Rock Werchter 2014 Day 2: Cool Ending Of A Hot Day

Our tent turned into an oven when we wake and we're slowly being cooked. So after a bit of breakfast we are on our way to the festival site again to see the first band.

Rock Werchter 2014 Friday, July 4 2014

Yesterday we heard that Coely wasn't going to perform due to illness. Fortunately they found a good replacement in The Sore Losers.



The Sore Losers
The Belgian rock band look very pleased that they are allowed to fill in for Coely. They pick up this chance with both hands and play a energetic and rocking set. The new album sounds a bit more light compared to the raw blues and rock songs of their debut, but all songs go down very well with the crowd. The band are obviously having a lot of fun on stage and make it a great start of the day.

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The Strypes
Four teenage boys that already performed at Glastonbury a year ago, playing old style rhythm and blues songs. The Strypes are an Irish band that are doing exactly that. As if they only listened to the record collection of their grandpa. Singer Ross Farrelly, with his sunglasses on, looks like a young Liam Gallagher, expressing the same kind of arrogance. But he knows just how to keep it from going over the top. The Irish young men have quite a few nice songs, enough to make the crowd move a little. But the music and the performance stay somewhat on the safe side and it never gets really wild.



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Rodrigo y Gabriela
Puggy have cancelled their performance, so we wander around a bit and chill out until Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are starting their show. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, the two play a wonderful show. Coming from a rock and metal background they know how to blend different styles together. Next to their own compositions they also play a cover by Metallica. It never gets boring contrary what you may expect, since they know how to use their instrument in a versatile way, adding percussion elements by hitting or slapping the guitar. At the end the duo plays Radiohead's 'Creep' so everyone can sing along with Rodrigo, who proves that choosing guitar as his instrument was the right choice.



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The Naked And Famous
We're able to catch the last bit of The Naked And Famous who are playing in one of the tents where it's really hot. Their electro pop songs are catchy but sometimes also dreamy. It's a nice mix that definitely catches on with the crowd. Especially when they play their big hit 'Young Blood' the crowd is going nuts.



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Foster The People
The same goes for Californian band Foster The People, who have plenty of danceable indie songs to offer. Singer Mark Foster has no trouble playing the crowd who are eager to party. Of course everyone is jumping to 'Pumped Up Kicks' while the temperature is rising to boiling point.



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Paolo Nutini
Scotsman Paolo Nutini surprised everyone with his soulful new album 'Caustic Love' and even more with his passionate performances. Today is no different and many people are out to see him. His voice misses a bit of depth and stays too high to my liking, but his songs are definitely of high quality. He has certainly grown and his move from pop to soul and R&B is a good one. It sounds like his "new shoes" days are over.



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Arctic Monkeys
After their slightly disappointing performance a short while ago at the Pinkpop Festival I was hoping to see a strong Arctic Monkeys show today. And I am not disappointed at all this time. Although the setlist is similar, the flow of the show is much better. This way the songs sound a lot more powerful and more spot on. The slower songs of AM may not have the same danceability as a 'Brainstorm' but they are played so perfectly groovy and lazy. This whole band is all coolness today. They look exactly how they sound: pure rock 'n roll and sex with lots of swagger. While playing their last song 'R U Mine?' you can read the answer to that question in every girl's eyes.



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It's a fine ending to a pleasant day that wasn't as impressive as yesterday. But that's fine and we celebrate with another beer or two and a warm cervela.

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Rock Werchter 2014 Day 1
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 3
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 4

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Lovely Pinkpop Sunday

I wasn't planning on going to the Pinkpop festival this year. But with the prospect of good company, cold beers, nice weather and great music I don't need much more persuasion. The line-up looked really good with old legends The Rolling Stones on Saturday and indie legends Arcade Fire on Monday, but Editors and Arctic Monkeys on Sunday made us go for this day.

Pinkpop 2014 Sunday, June 8 2014

Driving up to the festival, the weather keeps getting better and better. It has come to our attention that we cannot park on our usual spot on the market square this time. So instead we are directed to one of the festival parking lots. By the time we arrive at the gates, there's quite a crowd and we miss the first band as a result. Nothing a cold beer can't fix.



Portugal. The Man
The first band we check out are Portugal. The Man. They are playing compact songs and have left their psychedelic side. In the beginning this is working quite well, although singer John Gourley's thin high voice isn't always easy to like. Halfway the show people are starting to lose attention and some are leaving. It is actually starting to get boring in the end so we decide to catch a bit of Fred Durst and co.

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Limp Bizkit
At the stage at the other side of the festival site Limp Bizkit is working their way through a trip down memory lane. Fred Durst is playing the tough guy like always and the crowd loves it. Although it results in a nostalgic party, it also isn't more than that. It gets a bit cheesy, especially when they start to play covers. Time for some ice cream I guess.

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The Kooks
It's been a while since I have seen The Kooks for the last time and that I heard from them. But here they are and Luke Pritchard is looking in better shape than I have seen him in a long time. His voice is good and he is bouncing around the stage throwing smiles around. They showcase a new song that sounds interesting enough. It could mean a change of direction and I'm looking forward to hearing their new album. It's the perfect weather for cheerful hit songs like 'Naïve' and 'Ooh-La' which seem to go down well.

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Intergalactic Lovers
A few years back I was pleasantly surprised to hear the melodic songs of this Belgian indie band. Now they have released their second album Little Heavy Burdens and I get a chance to see them again. It is clear they have grown a lot since that first encounter. Singer Lara Chedraoui's voice sounds great and the songs are well crafted. Slowly the tent is getting more empty though until it's half full. But the people who stay inside are completely into it and are singing along to great tunes like 'Delay', 'Howl' and new hit 'Islands'. In the end the ones who are staying get treated to a very pleasant show by a band who are far from using all their potential.

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Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini has come a long way since his pop hit 'New Shoes'. He had to dig deep and go through some dark times to come up with his new album Caustic Love which is totally different. It is full of intense soul songs and so is his performance today. His band is tight and sounds great just like Nutini himself. Unfortunately we can't stay until the end since Editors are waiting for us.

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Editors
We almost miss the beginning of the show because of some really slow burgers. I thought they called it fast food? Editors look stronger than ever today. They are playing hit after hit and it all sounds great. I still think the songs of the last album The Weight Of Your Love aren't as good as the rest, and also today I feel songs like 'Munich', 'All Sparks' and 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors' are simply better than 'A Ton Of Love' and 'Formaldehyde'. But it doesn't matter that much, because they will always deliver a strong performance. Of course they close the set with 'Papillon' that has grown into the perfect festival anthem, where every festival site seems to explode in the chorus.



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Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters
We may never see Led Zeppelin play and then Robert Plant may be the closest thing to come near. Unfortunately he's squeezed in between Editors and Arctic Monkeys so we only see a small part of his show. When we arrive he's just wrapping up 'Baby I'm Gonna Leave You'. It's great to hear this legend sing this epic song. Of course he's also playing some of his solo songs which I'm not really familiar with. 'Black Dog' gets a complete make-over with African instruments and singing where Bonham's solo used to be. It sounds really interesting and it is a brave act by Plant. But if anyone can do it, it's him. Too bad we have to leave him this early.

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Arctic Monkeys
We are leaving Robert Plant for the rock band who is shaking up things nowadays. The Arctic Monkeys have come a long way from the shy, introvert school boys they were ten years ago. Alex Turner has transformed in a modern James Dean of rock music and is confidently looking around the crowd with penetrating eyes. He's walking a thin line there though and he should take care not to overdo it, since it turn into too much of a gimmick. Their wild songs have been replaced with heavy grooving thoughtful tracks, which I love. Matt Helders is playing the slow grooves phenomenally and with a lot of power. But the breaks between songs are too long and so the show never really takes off. This isn't because of the slow songs, since they really sound great and the way Turner is singing them in a lazy fashion with his brilliant timing is spot on. It's far from perfect Arctic Monkeys show, but they still prove why they are one of the most interesting bands of today.



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With a day full of sunshine and some fine music this was a very nice festival day. When Pinkpop can come up with another great line-up next year, I will probably travel south once again.

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