ITGWO 2018 Day 3 + Day 4

The first two days of this festival showed all the beautiful side of it with all its amazing music, food and art. The second half promises to be just as good so we're up for another two incredible days.

Into The Great Wide Open 2018 Saturday September 1

The festival likes to explore the Vlieland island and will move stages around. This year the stage near the lighthouse in the dunes has returned, but in a different setting. It has a simple stage setup and there are no bars or food stands. Instead it focuses on more experimental music.

Onyx Collective

So we head to this incredible place where we were already a few years ago. Onyx Collective are playing experimental jazz while people are enjoying the sun. Even though the music is quite complicated and asks quite a lot from the listeners it works quite well on this lush day. Some people are dozing off to the weird sounds and vocals. This seems to be the best way to hear this complex music and to let it take you away and just let it float.

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Alfa Mist

After a break we return to the lighthouse for another jazz performance. Alfa Mist continue where Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock have left off. The producer and pianist has come up with nice gentle groovy songs with sparkling keys and trumpet. Electronic effects on the trumpet add another dimension to the music that dwells perfectly here in the dunes. And so we sit back once again in the sun and let the music do the rest.

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Canshaker Pi

We make our way into the woods to catch the last bit of Canshaker Pi. I’ve seen these guys play several times and love their hooky rock songs with a slacker twist. There’s a pit in front of the stage where people go wild. The band has changed two of their members and this has changed their chemistry as well. It kind of misses a bit of edge now but hopefully a lot of miles on the road will regain that.

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Yo La Tengo

I have heard great things about Yo La Tengo, especially their live performances. The band has made a lot of different types of music and you never know what their performance will bring. They start off very quiet, with rootsy songs that somehow cannot really grasp me. Halfway they pick things up with heavier work and start rocking out. Still I can’t really get into it and the music is lacking a really good groove, despite the skills of the musicians. It doesn't really help that the three members aren't exactly showing they are having a good time. This band has a huge reputation and I can hear why they are so loved, but for me it doesn't work.

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DeWolff

The Vaccines unfortunately had to cancel and Dutch rocker DeWolff are filling in. They are a worthy replacement and are taking full opportunity of their unexpected visit to the island. The classic rock songs go down well with the eager crowd on this sunny afternoon. Even though they are still young, these guys have been playing together for most of their life. The band works hard to please the crowd with screaming guitar solos, a growling organ and rolling drums and comes up winning with an inspired show.

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Oumou Sangaré

Malinese singer Oumou Sangaré is pretty big in her home country and for a good reasons she proves here tonight. He voice is beautiful and full of power and the songs are melancholic but also very good to dance to. The crowd is willing to do exactly that and joins Sangaré and her band in the African dancing party. With a huge smile she’s enjoying the view and it is clear this happy festival crowd has embraced this wonderful singer.

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The Ex

It is time I get to see legendary Amsterdam band The Ex who have been around for almost fourty years. The veterans show why tonight with an inspired show, that is full of fire. The rocks songs are not your standard ones, but are melodic tunes that often end up in rough noise eruptions where the guitar players are shredding their guitars with a huge grin on their faces. Drummer Katherina Bornefeld is tastefully holding the boys together with tight drumming.

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Django Django

The Scottish band Django Django are the ones that get to close the main stage today on a high. It turns out that is not a problem with a festive crowd that is very willing to dance to the light indie rock and pop songs, that are kind of like modern disco and are meant to move your body. Their latest LP Marble Skies has plenty of those groovy songs and together with some of their big hits, the field is having a great time. But the band doesn't really set fire to it, while the circumstances are ideal to let it rip. So instead everybody is gently rocking instead of having a wild dancing party. Still not bad to end a great day.

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All Pictures Into The Great Wide Open 2018 Day 3

Into The Great Wide Open 2018 Sunday September 2

It's hard to believe the final day has arrived, after three days so chuck full of music it is dazzling. Today is a shorter one but still there is so much to enjoy that we're up for another good one.

Sunflower Bean

The last day is always a long stretch but Sunflower Bean have no trouble waking us up. Julia Cumming leads her band into powerful rock songs with some ballads scattered around the set. She has a real rock attitude and a pretty good voice. Guitar licks heavy on overdrive are bouncing off the trees in the woods. It is working better than coffee and within no time we are all wide awake.

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Boy Azooga

We leave the warm sun for a bit and enter the dark indoor stage, where Boy Azooga have started their set. We come in at a mellow part, where the band is exploring their sensitive side. It is clear these guys can play, but this part of the set can't win me over. The band comes across as a bunch of very nice guys though and I really want to like it. Towards the end they pick things up and play a couple of nice uptempo tunes. It is not a bad performance but I was hoping for a bit more spice.

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Protomartyr

Things are totally different at the stage in the woods where singer Joe Casey is wondering what we're doing here at this beautiful day, watching them play their depressing music. Of course he's joking and by now I am used to his sarcastic and cynical comments. But he's cutting his band short here, since even on this beautiful spot, their dark music doesn't miss its effect. The band is sharp and tight and Casey is spitting out his lyrics in his usual posture, leaning against the mic stand, holding a can of beer. It's hard not to look at him and not get hypnotised by his mimicry, while his band is almost carelessly playing along. Once again I'm impressed by the powerful performance by this one of a kind band.

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Jeff Tweedy

At the main stage Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy has started his solo show. The stage is almost completely empty except for Tweedy and a small flight case next to him. He looks like a happy camper but his songs cut deeper than that. Tweedy is joking and is obviously in a good mood. It is a mellow performance on this sunny warm afternoon and he's joking that he's "tearing down this joint" when a sign falls down at the side of the stage. I am surprised it isn't more crowded since I suspect Wilco is a big band among the visitors here. I'm not really into Tweedy's roots and folk music, but I can definitely enjoy his cheerful performance here today.

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Hannah Williams & The Affirmations

The festival always likes to close with a feel good performance by an artist that isn't really a headliner but will send everyone away with a smile on their face. This year Hannah Williams and her Affirmations are the ones to send us home and she's doing a great job. Williams' voice is incredible and her band is wonderful too. Her soul music isn't exactly something you haven't heard before but it so well performed that it is hard not to enjoy it. Their version of Led Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused' sounds compelling and genuine. She's the right person to end the festival here at the main stage. After we dance some more to DJ St Paul of course who always knows how to keep the party going a bit longer.

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Another edition comes to an end where I didn't see any real surprises, although I saw plenty of good performances. But this festival is about having a great time with good music, good food and beautiful people. This goes for the musicians too who obviously love playing here. This festival summer comes to an end in the best possible way.

All Pictures Into The Great Wide Open 2018 Day 4

Into The Great Wide Open 2018 Day 1 + 2

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Tune In Your Head: Protomartyr - Wheel Of Fortune

Protomartyr are in the middle of a tour but still find time to release a new EP Consolation E.P. on June 15th. On two of the four tracks they worked together with Kelley Deal of The Breeders. Here you can hear one of those tracks 'Wheel of Fortune':

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On Stage: Protomartyr @ Melkweg

Some bands are able to record great albums, other bands are great at playing live. And then there are some bands who bring out incredible music and manage to make them even better when playing them live. More and more people are discovering Detroit rock band Protomartyr falls into that last category. Protomartyr at Melkweg Amsterdam, April 23 2018

This is clear from the fact that since the last time I saw them the people coming out to see them has doubled, maybe even tripled. They released another very good album Relatives in Descent that ended on many year lists including mine. The sometimes slightly absurd lyrics that singer Joe Casey brings in a vicious way, combined with the somewhat uneasy music, results in a thrilling listening experience. On stage the band is able to deepen their sound even more.

Take a song like 'A Private Understanding' with its rolling drum grooves, the simple but effective guitar chords and the biting vocals of Casey. Live everything becomes even more effective. The gloomy uneasy feeling of the music until it explodes into its aggressive chorus. You just have to feel this live, watch the remarkable posture of Casey, who looks like a traveling salesman of tooth brushes, leaning on his mic stand, carelessly holding a can of beer. He keeps repeating "She's just trying to reach you" and the song just keeps getting better and better.

Just like the band keeps growing over the years, it also does tonight. They suck everyone into their twisted dark universe where every song hits bulls eye. It's guitar player Greg Ahee's birthday so he gets to play a solo. But these guys are rock anti-heroes so there's no minutes long guitar shredding solo but a short awkward guitar melody. This is what makes Protomartyr so good, the no nonsense approach and attitude together with a keen eye for writing songs like 'Why Does It Shake?' that opens the encore. Songs that get under your skin and start to itch. You wonder how big their fanbase can grow if they keep going like this.



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Top 10 Albums 2017

The year is almost over so most end of the year lists have been published by now, except mine. Here it is!

1. Protomartyr - Relatives In Descent
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2. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Murder of the Universe
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3. METZ - Strange Peace
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4. The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
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5. St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION
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6. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
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7. The National - Sleep Well Beast
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8. The Homesick - Youth Hunt
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9. Motorpsycho - The Tower
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10. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
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On Stage: Protomartyr @ Paradiso

The album The Agent Intellect took me by storm last year and ended up high on my list of best albums. Protomartyr play dark post-punk with intelligent lyrics that gets under your skin. So it was about time that I would go see them live.

Protomartyr at Paradiso Amsterdam, April 8 2016

A sold out small hall awaits the band from Detroit in anticipation. You can read many good things about their performances and my expectations are high. The first impression is that the band look a bit modest. Singer Joe Casey definitely isn't exactly a rock star and has been compared to a bank clerk or some kind of salesman. But looks can be deceiving and are irrelevant to this band anyway.

Casey may be the anti hero, but the longer you look at him, the more impressive his posture gets. He has one hand in his pocket and looks like he's giving a speech. Sometimes he's leaning on the mic stand almost looking bored. But at the same time he's half singing half speaking his lyrics, almost spitting them out. When he's using extra force his face changes into an awkward sight, almost looking drunk. This may not sound very appealing, in reality it is, this strange looking rock singer, surrounded by his band members that all seem to be in their own world. Bass player Scott Davidson is constantly bopping, guitar player Greg Ahee has his eyes closed a lot, playing totally in the moment, and drummer Alex Leonard keeps pounding his skins, skilfully keeping everything together.

Altogether it results in a very tight set with great speed, which has heavy sounding grooves and ringing guitar lines that form the perfect basis for Casey's vocals. He isn't much of a talker which gives the show great momentum. Every song is a winner and hits everyone with great impact, as if you get slapped in the face each time. At the end of the show there's still some time left and the band plays two more songs without leaving the stage, which would only break their momentum. In not even an hour they played seventeen songs and you know you've seem an impressive show, but somehow can't explain why. I think it's the combination of very strong songs and a great band that is shy of rock star nonsense and unnecessary frills, which results in a raw and honest sound. Seeing is believing so catch them on stage when they are around.



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Setlist:
01. Cowards Starve
02. I Forgive You
03. Blues Festival
04. Pontiac 87
05. I Stare at Floors
06. Scum, Rise!
07. What the Wall Said
08. The Devil in His Youth
09. Pagans
10. Feral Cats
11. Uncle Mother's
12. Dope Cloud
13. The Hermit
14. Clandestine Time
15. Why Does It Shake?
16. Ain't So Simple
17. Come & See


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Top 10 Albums 2015

Yes, it's that time on the year again where people like to look back and make a best-of-list. 2015 was another great year where I saw many great concerts, heard wonderful music and discovered some new bands on the go. So for what it's worth, here's my top 10 album list. Have a great new year's and let's make 2016 at least as good.

1. D’Angelo - Black Messiah
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2. Tame Impala - Currents
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3. Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect
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4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
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5. Daniel Norgren - Alabursy
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6. The Icarus Line - All Things Under Heaven
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7. Ought - Sun Coming Down
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8. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool
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9. Blur - The Magic Whip
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10. John Coffey - The Great News
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