Amsterdam Woods Festival 2016 Saturday

Last year was the first edition of Amsterdam Woods, a small scale and cozy two day festival in the big Amsterdamse Bos park. It turned out to be a wonderful and relaxed festival with nice food, people and a balanced line-up with something for everyone. I really didn't want to miss this year's second edition.

Amsterdam Woods Saturday at Amsterdamse Bos, August 27 2016

Unfortunately this year the festival takes place on a Friday and Saturday and the first day proves to be too difficult for me to attend. Instead I settle for just the second day. Like last year the weather is glorious, so we hop on our bikes and ride them through the labyrinth that this huge park is. In the end we get there and find ourselves sipping a first cold beer at the first performance of the day.

Kurt Rosa
The tiny "spruit" stage that supports new and upcoming bands hosts the first band of the day. Kurt Rosa is one of those bands that are working hard to make it to the top. They won a band competition and are on the rise on their way to stardom. Their rock music is quite catchy and some songs sound really good. Especially when the band picks it up a notch and lets the guitars scream. Barefooted and in surf shorts the band gives it all on this hot start of the day.

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Jo Goes Hunting
A totally different kind of music can be heard on the stage at the large willow tree. Drummer and singer Jimmi Jo Hueting may look familiar as he is the younger brother of De Staat's Rocco. Their music is different though, which is a mix of indie rock and electronics with a heavy use of samples and effects. Sometimes the sound is more guitar driven but at other times it has a lighter touch. Hueting is looking very confident on stage and the band plays an intriguing show. I'll definitely will be watching them from now on.

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PAUW
Something looks different on stage today for psych rockers PAUW. It turns out half of the band got replaced and they now have a new keyboard player and bassist. It didn't really affect their music which is still wonderful to hear. However it's still early on this beautiful summer's day and this kind of psychedelic music thrives at its best in the dark. I also did see them in better shape before and today the band looks less focused and not very inspired. However with so many killer songs from their debut album Macrocosm Microcosm it is always good to see them play.

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Desert Mountain Tribe
Another band that is at its best in a dark smoky club is Desert Mountain Tribe. However these guys definitely look inspired today and I am quite impressed with them again. This band has such a great sound, with those basic but effective pounding drums and bass. On top of that are the psychedelic vocals and guitar play of singer Jonty Balls who is completely into the moment. All of this is put through a bunch of killer effects to create a delightful big and heavy sound that sounds amazing on any size stage. I really hope this band will grow bigger to see them in larger venues.

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Jeremy Loops
Another artist that makes heavy use of all kinds of effects is Jeremy Loops. He's one of those artists that can work magic with a loop station, samples and beats. It is quite effective and people love it. Of course it is great dance music with well chosen beats and grooves, but it is seems mostly aimed at that and I find the songs a bit too meagre. However it does do the job and makes for the first real party of the day.

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Amber Arcades
We make it to Amber Arcades' show when they are already halfway their performance. The band is actually Annelotte de Graaf's project and she was able to create quite a buzz in our country with her album Fading Lines. Her music is of the dreamy kind, folky ballads with a light touch. It isn't really my cup of tea but it's well performed and this is a great stage to dream away with her.

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Daniel Norgren
We see a bit of Liima performing with percussive electronic beats but decide this is not for us. When Phil Cook is playing his Americana and country songs we kind of hear it from a distance outside the tent, until it is time for my anticipated highlight of today: Swedish Americana singer-songwriter Daniel Norgren. He caught my attention a few years ago and simply never let go. Every time I hear his music it grabs me immediately. Today it's no different when he plays his songs with two fellow musicians on drums and double bass. The way his laid-back music slowly builds tension by patiently crafting a song is simply wonderful. He is using rests and he knows how to make his songs breath like no one else. Live on stage this is even more impressive when you see him perform, completely immersed in the music. With his band it gets a bit more rough and sometimes his guitar playing brings Neil Young to mind. Phil Cook also joins in for a short bit. All I can do is just watch in awe with an occasional lump in my throat.

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Ultimate Painting
After this we watch Ultimate Painting under the big willow tree. By now the sun has set and darkness is falling over the festival site. It creates a magical atmosphere while gentle guitar music comes from the stage. The short rock songs are nice on the ears although it never gets really exciting. The band is staying in their comfort zone and are never really looking for adventure. This is alright though and fits this moment of the festival where a full day of beers and sun shine are kicking in.

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Palmbomen II, a musical project by Kai Hugo, are closing the festival with danceable mix of electronic melodies and rhythms. People are dancing into the night while we finish a few more beers before we get lost in the woods again. But getting lost in the woods is exactly the point here. Just lose yourself in music on this wonderful little festival on a beautiful spot between the trees. Next year's edition is already marked in my calendar.

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Amsterdam Woods Festival 2015 Sunday

After a successful first day we head back into the woods while the sun is up and warm. Another nice day awaits at the Amsterdam Woods Festival so we hop back on our bikes and before we know it are back at the festival site.

Amsterdam Woods Festival Sunday August 30 2015

It is still pretty quiet when we arrive so we drink a nice espresso from an espresso machine that is a small steam engine which tastes great. Then we head into the tent for the first performance of the day.



Intergalactic Lovers
It's been a few years since I got to know Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers and they have come a long way since. Their second album Little Heavy Burdens was released last year and is full of nice melodic pop songs. Singer Lara Chedraoui is a delight to watch, she's cracking small jokes with the crowd and her band members who manage to keep a serious face. It sounds like her voice got even better over the years and the band got more tight. The tent hasn't really filled up much but it doesn't get the group down. In their own country they are already drawing much bigger crowds and let's hope more people will get to know them over here. Chedraoui definitely wins best choreography with her killer moves.

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Jacco Gardner
After releasing his first album Jacco Gardner toured around the world a lot. Now his second album Hypnophobia is out and with a partly new band is on tour again. The new album focuses on an obscure sixties movie soundtrack sound. The dreamy melodies are still there but now they have gained more body. You can also hear this in his live set that is now more convincing as is his own stage performance. His music sounds more balanced with more heavy grooves in some of the songs. You still need to be in this kind of music though and appreciate the dreamy atmosphere of the songs.

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Afterpartees
About now it's time to stir things up a bit and one of the most fun bands of our country, Afterpartees, are exactly the right band to do that. When they start only a handful of people have gathered in front of the stage, but it doesn't matter to the young lads who never disappoint. They fire off their catchy garage rock songs at high speed and singer Niek Nellen as always is one big ball of energy. When he finds the crowd's reaction a bit too mellow he jumps off the stage to make them dance which a few people can't resist. In the end this band seem to be able to please every crowd and once again step off the stage as winners.

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The Brahms
We turn to the tiny stage where The Brahms have started their set with catchy danceable rock tunes in the style of Vampire Weekend. The same playful ringing African style guitar melodies can be heard and the band is looking pretty convincing. With their energy, enthusiasm and cheerful music it is hard to stand still and it turns the place into a happy party. This band definitely has plenty going on to get bigger.

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The Veils
By now the sun has set and it's already time for the last performance of the festival. The Veils are the ones to close the day and are the right band to do so. I don't always like their kind of dramatic 16 Horesepower style of songs but tonight they are more on the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds side of things with a darker sound. Singer Finn Andrews also stays on the right side of his dramatic performance and looks impressive enough when he sings his lyrics with a tormented face. It makes you curious for their new record that should come out next year. It definitely was a worthy finale of this new festival.

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With this line-up, atmosphere and the nice performances, the Amsterdam Woods festival proves to be a worthy addition to the over saturated festival market. It wasn't really crowded but fortunately they had the weather on their side, since otherwise it could have been a disappointing turn up. However the main stage tent never was more than half full and sometimes it was pretty quiet at the other stages, which can be hard on the bands. But hopefully more people will learn about this festival and next year's edition can draw a bigger crowd. This festival deserves it and is more than worth a visit, so count me in again for 2016's edition.

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Amsterdam Woods Festival 2015 Saturday

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Amsterdam Woods Festival 2015 Saturday

Although there are many festivals in my home town Amsterdam, funny enough there is no multiple day summer festival with indie bands and rock music. Until now that is, since this year the three day Amsterdam Woods festival saw the light for its first edition with a promising line-up of upcoming bands, some established acts and documentaries. We can't make it to the first day on Friday but needless to say I hopped on my bike the day after to visit the large city park Amsterdamse Bos (three times the scale of Central Park), where the festival is located.

Amsterdam Woods Festival Saturday August 29 2015

After a nice bike ride through the woods, we arrive at a lovely spot. We explore the festival ground which is quite tiny but feels like a mini version of my favourite festivals Into The Great Wide Open and Best Kept Secret. A big tent hosts the main stage "Grote Eik (Big Oak)" opposite the outdoor stage "Onder De Sterren (Underneath The Stars)". A tiny stage "Spruit (Sprout)" at the other site will host new and upcoming bands. Scattered around are bars and food trucks, a lovely spot has turntables and spins oldies singles and a small bar pours lovely "speciality" beers. At this moment it is still quiet but things already look good.



Nelson Can
First up for us are three ladies from Denmark that form a rock trio without guitar player. Drums, bass and vocals create a dark punkrock sound especially because of the low but strong voice of singer Selina Gin. It is still early for both the band and the audience and this is a band that probably would work better in the dark. The ladies are doing their best though and the songs are quite interesting. However the lack of a melodic instrument becomes quite obvious since the songs sound alike a lot.

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Alamo Race Track
Dutch alternative band Alamo Race Track stand high in regard in the Dutch music scene and their last album Hawks once again is quite a gem. Their songs embody a lot of atmosphere and tension. The skilled musicians are facing a half full tent and are obviously having some sound problems on stage. The show is off to a bit of a rough start that way and it's hard to recreate the same atmosphere of their albums. But in the end this band is so talented and professional, that it results in a pretty good performance nevertheless.

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Douglas Firs
Belgian musician Gertjan van Hellemont formed this band with Balthazar's Simon Casier on bass, drummer Christophe Claeys (Amatorski and Magnus) and his brother Sem on keys. Their songs are best described as Americana and roots rock with nice harmonies. The music sounds quite good and works well on this stage next to the weeping willow. Van Hellemont turns out to be a pretty good entertainer with a good sense of humour as well and it turns this performance into a pleasant one.

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Palio Superspeed Donkey
It's time to pick it up a notch though and the "Dutch Arctic Monkeys" are playing a home game. The young band once again show their talent and their catchy rock songs sound better and better every time I get to see them play. They got their British stage act together as well with the seemingly unmoved singer Sam Vermeulen and his fellow band mates jumping around him. It is going to be interesting to see where this is going to take them in the years to come.

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Tubelight
While the sun is still up the trees around the Onder De Sterren stage are already obscuring some of the light a bit, turning it into an atmospheric surrounding. Perfect for the spacerock of Tubelight that are stretching their songs into long hypnotizing jams. The Belgian band may not play the most original music, but they look quite professional and play their music in a convincing way. And on this stage at this time of the day it does come together.

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Moon Tapes
At the other side of the festival ground Moon Tapes are soundchecking and play 'Elephant Stone' by The Stone Roses. This immediately describes their music since it seems that is their biggest inspiration. In their set they also play 'I Wanna Be Adored'. Their own songs are a mix of this and The Smiths where singer Joep Meyer actually does sound like Morrissey a lot. The band picked up some of their guitar lines from The Cure and we get a kind of Madchester new wave vibe, which is working well. It turns into a nice party and this band definitely could be on to something. Now they need to find their own sound instead of copying too much from their main inspirations.

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I Am Kloot
Today's closing headliner is English rock band I Am Kloot that are pretty much an indie favourite. It is the last show of their festival summer and the band are in a very good mood. The beer is flowing like water and the crowd clearly have been looking forward to this performance and are into it right away. It turns the last show of the day into a very nice one, where I Am Kloot is showing why they are so popular in the indie scene, with skilful songs that sometimes rock and are intimate ballads at others. Quite a good ending to our first day at this new festival I'd say.

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This turned out to be a great day and since there is not night line-up or after party we take our bikes into the night to return home and get a good night of sleep.

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