Rock Werchter 2014 Day 4: Dancing In The Rain

On the last day of the festival we wake up to a nice sunny day. But the forecast is one that expects heavy rain storms. We'll just see about that. Nothing our friend Joe Piler can't fix. Here we go!

Rock Werchter 2014 Sunday, July 6 2014



Reignwolf
On the main stage a small band is opening the day. Reignwolf is the project of Jordan Cook. It starts out as a three man band, while Cook is climbing a loose bass drum at the front of the stage. His music is blues and classic rock and indeed he can howl like a wolf. Then the other band members leave the stage and Cook gets freaky. He's playing guitar while at the same time holding his microphone. Or he's playing the bass drum at the same time. Or, sure why not, he's actually behind the drum kit playing it, while playing the guitar and singing. This guy is a one man band! It's pretty impressive and quite entertaining. Still I want to see other bands so I leave before the end.



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Oscar & The Wolf
I want to see the Belgian band Oscar & The Wolf, who make nice dreampop songs that take you away to tropical islands. And the stage looks exactly like that with palm trees scattered around and mostly red and green lights. Their music is the kind where you close your eyes and let it carry you away. It may not sound too exciting or energetic but the band succeeds in creating that tropical atmosphere, the high temperature inside helps too, with sultry versions of their music.



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Parquet Courts
And now for something completely different. No tropical atmosphere with Parquet Courts, but excellent punk rock songs. Their new album Sunbathing Animal shows more depth and melody while it still sounds powerful. The four guys play them quite convincingly, although it doesn't light the fuse as you would expect. That's because the band doesn't exactly go wild on stage. Still because of their strong repertoire it is a nice show, but could have been a lot better.



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Royal Blood
There are only two musicians in Royal Blood and still they know how to produce a very big and solid sound. Singer and guitar player Mike Kerr uses a heavily distorted bass guitar to lay down heavy riffs where drummer Ben Thatcher is putting very tight grooves on top. The duo from Brighton are convincingly playing their blues rock songs and have no trouble entertaining the full tent. It's remarkable how these two can create this sound by just the two of them.



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Bastille
We take a break and have some food outside the festival side. While we're inside a tent to eat, a heavy rain storm passes by. We're lucky that we can sit this one out. We return to the main stage for Bastille, where the side has turned into mud and everyone is soaking wet. It's still raining, but not that bad anymore. No one is letting the rain get them down. It seems as everyone is eager to party anyway and Bastille has no trouble making the people dance. Their music isn't that brilliant or special but it's the right band at the right place at the moment.



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Franz Ferdinand
Although we have seen Franz Ferdinand twice in the last couple of weeks, we decide to go see them instead of Foals anyway. Not because we don't like Foals, on the contrary, but because we don't want to go inside another full tent. And of course because Franz Ferdinand never disappoints. It's the same set as the previous time, which is a perfect festival set. Again it doesn't miss its effect at all. The build-up in the beginning with some hits, then the middle part with some more down tempo songs, followed by the big blog at the end where the field explodes. Any festival should try to book this band.



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Kings Of Leon
We want to have a look at MGMT, but the tent is too full. We stand outside for a bit, but then decide to go check out Kings of Leon. The band is bigger than ever and you know what you're going to get. They play a decent set with many of their hits and some songs of their successful but quality wise poorer last few albums. We can even see Caleb Followill smile a few times. But the band just doesn't add a lot to the live experience. There are no surprises, no improvisations, everything is well rehearsed. It is actually quite boring. I wish they would spice it a up and look for a bit of adventure.



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Interpol
It looks like Interpol have found their balance again. After Carlos Dengler left the band, it was as if Interpol was somewhat disoriented. Today they prove there's still enough fire in them to play a convincing set. Their songs sound dark and threatening again, full of tension and power. The new song the band is playing, sounds promising and I'm really looking forward to their new album later this year.



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Stromae
Although it looked as if Kings of Leon were the headliner today, actually Stromae is the one to close the festival. And although some people were questioning it, no doubt he deserves it. It may be a risky choice by the Rock Werchters programmers, but one that works out great. From seemingly nowhere he rocketed into the spot lights last year with his hit 'Formidable'. And he proves to be a wonderful entertainer. I don't like his music too much, especially the songs that are more or less eurotrance, but boy what a great artist. His mimicry is great, the way he acts on stage, everything looks magnificent. He's a worthy ending to another great edition of this festival.



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What a blast it was again. I wonder though, why the festival didn't really celebrate their 40th anniversary or give it more attention. But maybe they wanted to let the line-up speak for itself, since it worked out in a great way. The crowd is always lovely here, full of energy, and many bands did feel this and played great sets. But next year we won't be there. We can't handle the four day camping anymore and we want to try out some new festivals. But I'm sure we will return some day to this wonderful place.

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Rock Werchter 2013 Day 2: Blurry Night

Traditionally I get quite wasted the first day of a festival and pretty bad at the beginning of the next day. But today I actually don't feel that bad. The weather is only getting more beautiful and Joe Piler never looked better. The line-up today doesn't look that good, but I don't care. Since today I'm finally going to see Blur and that alone makes it a great day.

Rock Werchter 2013 Day 2, July 5 2013



Charles Bradley
What better way to start a day with a good hug? Charles Bradley not only gives out hugs during his show. His music feels like a one big hug. He may look like your grandpa, but what a cool grandpa. His voice is strong, his music a crossover between James Brown and Otis Redding. With his James Brown-impersonator past, he borrowed some moves from the "Godfather of Soul". They may not look that flexible all the time, but I'd like to see any of us doing them at 65. Sometimes Bradley picks up the mic stand and carries it around like a heavy burden on his shoulder. And telling from the documentary 'Charles Bradley: Soul Of America' he has quite a burden to carry. Every word he sings is full of emotion and sounds honest. In the end he fills the tent with his love and puts a smile on every person's face.



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Gary Clark Jr.
It's not a bad thing when you're called the new Jimi Hendrix. At the same time it's quite a statement to live up to. Gary Clark Jr. sure looks a bit like the legendary guitar player. His drummer could even be a new Mitch Mitchell with his curly hair. Clark certainly is trying to continue the master's legacy. His blues and rock songs are topped off with long guitar solos and jams. His guitar playing skills are unmistakable, but it misses the rough edges and urgency of Hendrix. Despite that it sounds promising and maybe he will be prove to be Jimi's reincarnation after all. I'll sure keep an eye out for him.



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Two Door Cinema Club
We catch the end of The Bots' show on the main stage. Two young boys on this huge stage. The end is a bit chaotic and we don't get to watch many songs since they're chatting a lot. I guess they need to grow more. There's still plenty of time for that. Two Door Cinema Club know how to deal with these kind of stages and crowds. By now many people have found their way to the festival ground and have met Joe Piler. And so the band find a willing crowd for jumping and dancing to their catchy songs. It actually sounds nice, but I notice many songs use the same off-beat pattern and follow a similar recipe. Although I enjoyed it, they still haven't fully convinced me. Some of their songs like 'What You Know' and 'Undercover Martyn' are great crowd pleasers of course.



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The Hives
I have witnessed a few The Hives shows before and never get bored of them. This time we decide to take a look up close and we like what we see. Of course they play their usual show. Singer Pele Almqvist is acting like the biggest rock star and his brother guitar player Niklas is adding funny faces to his over the top performance. But it's all part of a The Hives show. It may not be new anymore, but songs like 'Hate To Say I Told You So' and 'Tick Tick Boom' make everyone move. In the end we had a great time once again.



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Kings of Leon
Last year the Followill boys had quite a stormy end of their tour. It looked like the band had a complete breakdown and they needed a break. It has done them well. Their performance is solid, tight and powerful. But where is the fun guys? They play everything on routine and don't seem to enjoy themselves a bit. Although singer Caleb is trying to connect to the crowd more and more, there's still no passion or love. And isn't that what a band should do when playing live? It's still quite impressive though what 'Sex On Fire' can do to a willing crowd.



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Blur
Finally it's time for the moment I have been waiting for. Blur are kicking off with 'Girls & Boys' which is getting everyone to jump right away. Damon Albarn doesn't look really pleased in the beginning but they seem to be enjoying themselves after a while. With so many great songs to choose from they come up with a nice greatest hits show. Of course 'Beetlebum', 'There's No Other Way', 'Country House' all find their way into the set. Fortunately they also play my personal favourites 'Out Of Time' and 'Coffee & TV'. It's a nicely balanced set, with some quiet moments as well. The beautiful 'Under The Westway' brings out the goose bumps. Halfway the four lads seem to be totally into it and are exchanging smiles. I'm so pleased the many British fans around me are singing their number one Blur song 'The Universal' out loud. When 'Song 2' closes the show the whole field explodes into one big "woohoo!". Just magical!



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At this point I'm just intensely happy. So me and my friends grab Joe Piler by the hand and we dance away into the night.

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Rock Werchter 2013 Day 1
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Rock Werchter 2011 Day 2: Action On The Main Stage

Somehow the second day is always the hardest one getting the body kick started. Almost like it still needs to make the switch to festival mode. This time is no different although I definitely felt worse in the past. That may be promising. Time to get coffee and off to the first band. My program reveals most action is on the main stage today.

Rock Werchter 2011 Day 2, July 1 2011



Triggerfinger (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
So after a bit of recovering we head over to our beloved Belgian rockers of Triggerfinger. And Ruben Block, Mario Goossens and "Monsieur" Paul van Bruystegem are in great shape today in their home country. Singer Block charms the crowd, climbs on top of amp stacks and screams like never before. Drummer Goossens is pounding his drums with a smile on his face the entire time. They have everyone eating from their hand with a great energetic performance once again.

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White Lies (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
White Lies failed to impress me last time on Rock Werchter and reviews of gigs after that didn't promise a lot. Their second album was also disappointing. They start in a good way though leading off with 'Farewell To The Playground' and following up with some more good songs. But then things go wrong again. The songs that follow are not as good and less known and don't get a lot of response. Although singer Harry McVeigh looks like a nice guy he doesn't have enough charisma. The band looks static and bleak causes this performance to be one that's hard to sit out.
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The National (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
For the next band we decide to go stand in the pit. Their performances are usually impressive and we want to experience it as close as possible. Singer Matt Berninger is in his usual fashion, completely into the music walking around on stage like a tormented soul. His voice sounds great and his baritone rumbles across the fields. Words hit the crowd with great impact and Berninger is giving every bit of energy in his body leaving a stunned crowd behind.

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Arctic Monkeys (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
With a great new album they already proved to be in great shape in Paradiso. And they can translate that to a big stage without problems. The band fires song after song onto the crowd with lots of confidence. Again all songs of the different albums form a balanced set and sound great. This band came out of the last recording sessions in a killer form and showed that today.

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Kings of Leon (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
The Followill boys traded their rough edge for a stadium sound and became superstars. It didn't really appeal to the critics (including me) but they did find their way to the mainstream rock scene and sold millions of albums. However on stage the band isn't really spectacular. They have a static stage act and don't seek much interaction with the crowd. Although they play a solid set some spectacle is exactly what's missing. After seeing them a few times before there's little surprise left and it's starting to get old. They really need to spice up their act.
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Arsenal (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
By this time we were getting quite cheerful. Could be the beers but we ended up at the Arsenal party. No, not a soccer match but the Belgian dance/rock band who are very big in their homeland. They throw quite a nice party although it's not that big a deal. Maybe check them out some time when I'm sober.
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Effortless New Album By Kings of Leon

The guys from Kings of Leon have come a long way since they released their first album 'Youth and Young Manhood' seven years ago. From a relative unknown band liked by many people for their alternative and rough southern sound they hit the jackpot with 'Only By The Night'. But that album also received a lot of criticism that the boys had exchanged their original sound for a more main stream one and were only aiming at big success. Time to check out what this new album would bring.

Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)

I never completely shared that negative criticism for 'Only By The Night' as I liked most of the album. And I think the big hit 'Sex On Fire' that for some was the perfect example of everything that turned ugly is a pretty good song. Maybe not lyrics wise but it has some great hooks and a good groove.

And with such a successful album the big pitfall is to stick to that sound and make an almost identical new album. The reality is far worse though. They seemed to have taken the mainstream appeal, thickened it and got rid of what was left of the soul of their original sound. And so the album ends up with mediocre songs and a band that's nog even trying to play good songs.

Singer Caleb Followill is constantly trying to sound like someone else. He found a way of sounding over dramatic and sticks to it the entire album. It's like a trick he keeps repeating so that you really grow tired of it in the end. The lyrics are cheesy throughout the whole album and just really too easy. Like in 'Back Down South':

If you see the lights
and we hear the fights
It's gonna be a stunner
I've got something here
If you give me one more beer

I mean c'm on! You don't get away with that. This sounds like he wrote it quickly on a napkin in a dead moment between all the side activities that seem to come with stardom.

Guitar riffs and licks, bass and drum grooves all suffer from that problem. On top of that every song follows the same recipe causing all of them to sound identical. There isn't a track on the album that sticks out. Everything sounds so phony, cheesy and insincere that even a potentially good song like 'Back Down South' (yes with those laughable lyrics) is just too much. In the end you just don't believe them anymore. Album opener 'The End' is a slow version of 'Sex On Fire' with some cheesy synths thrown in. Half of the album is filled with ballads that all sound the same. Just listen to 'Pyro', 'Mary' and 'Mi Amigo' to name a few. A song like 'Pony Up' is just a sad attempt at sounding funky. And then there's 'Radioactive'...I mean wtf!?

Frontman Followill told in an interview he hates hipsters. "We'll gladly be the next generation of bands that aren't going anywhere." Well they are doing great at going nowhere. Kings of Leon now sound like a bad copy of Kings of Leon.

Come Around Sundown on Spotify


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Kings of Leon Debut New Single "Radioactive"

Kings of Leon today aired the first single 'Radioactive' of their upcoming album 'Come Around Sundown' that's set to be released in October. It shows the band members among African children while the song itself has an African vibe as well. Check out the video below:

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