Corona Lockdown Festival featured artist: 2 Many Djs

The DeWaele brothers have always pleased me with their great music, first with Soulwax, later with 2 Many DJs. Now they have blessed us with a crazy intro mix, a full hour long. Don't miss out on the amazing visuals starring album covers and more. Enjoy!

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Rock Werchter 2017 Sunday

We used to go to the Rock Werchter festival every year for quite a while. A few years ago it was time for a change of scenery and we decided to skip it, although we still love the festival. This summer Foo Fighters are in Europe for only two weeks to play a string of festivals and Rock Werchter was one of them. It was time to visit our old friend again. And Dave of course.

Rock Werchter 2017 Sunday, July 2 2017

The festival didn't have the best weather and visitors had to deal with quite a bit of rain. Today looks a lot better although when we park our car we have to sit out ten minutes of rain. Fortunately for us the weather will only improve for the rest of the day. Within no time we find ourselves exploring the festival site to see what has changed. We are ready for the first band.

Cage the Elephant

This band is guaranteed to get the party started early with their lively performances. Singer Matt Shultz is an explosive energy bomb that is bouncing around the stage. The sound in the beginning is completely out of balance and his vocals are almost impossible to hear. Because of his running around it is probably quite hard to balance his mic out anyway, since he isn't exactly always singing in it in the same way. It doesn't matter since this band is all about putting a lot of heart in their shows. Their classic rock with a punk twist may not always be tight but you can forgive them for that when you see them working up a sweat like this. If anyone wasn't fully awake yet, this sure should have done the trick.



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The Thurston Moore Group

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon were the one of the alternative rock's scene most favourite couples and their band Sonic Youth were highly successful until the couple broke up. Sonic Youth are now on a hiatus that will most probably mean it has split up. Moore is focusing on his solo career and released a new album recently Rock N Roll Consciousness. Today he's playing the entire album after opening with new single 'Ceasefire' that is not on the album. The songs are patiently built up which is exactly what his music needs, since the songs are carefully crafted and the long songs need time to reach their full potential. The tracks are full of little twists and turns, cleverly placed and several times you think a song is over until it continues for a few minutes again. It turns this performance in a very interesting one and enough to keep you on your toes throughout.



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The Kills

Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are taking the main stage halfway the afternoon while the skies are clearing and the sun shows itself regularly. In their familiar way the duo play their sultry rock songs together with a drummer and keyboard player added to the live line-up. Mosshart of course is a delight to watch with her sexy appearance and ultra cool stage presence, sometimes walking around like a caged tigress. Her smiling faces make her even more charming. Hince is showing his incredible guitar skills, posing at the front of the stage and using the mic stand as an extra guitar accesory. But the main stage may not be the perfect place for them as their music works best in a darker environment. Next time it would be better to schedule them on one of the two tented stages.



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Benjamin Clementine

We make our way to one of those huge tent stages that are hardly tents any more. Air conditioned and with seated stands to the side they are full scale venues. We are joining Benjamin Clementine halfway his show. His story is remarkable, spending some time in France as a homeless person. After he got his break at Later With Jools Holland he's now considered a talented musician and poet. His show is quite impressive with music that swings between classical, soulful pop and theatrical. The charismatic Clementine sometimes looks a bit lost sitting behind his piano, but that makes him more mysterious and the crowd love it. His four backing singers and band add a frame for him to create his interesting songs in. It isn't necessarily my kind of music but it's an impressive show nevertheless.



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Soulwax

Unfortunately we can't get in the the tent where Rag'n'Bone Man is performing so we have to miss his show. Instead we wander around a bit, have some food and drinks and make sure we get to The Barn stage early for Belgium's Soulwax. I can't get enough of this band and after seeing them three times in a year, I want to see them play their home turf. I am expecting a huge party but it takes a while for it to take off. The packed full house at the beginning, is even getting more empty halfway. But I know the two brothers are simply building up their show, teasing the crowd with climaxes that are not always coming, slowly picking up the pass, making them beg. Just over half of the show they let it rip and the three drummers are in perfect harmony, playing irresistible grooves that make everyone crazy. Now they are going for the ultimate climax and everyone that stayed in here is exploding. 'NY Excuse' is killing it and is their ultimate victory lap, turning the place into a party after all.



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Foo Fighters

The field is filling up early for Foo Fighters and we make sure we have a decent spot. It isn't extremely close to the stage, but it's good enough for a good view. The last time they played here was in 2005, when we were here as well. Because of Dave Grohl's broken leg, the band had to cancel in 2015 and Grohl explains they are here to make up for that big time. Of course you can leave that to Foo Fighters. The band plays a greatest hits set that should make everyone happy. Grohl isn't the greatest singer and his voice isn't in the best shape tonight, but of course that's not what matters a lot. He's all over the stage, running to either side and at one point makes his way all the way to the sound booth where we are close to. The rest of the band are watching him with a huge smile.

I know there are many that find this band too commercial and middle of the road and maybe they are right their music isn't the most inventive or original. But to me this is one of the best live bands around, that are simply having so much fun at it and do everything they can to show everyone a good time. It's exactly what they are doing tonight. Grohl is undeniably one of the most charismatic people in the industry. He's working the crowd like no other and is lighting the fuse to an explosive mix of rock whenever he likes. He's cooling down the crowd with little speeches throughout the set and the band will never take things for granted. To me it's like eating one of the best burgers in the world that can taste just as good as a three Michelin star meal. I like both but it is good to have variation around.

Two songs of the upcoming album are on the setlist today. The new single 'Run' that they have been playing for a few weeks now. Tonight the song 'La Di Da' that they recorded together with The Kills' Alison Mosshart. Of course she is joining in to sing it with them and from the cheerful look on her smiling face I can tell she hasn't been drinking apple juice back stage. After two and a half hours the band wraps up their show with 'Everlong' and fire works are set off at the end of it. Foo Fighters prove they are the perfect headliner to any festival, one that guaranteed will send off the visitors smiling.



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It was nice to be back at this festival that is still a great visit. Rock Werchter will always come up with a killer line-up but I don't know if I can take the four day partying combination with sleeping in a tent again. But I'm sure we will back here again, maybe for just one day. It was totally worth the 3 hour drive back home in the middle of the night, arriving home while the sun was rising again.

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 3

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.

Iguana Death Cult

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.

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Canshaker Pi

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.

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Zeal & Ardor

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.



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Strand of Oaks

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.



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Henry Wu Presents The Kamaal Williams Experience

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.

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Soulwax

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.



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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.



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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.

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 1
Best Kept Secret Festival 2017 Day 2

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On Stage: Soulwax @ Paradiso

I can still remember it pretty well when I first saw Soulwax play. It must have been the 1999 edition of the Lowlands festival and the Belgian band had released their second album Much Against Everyone's Advice some time before that. The band, dressed in pastel colour suits, blew me completely away. A lot has changed since then, except that the two Dewaele brothers can still blow me away.

Soulwax at Paradiso Amsterdam, April 4 2017

Because that is exactly what they keep doing. For instance the Belgica soundtrack that sounds like a cross reference to their complete catalog. I hope to get my hands on the vinyl version on Record Store Day, when only a few will hit the stores. Recently they released From DeeWee, that bundles everything the band has done, rewraps it, spins it around and throws it at you in a superb way. Tonight they will play in a similar setup I saw them play at the Pukkelpop festival a year ago, for a show called "Soulwax Transient Program For Drums and Machinery".

This means there are three drummers on stage inside a kind of frame cube. One of those drummers is Sepultura's Igor Cavalera As if that's not already taking up a lot of space there's a lot of equipment like keyboards, synthesizers and amplifiers as well. The stage is so full that some members have to almost climb along the stage to get to their spot. The head featuring on the new album's cover is standing like a trophy at the front of the stage.

The brothers are facing each other at the center of the stage. I'm pretty close all the way to the right of the venue, which is really a good place but tonight it means I don't get the whole picture. When I'm going to get some drinks I stand at the bar for a little longer so I can see the whole stage. It looks almost symmetrical where one of the brothers is seeing the other one as a reflection (although they are not twins). It is an incredible sight. The new album comprises most of the setlist with some other songs scattered through it.

With hardly any breaks in between it's an almost continuous delightful mix of rock and dance, exactly what Soulwax is so good at, with an irresistible groove. This is where the added value of three drummers comes in. Sometimes they play the same drum parts, giving it more punch and power. At other times they will fill in different drum parts, broadening the beat and the groove. Slowly the venue has turned into a big dancing party as standing still is not an option. The regular set ends with a vicious version of 'NY Excuse' before the band returns with a few more new and older songs like 'ETalking' and 'Miserable Girl'. The band has to come back for a final encore and the night ends with the mellow and groovy 'Goodnight Transmission'. Soulwax are still brilliant and I can't wait to see them again later this year at Best Kept Secret!



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Pukkelpop 2016 Saturday

The Lowlands festival has been on top of my festival list for many years and therefore their sister festival Pukkelpop in Belgium, that takes place in the same weekend, has always been a no-go. But since we gave Lowlands up a few year ago, we are now finally able to head down south and visit this festival in Kiewit for one day.

Pukkelpop Saturday at Kiewit Belgium, August 20 2016

The day starts out very smoothly and from our friends' house only half an hour away, it is a quick drive down to the parking lot. There we hop on a shuttle bus and find ourselves on the festival site sipping a Belgian lager within no time. The sun has come out as well, so we couldn't be off to a better start. We explore the site a bit and then go into one of the tents for the first show of the day.

Andre Brasseur & Band
Andre Brasseur is a Belgian organist and keyboard player that rose to fame in the sixties and seventies, mainly in his own country, although he had a few international hits most notably the song 'Early Bird'. The 76-year old musician may have started his second youth as he is looking very lively and enthusiastically behind his organ. The swinging rock, jazz and blues songs are a wonderful way to start the day. Brasseur has formed a good band around him who remain a bit on the background. Of course the star of the show is the old veteran himself, who is enjoying his festival appearance and the mostly young crowd.



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VANT
We get reacquainted with the British band VANT that we saw play the Best Kept Secret festival a few months ago. The lads look pretty good again and give it their best. It's still early so it's not really crowded in front of the stage. But the group doesn't let that get them down and play their catchy rock songs with a lot of heart. Maybe it's the relatively low turn up today or maybe I need to get into it a bit more myself, but their show looks less convincing this time and more played on routine. The band is working hard however and if they can keep going like this I guess things will work out for them in the end.

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Highly Suspect
The trio Highly Suspect is a band on the rise especially since they earned a few Grammy nominations last year. It's about time we get to know them a little better. Their music is a mix of hardrock and alternative and sometimes you can also hear a bit of grunge in there. The band is tight and also play in an intense way. Singer Johnny Stevens' voice isn't always to my liking but that's my personal taste. The three rockers play a convincing show in the end and are another band to watch.

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Defeater
By then hardcore band Defeater have already started playing their set at a half full "The Shelter" stage. It's not bad what they are showing and some songs do sound pretty good. At those times the band is powerful and singer Derek Archambault is moving around the stage a lot. But his voice isn't very versatile and their songs do sound alike a lot.

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All Them Witches
We hear the sound check of All Them Witches and it sounds very promising. Their psychedelic and dark blues rock sounds very vintage from time to time. When I listened to their music I instantly liked it and it is convincing live on stage as well. I read about their growing live reputation and that doesn't prove itself today. The band looks solid but it isn't exactly an explosive show. It is nice enough to keep an eye out for in the future though but for now we leave to make sure we don't miss too much of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Because I know out of experience that this band's live reputation is very justified. Their last record Noganon Infinity blew me away as well so I simply had to see them play again. The seven piece band doesn't disappoint for a bit. It's an energetic long jam that almost doesn't stop, just like the record. The band simply doesn't let go and the two drummers keep the psychedelic trips going with full force. Singer Stu Mackenzie picks up his flute now and then to add an extra dimension to the psychedelic trip but especially when he's rocking his guitar the music is excelling. I love this band! The best thing is I get to see them again in two weeks time at the Into The Great Wide Open festival. Live is sweet! And shaped like a purple doughnut at the moment...

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Grandaddy
In the nineties I was pleasantly surprised with Grandaddy's music which now seems like a lifetime ago. I lost track of the band around Jason Lytle and when they split up, this kind of went passed me. They have reformed a few years ago and this is the first time I get to see them play again. Their spacy fuzzed out music takes me back twenty years again and I immediately remember why I like their music. It's the warm sounds of their music combined with some melancholy but with a very light edge. It's nice to see them again and I'm looking forward to their full show later this week.

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Biffy Clyro
We get back to the main stage together with a wonderful Belgian "frietje stoofvlees" (fries with some kind of meat stew, simply delicious). Biffy Clyro have come a long way and their music evolved a lot. From quite complex rock songs they moved to a more mainstream sound with sometimes easy and simple sing-along lyrics. It has brought them a lot more fans and therefore I expected more people at their show. They are playing at the end of the afternoon on the main stage while, the weather has turned into full blown summer sun. The Scottish band always play with a lot of heart and that's not different today. Songs like 'Bubbles' and 'Black Chandelier' are still major crowd pleasers and the band sounds very tight as always. I don't really like the poppie songs that are aimed at teenage girls to sing along to, but their more powerful and rough songs are quite good.



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Thrice
We hang around the main stage for a while, where more of those lovely Belgian beers follow. Then Bring Me The Horizon starts playing which turns out to be metal for teenagers who act like they are really tough. Moments later we find ourselves at Thrice, which would normally not be my top choice either. The emo hardcore band is playing a pretty solid show though. It's just that this is simply not my kind of rock music and I find it hard to stay focused. Somehow this type of rock music sounds all alike to me. Still not a bad way to kill some time with friends and a few cold beers.

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Graveyard
By now it's time for the toughest choice of the day. One of the reasons I wanted to come here this day, was because of LCD Soundsystem. But they are playing at the same time as Swedisch rock band Graveyard. I decide to stay for a few songs at the Graveyard show and am happy I did. The band is amazing and it's a shame I keep missing them when they play nearby. Their swamp blues sound is heavy and laid back and the band are always playing in a relaxed style. The short part that I see is very tight and it's hard to pull myself away from here.

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LCD Soundsystem But by the time I make it to the main stage I'm really happy to see beloved LCD Soundsystem there, who rose from their ashes not too long ago. This disco punk rock band fronted by James Murphy, are always a delight to watch. I love their edgy and groovy songs with that rough wild side. Within no time I'm totally into their music and show again that is supported by a great light show and visuals. Of course the big disco ball is hanging above the band as well. The show is taking off slowly like a heavy machine speeding up, but once it rolls on full speed there's no way stopping it. By the time it is starting to rain no one cares at all and you can only keep on dancing. The set list is not a surprising one but does have all those great song on it. 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' is there of course and early in the set, but especially 'Turbulation', 'Yeah' and a vicious 'Dance Yrself Clean' do their job. 'Losing My Edge' couldn't be closer to the truth and 'All My Friends' ends their show in style. What a band!



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Soulwax
One other highlight of the day should have been those genius Soulwax brothers, but it's a long journey to the Dancehall stage for us and by the time we get there it's packed of course. We stay outside and dance to the music while trying to catch a glimpse from what's going on inside. Their show is called "Soulwax Transient Program For Drums and Machinery" and I see two drummers high up in the air at either side of the stage and find out later there is a third one in the middle as well. Of course it's one big party in there and the two brother blend their music into one big rough funky disco party. It's a bit of a let down that we made it to the stage so late and couldn't get inside, but on the other hand we had a good time there.

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Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg
Now it's time to go out with a legend. Unfortunately the Ramones are no longer there since all members of the original line-up are jamming at the great gig in the sky. Marky Ramone was the drummer for the Ramones for a long time as well though and is the only surviving member of their most famous era. Now he's keeping their legacy alive as Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg and doing a great job at it. He found a fine bunch of friends to play with him including a very convincing Ken Stringfellow on vocals. It's great to hear all those classics like 'Rock n Roll Highschool', 'I Wanna Be Sedated', 'The KKK Took My Baby Away', 'Pet Sematary' and of course 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. This may be the closest you can get to what a Ramones show must have been like. I can try to write a long story about it, but it's better to just raise my fist and shout "Hey Ho! Let's Go!". What a way to end this day!



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We celebrate a wonderful day at Pukkelpop with a couple of last beers before we head home in the same smooth way as we sailed in. This was a very good first time at this festival and we are already thinking about coming back next year for the full three days.

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