Bospop 2015 Saturday

The Bospop festival in the South of The Netherlands is advertised as a classic rock festival. However going over the line-up, classic rock is used in the broadest sense of the term, which is in fact a good thing, since it opens up to a somewhat peculiar but at the same time interesting program. Friends suggested to visit the festival on the first day which looked good and so we did.

Bospop 2015 Saturday, July 11 2015

Comfortably located next to the highway it is a fast and easy journey to the festival. We were there on time because we definitely didn't want to miss the wonderful Navarone kick off the day.



Navarone
I know what I am gonna get from this amazing rock band. Their music is breathing classic rock in every way but at the same time sounds very fresh and up to date. Traces of Pearl Jam can be found as well and the sturdy rock riffs and drum grooves are solid enough to carry the incredible voice of singer Merijn van Haren. It's a dirty job opening a festival, since most people have not even arrived yet and it's pretty hard winning over the ones that don't know you. But Navarone work hard and put down a convincing show once again. At the end of their set it got more crowded in front of the stage which means they were able to drag people to their show. For us it's a wonderful start of this sunny day.

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Racoon
We try a bit of Croatian ladies band Luminize who fail to impress me and sound like any other average band in this pop rock genre. On the main stage another Dutch band, Racoon, have started their set. I used to like the old Racoon sound when they played catchy indie rock and am not too fond of their more melancholic side that gave them their success. But it's a good live band that usually delivers. But today maybe the heat got to them and it seems as if every song is played in a lower gear. Most songs are mid tempo anyway and the music matches this hot lazy afternoon. I've seen them in better shape before.

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Layla Zoe
So it's time for some fire to keep this day going and Canadian blues singer Layla Zoe is right on time. She has a great voice and her band is also doing a good job. Of course there's nothing new to the standard blues rock songs they are playing with the occasional shredding blues solo, but it should be appealing to a classic rock minded crowd. It sounds great and Zoe is working hard to keep everyone focused, using the whole stage for her rock poses and addressing the crowd regularly. It's exactly what we need at this moment and Jan Laacks's guitar solos are quite impressive and stoke the fire even more.

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Melissa Etheridge
I lost track of Melissa Etheridge after her successful years at the end of the eighties and early nineties. I only know her music from this era and am not familiar with her more recent work. Today she proves to be a very professional and impressive live musician. Her voice is excellent and she knows how to play a crowd. She has gathered a very good band around her and especially Fugees bass player Jerry Duplessis is a delight to watch and listen to with his meaty bass sound. Of course she ends her set with a very lively version of 'Like The Way I Do' that goes down well.



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Fish
Former Marillion singer Fish is treating Bospop to a complete performance of the Marillion classic Misplaced Childhood. It's part of a 30th anniversary celebration of the album that rocketed Marillion to super stardom. Although I'm not really fond of the eighties prog rock genre it is nice to hear those songs live. They are well performed although I'm a bit disappointed in Fish's vocals who has sounded better in the past. For a true Marillion fan this must be a real treat but in the end it becomes a bit weary for me and I can't make it to the end.



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Gary Clark Jr.
Instead we return to the main stage and find ourselves a good spot in front of it where Gary Clark Jr. has already started playing. He is sometimes called the "new Hendrix" which is no wonder when you hear him play. Although I like his sound and songs, he's not there yet to really compete with the legend himself. Probably that's not what he intends to do anyway, but instead is just trying to play great music. It's a good set, but Clark Jr. could fire it up more and turn his performance into a more lively one.



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Novastar
Belgian band Novastar is actually the project of Dutch born Joost Zweegers who is a talented songwriter. The ballad like songs aren't exactly classic rock songs but I'm glad I get to see this band. The melancholic music combined with the clear pleasant voice of Zweegers is wonderful and it sucks me right in. It results in a dreamy mood that works quite well on a warm summer's night.

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ZZ Top
Bearded blues giants ZZ Top are today's headliner and the ones to close the first day of the festival. Due to the modest setup of the festival and the relaxed crowd we have a great spot to see the blues trio perform. Of course I've seen them last year and you know exactly what you're going to get. The three veterans may not exactly go crazy on stage, but it's the details that count. The greatest hits set has all the songs you can wish for, from 'Tush' to 'Gimme All Your Loving', but it's the subtleties that make it so enjoyable. The quick looks the three are exchanging, the chemistry between Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, the few choreographed steps and the subtle jokes. If you're into their music like me, the legendary band are still a lot of fun to watch. And of course they can still play some great blues music.



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I think this festival is not about spectacular headliners or crazy shows. It is aimed at a crowd that wants to hear some good music and enjoy a nice day. That's exactly what we got today and so we can go home completely satisfied.

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Pinkpop Mellow In Hot Sun

This year I only needed one word to make the trip down south to the Pinkpop festival: Soundgarden. I just can't get enough of this band and somehow managed to never see them live in the nineties. The rest of the program didn't really look spectacular although there was probably going to be plenty to enjoy. The weather forecast couldn't have looked better so we headed to the festival in good spirit under a clear sky and a bright sun.

Pinkpop Festival at Landgraaf, Day 2 Sunday May 27 2012

We followed the same routine as past years: driving there following our gps navigation and ignoring all the official festival traffic signs. We made it to the small town centre of Landgraaf without a problem and only 10 minutes after the festival gates opened we were ordering our first and last cup of coffee of the day. Enough time to get in the festival mood, go over the schedule and get a good taste of the cold beers. The festival season was taking off for us.

Babylon Circus
First up are Babylon Circus, a ten piece band from Lyon in France. They are playing a mix of reggae and ska. With the sun climbing higher you can't have a better start. And the band members know this as well. They are putting a lot of effort in it, firing off their catchy summer tunes to the crowd. So even though part of the crowd alreay have one hot festival day behind them, many people are showing off the first dance moves of the day. The French musicians are a great festival act and are just what you need to get a party started.

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Racoon
The sun is already starting to burn on our necks and faces so it's time to take it a bit slower. Racoon have grown from an indie rock band with jumpy songs into a pop band with mostly acoustic and folky sounding slow tunes. For me this is their weak spot. Many songs have the same tempo and for someone who doesn't know them very well, they are hard to keep apart. But they are playing them with a lot of heart and very convincingly.

Singer Bart van der Weide has a great unique voice, that can be vulnerable at times but also powerful at other times. The addition of strings is a smart move. They add more depth to the music. It gives them a chance to play their version of 'Eleanor Rigby', which is the highlight of their set. Their own songs can't match that, although 'Don't Give Up The Fight', that was written for the a little boy called Jayden who passed away, is putting a lumb in many a throat.

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Mastodon
Time to spice it up a bit again. Well, a bit. Mastodon are not the band to take it slow. Their havy guitars and grooves are beating down on the crowd. It may not be really subtle, but it is quite effective. Especially when they pace themselves a bit it reminds me of Therapy? from time to time. Other times it kind of gets too rough and it loses too much dynamics. All in all not a bad way to keep us from slowly dozing off in the sun.

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The Kyteman Orchestra
Colin Benders took our country by storm a few years ago as Kyteman. His debut album with a mix of hip hop and jazzy tunes was an instant hit. But especially the huge band live on stage was an impressive sight. His second album The Kyteman Orchestra that was released in March is even more ambitious. Pieces of opera and classical music mixed with hip hop and jazz. I can only respect Benders for taking up such a complex, ambitious and risky project, but the album didn't really appeal to me. But his live performances gained a lot of critical acclaim again.

And he is proving that on the Pinkpop main stage. The big stage is full of musicians, instruments and a complete choir. The variety in sound and musical directions don't miss their effect. Some people are watching in awe while other people turn their back. I guess it may not be the kind of music for every one, but I think it is a huge hit again. It's very impressive how Benders managed to translate his complex music into a live performance.

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Soundgarden
Finally it is time to meet one of my favourite bands up close. And up close we get. We go into the front pit as close to the stage as possible. A loud and low noise is revealing their arrival to the main stage. They kick off with 'Searching With My Good Eye Closed'. From our position the sound is pretty bad. During the song it is improving, but it never really turns decent enough. Chris Cornell's voice sounds great today and once again is showing why he's considered one of the best rock singers. It's great so see the band back together. Matt Cameron is driving the big heavy engine with some tight drumming.

Maybe the band isn't as tight during the whole set or they may be less active than in their glory days, but I'm definitely enjoying any second of their set. For a true fan like me it's just great watching them play classics like 'Spoonman', 'Rusty Cage' and 'Black Hole Sun'. They end their set with a great 'Slaves & Bulldozers'. So it didn't really become legendary, which apparently disappointed some people. But it was still an excellent performance for any Soundgarden fan or any one who likes some good heavy rock music.

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Since Keane and Linkin Park aren't really our cup of tea, we decided to have another beer and take on our three hour drive back home. Day two of the festival wasn't exactly spectacular. It had a couple of good performances but nothing extraordinary or surprising. None of the bands really outdid themselves. But with the nice weather, good music, great company and the return of my heroes it was still a successful day. Our festival season has officially been opened!

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