Pinkpop 2018 Day 3

Another day and another queue at the entrance. When we finally get in, we want to check out Tom Walker, but the tent is full and a big crowd has gathered around the tent. So instead we wander around a bit waiting for the first interesting artist to play.



Pinkpop Festival 2018 Day 3, June 17 2018

Brian Fallon

I like Brian Fallon’s music, the singer from New Jersey band The Gaslight Anthem. It’s genuine and honest music, straight from the heart in the best Springsteen fashion. His solo work fits right in and is maybe a bit more on the roots side of rock. Fallon looks and sounds good and is truly enjoying himself. His voice is strong and the songs have lovely stories and pleasant melodies. He’s smiling a lot and is very relaxed. This is definitely one of the good guys and it looks like he has overcome the demons that were chasing him.



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Triggerfinger

Pinkpop loves Triggerfinger and the Belgian rock band loves them back. It’s the fifth time they are here and you know the band will live up to its impeccable live reputation. Of course I’ve seen them play this tour a couple of times, so I know what to expect. Ruben Block is firing up the crowd with sexy dancing, guitar swinging and his amazing rock voice. It is no surprise they put down a tight and heavy rock show, complete with shredding guitar solos, pumping bass and Mario Goossen’s cymbal licking and rock solos. Just the way I like it! As a surprise Belgian legend Raymond van het Groenewoud plays one of his songs 'Je Veux de l'Amour' with them.



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Editors

After Triggerfinger has finished, we rush to the other side of the festival site for Editor’s performance at the main stage. We know we won’t find a good spot this late so we have to watch it from a distance. Tom Smith’s voice never fails to impress and it’s a very good show that has both their big hits and new songs. The acoustic version of ‘Desire’ is simply gorgeous and ‘Papillon’ sets the crowd on fire, although this time without real fire and fireworks. ‘Magazine’ is a good closer after that, of a very strong performance.



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Greta van Fleet

We have to rush into the tent of the Brightlands stage, but many people have already gathered there to see this new sensational band from the States. These young guys look and sound like they are from the seventies. Of course they are copying a lot from Led Zeppelin, which is obvious from their sound and the voice of singer Josh Kiszka. His rock howls are coming close to Robert Plant's, although need to mature a bit more. That goes for the whole band that is playing very good, but need a bit more depth and their own sound. It is simply great to hear these guys play hard rock and blues from the golden age of rock with so much heart. Long stretched versions of the few songs they have with endless guitar solos and rolling drums fill their hour long show. They are looking really confident as if they’ve been doing this for years. The crowd totally loves them and is asking for more when they are done, but there’s no time for encores. It’s going to be interesting to see where these guys end up in five years time.



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And so I leave this festival with mixed feelings. We have seen amazing shows by some of the greatest bands around. But we didn't see many bands because of a lot of queues and huge crowds at the stages. You really need to plan ahead to see bands from a bit more up close, something I really hate at festivals. You also need a lot of patience entering the festival site, ordering drinks and food and wandering around the crowded site. The festival is legendary but seems to be too confident about themselves. They could learn a lot from younger festivals and modernize. Otherwise I won't be returning soon to the oldest festival in The Netherlands I think.

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Pinkpop 2018 Day 1
Pinkpop 2018 Day 2


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On Stage: Triggerfinger @ Melkweg

A few years ago Belgian band Triggerfinger recorded a live album Faders Up 2 at the Melkweg Amsterdam. The band had a major breakthrough year in our country and it seemed right to record the album with the Dutch fans. That love has not faded since, but only grew stronger. Now they return to the same venue with their new album Colossus.

Triggerfinger at Melkweg Amsterdam, December 7 2017

On that new LP we can hear a less heavy band but a lighter one and a more pop sound. Of course they still lean heavily on big grooves but are now adding synths and clear guitars. Live they add a fourth member to be able to recreate that sound.

For the rest not much has changed. Singer Ruben Blok still is the charismatic showman that goes through his familiar rock poses with his guitar. The other showman is master drummer Mario Goossens who draws just as much of attention to his rolling drum fills, explosive solos and a good deal of cymbal chewing. Steady rock Monsieur Paul watches them with a grin on his face while plucking his big bass.

Live member Geoffrey Burton looks a bit ordinary and shy compared to the illustrious trio while he adds some mean guitar and effects to the mix. The now four headed rock monster may have a less frightening face but still knows how to roar. Although I like the new record, I notice I like the older heavier songs like ‘My Babie’s Got A Gun’ and golden oldie ‘First Taste’ better than the newer ones. But this is just my personal taste and maybe I just haven't got used to their lighter touch yet.

With three sold out shows in the Melkweg and most of the others throughout the country there are hardly any tickets to be found for any of their concerts through the lowlands. It is clear the love for this rock machine is still very strong. And what’s not to like if you’re looking for a convincing rock show where the beer is flowing? The band ends with Iggy Pop’s ‘Funtime’ and that's exactly what it is.

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Setlist:
01. Upstairs Box
02. And There She Was Lying in Wait
03. First Taste
04. By Absence of the Sun
05. Flesh Tight
06. Perfect Match
07. My Baby's Got a Gun
08. Black Panic
09. Bring Me Back a Live Wild One
10. All This Dancin' Around
11. Colossus
Encore
12. Afterglow
13. Man Down
14. Funtime


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Helldorado festival

After Dutch rock band Peter Pan Speedrock disbanded, they also stopped organizing the Speedfest festival in their home town Eindhoven. I attended the last edition two years back and it's a shame the festival will no longer take place, since in the overcrowded festival landscape there aren't many of these kind of rock festivals, focusing on heavy rock. Fortunately co-organizer Paaspop wanted an alternative and now there's Helldorado in the same weekend in November and on the same location, the Klokgebouw Eindhoven.

According to the organizers it won't be a Speedfest 2.0, but when you look at the music line-up it's not that far off. Focusing on heavy rock in the broadest sense of the word, ranging from rock 'n roll to stoner and everything in between, it does have a large overlap. When entering the big old factory building, it immediately feels familiar and it seems to have the same kind of visitors. It does have other "freaky" acts like a haunted house, a comedy club, metal wrestling and a knife thrower but you still get a similar vibe as Speedfest. But who cares if it is or isn't anything like it, it's the music, good friends and the beers that count. We can only catch the last couple of songs of Komatsu's set, so not much to say about that, but we're in time for the next band on our program.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown

Hailing from Nashville with Aerosmith's Bad Whitford's son Graham on guitar, you kind of get the picture of this band. Indeed it's classic hardrock and southern rock in the style of AC/DC, The Black Crowes and indeed, Aerosmith. Singer Tyler Bryant apparently needs to warm up his vocal chords as his voice isn't great in the beginning but gets a lot better during the show. We get treated to plenty of guitar shredding, drum rolls and loud howls, followed by a few blues songs in between. Of course there are many bands like this and it's far from original, but these guys do it very well. After their show we wander around a bit, watch Dead Elvis for a minute, which of course is nothing but a cheesy gimmick and isn't really entertaining. To the bar!



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La Muerte

I did see this band before and was a bit disappointed, since I read good things about them. Musically it packs plenty of fun with heavy riffs and a very tight band that knows how to handle the Motörhead inspired rock. But I just can't really get into the grunting vocals of singer Marc Du Marais, that are just impossible to understand and sound too much alike. Together with Marais "jute bag” mask, the band has got their dark and mysterious act down with candles and little altars on stage, but once again it simply doesn't work for me.

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Tigre Blanco

At the other stage Dutch gypsy rockers Tigre Blanco are getting ready for their set. It's an acoustic performance with a few acoustic guitars and a cajon. All the ingredients for a hot gypsy party you'd think, but it doesn't really get the crowd going. It doesn't really get my blood boiling either. According to the band themselves it is "Tarantino music", but I don't think that is entirely right as it misses the tension. The band looks skilled enough but fails to energize the crowd and drag them into their performance. This way the party never gets started and kind of dies out in the end.

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Monomyth

I've been dying to see Dutch psych rockers for a long time, since I really like their long heavy and spacy jams. There's a new guitar player in the line-up, Boudewijn Bonebakker, but that doesn't change much to their sound. It's an amazing trip that takes you through stoner and krautrock, that will make you slip in a trance. You forget where one song ends and the other one starts, it could be one or ten (they played three by the way). The band plays a very focused and convincing set and it sucks you right into their music. Together with the beers that are starting to do their work, this trip is perfect.



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Birth of Joy

It's time for a band that keeps it going and Birth of Joy are here to do exactly that. Of course I know what to expect from them as I've seen them play several times. The threesome doesn't disappoint at all. Once again they impress with great sounding rock music and incredible handling of their instruments. With big rock riffs, stunning drum grooves and dazzling organ solo's combined with a lot of heart and effort, this one of a kind band shows how it's done. A new album is underway and I'm looking forward a lot to hearing it and see them play again.



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Lords of Altamont

After returning back to earth we are having fun with Lords of Altamont, who play a mix of punk, sixties garage and glam rock. The band do a great job with guitars and an organ going wild on gritty sleazy rock music. It is not missing its effect and it is the right band to keep this party going.



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Orange Goblin

The heavy stoner rock of Orange Goblin is totally different. The impressive stature and voice of singer Ben Ward go well with the slow and deep grooves of their songs. When the music slides into doom metal, it's not really my cup of tea, but this band plays a very solid and tight show altogether.

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Red Fang

I really want to see Red Fang, which means I have to skip Fifty Foot Combo, the surf rock band from Belgium that I like so much. Hopefully I can catch them again some next time. Fortunately Red Fang doesn't disappoint for a bit. The stoner metal songs are sharp and filled with hooks, so they sound heavy and catchy at the same time. It gives the songs a lighter touch and a sense of urgency. Vocals alternate between grunt style and clean singing, which works very well. There's a nice tempo in their set, because of the speedy grooves in their songs. It is a good slap in the face for anyone that may have been dozing off.



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Triggerfinger

Belgian rock band Triggerfinger are no strangers to this place and are back with a new album Colossus. The trio have expanded into a quartet live on stage, to be able to expand on their sound. It s the direction they have taken on their solid new LP, adding extra layers to their sound. Although the grooves are still heavy, it does seem to make them less deep though. I'm not sure if it has improved their live set, but there could be some beers in the way to hear it properly. I will have to listen more closely when I see them again in a few weeks time.



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This has been a fun day with lots of rock music, beers and dear friends. Although not all music was that interesting, there were plenty of bands that I like and especially the combination of good company made it great. The "freaky" edge of this festival, with the non-musical acts, give it a loose vibe and plenty of tongue in cheek. Together with some well chosen bands, that don't take it all too seriously, it adds the roll to the rock and that simply is a lot of fun.

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Pinkpop 2015 Sunday

The biggest nightmare for a festival organiser is when a headlining act falls out. Even worse is when it's your closing headliner and it happens at the latest moment. Exactly this happened to the Pinkpop festival when Foo Fighters had to cancel because Dave Grohl broke his leg. They are not only one of the biggest rock bands at the moment but also the headliner everyone is after this festival summer.

Pinkpop 2015 Sunday at Landgraaf, June 14 2015

There's no way you can replace an act like that in only a day, even though festival director Jan Smeets and his team tried really hard. The solution to bring in Triggerfinger in the line-up and let Pharrell Williams close the festival was the best they could do. Of course you can't blame this on anyone and it is just really sad for the festival organisers, Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters and all the festival visitors, especially Foo Fighters fans like me who bought a ticket for this day just to see them play. The smartest thing to do is just make the best out of it and try to have a fun day nevertheless. That's exactly what we're planning on and after a smooth trip we find ourselves on the festival site that is already bathing in sun light. Time to rock!



The Deaf
Time to rock indeed and get this party started. The Deaf are just the right band to do that, which I already knew after seeing them a few times before. Singer Spike and co. have no trouble firing up the crowd with their catchy rock 'n roll songs. Especially Spike himself and keyboard player Maurizio Pinna are going absolutely all the way and are all over the stage. The setlist is almost entirely full of uptempo rock songs that get everyone dancing and result in an early high. The band doesn't leave before Spike is crowd surfing while playing guitar and the four members are all soaking in sweat.

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Nick Mulvey
We make our way to the Brand Stage where Nick Mulvey has already started. The modest intimate songs are a different cup of tea, played patiently by his band. It all sounds pretty good and skillful, but this simply isn't my kind of music. It's too slow and cautious for me so we decide to cross over to the other side of the site.

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Typhoon
There Dutch rapper Typhoon has already started another leg of his victory parade across the country that started last year after releasing his highly successful record Lobi Da Basi. He turns every place he's playing into a big tropical party and today is no different. His energetic songs invite everyone to the dance and his wonderful tight band make sure the music keeps swinging and grooving. Typhoon himself can only answer to this with his big smile.



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Triggerfinger
Even though they have to play a show tonight at the other side of the country, Belgian rock heroes Triggerfinger didn't mind to be added to the line-up so last minute. "We are no Foo Fighters, far from it" says singer Ruben Block, "we are Triggerfinger!". And I think most Foo Fighters fans can definitely appreciate the rock show the trio is displaying. Of course I have seen them many times before, but this band never gets old and will always deliver. Today is no exception and even though all the songs are so familiar by now, they still don't miss their effect. The heavy rock is sounding more solid and spot on than ever and the three men give it all.



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Oscar and The Wolf
Also from Belgium is Oscar and the Wolf, Max Colombie's electropop project, whose dark danceable electropop songs are slowly winning over our country. They are showing today that there's a good reason for that, since the smooth sultry songs sound great and are full of hooks. The strong album Entity translates well to the live stage and most people, including many Belgians, are dancing and enjoying the tropical music. Even a cover song like Gala's 'Freed From Desire' sounds sexy in the world of Oscar and the Wolf.

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De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig
Dutch hiphoppers De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig have something to celebrate, their 10th anniversary, so a big present including ribbons is standing on stage. When it opens the band steps out and what better treat can they hand out than themselves? We are watching from a distance but it's clear many people enjoy songs like 'Shenkie', 'Sterrenstof' and the hit that started it all 'Watskeburt'. The very catchy songs may sometimes seem a bit cheesy but are always very clever with creative lyrics. More treats follow when they hand out a few Foo Fighters T-shirts before ending their happy birthday party with 'De Formule'.

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Kovacs
Dutch singer Sharon Kovacs surprised the Dutch music world with her dark and powerful voice and a good debut album Shades Of Black. Although she's definitely talented she lacks experience to entertain a festival crowd. Her somewhat static performance isn't always light on the stomach and her band, although routinely playing the songs, doesn't exactly add a lot of sparks either. In the end this stage is a bit too big for her but she still has plenty of time to grow.

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Placebo
Rock band Placebo are no strangers to replacing cancelled acts. They replaced Depeche Mode a few years ago as headliner and today they are replacing Sam Smith. This was good news for me and especially today I'm glad they are playing instead of Smith. The band plays a greatest hit show and you'd almost forget how many great songs they have like 'For What It's Worth' and 'Every You Every Me'. Singer Brian Molko isn't exactly Mr. Sunshine but the band knows how to play stages of this size and a festival crowd. They throw in a cover of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' and in the end it's a solid and satisfactory rock show.



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Pharrell Williams
By then it's time for the final performance of the weekend. And where I was expecting to be jumping on some Foo Fighters adrenaline we are now watching Pharrell Williams close the festival from a distance. Of course he has many hits but to me it feels like watching a long video with plenty of commercial breaks. I didn't expect to go wild about this show but it really just doesn't grab me at all. So after a few songs we decide to make for our car and leave the festival early and beat traffic. Oh by the way, Pinkpop is not even close to Amsterdam Mr. Williams, it takes about 2,5 hours by car.



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It's a disappointing ending to a day I was really excited about and to me the festival kind of dies out on a sort of low instead of the euphoric high I was hoping for. With this kind of weather and nice bands it was the perfect festival that in the end just was far from perfect. Still we had a great time and enjoyed the sun, great music and cold beers. It could have been worse of course and next year when the Foo Fighters will be back (which I expect) I will be there again as well.

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Rock Werchter 2014 Day 3: Red And Orange

Today the sun is not waking us up, which is good since we can sleep longer this way. It is bad at the same time since it is expected to rain today. We end up eating a great pancake with cheese and some nice rolls and head out to the festival site.

Rock Werchter 2014 Saturday, July 5 2014

It is clear there are two World Cup football matches today. Many Belgian and Dutch fans are wearing their team's colours and there's a vibe of excitement everywhere. This should be a good day.



The Temperance Movement
A temperance movement is a movement that criticizes excessive alcohol consumption. I assume this British band took this name as a joke, since alcohol consumption is definitely not moderated at this festival. Although it's a new band it consists of experienced and skilled musicians. This is showing since their blues rock songs sound great. Singer Phil Campbell has a good voice that reminds of The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. It doesn't take long before they have almost everyone's attention at the main stage. This is a very promising start of the day.



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Haim
The three Haim sisters had a incredible start of their career. Before their first album came out they were already playing a lot of shows. The ladies look like they had a rough or short night, but still fly right into it. The songs sound more rough live which is quite nice. They definitely can handle their instruments and hit songs like 'Falling' and 'The Wire' sound great. But sometimes it gets a bit messy, especially when they are just jamming. The three do make up for that in enthusiasm though.

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Ozark Henry
We enter a pitch dark tent where Ozark Henry is playing. The Belgian musician and his band are hidden behind a partially transparent screen. From our position it seems it is not transparent enough. It does fit his music though which is slow and dark. The songs are quite lovely and they know how to build up tension, keeping the crowd focused. When the screen is lifted partly, the musicians are still scarcely lit as they pick up the tempo. It may not be to everyone's liking or easy to get into, but it looks like most of the people are staying until the end.

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Biffy Clyro
The Scottish band Biffy Clyro moved from kind of hardcore in the beginning to more middle of the road alternative rock on their last few albums and achieved quite some success with that. In the meanwhile their live reputation grew and they are playing the main stage today. Lead singer Simon Neil's voice sounds really good. The band is tight and especially in the older, more heavy songs they are excelling. When they are playing their bigger hits like 'Bubbles' and 'Black Chandelier' many people on the field are singing along.

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Triggerfinger
The three gentlemen from Belgian giants Triggerfinger are in a tough spot. The Belgian national football team, The Red Devils, are competing with Argentina in the quarter finals of the World Cup while they have to play on the main stage. There was nothing the organization could do about it. Fortunately their fear of playing a half empty field didn't come true, although people wearing the Belgian colours are hard to spot.

It doesn't put down this great band that will never disappoint. They play their heavy grooving songs with all the heart and energy we're used of them. The songs of the new album By Absence Of The Sun already sound familiar as if they have been playing them for many years. As a gesture the band has hired two lovely ladies to give us the score of the match. It's a bad score, since the Belgian team is behind, but over here Triggerfinger are winning by a landslide. At the end of the show the girls are handing them a gold record for their new album, which is well deserved.



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The Black Keys
The Black Keys are the ones to wash away the disappointment of the Belgian fans. Nowadays there are permanently two musicians backing the duo up on stage. It's a solid show where the band plays many of their big hits. Of course everyone is singing along to 'Gold On The Ceiling', 'Lonely Boy' and 'Tighten Up'. Although they are playing their songs well, it never gets really exciting and they are not trying really hard to make us forget about the Belgian loss.



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Pixies
Fortunately there's always Pixies. We had quite the dilemma at this point as Dutchmen: see Pearl Jam or Pixies or support our national football team in their quarter final match? We decided to watch a few Pearl Jam songs from a good spot, then see Pixies play and then come back again later for Pearl Jam. But Eddie Vedder and Co. take too long to start their show so we head for Pixies. We can hardly get in the tent where the band is totally blowing everyone away with a tight and hard rocking show. Black Francis doesn't waste a lot of time in between songs but instead is knocking out their songs one by one. The crowd is going absolutely mental. No one's thinking about any football match over here. The band finally finishes everyone off with 'Where Is My Mind?'.



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Pearl Jam
We head back to Pearl Jam who started half an hour later than scheduled. But there's still more than half of their show left, since they were supposed to play for three hours. It looks like it's a bit mellow and Eddie Vedder is trying to read a speech in Flemmish. It's all part of a Pearl Jam show where you know things will pick up in the end as the band is growing. It's no different today when they play Pink Floyd cover 'Mother' and 'Jeremy' back to back, and 'Black', 'Daughter' and 'Porch' later on. You just got to love this band. By the time they start 'Alive' we hear the Dutch team have just won their game on penalty kicks. Naturally we're going crazy and have now forgotten about the Belgian loss and the rain earlier today. 'Rocking In The Free World' never sounded sweeter and when Pearl Jam close the night with 'Yellow Ledbetter' we just want to party.



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This day totally ended on a high and calls for celebrations. But there's another day coming so we better not go all the way.

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Rock Werchter 2014 Day 1
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 2
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 4

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Lowlands 2012 Day 2: The Party Is Heating Up

After a good start yesterday the sun is burning us out of our tents way too early. A bit sleepy we find our way back to the festival area, where a pancake is bringing back life into my body. Let's start this day slow.

Lowlands Day 2, August 18 2012



Phantom Limb
Not exactly my cup of tea, gospel and country. But singer Yolanda Quartey is gifted with a great voice, which she already proved when singing with Massive Attack. So it's definitely worth checking out. Only half of the British band are present today, but it still is enough to impress. The songs are mostly slow, which is perfect at this point of the day. Piano player Dan Moore and guitarist Stew Jackson do a good job supporting Quartey's soulful vocals. And when they join the singing, it results in beautiful harmonies. Like angels carefully waking us up.

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Eagles Of Death Metal
Time for some good old fashioned rock 'n' roll. This time it looks like Jesse Hughes and the rest of the band are actually sober. Unfortunately the sound is awful, which makes it impossible to hear the songs' groove. Maybe the sound isn't the only problem and is the band just not focused enough to lay down a good groove. This is noticeable from the crowd and this party never really takes off. Even their great version of 'Stuck In The Middle With You' doesn't work today. Of course Jesse 'Boots Electric' is his charming self, joking around and he's trying to get the love across. But it simply isn't good enough this time.

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Willy Moon
Maybe this rocker from New Zealand can put some swing in it. It certainly looks great. Willy dressed sharply in a suit even in this heat, while his female drummer is wearing only a bra. The female guitar player, looking like a hot sexy rock diva, is playing the rock licks. The casual DJ in the back ground is a bit out of place like his contribution to the music. While Willy and his ladies are rocking, the DJ is adding some samples and loops, but it feels like there's no thought behind them. Also the breaks in between songs take too long while Willy himself is trying hard to get a move on. It does have potential though and I would love to see him back when it's all running more smoothly.

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Two Door Cinema Club
Everyone seems to love this band from Northern Ireland, and what's not to love? They wrote some great catchy guitar songs like 'Undercover Martyn' and 'Something Good Can Work' that will go down very well on the festival stages. And they do, but I keep missing something. Their stage performance is too static. It's lacking believe and they don't seem to put a lot of heart in it. The band still can't convince me. Which is a shame since it could potentially make this place explode.

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Blaudzun
Johannes Sigmond or Blaudzun released one of the best records this year. It's full of nice indie songs leaning towards Arcade Fire. He already proved that he can play them in an intimate surrounding, but what about this big Grolsch stage? That's not a problem, just make the songs a bit bigger. And that's exactly what Blaudzun did, without doing harm to the songs themselves. What follows is a great show that stays interesting throughout the whole gig. But his band could be a bit more outgoing and challenging instead of just backing up the beautiful songs. The musicians are a bit pale in contrast with the extravagant Blaudzun.



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Triggerfinger
I could've gone to see Charles Bradley or Of Monsters And Men instead, since I've seen Triggerfinger so many times in the past years. But they never disappoint and you know what you're going to get: a full on smoking rock show with tons of energy. And this time is no different. This band is simply amazing and solid as a rock. So no surprises then? There's one: Dutch happy hip-hoppers De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig join in to play their song 'Sexy Beesten' with them. The sound is pretty bad like earlier today, but this time it doesn't seem to bother the band or the crowd. They're going on a vacation now according to singer Ruben Block and they deserve it. Next time I'll see them it will be with a new record and probably as headliner.



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The Whitest Boy Alive
We go take a peak at the Whitest Boy Alive. When we get there it's clear that Lowlands has surrendered itself to the catchy summer tunes. We watch the full tent dancing to Erlend Øye and his band mates. We only watch a small part of the show, but it's clear that they are doing exactly what every one hoped for: loosening our hips and bringing good vibes.

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Krema Kawa
Time to end this great and hot day with a bang. You want it hot? You got it with Krema Kawa. The Belgian band aren't anything special but are at the right place at the right time: a sultry summer night at the end of beautiful day at the Lowlands festival when everybody just wants to dance. And this party band knows how to do that. And so we all dance to their funky and swinging grooves.

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Lowlands already was at boiling point today, but we have to get ready for the hottest day tomorrow. So we party a bit more, drink a few more beers and try to get some sleep before that golden ball relentlessly will wake us up again.

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Lowlands 2012 Day 1
Lowlands 2012 Day 3

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Triggerfinger Slowly Tear Down The Place

What a year did Triggerfinger have. About a year ago they released their third album All This Dancin' Around and it only went upward fast from there. They played many shows after that, many in The Netherlands as well, and fortunately didn't pass on Amsterdam at all. After their album presentation in Paradiso last year it was now time for three shows in a row in the Melkweg.

Triggerfinger at Melkweg Amsterdam, November 7 2011 (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
So they had an incredible year. And well deserved, since they have been around for a while and with a lot of hard work created this mighty beast called Triggerfinger. A well oiled heavy rocking machine with killer live shows. And they prove that tonight again.



With a well thought through set they slowly build up to an ectatic orgasm. They start out with a few slow songs. Heavy lazy grooves are warming up the big machine. They play songs like 'Feed Me' or 'I'm Coming For You' which are perfect for it. Singer and guitarist Ruben Block's microphone seems a bit heavy on echo for a few songs, but this is fixed after a while. By then the machine is already heating up to a nice temperature. The crowd is also giving in by now. The band is shifting gear and is heading for full speed. Mario Goossens is firing off his killer grooves while bassist "Monsieur" Paul is keeping the machine together with his steady bass playing.



Block's vocals are great. His high pitch howls never have sounded better. Together with Goossens he keeps firing up the crowd. By the end of the show the last ones have giving up resistance and surrender to this hard rocking machine. We get another treat when they play their notorious cover version of 'Sweet Dreams' and a beautiful 'It Hasn't Gone Away'.



It all seems to come together tonight. A good thing they were recording this concert for a live DVD. I can't wait for that to come out and relive this night over and over again.

More Pictures

Watch the entire show over here.

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Setlist
1.I'm Coming For You
2.On My Knees
3.Short Term Memory Love
4.Cherry
5.My Baby's Got A Gun
6.Love Lost In Love
7.All This Dancin' Around
8.Drum Solo
9.First Taste
10.Is It
11.Feed Me
12.Inner Peace
Encore
13.Sweet Dreams
(Eurythmics cover)
14.It Hasn't Gone Away
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