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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