Sunday, 25 June 2017

On Stage: Midnight Oil @ Paradiso



I am very fortunate that I am able to go see so many great bands now, that I sometimes even have to choose. But there are many band that I never got to see and some of them I will never see to my regret. But once in a while life throws you a bone and you get a second chance. Australian rock band Midnight Oil is one of those bands that have a big live reputation but I never saw them play. Until tonight!

  Midnight Oil @ Paradiso Amsterdam, June 23 2017



  I guess there are many people who don't know this band at all or simply don't remember them from back in the eighties. Because it is has been that long that they got their big break. Especially the live album Scream In Blue left a big impression on me and the band was known for their intense rock performance. The band went on a hiatus when singer Peter Garrett’s political career took off and reunited now that he has stepped back. There are some Aussie fans around us and they are excited to see this band play again, who are still huge in their own country. Hopefully they can still live up to that reputation.



The moment the group walks on the stage already answers that especially when front man Garrett comes up. The big bald singer’s appearance by itself is already impressive and the band sounds convincing from the first note. Like a young band promoting their first album the group go at it, with the tall Garrett as the centre piece. I don't know all of their songs but they do play a large number of tracks that bring back memories. The music has that typical eighties rock vibe: Bryan Adams ‘Summer of ‘69’ guitars with synths added to the spectrum.

  It does sound a bit outdated, but it may just become retro in a few years time. On the other hand the lyrics are still spot on. Midnight Oil always has been a band where political opinions and concerns strongly reflects in their music. Garrett addresses some of the issues that still need attention and are the subject of some of the songs. It's sad to see how relevant and actual some of the songs still are, thirty years later. You would think not much has changed there.

 

But Midnight Oil isn't a band that will sink into a depression and get everyone down, since they are true optimists as Garret puts it. There's still a matter of urgency in their music, a fighting spirit that energizes people to stand and speak up to injustice. Garrett’s t-shirt reads “To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men”, which says enough.

 

It's one of those shows where the crowd gets fired up and where band and fans become one and resonate in the same frequency. With a huge smile on their faces the band play their eighties rock with just as much heart and pleasure as thirty years ago. There's a wonderful vibe in the venue tonight with a kind of festive mood. In the end music is a celebration no matter how serious the subject. Midnight Oil prove that bands like them are needed more than ever in the world as a social conscious that can spread an important message with their music and at the same time have a damn good time.



All Pictures

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Setlist:
01. Progress
02. Truganini
03. Too Much Sunshine
04. No Time for Games
05. Under the Overpass
06. In the Valley
07. Best of Both Worlds
08. Read About It
09. King of the Mountain
10. My Country
11. Luritja Way
12. Ships of Freedom
13. Arctic World
14. Spirit of the Age
15. Warakurna
16. The Dead Heart
17. Beds Are Burning
18. Blue Sky Mine
19. Dreamworld
Encore:
20. Harrisburg
21. Now or Never Land
22. Forgotten Years
Encore 2:
23. Power and the Passion
24. Sometimes


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Friday, 23 June 2017

Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 3



After a glorious second day of the festival the last day promises to be a real killer. Temperatures are going to rise into tropical measures and today has a program that may kill me. Can't blame a guy for trying.

We want to see the first band of the day, The Homesick. Although we are running a little late, we should be able to see the second half of their show. Unfortunately we run into the huge line at the entrance and by the time we make it through, the band has already left the stage. We're a little bumped, but a cold beer should be able to change that.

Iguana Death Cult



Fortunately this band from Rotterdam is about to take the stage and I know we will be good. They made one of the most fun records of the year and the band already proved to be a true energy bomb on stage. Today the foursome look thrilled to be playing this festival and deliver an even more energetic performance than ever. Their songs are adrenaline filled garage rock anthems where the young men are putting all their heart in. Singer Jeroen Reek is all over the place with a big grin on his face when he's not sticking out his tongue. Needless to say that this sparks a cheerful party early on the day where the band gets the well deserved circle pit they asked for.

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Canshaker Pi





We have hardly caught our breath when the next young Dutch band climbs the stage. Their songs are a bit more heavy and borrow a lot from bands like Pavement. This bunch looks just as much pleased to be playing here and continue the festive atmosphere started earlier by the previous bands. The band's power play approach works well and their fine songs do the rest. Some of them are true gems filled with little twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

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Zeal & Ardor



This Stage Five bears nothing but quality bands today. Zeal & Ardor promise a mix of Negro Spirituals and black metal. This can either turn into something good like strawberries with chilli peppers, or into something awful like burnt steak with whipped cream that's gone bad. Fortunately it' the first one and we witness a true revelation. The singers sing in harmony like in Gregorian chants and then the music explodes into powerful and dark metal with delta blues intermezzo's. It works really well as the songs are full of dynamics and are performed really well. Only the drummer is sitting at the back while the rest of the band are all lined up at the front. This makes this all even more impressive. These are the kind of acts you want to discover on a festival.



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Strand of Oaks



We head to the main stage where the temperature has risen to “bloody hot”, turning the open space with yellow sand into a desert that most people want to avoid. It won't get a man like Timothy Showalter down and he brings his usual charm and stage presence. The songs on his latest album may be more standard rock tunes, but he is still able to tell a heartfelt story with a lot of heart and soul. No one cares about the smouldering heat and Showalter delivers once again.



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Henry Wu Presents The Kamaal Williams Experience



Keyboard player Kamaal Williams, aka Henry Wu, collaborated with drummer Yussef Dayes which resulted in the wonderful jazz album Black Focus. They were supposed to go touring together but something must have happened and now they are doing separate tours around that same album. Today we see Kamaal Williams together with drummer MckNasty (Joshua McKenzie) and bass player Tom Driessler. If you think it is weird to have a jazz band on a music festival like this, think again, since it is a vibrant performance with plenty of crazy break beats and grooves that make everyone dance. The musicians challenge each other where MckNasty plays with a huge grin and stands up regularly from his drum kit. The exciting music draws plenty of curious people inside Stage Three and turns it into another highlight on this amazing day.

Official Website | Spotify

Soulwax



And we still have a few big ones coming up, because here's Soulwax totally blowing away Stage Two with their Transient Program For Drums And Machinery that already knocked me off my feet two times, the last time only a couple of months back in Paradiso. The stage setup is still the same with three drummers and a lot of equipment that looks like the bridge of a spaceship. Playing a lot of music from their excellent new record From Deewee, the two Belgian brothers treat us to a hot dancing party with percussive and powerful dance music. Too bad we have to leave before the end if we want to have a decent spot for Radiohead.



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Radiohead



This legendary band are like the holy grail of any festival right now. With their new album A Moon Shaped Pool they are currently touring the world, playing a set of festivals this summer. You never know where they are going or what they will play, because every night it's a different set. Tonight we get treated to a more quiet and mysterious side of Radiohead with a setlist that holds a few of my favourites like 'Street Spirit' and 'Pyramid Song'.

The band plays the perfect soundtrack for this hot day in June, while the sun is setting and more than 20,000 people are completely quiet. This band is painting with music notes, carefully placing them while the image slowly reveals itself, but the meaning is left to your own imagination. The band plays a stunning version of 'Exit Music For Film' with Thom Yorke's emotional vocals, whose cry outs in between songs are incomprehensible and awkward.



Tonight this band asks quite a lot of effort from the crowd, since this is a set that will be appreciated a lot by the true Radiohead fan, but may be a bit hard to get into for others. It explains the divided reactions after the show where some are completely over the moon and others expected more hit songs. For me it has been a dream ending to an amazing three days of gorgeous weather and wonderful music.



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Best Kept Secret got criticised by many people last year for a good reason, including me. They failed at many levels and couldn't handle the bad weather and big crowds. However they took all that criticism seriously and totally worked it out, proving they are able to have this number of visitors and deal with them. This fifth edition simply was almost perfect in every sense and this festival has totally set the standard for me, which is a well deserved and huge compliment to the organization. At the same time they have raised the bar very high now and it's going to be interesting to see how they can cope with that next year.

All Pictures

Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 1
Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 2

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 2



After a wonderful first day that was a good warm up, things promise to be heating up further today. Fried eggs and coffee get us ready for the first band of the day, that are playing early on Stage Five.

The Courtneys



Three ladies that make cheerful fuzzy slackerpop. It sounds nice on paper and in the beginning it actually does sounds good. But after a while it is clear that all songs sound alike and drummer/singer Jen Twynn Payne plays the same four on the floor drum groove in every song. She's hardly hitting her snare drum so the sound engineer cranked up the volume of it a lot, making it sound horrible. The three also look pretty pale on stage and the crowd quickly loses attention including me.

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Kim Janssen



We decide to wander around the festival site and end up at Kim Janssens's performance at Stage Two. It isn't something I put on my schedule, but he's doing quite well over here. His quiet music requires a bit of effort from the audience and although it stays half full, the people that hang in there get treated to a nice show. The string and horns section are a good addition that gives his songs a bit of extra.



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The Amazons



I can appreciate a nice piece of britpop and The Amazons are exactly playing that. They don't have the cocky attitude but have a lot of heart. It isn't really anything special or original, but these guys are trying hard. It may be a thirteen to the dozen band, but it's not a bad way to start things off today.

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Whitney



This band has been getting a lot of attention especially for their live shows. I'm not really a fan of their music and I don't like the falsetto vocals too much. The band looks happy enough to play here and it's a rare setup to see a drummer at the middle of attention. The music is quite nice and sounds good, but the falsetto vocals are getting too much after a while. It doesn't grab me enough to hang in there for long.



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Honeyblood



Two girls, a drum kit and a guitar, sometimes it doesn't take more to play a good show. Scottish duo Honeyblood play lo-fi indie rock songs with a lot of heart. The two work really hard and their rock songs have enough power and variation to stay interesting. It isn't mind blowing but it definitely works and it is exactly what I need to get this day going.



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Cloud Nothings



I know these guys won't have any trouble to keep me going. Their rock music is tight and in your face. They play loud, with a lot of fire and their songs don't miss their effect. A big pit forms and keeps going for the whole show, only getting bigger. Singer Dylan Baldi genuinely looks appreciative of the positive response and it fires up the band even more. It may not be subtle but every song is a slap in the face and works like strong coffee.



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The Boxer Rebellion



The Boxer Rebellion play the main stage with a lush view of the lake and the sunbathing people. They have come a long way and got quite big during it. But it doesn't seem to work well and their performance is a too mellow where not a lot is going on. People seem to enjoy the sun and the cold beers more. The band isn't really trying to spice things up either and the show just dozes off.



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The Wytches



These three guys don't have the word "mellow" in their dictionary and like to play loud and dirty rock. There's plenty to enjoy if you like things a bit rough and their music sounds interesting and good enough. But the band largely ignores the crowd, which doesn't have to a problem. But today it simply doesn't really work. Maybe if the band would have worked a bit harder, it could have turned into something of a rough party but now it won't exactly take off. We leave to see Cigarettes After Sex, but as I expected with their continuous slow depressing music this is definitely not a band for me. Time to get a good spot for the big headliner of the day.



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Arcade Fire



The festival has a dream headliner on the bill today. Arcade Fire are one of the reasons why I wanted to return this year and draws a big crowd. A lot of people have gathered in front of the stage and I find myself squeezed in somewhere halfway the field. Many here are very hungry to see this band and it's a treat seeing them on a medium sized festival. A show unfolds that nears perfection, with more hits than you can count and a band that is in absolute killer shape.

The Arcade Fire machine starts rolling from the first second and comes to a halt nearly two hours later when they leave the stage. In between we got everything that makes this band so good. Great songs that sound amazing live and are played with a lot of detail and dynamics. The brand new song 'Everything Now' already proves to be a classic that people are chanting along massively. The members switch places and instruments very smoothly with the music not stopping for a second.

Needless to say the crowd is simply ecstatic and it turns the show into a big celebration with a cheering crowd and happy faces all around. The band simply has to come back for an encore and close with 'Intervention' that apparently wasn't planned, since it wasn't on the written setlist. And so this festival has the headliner it deserves and gets even more from them. There aren't many bands of that quality around any more and I haven't seen many festivals ending in such a overwhelming climax.



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All Pictures

Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 1

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Thursday, 22 June 2017

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard @ Paradiso



Only a few days back Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard totally blew everyone away at the Best Kept Secret Festival, proving they are one of the hottest bands right now. This week the second album of this year's total of five albums will come out, Murder Of The Universe, and they are touching down in my home town. I simply need to be there of course.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at Paradiso Amsterdam, June 20 2017



I'm still a bit tired from the past weekend but I'm certain this band has no trouble energizing me. It is a warm day and the sold out venue is hot. No way these guys will cool us down and we get ready for a hot show. Aussie giants AC/DC's 'Whole Lotta Rosie' blasts through the speakers before the band kicks off with 'Rattlesnake' like they did on Friday and the venue is singing along to the repeating title. This is a promising start of the show and it is clear that people are here for a wild night. They play a few songs that are kind of a warm up for the band. This group is in such great shape they can play the crowd with great ease. They know it will be easy to make this hall explode, but first they are teasing us a bit, simply not going full force yet.

This happens when they get to the the middle part of the show, which is a roller coaster ride from then on. Their music is a blend of a lot of styles, all chucked into a mixer. Watching one of their live shows is like being inside that mixer where you get a few pulses in the beginning, but then it is turned on at maximum speed and there simply is no escape. Halfway 'Altered Beast II' the group suddenly stops. They saw a woman in need who got treated a bit too aggressively by a guy in the pit. True kings these guys are, coming to rescue a lady, and when things have calmed down, they pick up from where they left.



I'm worried this may have messed up their mood or momentum, but no need for that, there simply is no stopping them now. All songs are glued together into one crazy trip, where you can hear parts of earlier songs pop up again. These guys are apparently playing with the space-time continuum, bending it any way they like! True wizards they are! The floor is now one big hot and sweaty pit with people dancing wildly. A continuous stream of crowd surfers pour into the wild mass of entangled body parts. I can see shoes flying around, people doing back flips, this place has gone mad! The visuals at the back show lightning and the venue is filled with electricity as we can feel the floor moving.



After about 90 minutes the band finishes playing and after saying their goodbyes, it leaves a soaking wet crowd behind that just had one of their biggest musical orgasms. This must be one of the best shows I've seen here, simply legendary. All hail the king!



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Setlist:
01. Rattlesnake
02. Doom City
03. Nuclear Fusion
04. Anoxia
05. Billabong Valley
06. Sleep Drifter
07. Alter Me I
08. Altered Beast II
09. Alter Me II
10. Altered Beast III
11. Gamma Knife
12. Robot Stop
13. People-Vultures
14. The Lord of Lightning
15. Cellophane
16. Am I in Heaven?
17. F# Jam
18. The River


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Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 1



Last year's edition of Best Kept Secret left a bitter taste in my mouth after wonderful earlier editions. The festival didn't really adjust well to the larger number of visitors and the rain didn't help either. But with Radiohead and Arcade Fire on the bill, we simply had to return.

Best Kept Secret 2017 Day 1, June 16 2017

The weather forecast for this year couldn't be any better. Lots of sunshine and no rain is expected at all. Checking in to our small four person chalet goes very smoothly so we're off to a good start. Our festival summer has started!

Leif Vollebekk



Canadian multi instrumentalist Leif Vollbekk is kicking off the festival at Stage Five. He looks surprised at the large turn up so early in the festival. The musician definitely puts his heart and soul in his music and performance, but his light folk music is not for me. It's good to start the festival a bit slow though.



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Amber Arcades



We stroll around the festival site for a bit to see what has changed and end up at Amber Arcades show. Singer Annelotte de Graaf and her band keep getting raving reviews but I saw them once before and didn't really feel it. Today she doesn't win me over either. Music wise the singer does have something going for her although it's not really up my alley. But I find the performance quite static and there isn't much energy radiating from the stage. It all sounds good enough, but she and her band aren't exactly doing their best to win people over. Maybe it's just me.



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Sundara Karma



A group of young lads is opening the main stage, dressed in clothes they seem to have found in their parents' wardrobe. The band members aren't impressed with the main stage slot at all and are playing as if they are used to these kind of stages. Their britpop sounds alright but is very much on the safe side. It lacks original hooks and for them to really convince they need to improve on their sound.

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Real Estate



A band that has their sound down completely are Real Estate. The members look like they work at the Apple Genius Bar, but they don't need the looks at all to impress. Their songs are great and their playful indie rock songs have a nice nineties vibe. Ringing guitars and creative grooves patiently craft their music. Combined with warm but powerful vocals the music is urgent and builds on tension.



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The Parrots



This rock n roll band from Madrid in Spain take things a lot less serious. Passing joints around the stage reveals the band is probably high as a kite, but it turns their performance into a cheerful event with a crowd willing to party. The simple rock songs aren't of the highest standards but with a huge smile on their faces the bands blasts energy.

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Millionaire



Belgian's lost sons Millionaire are back and make clear today why that is a good thing. Heavy rock songs with loud guitars and drums, that are big on amazing grooves. Singer Tim van Hamel has all the rock poses and is a born front man. The new record is a good reintroduction to the band and although it has been fifteen years they haven't lost any of their strength. I'm glad this band is back again.



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Metronomy



At the main stage Metronomy have started a party while the sun is setting. With a lovely image of the lake as their view the band is playing a good set giving the people exactly what they need: the right amount of energy to dance into the early night. And so the groovy dance songs with catchy synth sounds and drum beats go down well with a hungry crowd.

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard



If Metronomy didn't give you enough energy these Australian psych rock giants have got you covered. They are the front runners of the psychedelic rock scene and simply blow everyone away with a mix of out of this world garage rock, prog rock and anything in between and beyond. Their set is built up slowly, kicking off with 'Rattle Snake' from the first album that came out this year of in total five they are planning to. When they get to the brilliant 'Nonagon Infinity' everyone gives in and everything explodes. A big pit forms and the band simply blows everyone away. Resistance is futile. Game, set, match for this amazing group.



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Show Me The Body



It sounded nice on paper, a mix of punk, hardcore and hiphop that should set the mood for the rest of the night. But instead it's mostly loud music without too much variation. The vocals are screaming lyrics that are impossible to understand and although the band does want to work the crowd we decide to leave and have a beer instead.

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We head to the new rock bar The Kasbah where they stick to playing rock and punk songs and sell canned beer. There's a good vibe in the bar so we hang around for a while, down a few cans. The first day was pretty good and this year's edition is taking off in the right way.

All Pictures Day 1

Best Kept Secret Festival Day 2

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Friday, 16 June 2017

On Stage: Primal Scream @ Melkweg



You'd almost forget that Primal Scream have been around for a very long time. You'd also almost forget how influential they have been for the music scene in general, especially their legendary album Screamadelica. Many people may have forgotten about them, but they are still making records that are worthwhile listening to. As a matter of fact they put one out last year Chaosmosis and are still playing on the road. It's about time I was gonna check them out.

Primal Scream at Melkweg Amsterdam, June 15 2017



Their hay days may be behind them, but they are still a band that can play some really good shows. Of course they know that their fans are mostly here to hear their hit songs and so only a couple of songs of the new album make it on the setlist. For the rest we mostly get a greatest hit show. Their best songs are the ones that are swinging, where they mix rock and dance music. This band excels at grooving and bassist Simone Butler's catchy bass lines give many songs plenty of ingredients for a hot night.



But tonight the crowd is a bit too mellow and the band doesn't take off to spark a fire. Singer Bobby Gillespie doesn't seem to have the right energy to get the party started and I've heard him sing better as well. Now and then you'll see a bit of chemistry especially during 'Rocks' and 'Loaded' of course. After finishing quite a nice and inspired performance of 'Movin' On Up' at the end of the first encore it looks like the band is leaving the stage quickly and will call it a night.



But they do return actually for a very nice version of 'Come Together' where for the first time something happens between the band and the fans. Now we can see what makes this band so good, and the Melkweg turns into a church where everyone join in on preacher Gillespie's gospel. This may not have been Primal Scream at its best, but it is still great to see some of their old glamour shining through and see them send everyone off with a smile on their face.

All Pictures

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Setlist:
01. Swastika Eyes
02. Slip Inside This House (13th Floor Elevators cover)
03. Jailbird
04. Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
05. It's Alright, It's OK
06. (Feeling Like a) Demon Again
07. Star
08. Trippin' on Your Love
09. 100% or Nothing
10. Loaded
11. Country Girl
12. Rocks
Encore:
13. I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have
14. Movin' On Up
Encore 2:
15. Come Together


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Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Sniffing The Grass: A Best Kept Secret 2017 Warmup



After last year's edition of the Best Kept Secret Festival I was in doubt if I wanted to return this year. The festival neared the maximum capacity they were aiming for and this caused too many lines and nuisances. It got quite crowded everywhere, but we started coming to this festival because it was lacking the crowds in the beginning. Then the two mega headliners Radiohead and Arcade Fire were announced for this year's edition and I simply had to go. Hopefully the organization has learned from last year's edition and has things under control this year.

Music wise they delivered big time with great bands lined up besides those two big ones. After digging into it, I realized they did too good of a job, since there are so many bands I would like to see it is impossible to do. But of course I will give it a try! Here are some suggestions for each day in no particular order.

Friday
This year no jungalow for us unfortunately but we did manage to get a "chalet". After getting settled in and warming up with a cool beer we are ready for the first day. What to look forward to today?



1. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard; these guys are a must-see for me of course with their crazy psychedelic rock tunes and energetic live shows. Rattlesnake! Rattlesnake!
2. Real Estate; this band has a wonderful sound with ringing melodies and lovely psychedelica. How is this gonna sound live on stage?
3. Millionaire; Belgian musician Tim van Hamel is back with his successful and great rock band that never really disbanded.
4. Mannequin Pussy; well with that name you will draw some attention, but it's a return to the 90s with this band. Expect a mix of hardcore punk, shoegaze and grunge.
5. Jo Goes Hunting; added tone the line-up at the last moment, this Dutch artist brings danceable tunes full of synths, percussion and hooks with a twist.



Saturday
The first day is probably quite relaxed compared to the next two, so let's get this party started on the second day!



1. Arcade Fire; of course these indie giants are one you can't afford to skip since their music is top notch and their live shows are simply amazing.
2. Cloud Nothings; I saw these hard rocking guys earlier last year where they destroyed Paradiso. I'm sure they will kill over here as well.
3. The Wytches; psychedelic grunge, if you put these two words in a sentence you can count me in!
4. Stuff.; an experimental instrumental mix of jazz, funk and electro, this is all too good to resist.
5. Mitski; convincing and catchy indie rock songs with plenty of hooks that should sound great live.



Sunday
The last day is the busiest for me with tough choices all over the time table. Let's see what we can manage.



1. Radiohead; the wet dream of any festival of this kind and their visitors. There are no other bands playing during their 2,5 hour show so it's gonna be very crowded I'm sure.
2. Soulwax; the Belgian Dewaele Brothers proved they are still amazing live in Paradiso a while ago and have a show I can't get enough of.
3. Iguana Death Cult; this garage rock band from Rotterdam made one hell of a record and their lively shows will definitely give me the amount of energy I propably desperately need on this last day.
4. Zeal & Ardor; a mix of delta blues, black metal and Negro Spirituals. Yes, you read that correctly.
5. The Homesick; young post-punk trio from the north of the low lands that sounds very fresh and their songs are full of earworms.



The weather forecast looks better every day and with this smashing line-up I can't wait to get there. Beekse Bergen, here we come!

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Sunday, 11 June 2017

On Stage: Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots @ Melkweg



I can appreciate heavy rock music a lot, although a lot of metal music is a bit too much for me. But once in a while a metal band or record definitely draws my attention. Twenty years ago Sepultura released their epic album Roots which saw them combine slower and groovy metal with traditional Brazilian music. It still stands as a monument today in the metal landscape and Max and Iggor Cavalera, the two brothers who are the beating heart of the original and most successful line-up, are touring around the globe to celebrate the record.

Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots at Melkweg Amsterdam, June 9 2017



The epic album will be played in its entirety on this tour which means they kick off with 'Roots Bloody Roots'. Singer Max Cavalera still looks impressive with his wild dreads although he gained a bit of weight. His voice has worn off a little but he makes up for it with a lot of effort. He's totally into hands apparently because he keeps asking us to show them to him. The songs of the album have easily stood the test of time and still sound as impressive as twenty years go.



The traditional Brazilian elements are mixed in with the live music and it still is wonderful to hear how good a job they did with those, where everything blends together. But it's more than just the influence of the traditional music that make these songs so special. Sepultura found a sound that was unique in metal at that time. Starting more as a trash metal band, they started to play heavier and more groovy songs. You can hear this clearly in songs like 'Ratamahatta' and 'Dusted' where the grooves are hypnotizing and even turn psychedelic.



Drummer Iggor Cavalera is for a large part to thank for this, since he mixes metal drumming with tribal like grooves. He's an amazing drummer who plays the odd time signatures and heavy grooves with great ease, power and timing. The band is completed with Marc Rizzo on guitar and Tony Campos on bass, who you may know from one of Max Cavalera's other bands, Soulfly. The four piece do more than justice to the record and play everything with a lot of heart. Of course this is more than appreciated by the willing crowd who are joining in wholeheartedly in the special celebration.



The album set is closed with another performance of 'Roots Bloody Roots' and the band continues with some really old song from their trash metal time. Tonight once more proves what a unique and incredible album Roots is, one that should be treasured and celebrated like the Cavalera brothers are doing right now.



All Pictures

Official Website | Roots on Spotify
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