. And they are all in the setlist tonight: 'The Dark of the Matinée', 'Tell Her Tonight', 'Do You Want To', it doesn't take much to get this crowd going wild. In the middle the four are kind of slowing down, but just when you think they are letting it slip away, they knock out one killer after one another: 'Michael', 'Take Me Out', 'Love Illumination', 'Ulysses' are back to back and Paradiso explodes.



On 'Outsiders' the band gather around Paul Thomson's drum set to hit the shit out of it. Then they leave the stage for a short break. Which hit songs didn't they play yet? Of course we're still waiting for 'Right Action' and 'This Fire'. They close the night with 'Goodbye Lovers & Friends', a fitting end to an amazing evening. And the best part? We get to see them again next week on the Best Kept Secret festival. Mental note to myself: bring dancing shoes.



More Pictures

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Setlist:
01. Bullet
02. No You Girls
03. The Dark of the Matinée
04. Evil Eye
05. Tell Her Tonight
06. Do You Want To
07. The Fallen
08. Fresh Strawberries
09. Walk Away
10. Stand on the Horizon
11. Can't Stop Feeling
12. Auf Achse
13. Brief Encounters
14. Lucid Dreams
15. Michael
16. Take Me Out
17. Love Illumination
18. Ulysses
19. Outsiders
Encore
20. Right Action
21. This Fire
22. Goodbye Lovers & Friends


Read more!

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Lovely Pinkpop Sunday



I wasn't planning on going to the Pinkpop festival this year. But with the prospect of good company, cold beers, nice weather and great music I don't need much more persuasion. The line-up looked really good with old legends The Rolling Stones on Saturday and indie legends Arcade Fire on Monday, but Editors and Arctic Monkeys on Sunday made us go for this day.

Pinkpop 2014 Sunday, June 8 2014

Driving up to the festival, the weather keeps getting better and better. It has come to our attention that we cannot park on our usual spot on the market square this time. So instead we are directed to one of the festival parking lots. By the time we arrive at the gates, there's quite a crowd and we miss the first band as a result. Nothing a cold beer can't fix.



Portugal. The Man
The first band we check out are Portugal. The Man. They are playing compact songs and have left their psychedelic side. In the beginning this is working quite well, although singer John Gourley's thin high voice isn't always easy to like. Halfway the show people are starting to lose attention and some are leaving. It is actually starting to get boring in the end so we decide to catch a bit of Fred Durst and co.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Limp Bizkit
At the stage at the other side of the festival site Limp Bizkit is working their way through a trip down memory lane. Fred Durst is playing the tough guy like always and the crowd loves it. Although it results in a nostalgic party, it also isn't more than that. It gets a bit cheesy, especially when they start to play covers. Time for some ice cream I guess.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



The Kooks
It's been a while since I have seen The Kooks for the last time and that I heard from them. But here they are and Luke Pritchard is looking in better shape than I have seen him in a long time. His voice is good and he is bouncing around the stage throwing smiles around. They showcase a new song that sounds interesting enough. It could mean a change of direction and I'm looking forward to hearing their new album. It's the perfect weather for cheerful hit songs like 'Naïve' and 'Ooh-La' which seem to go down well.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Intergalactic Lovers
A few years back I was pleasantly surprised to hear the melodic songs of this Belgian indie band. Now they have released their second album Little Heavy Burdens and I get a chance to see them again. It is clear they have grown a lot since that first encounter. Singer Lara Chedraoui's voice sounds great and the songs are well crafted. Slowly the tent is getting more empty though until it's half full. But the people who stay inside are completely into it and are singing along to great tunes like 'Delay', 'Howl' and new hit 'Islands'. In the end the ones who are staying get treated to a very pleasant show by a band who are far from using all their potential.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini has come a long way since his pop hit 'New Shoes'. He had to dig deep and go through some dark times to come up with his new album Caustic Love which is totally different. It is full of intense soul songs and so is his performance today. His band is tight and sounds great just like Nutini himself. Unfortunately we can't stay until the end since Editors are waiting for us.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Editors
We almost miss the beginning of the show because of some really slow burgers. I thought they called it fast food? Editors look stronger than ever today. They are playing hit after hit and it all sounds great. I still think the songs of the last album The Weight Of Your Love aren't as good as the rest, and also today I feel songs like 'Munich', 'All Sparks' and 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors' are simply better than 'A Ton Of Love' and 'Formaldehyde'. But it doesn't matter that much, because they will always deliver a strong performance. Of course they close the set with 'Papillon' that has grown into the perfect festival anthem, where every festival site seems to explode in the chorus.



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters
We may never see Led Zeppelin play and then Robert Plant may be the closest thing to come near. Unfortunately he's squeezed in between Editors and Arctic Monkeys so we only see a small part of his show. When we arrive he's just wrapping up 'Baby I'm Gonna Leave You'. It's great to hear this legend sing this epic song. Of course he's also playing some of his solo songs which I'm not really familiar with. 'Black Dog' gets a complete make-over with African instruments and singing where Bonham's solo used to be. It sounds really interesting and it is a brave act by Plant. But if anyone can do it, it's him. Too bad we have to leave him this early.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Arctic Monkeys
We are leaving Robert Plant for the rock band who is shaking up things nowadays. The Arctic Monkeys have come a long way from the shy, introvert school boys they were ten years ago. Alex Turner has transformed in a modern James Dean of rock music and is confidently looking around the crowd with penetrating eyes. He's walking a thin line there though and he should take care not to overdo it, since it turn into too much of a gimmick. Their wild songs have been replaced with heavy grooving thoughtful tracks, which I love. Matt Helders is playing the slow grooves phenomenally and with a lot of power. But the breaks between songs are too long and so the show never really takes off. This isn't because of the slow songs, since they really sound great and the way Turner is singing them in a lazy fashion with his brilliant timing is spot on. It's far from perfect Arctic Monkeys show, but they still prove why they are one of the most interesting bands of today.



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube

With a day full of sunshine and some fine music this was a very nice festival day. When Pinkpop can come up with another great line-up next year, I will probably travel south once again.

More Pictures

Read more!