It's the end of a very good musical year where I got to know new bands, new music and saw a lot of amazing shows. For what it's worth, here is my top 10 album list for this year. End this decade in style, all the best for 2020 and stay safe.
There's a new festival in town called Loose Ends and apparently they got a hold of my garage and punk rock dream line-up, since the festival only booked bands I like. Of course I got tickets right away and want to see them all. Not sure how this will work out, but a guy can dream right? I hop on my bike, get on the ferry and enter Loose Ends.
Fortunately this is not a huge festival and I see the three stages are very close to each other. It's also not overcrowded and this gives me the opportunity to see bands that are playing at the same time. The sun is up, the beer is cold and I have my ear plugs. Let's go!
I like the music of this band, that is a combination of members of other sick bands, Creepy Karpis, Rats on Rafts and The Homesick. I'm really glad I finally get to see them live now. With catchy clear guitar riffs and poppy garage songs that are full of irresistible hooks, these guys certainly don't disappoint. I can't wait for their first album that is coming out this fall. A very good way to kick off this day.
I couldn't see Canshaker Pi singer Willem Smit's solo project earlier at the Best Kept Secret festival, but I get a second chance. When we arrive at the smallest stage outside there's already a party going on. Smit has gathered a lot of friends on stage that is a bit too small for this wild rock party going on. It's a crazy get together and a wonderful sight to see this colourful bunch of people throw a fun party this early in the afternoon. Smit is turning into a front runner for the Dutch indie scene and that is a good thing.
We make our way to the main stage where Crows have started their set. I like their dark and vicious post punk music that is loud, heavy and noisy. We may be in the wrong spot though, since from our position the vocals are too loud compared to the guitar. This music relies on a good balance between those two, so everything can melt together into a glorious wall of noise. Now it misses its effect and the music doesn't have the full impact it should. The sunny afternoon doesn't exactly help as this band dwells best in a dark small club.
Time to check out the tent stage where Dutch punk band Ploegendienst have started tearing down the place, led by Ray Fuego who is dressed only in his underpants for the tropical occasion. This band is relentless, will grab you and won't let go until you beg for mercy. It keeps firing off loud, rough punk songs without slowing down and scores the first real pit of the day, just right on time.
On the main stage one of the most fun Dutch garage rock bands Mozes and the Firstborn are already playing in the blistering sun. They are the perfect band on this summer's afternoon, playing a tight set with the same loose and relaxed attitude that we are used of them. These guys have so many great songs, that simply keep running around your head for days. Once again I enjoy their lively show and music.
A few months ago I was pleasantly surprised by this almost all female band from LA. Their music is ranging from indie rock to rough punk rock, led by Leana Geronimo. The band plays a tight set and I like it again. It doesn't get as stunning as the first time I saw them, but that could just be the different surroundings. I don't get sucked into their show like that time, but I sure like the way they are really into their music.
First times can't be beaten easily when they are good. The same goes for Sports Team. Their great lively show at Best Kept Secret was one that worked in every way. Today it's a different place with a different crowd. The band has to work hard but the response is more reserved. Singer Alex Rice isn't giving up though and keeps moving around stage in his Mick-Jagger-on-speed kind of way. The band has a couple of catchy hit songs up their sleeves, that don't miss their effect. I notice though, that once you've seen them before, it is less overwhelming and they need to make sure they don't cross the thin line of turning into a gimmick.
Launched by Jack White's Third Man Records, Yak has all the ingredients for me to like them. And that couldn't be more right. Their groovy fuzzed out rock is tight, loud and has this psychedelic edge that I like a lot. I understand why they have a fanbase that includes Alex Turner and members of Spiritualized and Tame Impala. There's more to it than just a bunch of catchy garage rock songs. The band definitely have their sound down and I'll be sure to check out their music.
Dutch band Indian Askin have their sound down too, although their new LP sounds more mellow than the previous one. Normally that shouldn't be a problem but this is a punk rock crowd. The heavy songs do have more impact today, whereas the mellow ones have everyone lean back in a relaxed way, downing a cold beer. This is a great band though, that will work hard to please a crowd and that has many killer songs up their sleeves.
I can't stay at the main stage though, since Iguana Death Cult is playing at the other side at the small stage. Singer Jeroen Reek may have lost his long hair, but he still is wildly rocking. You could call them the Dutch Oh Sees, because of the similar sound, but that would cut the band short. Since these guys simply keep knocking out one catchy tune after another and are always a delight to watch. All of them play with a lot of heart and turn every stage into an energetic rock party.
On her way to Glastonbury our own Pip Blom is visiting this festival as well. I like her cheerful and catchy rock music, that has something light and gritty, but is edgy the same time. Together with her young band her shows are always energetic and full of heart. Their young age give them something uninhibited which is wonderful to see. Her first album Boat that just came out is getting very good reviews and she proves she's one of the hidden gems at Glastonbury this year.
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I got introduced to Sunflower Bean last year at the Into The Great Wide Open festival and liked their rough rock music. In Julia Cumming the band has a front woman with a real rock attitude. It gives their performance the right amount of energy. They borrowed The Lemon Twigs' Danny Ayala on keyboard who is adding an extra layer to their sound but also brings extra show to the stage. It turns their performance into a lively one that is a lot of fun to watch.
The festival is definitely on speed now and Iceage keep the party going. Fronted by the charismatic singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, the Danish band have a broad, big guitar sound that is a mix of post-punk and psychedelica, with some The Velvet Underground kind of twist. It works very well and the band builds a big wall of noise, drowned in reverb and wild guitar. It's a nice first encounter with this talented band.
Canadian group METZ are one of my favourite bands here today and I couldn't wait to catch them again. These guys never disappoint and their music is like a bulldozer cruising at race car speed. It's unbelievable that only three guys produce this powerful sound, that keeps pounding away at you. I love this groove that they build up, without holding back. But it's not just the power and noise, since the songs are actually very clever, with more to it than you'd think. It's as effective as always today, judging from the wild pit in front of the stage.
We're only halfway the year but I'm sure Irish post punkers Fontaines D.C.'s first album Dogrel is going to end up high in many album lists at the end of this year. It sure will end up high on mine. It is full of well written songs that are both fun and dark. When the band starts you get a Joy Division flash-back looking at singer Grian Chatten nervously walking around his microphone. But damn, these guys blow everyone's mind with a tight and energetic show. They let it rip and it's probably the most ecstatic moment of the festival with crowd surfers and people simply going mental. For a good reason because songs like 'Too Real' and 'Boys In The Betterland' are simply instant classics that have a huge impact. I bought tickets to their show in November right away, when they return to Amsterdam.
I'm not too much of a fan of Sleaford Mods, but I can see how their electronic punk music earned a spot at this festival. Of course this is a big name and the duo prove it today with a well performed set, that goes down well with the crowd. Jason Williamson's biting raps are backed up by minimalistic electronic beats. It is quite a powerful combination and allows part of the crowd to go loose one more time while the sun is setting and the dark sets in. It's a good ending to this wonderful day.
Thus festival did a great job putting together an exciting day of punk and garage rock. They lined up so many amazing bands, that I couldn't even see all of them. But it turned into a wonderful and fun day with a lot of good vibes. I really hope the festival returns next year with a string of equally exciting bands. I'm sure I will be there again as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The music scene always slows down around the end of the year and together with my vacation in January things take a while to pick up for me. But now things are moving fast with lots of new music coming out and many bands going on tour. So tonight I could choose between two shows and decided to try to make both.
The Rotterdam based garage rock band Iguana Death Cult is one of the many exciting new bands that are country has been producing in a steady pace. Their energetic performances didn't go unnoticed and they released their first album The First Stirrings Of Hideous Insect Life this week. I listened to their music and instantly liked it. The comparison with Thee Oh Sees is spot on, since many songs have the same drive and feel including the shout outs and are high on reverb. On stage the band is lively and their energy gives the music even more power. It's as if the band and crowd are electrified and everyone is kicking off their Friday night on a high.
I've been following JAGD for a while, simply because I know one of the band members. But also because they make great music. They won the "Amsterdam Pop Award" ("Amsterdamse Popprijs") in November and recently joined the Friendly Fire portfolio. It means the band is on the right track for greater things but for now are mostly trying to spend as much time on stage as possible. Tonight they are playing the Vondelbunker, an underground stage in Amsterdam. It's a great environment for this band and even though the sound is totally crap, it doesn't matter to them. Their powerful songs and convincing performance pays off. Their groove driven songs with an eighties new wave vibe go down well, especially because they play them with a lot of heart. Keep an eye out for this band, because we are going to hear a lot more from them.
There you have it. Not a bad way to get out of my hibernation and start off the weekend. And there are so many bands lined up to play in or around my home town in the coming weeks, so check back here regularly.
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