Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2

We wake up to a rainy day but still manage to have our breakfast outside our bungalow. We can't waste any more time because the first band is waiting!

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2, June 18 2016

Audacity
I've seen this Californian band play before a few years ago and love their latest album Hyper Vessels. Their cheerful and powerful punkrock songs are a great way to start off the day. The lads themselves are in a good mood as well and are cracking jokes and having lots of fun at the same time. Although the jokes are sometimes a bit corny their music is far from that. The band play their music with a lot of heart and it sounds very convincing. Needless to say it goes down well with the crowd. It's a shame they play this early. because imagine what would have happened if they played later today to a crowd that downed a few more beers.

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Bewilder
Dutch musician Maurits Westerik has come a long way since he pulled the plug from his former band GEM. He had to reinvent himself and surely did a great job at that. After releasing the album Dear Island everywhere Bewilder goes they end up on top. The pop rock songs are well written and the experienced and top notch band play them with a lot of feeling. Westerik is the always active and friendly front man, that is turning into the Dutch Bruce Springsteen. His dance moves are getting more unique every time I see them. Today again the band knows how to win everyone over. Of course set closer 'Forza' ends this show on a high.



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Weaves
A name that has been buzzing around for a while is this band from Toronto. You never know if a band can live up to the hype, especially when their first record has just come out. That album is amazing by the way and the band doesn't disappoint for a bit. They play very tight and funky guitars and grooves mixed with heavy riffs and rhythms, with hints to Pixies and Pavement. On top of that is the unique voice and personality of Jasmyn Burke who is wandering around stage as if it's her living room. It combines into a crazy and intriguing show that for me was one of the best this weekend. Can't wait to see them play again soon.

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Dinosaur Jr.
When singer J. Mascis walks onto the stage he explains that is he is feeling very sick but didn't want to cancel. Instead he will be sitting down the whole show. It is very obvious he is far from healthy and therefore it's actually quite impressive that he is still able to play his wonderful guitar parts and sing at the same time. Of course this band made so many great songs and the other two musicians, bass player Lou Barlow and drummer Murph, are totally into the music. It's a shame we can't see a fit Mascis, but even like this Dinosaur Jr. doesn't disappoint.

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Wild Nothing
I listened to a few songs by Wild Nothing and kind of liked their dreamy music. I expected maybe a bit of a slow show but was surprised how they sounded live and their songs actually had quite a bit of a rock edge to it. The band themselves doesn't exactly explode off the stage with a lot of energy but they show a lot of heart and play an inspired show. I found out I saw them play a few years ago and they have shown plenty of progression. If they can grow some more they could be heading for big things.

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Editors
Today is Editors day which drives many extra people to the festival. This resulted in huge traffic jams and long lines for the toilets, bars and food stands. The weather has been bad all day long and the band walk onto the stage while the rain is still steadily coming down. "The weather is miserable and so is our music" says singer Tom Smith, referring to their dark music. But you can leave it to this band to make us all forget about the weather. Although I have mixed feelings about the last two albums, this band always delivers live. Tonight is no difference with an inspired performance and a band that is in top shape. Smith's voice is clear and dark as the rain clouds themselves. Many songs of the new album come by but I simply like their older songs better, that aren't that blown up. 'Papillon' is always good to leave the crowd behind on a high with all the fireworks, but nowadays the band leaves us with 'Marching Orders' which does sound like an anthem but at the same time is a bit too bloated for me. In the end though Editors live up to their big reputation and totally deliver today.



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Although the weather didn't exactly cooperate, today was prove the organisation didn't cope well with the extra visitors. The festival grew by 4000/5000 visitors per day and yesterday already showed the site was too crowded. Today with Editors driving in a huge crowd, it simply was too much and the festival lacked the intimate and relaxed atmosphere of the past editions. Standing in line for the toilets, that also weren't laid out very efficiently, and having to wait a lot to get a drink or something to eat became a nuisance. Of course it was a great day nevertheless with good music, but it was kind of a let down at the same time. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

All Pictures

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3