Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 2

After an incredible first day where we saw so many bands and great shows it's time for a hearty breakfast. This means bacon and eggs of course and fresh coffee. We can relax since there's no rush to get to the site where a different kind of coffee awaits.

Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 2, June 20 2015



John Coffey
Things are moving fast for Dutch hardcore punkers John Coffey. There latest album The Great News ia getting plenty of attention and they are playing shows all over the place. And then of course they landed that Pinkpop slot where the famous beer catch went viral. Today they prove they don't need a viral video to impress. Powerful songs combined with an even more powerful performance doesn't miss its effect. Relentless energy with a healthy amount of testosterone and a lot of good times on stage are a delight to watch. Singer David Achter de Molen climbs the stage scaffolding, runs around and is showing his best rock poses while the rest of the band are pounding away the uptempo rock songs. Needless to say there is plenty of crowd surfing going on. Yes, more Coffey please.



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Temples
The album Sun Structures was one of my favourite albums of last year. The psychedelic rock songs sound wonderful and I was really looking forward to seeing this band play. The trio is performing on the main stage at the middle of the afternoon. This is not a great choice since the songs that sound so great on the album don't really come across on the big field that is enjoying the sun. This stage is too big today for the somewhat static musicians as well. Sometimes when the songs are more heavy, the band sounds better, but I'm sure they would have left a better impression on one of the smaller and darker stages together with some psychedelic colourful visuals.



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Cheatahs
At Primavera a few weeks earlier I was somewhat disappointed in Cheatahs. I really like their music but live on stage they didn't add much. They are playing the small Stage 5 which should be quite suitable for them. But again, although their music actually sounds pretty good, I can't get into their performance. The band simply doesn't make an effort to light a fire and seemingly play their set on routine.



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Death Cab For Cutie
This is different for Death Cab For Cutie, a band that is admired by many fellow musicians and other bands. I can see why, since the American rock band is playing an impressive show. Patiently they are building up there songs, never pushing too hard. Singer Ben Gibbard's voice is clear and wonderful and slowly I get sucked into their music. This is how you keep a crowd on their toes, even without a lot of interaction, but simply by playing it with a lot of heart.



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Balthazar
By now Balthazar are at the top of the Belgian rock scene and doing good beyond as well. From the first time I've seen them play this band kept growing and doesn't seem to stop. Today the band shows that the main stage is a piece of cake to them. It's remarkable how all subtleties in the songs don't get lost and how relaxed the band moves around the stage. Some of them sometimes climb the big wooden boxes that are standing around them, while they play a well balanced set. I always have a bit of difficulty with how unmoved they look when they are playing. But their music simply is so good and well performed that it doesn't matter. Of course everyone raises their glass once again to the tradional closer 'Blood Like Wine' and toast with this wonderful band.



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Ride
British nineties band Ride are having a successful reunion so far as they are playing large venues and big stages on festivals everywhere. At Primavera I witnessed a convincing show and tonight it's no different. Stage Two is perfect for their music that combines shoegaze and britpop, a combination of The Stone Roses and My Bloody Valentine. I'm no expert on their songs, but again the band sounds great and many songs are wonderful. It makes you wonder why they didn't get bigger in the nineties. But maybe it is time for them to come up with new music and build on their newly acclaimed fame.



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By then it's time for Hookworms, the band that released an amazing album and played a great show in Barcelona. Before I have even seen anything of the band, one of my friends makes a nasty fall and we end up bringing him to first aid. Fortunately he seems alright but to make sure we leave for the bungalow where I can keep an eye on him. I'm glad the next day he turns out to be fine, although I did miss Hookworms and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Nothing a nice Belgian beer and a cigar can't fix.

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Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 1
Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 3

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Primavera Sound 2015 Day 2

One of the great things about this festival is that you have plenty of time to wake up slowly and have a nice day before diving in again. And although festival campings site can be fun, I can do without them. Being in a hotel is an absolute bliss and so after a refreshing shower we head to the beach to take it slow for a while. Totally rested we cycle back to the Parc del Fòrum and head for the first band.

Primavera Sound 2015 Day 2 May 29 2015



Disappears
It feels a bit awkward seeing a shoegaze garage rock band like Disappears on broad daylight in the sun. But Disappears have no trouble putting up an interesting show with good rock songs. Many songs have Krautrock influences with repeating elements. Singer Brian Case is totally into the music and loses his sunglasses halfway the show. It doesn't bother him for a bit and continues to sing passionately. I can only imagine this is even better in a dark club.



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Julian Casablancas + The Voidz
We decide to take a look at the new project The Strokes singer cooked up with his band The Voidz. Casablancas has dyed his hair red and yellow and looks like to have gained a few pounds. The album Tyranny where they teamed up sounded completely weird and proved too much for me. It has interesting elements though, with African rhythms combined with heavy metal and lots of noise. It is definitely not for the faint of heart and also live on stage it's not appealing to me. Maybe I'm just not ready for this kind of music. We have to leave anyway to see the next act.

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Tony Allen
Afrobeat master drummer Tony Allen is a bit of a weird one in the line-up. He is playing in the Auditori Rocklux, or Auditori Fòrum, which is the only inside stage. I don't want to miss a bit from this living legend, but we're not allowed in with some snacks in our backpack. We head to the cloak room to leave the bag and return to the venue where Allen is now halfway his show and everyone is sitting down. Fortunately a few minutes later everybody gets up from their seat to dance to the swinging irresistible afrobeat grooves. Allen can only smile to this and the band keeps firing up the crowd. It's the same band I saw a while ago at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam and once again it turns into an African party. In the end I'm really glad I took the effort to get in.

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Patti Smith
We hurry back to the festival ground to the farthest stage to see Patti Smith wrapping up playing the famous Horses album. What we see is pretty good and Smith looks more determined and full of fire than ever, fierce fully shouting out her political statements. She ends her set with a rough version of the notorious 'Rock N Roll Nigger' where she tears off the strings of her guitar. Although older, Patti Smith is no way ready for life in a rest home.



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The Church
Australian band The Church have been around since 1980 and I didn't even know they were still around. The band proves tonight they can still write interesting songs and play some songs off their new album Further/Deeper. Singer and bass player Steve Kilbey is a charismatic front man who uses theatrical poses throughout some songs. Although it looks like not everyone is staying until the end, it is a convincing show by experienced musicians. Of course 'Under The Milky Way' still is a monumental song that sounds just as good as it did almost thirty years ago.



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Ride
Another band that decided to come back together are britpoppers Ride. They did cause a bit of a stir with their shoegaze music in the early nineties but wasn't much heard of after their breakup. Bass player Andy Bell then joined a band called Oasis and Ride kind of was forgotten. Until last year when they announced a reunion and several festival appearances. I don't know them very well but it's pretty good what the band is showing tonight. It's a tight playing group with good songs that stood the test of time. The songs are well written and sometimes sound like a mix of The Stone Roses and Oasis. Maybe it's a good idea for the band to come up with new material?



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Today feels like a slow day where we didn't see that many bands play and were a bit unlucky that we saw some shows only partly. Nothing a few cervezas can't fix.

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Primavera Sound Day 1
Primavera Sound Day 3


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