Rock Werchter 2019 Friday

I love Belgian festival Rock Werchter, with its epic line-ups and lovely crowd that only spreads good vibes. We used to go there annually for the full four days but after a while went on to discover new worlds. However once and a while when there's an absolute must see line-up we'd like to go back for a day. With The Cure and Tool on the bill it was impossible to resist, so we went back to that lovely place.

Rock Werchter Friday, June 28 2019

We are lucky enough to have a place to sleep in the nearby town Leuven, which is only half an hour away by bus and allows to be on time for the first band without having to stay on a hot festival camping.

Whispering Sons

Belgian band Whispering Sons are opening the main stage today and we don't want to miss them. They blew our minds last month at the Best Kept Secret festival and we definitely want to see them take on the monstrous main stage on their home ground. It is clear many people know about them over here, since there's quite a large turn up for a first act. For a good reason because the group doesn't seem overwhelmed by the huge stage at all. Singer Fenne Kuppens shrinks the stage with her somewhat theatrical but very convincing performance. She's wonderful to watch and her tight band makes sure she can comfortably sing the dark songs with her low voice. This show is another winner for them and I just can only imagine this band is going to big.

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Nothing But Thieves

The sun is high up in the sky and it is getting blistering hot. Under these hot conditions in front of a baking crowd, the English band are the ones to keep them on their feet. I like their sound with the great voice of Conor Mason, whose vocals are clear and strong live as well. They have a bunch of good songs and should be able to even get a cooking crowd to move. However their show is a bit uninspired and if I remember correctly I have seen them play shows more actively. Maybe it's the heat on stage getting to them, but it never gets really wild today. Part of the band certainly is trying, but Mason looks a bit absent minded today. They close their set with their hit song 'Amsterdam' though, and anyone singing a song about my hometown, stating "I left my heart Amsterdam" is okay in my book.



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Warhola

Jessie Reyez had to cancel her appearance today at the festival and Belgians Warhola are filling in. I recognize singer Oliver Symons, who is also fronting his other band Bazart. The music of both bands isn't very different although in Bazart he's singing in Dutch, while in Warhola it is english. Their pop music has warm electronics and the songs are mostly mellow indie songs that allow you to rock along gently, which is perfect on a hit day like this. Symons is clearly a talented and skilled musician and the music surely is interesting. Two drummers are playing the groovy beats that give the songs a bit of swing and punch. It's not exactly my kind of music though and I notice I start to loose interest after a while. But this performance is inside the air-conditioned Klub C, that is staying quite cool because of that, so we stay until the show is finished anyway.

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Weezer

Back in the heat at the main stage rock veterans Weezer are playing. It's been a while since I've seen this band play a live gig. I like some of their records, although they have written quite some disappointing songs as well. This makes them quite a fickly band that can go either way. This shows today as well where they open with 'Buddy Holly' straight away and have scattered their other hits like 'Hashpipe' throughout their set. It doesn't always sound very tight, but that is maybe the charm of this band. However their show does have a few weaker moments, especially when they play A-Ha's 'Take On Me' and Toto's 'Africa', that don't really sound solid. Their recent 'Teal Album' full of covers suffers from the same problem, that the songs are probably fun to play but simply cannot come near the original and feel a bit pointless. It still is an entertaining show though, that is entertaining to many people.



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The Cure

English legends The Cure are having a good year. They are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic album 'Disintegration' and are playing almost every festival there is this summer. On these festivals they have enforced long festival slots and today they are playing for more than two hours. It allows them to slowly build up their set and that works out very well. The first half has some deep cuts and fan favourites, but not many of their biggest hits. Although 'Pictures of You' and 'A Forest' which come by in that part are well known of course, this part is quite mellow but does show the incredible talent of this band and singer Robert Smith.

Smith may no longer have the slim figure he used to have, or look kind of creepy nowadays wearing his make-up like he always does, he still is an incredible musician. Bassist Simon Gallup is the only one who is actively moving around stage, pacing around like a caged tiger. Smith walks to the far end of either side of the stage a couple of times, but for the rest the band stays at the centre stage. This group has never been one that uses large gestures, let alone fireworks or other gimmicks. And why should they? When you play such wonderful music with so much intensity you don't need anything else. The band leaves the stage for a short while to return for the big climax that has all the big hits we know so well: 'Lullaby', 'Close To You', 'Why Can't I Be You?' score big cheers from the crowd. 'Boys Don't Cry' is a fitting end to an amazing The Cure, that can make any boy cry.



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Tool

After that wonderful The Cure show this night is far from over, because we still have one more performance left. After seeing them play an insane gig at Ziggo Dome only one and a half weeks back I know what I'm in for. It is clear Tool has raised anxiety levels through the roof after not playing here for 13 years. Most people in this crowd will not have seen them since then and young fans probably have never seen them at all. Like the night in the Ziggo Dome, the band is unbelievable again. The setlist is only a few songs shorter and the transparent screen in front of the stage, didn't make it to Werchter. The perfection of the songs did make it though, and the songs sound just as powerful and with the same intensity. The weird twelve minute break and awkward drum solo moment are left out today, which actually works even better, turning it into a 90 minute trip into planet Tool that is simply mind blowing.

On an outside stage like this you know the sound isn't always going to be great, still there are some moments where weird things happen to Maynard James Keenan's vocals and the balance in the mix seems to behave funny now and then. It's not something the band has control over and is only a very minor detail in a for the rest stunning show. I'm sure many heads were blown tonight with monumental songs like 'Parabola' and 'Schism', a once again epic performance of 'Forty Six and 2', and new song 'Vicarious' that sounds promising for the new album. Again the band ends on an absolute high with an inspired 'Stinkfist', leaving everyone in awe and euphoric. This time I was even able to take pictures (yay!).



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This was such a beautiful day and despite the many changes to the festival site, it felt like coming home. Rock Werchter still is one of the best festivals I've ever been to with one of the best crowds. I'm sure we will be back again, maybe even the whole four days when the line-up stays this good and we can find a comfortable place to stay instead of on the camping site.

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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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Rock Werchter 2014 Day 4: Dancing In The Rain

On the last day of the festival we wake up to a nice sunny day. But the forecast is one that expects heavy rain storms. We'll just see about that. Nothing our friend Joe Piler can't fix. Here we go!

Rock Werchter 2014 Sunday, July 6 2014



Reignwolf
On the main stage a small band is opening the day. Reignwolf is the project of Jordan Cook. It starts out as a three man band, while Cook is climbing a loose bass drum at the front of the stage. His music is blues and classic rock and indeed he can howl like a wolf. Then the other band members leave the stage and Cook gets freaky. He's playing guitar while at the same time holding his microphone. Or he's playing the bass drum at the same time. Or, sure why not, he's actually behind the drum kit playing it, while playing the guitar and singing. This guy is a one man band! It's pretty impressive and quite entertaining. Still I want to see other bands so I leave before the end.



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Oscar & The Wolf
I want to see the Belgian band Oscar & The Wolf, who make nice dreampop songs that take you away to tropical islands. And the stage looks exactly like that with palm trees scattered around and mostly red and green lights. Their music is the kind where you close your eyes and let it carry you away. It may not sound too exciting or energetic but the band succeeds in creating that tropical atmosphere, the high temperature inside helps too, with sultry versions of their music.



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Parquet Courts
And now for something completely different. No tropical atmosphere with Parquet Courts, but excellent punk rock songs. Their new album Sunbathing Animal shows more depth and melody while it still sounds powerful. The four guys play them quite convincingly, although it doesn't light the fuse as you would expect. That's because the band doesn't exactly go wild on stage. Still because of their strong repertoire it is a nice show, but could have been a lot better.



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Royal Blood
There are only two musicians in Royal Blood and still they know how to produce a very big and solid sound. Singer and guitar player Mike Kerr uses a heavily distorted bass guitar to lay down heavy riffs where drummer Ben Thatcher is putting very tight grooves on top. The duo from Brighton are convincingly playing their blues rock songs and have no trouble entertaining the full tent. It's remarkable how these two can create this sound by just the two of them.



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Bastille
We take a break and have some food outside the festival side. While we're inside a tent to eat, a heavy rain storm passes by. We're lucky that we can sit this one out. We return to the main stage for Bastille, where the side has turned into mud and everyone is soaking wet. It's still raining, but not that bad anymore. No one is letting the rain get them down. It seems as everyone is eager to party anyway and Bastille has no trouble making the people dance. Their music isn't that brilliant or special but it's the right band at the right place at the moment.



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Franz Ferdinand
Although we have seen Franz Ferdinand twice in the last couple of weeks, we decide to go see them instead of Foals anyway. Not because we don't like Foals, on the contrary, but because we don't want to go inside another full tent. And of course because Franz Ferdinand never disappoints. It's the same set as the previous time, which is a perfect festival set. Again it doesn't miss its effect at all. The build-up in the beginning with some hits, then the middle part with some more down tempo songs, followed by the big blog at the end where the field explodes. Any festival should try to book this band.



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Kings Of Leon
We want to have a look at MGMT, but the tent is too full. We stand outside for a bit, but then decide to go check out Kings of Leon. The band is bigger than ever and you know what you're going to get. They play a decent set with many of their hits and some songs of their successful but quality wise poorer last few albums. We can even see Caleb Followill smile a few times. But the band just doesn't add a lot to the live experience. There are no surprises, no improvisations, everything is well rehearsed. It is actually quite boring. I wish they would spice it a up and look for a bit of adventure.



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Interpol
It looks like Interpol have found their balance again. After Carlos Dengler left the band, it was as if Interpol was somewhat disoriented. Today they prove there's still enough fire in them to play a convincing set. Their songs sound dark and threatening again, full of tension and power. The new song the band is playing, sounds promising and I'm really looking forward to their new album later this year.



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Stromae
Although it looked as if Kings of Leon were the headliner today, actually Stromae is the one to close the festival. And although some people were questioning it, no doubt he deserves it. It may be a risky choice by the Rock Werchters programmers, but one that works out great. From seemingly nowhere he rocketed into the spot lights last year with his hit 'Formidable'. And he proves to be a wonderful entertainer. I don't like his music too much, especially the songs that are more or less eurotrance, but boy what a great artist. His mimicry is great, the way he acts on stage, everything looks magnificent. He's a worthy ending to another great edition of this festival.



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What a blast it was again. I wonder though, why the festival didn't really celebrate their 40th anniversary or give it more attention. But maybe they wanted to let the line-up speak for itself, since it worked out in a great way. The crowd is always lovely here, full of energy, and many bands did feel this and played great sets. But next year we won't be there. We can't handle the four day camping anymore and we want to try out some new festivals. But I'm sure we will return some day to this wonderful place.

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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 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: Day Of Legends

This year is the fourtieth edition of the Rock Werchter festival in Belgium. In all those years it grew out from a small festival to a huge one with 80,000 visitors every day and the biggest headliners. This year the line-up looked better than ever, so we really couldn't stay home.

Rock Werchter 2014 Thursday, July 3 2014

After a smooth journey we find a queue at the camping ground, but fortunately it moves fast. Within no time our tents are up and we're sipping a well deserved cold beer in the sun. This way we also make it to the festival ground in time for the first band.



Radkey
The three Radke brothers surprised me a few weeks ago on the Best Kept Secret Festival and are the opening band on the huge main stage. But the three young men don't mind and play another convincing show. They bring their Ramones infused punk rock with a lot of energy and try to shrink the huge gap, the square Metallica ramp and pit causes. It's a shame that all the bands have to fight this pit where no one is allowed in yet. Radkey don't seem to mind and make a well deserved victory round on the ramp at the end of their set.



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Daptone Super Soul Revue
A two hour soul party follows with the best the Daptone Records label has to offer. We missed the beginning and the first few acts and enter the show at the moment where Charles Bradley makes his entry. The "Screaming Eagle of Soul" never lets down and brings his soul songs with all his heart. A bunch of flowers is thrown on the stage and the gentle singer is handing them out one by one to people at the front at the end of the show.



He's followed by the afro-beat band Antibalas. Fronted by the charismatic Duke Amayo, dressed and painted in bright colours, the band starts a dancing party and heats up the hot tent even more. The horns section all get a chance to show their stuff and the band know how to play the crowd.



After that it's Sharon Jones' turn, who will close this super soul show. And you can leave that to the small but powerful singer whose strong performance wraps everyone around her finger within no time. Backed up by her great band The Dap-Kings, she puts up a very good show. Although I'm still not sure what to think of her music, she's showing today what a great singer and performer she is.



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Miles Kane
Another great performer is of course Miles Kane. He has proven that many times. On this hot afternoon his show takes off maybe a bit slow, but after a few songs his hard work is paying off. The still fit crowd is coming alive and soon everyone is dancing to the catchy rock tunes. And so by the time Kane is playing his final song 'Don't Forget Who You Are' everyone is joining in for the "nanana" part.



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White Lies
The bright sun light doesn't look like the right environment for the dark songs of White Lies. The band never was really able to impress me on stage before, but today they actually play a good show. Of course the group has many hit songs that are scattered throughout the set. Somewhere in the middle it sounds like they are letting it slip away again as the attention of the crowd is fading. But then they pick it up and win back the willing crowd.



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Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters
Many people have shown up to watch the legendary singer of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant is in great shape and knows exactly what the crowd wants to hear. He is throwing around some Zeppelin songs, that sometimes get different arrangements with African influences which sound amazing. His voice is still quite good for his age and backed up by his great and tight band, just now and then you almost feel you're listening to that legendary band from the past. When they start off 'Whole Lot Of Love' a big roar rises from the crowd and the place is totally exploding. Plant himself is looking very pleased with this response and for a good reason. Sensational indeed.



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Damon Albarn
Hardly recovered from that, we find our way to the next legend. To me Damon Albarn is one of the best composers and musicians around. And he is showing that today, with songs from his entire career, Blur of course, but also The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Gorillaz and even Rocketjuice & The Moon. Naturally Albarn is playing many songs of his solo album Everyday Robots, which is a down tempo record, but full of tension. The Heavy Seas Of Love, his backing band, are doing a fine job at combining all these styles into a homogeneous entity. The moments where Albarn is sitting behind the piano all by himself are beautiful and when he's playing my favourite Blur song 'Out Of Time' it is even magical.



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Metallica
The big closing headline of today is of course Metallica. Many people have come to the main stage to see the big metal band play songs that have been requested by the fans. It turns into a greatest hits show with some fan favourites, that is not so much different from all their shows we have seen them play in the past. From our position the sound isn't really great, the drums are too loud in the mix, but this could just be the spot we're in. The only surprise in the show is that their are no fireworks. Still the visuals on the massive screens look great as does the impressive light show with tons of lasers. It's quite a spectacle for anyone seeing the band for the first time I'm sure. For anyone else who's not a real fan, it's nothing more than a solid rock show.



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And so this festival was off to a great start. We're still in great shape and that means we are going to drink a few more beers. Where the party at?

More Pictures

Rock Werchter 2014 Day 2
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 3
Rock Werchter 2014 Day 4

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