Wednesday 30 September 2015

North Sea Surf Festival 2015



After visiting a very successful edition of the North Sea Surf Festival last year I made sure I would make it to this year's edition. With nine bands lined up, it looked like another promising edition. So I waxed my board and went out to check the waves at the Melkweg.

North Sea Surf Festival 2015 at Melkweg Amsterdam, September 26 2015

Since the festival starts quite early, we make it into the Melkweg about 1,5 hours after the festival has started. There we find Swedish band The Illuminators already in the last part of their set. They do a good job warming us so we are ready for the next wave.



Scrammers
Belgian band Scrammers play quite a heavy side of surf music with solid riffs and grooves that sounds very good. It's a blend of surf and rock with a punk twist which works quite well. The members look a bit modest on stage but the energetic music speaks for itself.

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Watang!
"Mandarina Surfers" Watang! from Italy are a different cup of tea. Dressed in stylish Japanese outfits you would expect some Kung Fu surf music but looks can be deceiving. The band plays average surf music and doesn't add a lot beyond their appearance. With the addition of a keyboard player adding organ to the mix, this band looks good on paper, but live it isn't really convincing.

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Los Fantasticos
Playing in the low lands for the first time this Brighton band actually is no stranger to the festival. Guitarist Django Deadman also is the host of the festival so it's about time his band get a chance to show what they are made of. The foursome play down to earth surf songs that aren't spectacular but at the same time sound nice and are fun to watch. A trumpet in one of the songs gives it a Mariachi feel and is a nice twist. The band seems to be enjoying themselves which is always a good sign and it rubs off on the crowd.



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Els A-Phonics
At the pre party a day before which I wasn't able to attend, Els A-Phonics from Valencia already gave a little taste of what is coming. Playing as a backing band for John Blair from Jon & The Nightriders, this band turns out to be one of the highlights of the day. The uptempo surf music doesn't miss its effect and the filled up venue enjoys the band's energy that are playing with whole their heart. Especially both guitar players keep firing up the crowd, showing their best moves, backed up by the tight rhythm section. This is exactly what makes surf music so exciting.

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The Phantom Four
As the organizers of the festival, especially drum player Niels Jansen, of course The Phantom Four are also one of the headliners. However even when they weren't organizing it, this is the band to get if you want a surf band. At a festival like this, it is obvious they are one of the top surf bands around with a unique sound and a lot of variation in their songs. Tonight they are trying out some new songs that sound very promising. Phantom Frank plays a lap steel guitar in one of them which gives it an authentic Hawaiian feel. Hopefully there will be an album out soon, although I'm still waiting for their anniversary live album to come out too.



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Messer Chups
The Messer Chups trio from Russia have quite a history behind them with line-up changes to go with it. They have somewhat of a reputation which promises a lot. The band also have a real eye catcher with their female bass player Svetlana 'Zombierella' Nagaeva. Her burlesque pin-up appearance is striking but it would be nice if she would break out of her act once and a while. The rock 'n roll surf music sounds nice enough but this way she's kind of bringing the performance down, or maybe I'm simply just missing it. The two other members aren't really bringing a lot more to the table as well to lift it up. We even decide to leave halfway to catch part of one of the surf movies playing in the cinema upstairs.



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The Barbwires
Swedish surfers The Barbwires are the ones to close the festival and do a great job at it. Their music has that Hawaiian feel and their classic look is helping a lot too. The threesome are very much into the music and have a good stage presence with plenty of energy and good vibes. It's a good end of another wonderful edition of this festival.

MySpace | Spotify

As long as The Phantom Four keep organizing these kind of events I will keep showing up, since the combination of great honest music and a friendly and devoted audience simply is irresistible. And it is wonderful that the surf music scene is staying alive this way. If only I could really ride those waves!

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Friday 25 September 2015

New Sounds: SEXWITCH - SEXWITCH



What's in a name, Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan, the band Toy and producer Dan Carey collaborated on this new project called SEXWITCH. Indeed what's in a name, when the result are Eastern style songs, covers in this case of songs originating from countries like Morocco and Iran, put in a psychedelic post-punk shell. What you get are very groovy and hypnotic songs that are great to trip or dance to. Listen for yourself below:



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Friday 18 September 2015

New Sounds: Wand - 1000 Days



I saw psych rock band Wand play earlier this month at the Into The Great Wide Open festival and liked their music a lot. They played a few new tracks as well and now you can listen to their new album 1000 Days.



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Wednesday 16 September 2015

On Stage: Daniel Norgren



One of the best albums that came out this year is Daniel Norgren's Alabursy. The wonderful record is full of gorgeous intimate songs with the lovely voice of Norgren. Now the Swede is playing a solo concert at the small theater De Roode Bioscoop in Amsterdam for something called Red Cinema Sessions.

Daniel Norgren at De Roode Bioscoop Amsterdam, September 12 2015



The tiny theatre and cinema is a nice setting for this intimate show. Norgren is sitting behind a grand piano, wearing a cap as always, kind of sideways to the audience. He explains that he will play some new songs next to many songs of his latest album. It's a delight hearing those songs come alive this way. The blues that you could hear in his other music has been replaced with a more rootsy sound, but the way he's using pauses embeds so much tension into his music, that you can only listen in awe.



That's exactly what everyone is doing, not a sound can be heard. Only the piano and Norgren's voice that sometimes is soft and at other times so loud, he doesn't need the mic that is in front of him. In a few songs he also adds some harmonica which brings more colour to the music. The album sounds more rich because he uses different instruments there, but tonight the songs become really intimate and intense. Beautiful songs like 'Alabursy' and 'Lonely Girl' sound gorgeous and Norgren sings them with all his heart and soul. All we can do is watch him breathlessly and forget about the terrible wooden chairs we're sitting in. Of course in this environment I didn't take any pictures, so I used a few old ones.



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Monday 14 September 2015

On Stage: Birth Of Joy



Dutch band Birth Of Joy built up quite the live reputation and are one of the most exciting Dutch rock bands to watch on stage at the moment. They played many festivals and spent many miles on the road. Now they are playing the small venue Winston Kingdom.

Birth of Joy at Winston Kingdom Amsterdam, September 11 2015



On the bill tonight are two more bands, The Black Cult and Turbowolf, but unfortunately I can't make it on time to catch them. When I get to the venue Birth of Joy are setting up for their performance. Their last album Prisoner did pretty well and shows the band has made a lot of progress. Live however this band adds a lot more. The foursome add lots of energy to the blues rock songs, making them sound fresh again, while singer/guitarist Kevin Stunnenberg shows plenty of charisma.



The small venue is a treat to the real fans in here tonight, since the band has moved on to bigger stages. Nevertheless the group makes clear why they are one of the hottest bands in town at the moment by now. Howling vocals are followed by shredding guitar solos, out of control organs and big grooves. Drummer Bob Hogenelst graduated from the Amsterdam conservatory a while ago with a perfect score and it is obvious why he deserved that. The drum grooves sound tight, dynamic, heavy and the rolling fills are wonderful. At the end he's showing his skills in an exciting drum solo.



I find the response of the small crowd a bit reserved, but maybe it's just the size of the audience or many people are impressed once again by this band. A live album, Live At Ubu, came out recently that tries to capture their live performance. It's a nice album, but of course experiencing a live show is the real deal, so go see this band when you get the chance.



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Sunday 13 September 2015

On Stage: My Morning Jacket



According to some they are the best band in the world, but somehow most people still haven't found out about them. In support of their very good new album The Waterfall My Morning Jacket is now playing Paradiso which is not even sold out. Although I already got a little taste a few years ago it's time to check out how good they really are.

My Morning Jacket at Paradiso Amsterdam, September 10 2015



The band kicks off with one of their best songs 'Heartbreaking Man' that sounds sparkling and has beautiful harmonies. What follows is 2,5 hours of absolute bliss where My Morning Jacket show what they are made off. And that is a lot, since their setlist is a career spanning overview of their songs and features rock songs like 'Mahgeetah', dance tunes like 'Wordless Chorus', a swirling pop song like 'Lowdown' and an intimate song like 'Get The Point'.



Of course many songs of the new album come by as well, especially in the first half of the show. But songs like 'Believe Nobody Knows' and 'Spring (Among The Living) are instant My Morning Jacket classics and are greeted with cheers by the crowd that is slowly going mental. That is no wonder since the band is in great shape and on a roll. Singer Jim James looks like a rock star version of The Big Lebowski's "The Dude" and is shredding his guitar and moves around the stage sometimes like a wizard in his colourful shirt.



James is a great singer which he shows in 'Hopefully' that sounds absolutely wonderful and in 'Only Memories Remain' he exposes himself as a first class crooner. It seems as if this band can do anything and all subtleties and details of their music are coming through. All the beautiful harmonies, the sparkling melodies, the groovy beats, it's all spot on. When they return for the encore a second drum set, guitar amp and mic stand are added to the stage to perform The New Basement Tapes' version of Boby Dylan's 'Nothing To It' together with support act Dawes. Finally they leave us breathlessly with a great version of one of their finest, 'One Big Holiday'. It's a bold statement to call a band the best in the world, but boy does this band come close. It's just that the largest part of the world doesn't know that, which is a blessing for the fans that get to see them on stages of this size.



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Setlist:
01. Heartbreakin Man
02. Mahgeetah
03. Compound Fracture
04. Wordless Chorus
05. Believe (Nobody Knows)
06. Spring (Among The Living)
07. They Ran
08. Get the Point
09. In Its Infancy (The Waterfall)
10. Tropics (Erase Traces)
11. Lowdown
12. Thin Line
13. Dondante
14. Only Memories Remain
15. The Way That He Sings
16. Phone Went West
17. Hopefully
Encore
18. Victory Dance
19. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2
20. Nothing To It
21. Circuital
22. One Big Holiday


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Friday 11 September 2015

New Sounds: Ought - Sun Coming Down



Last weekend I was impressed by Ought's performance at the Into The Great Wide Open festival. Their creative songs sound sharp and original with a dark atmosphere. Now you can listen to their upcoming album Sun Coming Down below which comes out September 18.



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Thursday 10 September 2015

ITGWO 2015 Saturday and Sunday



After that incredible Friday I doubt if we can top that in the two days still to come but we sure are going to try. It's a bit hard to wake up early so unfortunately we have to miss the first couple of bands.

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Saturday September 5 2015



Ryley Walker
We decide to kick off our day at the lovely stage in the woods where Ryley Walker is about to start his set. He starts out on his own with a nice acoustic song. I'm a bit worried this will be "just another singer songwriter" but fortunately the rest of the band joins in and a wonderful performance follows. The mellow songs have enough meat to chew on and keep you focused. Walker turns out to be a funny character that has no trouble entertaining his audience. This is one of those shows where place, artist and crowd totally connect together and magic happens.

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Gabriel Rios
After this amazing start we head to the sports field to see a new side of Gabriel Rios. Where he used to lay down a mellow tropical party he is now showing his sensitive side with small intimate songs. A cello, horns and a double bass are helping him out. It's an admirable choice to go this way, but his performance is a bit pale.

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Alamo Race Track
Then we need to hurry again to cycle to the dunes and catch Alamo Race Track. Their alternative rock songs should be at the right place here and it has filled up nicely. The sun is even shining now and then, which is a delight after yesterday's rain. Alamo Race Track has so many beautiful songs to choose from, but live it doesn't always work out. The band is a bit unpredictable that can play amazing shows but sometimes it's just not their day. Today the music sounds nice but the band doesn't really connect with the audience so the spark is kind of missing. Still it's always good seeing them play their atmospheric songs live.

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Leon Bridges
Aaaaand it's back to the sports field since soul singer Leon Bridges is playing there. His star rose like a comet this year, as over half a year ago no one knew who he was. Now he has drawn quite a big crowd to watch him sing his retro soul songs. Joined by two members of White Denim, his band sounds great and his smooth voice goes down well with many. But his stage presence is a bit too modest so it never gets really wild. Hopefully in the future he can bring more to the stage and then things will look pretty good for him.

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Polar Bear
We go into the woods to see some jazz, played by Polar Bear. Two saxophone players are playing sharp and shrill solos on top of mellow groovy jams. It does sound like an exciting experimental jazz concept, but somehow it's never really taking off. The songs are too stretched out to make them hold the tension and although well played it's hard to keep focused. Also the band looks a bit pale and uninspired as well, maybe too impressed with their surrounding.

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Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Because of cancellations Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 were found as replacements and according to the MC were flown in from Lagos, through Casablanca and brought in by water taxi. That's why they start out later than planned and I have to skip some other bands, but I'm nuts for afrobeat and Seun Kuti is a treat you cannot pass on. This is a great band to have on this festival and the band look happy enough to play here. I simply love the long jams with the horns and the many layers that seem to lead a life of their own, but still blend in so nicely. Seun Kuti is a delight to watch, and like his father is a charismatic front man who is all over the place with spectacular dance moves. He may not be the greatest sax player, but makes up for it in energy. I have seen them play better though where they can truly light up a place. Maybe it's the big trip they had to take today, or the relative short set they are playing, who knows. Still I love it and can only have huge respect for them to go through all this trouble to play at this festival.

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Taxiwars
When Tom Barman is not playing with dEUS, he's not sitting at home. He may be making a movie, or play with Magnus. Or in this case find himself playing in the jazz combo Taxiwars, a project by sax player Robin Verheyen. The result is an exciting mix of jazz and grooves with the typical, sometimes spoken word, vocals of Barman. It turns the woods into a dark smoky jazz night club from the fifties or sixties where private eyes zip their whisky. The band looks like they are enjoying it a lot and the crowd feels this energy. Again this is the perfect place for such a performance.

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zZz
One thing is for sure today, that we will be ending on a high. zZz are turning indoor stage The Bolder into a sleaze fest with their out of control organs, never ending grooves and mysterious lyrics. You can only dance to this dirty gritty hypnotic music and that's what everyone is doing. People are crowd surfing and partying and things get nice and sweaty, the way this musics suits the best. Oh man, that track 'Juggernaut' is so good, I want it to keep going forever.

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We stay around to dance and drink some more until the night program comes to an end. And so does this day that turned out to be wonderful again.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Sunday September 6 2015

It's a cliché indeed but time goes so fast when you're having fun. It's already the last day of the festival and it's impossible to wake up on time to see the first bands. It's gonna be a shorter day but let's go out with a bang!



All We Are
We find ourselves at the dunes stage to dance a bit with All We Are. It's quite contagious what they play, some kind of indie rock with a dance edge. The sound is really loud though and it robs the music of any subtleties if there are any. The pounding bass does make you want to dance and the falsetto vocals bring the Bee Gees to mind. However it is as if the band can't choose between danceable disco or head nodding rock. For disco it's not subtle enough, since the sound is too blunt, and for rock it may be too light. But for now it will do just fine.

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Ought
We stick around and help ourselves to some delicious razor clams before Ought take the stage. The band are in a good mood and especially drummer Tim Keen is smiling throughout the set. It's a weird contrast between the sunny weather at this moment and the dark moody music. But the songs are sharp and singer Tim Darcy's, sometimes spoken, word vocals sound interesting. The creative drum parts are giving the songs a different edge, turning them into original compositions. The band looks to be in the moment and the crowd is picking up on this. This band will probably work even better in a dark club but this performance was already pretty good. I'm looking forward to their new album Sun Coming Down that comes out later this month.

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The Undertones
We leave the stage in the dunes and make our way to the main stage where a punk rock party has already started. Punk veterans The Undertones are having a fun afternoon with everyone and their jumpy punk songs. The songs and the band may have lost their sharp edge and their original singer, but still know how to please a crowd including all the kids. Singer Paul McLoone is all over the stage and the band totally connects, bringing lots of energy. I don't know who's having more fun, the band or the audience. 'Here Comes The Summer' may not be entirely true but The Undertones bring the summer back for a short period.

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TORRES
For the final show of the festival we head into the woods one last time, where TORRES is playing, the musical pseudonym of Mackenzie Scott. Her dark moody songs with touches of grunge remind of PJ Harvey and St. Vincent and this place should be ideal for her. It does work today to some extend, but it looks as if Scott is holding back a bit. Her honest songs are strong enough though and her voice is convincing. All in all she leaves a good impression and this is a fitting final show at this stage.

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Then it's time for the final blow when Afterpartees are the ones to really close it down. Of course they are the perfect after party band, not just because of their name, but also because they have "party" written all over them. The boys turn the place upside down one more time with some guest musicians and lots of energy and sweat. Since they only have released one record yet, the set list includes many covers that fit in perfectly. Everyone is partying hard for the last time, proving that this festival doesn't just dwell upon nice weather, but due to a very strong program, a wonderful environment, a combination of atmosphere and good food, and a group of like-minded people can always grow into a wonderful experience. This edition was no less than the previous ones, despite the weather, so hopefully we will manage to get tickets again for next year.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015 Thursday and Friday

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Wednesday 9 September 2015

ITGWO 2015 Thursday and Friday



This year we are among the fortunate ones again that managed to get tickets for Into The Great Wide Open. But apparently some of those lucky people can't handle bad weather and days before the festival many tickets are up for sale on the internet for lower prices. The weather forecast is really bad though, but if you bring the right clothing and are prepared you can still have a wonderful time. So let's go back to the island of Vlieland!

The trip starts with a 45 minute effort to leave our city Amsterdam because of traffic accidents and closed down highway entrances. In the end we do make it on time for the ferry and even have 10 minutes left. On the boat the weather already gets grim and there's a cold wind blowing. It's a little preview of what we can expect this weekend. We do get treated on a waterspout in the distance that I fail to capture on camera.

Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Thursday September 3 2015

Once we get settled in at our cosy little apartment we try to see story teller Jaap Boots but the the little theatre already if full. So we have a beer instead and make our way to the Fortweg stage in the dunes.



Intergalactic Lovers
There we meet the wonderful Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers again, that we saw a week ago as well, that time in a warm tent when it was sunny outside. Now they are playing while the sun is setting and it's getting really chilly. The place of the stage is lovely but very windy and the sea breeze cools the place down considerably. Singer Lara Chedraoui looks like she's pretty cold indeed, wearing a big winter coat, but their warm music warms up the band and the crowd. The lovely pop songs go down well and Chedraoui's charming personality and humour turn this into a enjoyable first show at this stage.

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PAUW
We stay in the dunes to watch the Dutch psychedelic band PAUW. The young trio are successfully working their way up in the music scene with a convincing EP and performances across the country. The setting is great between the dunes in the dark and the group treats us to a hypnotic trip with dazzling guitar licks, floaty synths and groovy rhythms. Guitar player and singer Brian Pots is impressing with his guitar skills and his floating melodies. It is clear why this band is drawing so much attention. They close the set with the epic song 'Shambhala' with a very contagious guitar hook. I'm looking forward to their first album a lot.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2015, Friday September 4 2015

We wake up to a grey, windy and rainy new day and count our blessings that we decided to rent an apartment this time. Today is the first full day of the festival and the line-up is incredible! Forget about the weather, because this promises to be a long but fulfilling day.



Bruut!
The grim weather has turned the sports field into a mud field and to make the main stage more accessible the organization has dumped a layer of beach sand in front of it, with a small plastic palm tree on it. That's right, we are ignoring the weather and are determined to have a good time. Jazz combo Bruut! are helping with it by playing groovy and jazzy tunes that are easy to dance to. The catchy jazz music isn't very hard to swallow, even when you're not into jazz too much. It's all about the groove with nice light solos sprinkled on top. This is exactly how a swinging jazz combo should sound nowadays. The foursome make the rain stop and magically the sun appears.

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Bewilder
We cycle to the stage in the dunes where Bewilder has started their set. It's a new band with singer Maurits Westerik that presented their strong first album Dear Island last week. The songs are also working well live on this stage and once again the sun is showing itself. Westerik is a hard working musician and Bewilder looks like a good band for him. Of course his fellow band members are no strangers to him so it is a group that has proven to work in the past. The music is a blend of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Velvet Underground with a touch of Springsteen mixed in. Westerik looks like he borrowed some dance moves from the boss which seems fittingly. In the end the band receives a well earned applause.

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Afterpartees
Then we have to rush back to the sports field again since we don't want to miss too much from our favourite Dutch punk rock band Afterpartees. If there's one band who can turn any stage into a party, come rain or come shine, it's this young band. Singer Niek Nellen only seems to work harder when the elements are against us and the crowd is not jumping and laughing hard enough. He's cracking his best jokes and showing his best poses and by now you know he's going to jump into the crowd to drag everyone into the wonderful Afterpartees world. Their cover of 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain' is their way of saying they don't care about the weather either. And so once again everyone is laughing while the rain comes pouring down.

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Kevin Morby
We find former Woods bassist, Kevin Morby, in the woods which is a good place for him. His gentle patient rock songs sound good between the trees, where everyone is listening closely. His songs seem to come alive in this forest and that is a good thing since Morby isn't really adding a lot himself to it. But sometimes you just don't need a lot to play nice music.

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My Baby
When we return to the sports field My Baby has already started their set. It's a group that consists of Dutch singer Cato van Dijck with her brother Joost and New Zeeland drummer Daniel Johnston. Their music is describes as "Delta trance Louisiana dub indie funk" which comes down to very groovy danceable blues rock with funky and sometimes spacy vocals. The exotic looking Cato is slapping her guitar while screaming, shouting and singing. At the same time brother Joost is playing rocking solos and Johnston is taking care of the heavy beats to make it danceable. This actually works well and it is very contagious so that many people are rocking away with them. After a few songs you notice though that many songs are similar and Cato's high pitch shouts can get too much. But who cares today, when it's nice to dance to. Hey, isn't that the sun!?

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Wand
By then it's time to leave the daylight and go over to the dark side. Wand are playing in The Bolder stage, the only indoor stage of the festival. The dark psych rock music of this band is at the right place here. Lots of noise and drones are drowned in reverb and fuzz with the high pitch voice of singer Cory Hanson. It may scare some people away but this is a very interesting band that sounds pretty good today. Long stretched jams put you in a trance and make you forget about the wet world outside.

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Savages
We stay in the dark with the ladies from Savages, who played an impressive show here a few years ago (that I missed) even before their first album was out. Now they are working on their second LP and are here to try out some of the new songs. It's not exactly a light party band and the crowd seems somewhat reluctant. But singer Jehnny Beth (real name Camille Berthomier) doesn't take no for an answer and with an impressive performance the four women take the crowd by the throat who can only give in. It's an intense show, even more intense than I have seen them play in the past and one that raises a high anticipation for the new LP next year.

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Girl Band
We return to the indoor stage for another band that flourishes best in the dark. Irish band Girl Band definitely isn't one for the masses, the strange blend of noise rock and dance, which is the opposite of what their name suggests. Instead it's a dark rock interpretation of aggressive techno with pounding drum grooves, noisy guitars and the staccato vocals that sometimes turns into hysterical singing as if singer Dara Kiely is trying to exorcise his demons. This is really intense and one of the highlights is a violent version of Blawan's 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage'. Definitely a band to watch.

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De Staat
We are back at the dunes to close this amazing day with Dutch rock band De Staat who turn out to be in great shape. Their heavy grooves work well at this surreal place between the dunes. The songs sound more tight and coherent than ever and the group treat us to a smooth solid rock show. Singer and master mind Torre Florim never looked more convincing and relaxed on stage. He introduces four new songs they will play back to back and by the sound of it the new album is going to be a killer once more. This show was the icing of the giant and wonderful tasting cake of this day which proved to be one of my best festival days ever.

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This calls for a celebration and we head to the camping restaurant where two Afterpartees members are spinning records and close this day in style with a lovely set of punk and rock n roll record that they are singing and dancing to themselves the hardest. I just don't want to go to sleep!

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Into The Great Wide Open Saturday and Sunday

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Wednesday 2 September 2015

Sniffing The Grass: An Into The Great Wide Open Warmup



As a yearly tradition for the past couple of years we close down the summer in style and are getting ready to travel back to our favourite island Vlieland for another edition of the Into The Great Wide Open festival. Somehow we got karma on our side and managed to get tickets, although unfortunately not for every member of our group. A close look at the line-up reveals that the programmers did too good a job and came up with an incredible program full of terrible dilemmas. Let me walk you through it.

This year no tent for us any more since we are staying in a small bungalow. Hooray for a real bed, a lovely shower and a toilet close by, fresh coffee and fried eggs in the morning!



Thursday
After we get settled in we have no time to waste, since Jaap Boots will be telling rock stories. My first time on this festival I learned about the wonderful Intergalactic Lovers and now they are back! Then maybe we can check out some German postpunk with Die Nerven and return later to the Fortweg stage for Dutch psychedelic rockers PAUW. At the same time Bombay are playing their soundtrack to the 1930s horror movie Vampyr. Damn those choices!





Friday
Rise and shine at the lovely island. After some first bare and breakfast necessities why not have Bruut! wake us up a little more with some crazy jazz. After that Maurits Westerik's new project Bewilder will keep us going and otherwise young Dutch garage rockers Afterpartees definitely will. Some of Kevin Morby's inspirations are Bob Dylan and Neil Young so I don't need any more convincing. Time for some dancing, hopefully in the sun, with La Sra. Tomasa and their dubstep rumba fiesta. We can can continue to dance at My Baby's trance funk. Now it gets tricky: HÆLOS' feelgood triphop or jazzy synth beats with Dorian Concept Trio or some wild garage rock with WAND? The ladies of Savages will definitely rock the main stage with their dark postpunk. Con Brio's soul sounds great, but then we need to make some really tough choices again. The Irish postpunk of Dubliners Girl Band, party hard with swinging brass band Gallowstreet or Los Pirañas' experimental electronic Caribbean music from Colombia. At least we better make sure we are back at the Fortweg stage in time for De Staat.





Saturday
I'm not sure if we can get up early enough to catch the gritty country of Deslondes. Maybe we'll start with some sunny reggae from Surinam singer Kenny B. I'm not too fond of singer/songwriters and folk but would like to check out Ryley Walker's guitar skills. Gabriel Rios should be good for a latin party. Should I go see the great Dutch alternative band Alamo Race Track or the melancholic ballads of Andy Shauf? The Memphis soul of Frazey Ford sounds tempting and punk poet John Cooper Clarke should be interesting. Leon Bridges' name is buzzing around so I would like to check his vintage soul music. Polar Bear is supposed to make some ground breaking jazz and Sophia will be playing melancholic songs that may just be what we need at that time. The psych rock and post punk of The Afterveins sounds really good before we need to make a tough choice between two Belgian delights: the wonderful sultry music of Oscar and the Wolf or the jazz of Tom Barman's Taxiwars. I'm definitely going to be on time for zZz's wild and gritty sleazy rock music.





Sunday
The music of jazz trio Kapok sounds good enough but I don't think we can make it that early. So we will probably wake up to the Turkish psychedelic 60s inspired music by Baba Zula. Time to dance with All We Are's indie disco or dream away with Jacco Gardner in the woods? Ought's postpunk sounds great and of course I don't want to miss punk veterans The Undertones. The last choice of the weekend is between Torres and The Slow Show who both play intense music in their own specific way. And who else than Afterpartees can throw a better afterparty?



Thank you so much Into The Great Wide Open programmers for this impossible line-up and the sore feet I will have afterwards.

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