Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 3

Yesterday was a long day with lots of music, although I didn't even make my eighteen bands, not even close. My feet started to object against all the walking and standing. Today is a shorter day and I can take it slow. It promises to be a tropical day, so we need to hydrate. Beer is mostly water right?

Best Kept Secret 2019 Day 3, June 2 2019

Julia Holter

I listened to some of Julia Holter's music and quite liked her experimental and jazzy songs. This could be a nice way to start the day. However after a short while I notice this is not for me. It's definitely her more experimental side, but it is too slow for me. I simply don't like music that is difficult, just to be difficult. It doesn't mean I can't enjoy complex or experimental music, because I certainly can. I just can't watch music that is too much about being complex, which seems to be the case here. So after a while I leave and hurry to stage Five.

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Lewsberg

At stage Five Lewsberg are at the end of their set. I have seen this band a few times before and like their music a lot. The nice ringing guitars, the talk singing, the groovy krautrock, the subtle solos, it's all so well done. But at the same time I just can't get around the apathetic stage act. I know it's all just an act, where singer Arie van Vliet is sometimes addressing the crowd in a cool, formal way as well. But somehow it just doesn't appeal to me, even when the music is that good. I want some kind of connection to happen between audience and artist, in any kind of way. Today this doesn't work for me, maybe because I wasn't there from the start.

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Romperayo

We stick around at this stage while the temperature is getting tropical. It is just right for the next band playing here, Romperayo from Colombia. Their insane mix of Afro-Colombian traditional rhythms and cumbia are perfect for dancing and cold beers. Drummer Pedro Ojeda, who you may know from Los Pirañas, is the driving force behind those rhythms. The groovy bass adds some seventies funk and the guitar mixes in some psychedelica. Finally the keyboard adds little layers of sound effects, playful organs and some tropical vibes. Everyone in the tent is dancing to this colourful band. Some songs come dangerously close to too much cheesiness, but the band is able to avoid it in the end.

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Whispering Sons

After dancing to some Colombian sun, it's time for Belgian darkness. Whispering Sons won Belgian music competition Humo's Rock Rally a few years back, where some of the biggest Belgian bands saw their career take off. The young band plays dark new wave and post-punk songs, that have an industrial sound. They are sometimes described as the Belgian Sisters of Mercy, which is not a bad reference. Even on this sunny day, the band's music doesn't miss its effect. Singer Fenne Kuppens is the absolute centre point of attention. Her low dark voice is a perfect match with the music and her stage appearance is stunning, singing her lyrics full of expression in a theatrical way. She knows how to balance it very well, so it never gets too much and stays completely honest. It is clear most of the people here are equally impressed, since the tent stays full and after playing the last song the band is greeted with a well meant roaring round of applause.



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Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Another nineties comeback was announced this week: Pavement are coming back. The band influenced so many bands and nowadays young bands still draw inspiration from the illustrious Californian group. Today one if its core members Stephen Malkmus is performing with his band The Jicks. It is different from Pavement, but not too much. His music consists of well written compact indie rock songs, with a nineties vibe. However today these tunes are performed in a quite uninspired way. Malkmus is kind of playing on auto pilot, even though The Jicks seem to be trying. Maybe it's the temperature but it all comes across as too lifeless to really enjoy.

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Kurt Vile & The Violators

On the main stage Kurt Vile is looking much more inspired. You know he isn't exactly a happy camper like Mac DeMarco yesterday, but his indie rock and folk sounds convincing today. As a former guitarist of The War On Drugs his music doesn't wander off too much from his former band. You can hear where it's all coming from. His songs are slowly passing by with lots of guitar solos, something that is perfect for the hot stage he's playing, in front of people that appear to be standing in a blistering desert. It shows that you can still play a convincing and inspired show despite an unmoved stage presence.

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The Raconteurs

We have to leave Kurt Vile early since we don't want to miss anything from The Raconteurs. Their return was great news and I was looking forward to his show today a lot. And boy, I am not disappointed to put it mildly. It's as if they have unleashed a bunch of caged tigers (yes, weak safari park reference intended) and the band fly into it with great power. We get to hear a couple of new songs and some golden oldies. Jack White says they wish they could play longer, which is obvious. They want to make every second of this performance count and don't waste any time in between. It's great to see the chemistry in this band, where they are looking at each other, walk towards each other and are simply having a blast. I love the combination of Brendan Benson's lovely, warm and calm voice, and Jack White's high, hoarse and somewhat hysterical vocals. Within no time the last chords of 'Steady As She Goes' have sounded and the band is finished. This was an hour of absolute rock heaven and I can't wait for a headlining concert hopefully to be announced soon.



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Interpol

A thunderstorm is on its way to the festival site, but we don't need any other excuse to be at Interpol's show. It's part of the same tour I saw last year, which proved the band has returned to their best form. Tonight they steadily work their way through their setlist again, playing songs off their last album and EP together with some of their big hits. Like always singer Paul Banks keeps his distance, wearing sunglasses for the entire show. His thundering voice sounds strong and clear though. This band from New York has so many good songs, that never fail to impress or miss their effect. Again the band plays very tight, although I have the feeling it is not as tight as last year's show. This could just be an unjustified feeling and the fact that it is a shorter set. I still enjoy it a lot and let myself get carried away by their gloomy rock music.

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Christine & The Queens

When we get outside, the thunderstorm has passed and cooled of the festival site. When we walk onto the field in front of the main stage, it looks quit empty. Fortunately people were only hiding from the storm and are slowly returning for the closing act of the festival. It may have raised an eyebrow here and there, but I think Christine & The Queens is very good choice. She has impressed many people lately with well written pop songs and spectacular live performances. She proves it tonight with a live show that is well performed, very lively and also contains a message. Chris, as she calls herself now, mentions this is a judgement free area tonight, where no one will be judged for who they are, but everyone should be able to completely be themselves. It is a very relevant message today and one that comes across effectively.

The show is very well done, with dancers flying around the stage in stunning choreographed dancing, where Chris is always the centre point. Pieces of eighties music like Janet Jackson are mixed in and I can surely see the resemblance to that era. Her voice is clear and strong, seemingly singing and dancing with great ease. A piece of David Bowie's 'Heroes' finds its way into the show and it sounds wonderful. She addresses the crowd regularly, where you feel there's a real connection. It's hard not to connect because she's doing it with so much passion, enthusiasm and heart. It is a live show that has so much to offer and is high on entertainment that it is spot on as a closing headliner for this year's edition. Well done Chris and well done Best Kept Secret.



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This year's edition may not have been as perfect as last year's where every band seemed to excel. However something that is not entirely perfect can just be as good because the highs are more obvious. Maybe even better? It doesn't matter, since what counts is that it was another wonderful edition and we surely will return next year.

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 1
Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 2

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 2

After such a fun but long day as yesterday, it's hard to wake up. But there's fresh coffee and fried eggs, sunny weather and good company, which ought to get me going. And the thought of another glorious day with so many bands to check out. I have marked no less than eighteen bands in my schedule. So better not waste more time and get this party going.

Best Kept Secret 2019 Day 2, June 1 2019

The Beths

The day starts in a relaxed way with Auckland indie rock band The Beths. Front woman Elizabeth Stokes has written catchy punk pop songs full of hooks and nineties vibes. The songs have a light touch and are easy on the ears. The music is pretty good and a big crowd has gathered around the tent. It does stay on the safe side though and it never gets wild. But it is very nice to wake up to on this sunny morning and have our first beer of the day to go with it.

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Sports Team

Time to really wake up now and no better way to get the sleep blown out of our eyes than Alex Rice and friends. This guy is quite a character, running around stage like Mick Jagger with ADHD and high on speed. But this human elastic bouncing ball is wonderful to watch as he moves himself into crazy positions, makes funny faces and seems to be talking and singing all the time, even when there's no mic around. On top of that there's lifeless keyboard player Ben Mac who doesn't show any expression and seems to be applying for a position in today's headliner Kraftwerk. The music is very nice though, maybe not always very tight. It doesn't matter when you have a guy like Rice flying around stage. A killer tune like ‘M5’ is hard to resist too.



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Wallows

On the main stage the temperature is getting high and Wallows have to play in front of a sunbathing crowd. It is a sympathetic band who work hard and try to connect to the people in front of the stage. Singer Dylan Minnette is succeeding in that quite well, which may because he is the lead character in Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Something I just found out while writing this post. The indie rock they play is quite nice and it's a pretty convincing performance by this band, although the main stage may be a bit too big for them right now. But anyone playing such a fun version of The Cure's 'Boys Don't Cry' is okay in my book.

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Mildlife

We haven't spent much time at stage Seven, where it gets really hot during the day. It's not the main reason but when you have to choose between bands, it could be the decisive factor. I do want to check out Mildlife though, whose jazzy and spacy krautrock seems perfect for a sunny afternoon at hot stage. The Australian band is getting even a high approval from fellow countryman Tame Impala's Kevin Parker and I can see why. The warm gentle grooves combined with Adam Halliwell's guitar lines and sometimes flute go down very well with a cold beer. The band itself stare somewhat apathetic to the swinging crowd in front of the stage.

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Snail Mail

We hurry to stage Five, that fortunately isn't that far away. There we can catch the end of Snail Mail's set who has managed to gather a large turn up. I really like Lindsey Jordan's somewhat slow indie rock and her clever songs. Her voice is great with occasional Björk like outcries. Last year I saw the band for the first time and was a bit disappointed by the washed-out performance. Today is not much different, where Jordan isn't exactly trying to win the crowd over. Maybe it's her young age or maybe it's the image she has chosen. Hopefully many miles on the road can make her performance just as impressive as her music.

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Fat White Family

This British band has no trouble performing live and even has quite a good live reputation. They went through quite a rough period and line-up changes since I saw them on this festival for the first time. But they have fully recovered and released a stunning new LP this year, that shows a more mellow but at the same time more mature side of the band. In this show they are also going that way, with many songs from the new LP. This means their performance is less wild and chaotic, but it is more intense. Their music is now more nasty and to the point, which causes it to hit the audience by even more force. Singer Lias Kaci Saoudi is mostly keeping his sun glasses on like the rest of the band who keep going unmoved. Saoudi is crying out regularly, spitting out his lyrics, making this one of the best shows this weekend.



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Guided By Voices

Another one of the golden oldies bands from the nineties, who seem to act as a blueprint to some of the new and young bands playing this festival. Guided By Voices was founded over thirty five years ago and are known for their lofi indie rock. The band plays an inspired show on the main stage and the oldtimers are obviously enjoying it a lot. It's nice to see some of the younger visitors can appreciate this band as well. I like their sound and it's too bad I apparently missed them in the nineties.



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Mac DeMarco

I really don't know what to think of Mac DeMarco and maybe he would love that. I like his relaxed mellow songs and the vibe of those sunny guitar tunes. His songs are light indie rock songs that are easy to listen to and actually quite clever. But his shows are so full of cheesy jokery that I find it hard to really like it. While the sun sets and baths the main stage in a golden light, DeMarco is walking on his hands, blowing bubbles and joking around with his band, all with a big grin on his face. But it makes it hard for me to get into his show and truly enjoy his music. He seems like a nice guy though, one that seems a lot of fun having a beer with, while his record plays in the background. If he could keep a better balance between the clowning around and music I think I could really like this. The boy and the girl shown on the big screen, that are dancing in the water to his music have no trouble enjoying it though.

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Cigarettes After Sex

I'm not really a fan of this band, but since there's nothing else for me to see I join my friends to this show. I can only handle it for a couple of songs, since I just don't like the same slow tempo in every song. It's like a record playing on half speed, despite Greg Gonzalez' clear and high voice. The cover version of REO Speedwagon's 'Keep On Loving You' sounds like a band on valium playing it and doesn't come close the original version. It's clear I will never become a fan so I leave to find me some rendang. Unfortunately the fries with rendang I find are quite disappointing as well.



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Kraftwerk

The thought of twenty thousand people wearing Kraftwerk 3D glasses, made me look forward to their headlining show today. Yes, I find that kind of stuff really funny and I know Mac DeMarco would agree. I am not disappointed when I look around me and see what seems a scene from a sixties SF B-movie. Kraftwerk are of course legendary pioneers and I do like some of their music. I did see them play live once and although I quite liked it, I do realize that without all the imagery their performance would be quite boring. But the 3D visuals work very well and make this quite a spectacular show. Satellites and space ships seem to hover in front of our eyes, musical notes fly right through you and we are truly driving on the Autobahn. All of their hits are here tonight, while the four members are standing almost motionless behind their synthesizer deck in their usual fashion. We are the robots indeed! Some of their music is starting to sound outdated, but as long as they can be this inventive with visual shows they could keep this up for quite some time.



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Viagra Boys

By now this busy weekend is running its toll on my legs and feet so we relax for a bit until we get the final blow of the day. Viagra Boys are a Swedish post-rock band that are known for their lively shows. That wasn't a lie, since the band has a singer that is quite a sight. It's not just his heavily tattooed body and beer belly that is a striking sight. His stage performance is an act on itself, crawling around stage, his somewhat drunken posture and the interaction with the crowd. All the time wearing sunglasses and a drink. You would forget that their music is well done too. Dirty rock with a hysterical saxophone and an unstoppable groove. And of course a crazy song like 'Sports' that has all the ingredients for a sweaty and dirty night of rock and roll dancing, with loads of beer.

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This day had a couple of very good shows and ended on a high. I didn't come close to the eighteen green circles in my schedule of course, so I had to make some tough choices. Hopefully I will get to see the bands I had to miss some other time.

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 1
Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 3

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 1

Like every year we're heading south to hang around with some wild animals at Safari Park Beekse Bergen, hunting for well kept secrets at the Best Kept Secret festival. They have a huge line-up once again, so let's get going.

Best Kept Secret 2019 Day 1, May 31 2019

Blossoms

Two years ago I got introduced to Blossoms on this festival and liked their show. So I wanted to check them out again now they got promoted to the main stage. I still like their catchy songs that sound clever and tight. But maybe because it’s still early it doesn’t come across as an inspired set. The young band kind of work their way through their set on auto pilot and don't really look like they want to fire up the crowd who are enjoying the sun.



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Primal Scream

Bobby Gillespie and friends are simply a legendary band that was very influential. I know they can play epic sets when you’re lucky. Today may not be epic but it is a good show nevertheless. The band decides to play a greatest hits set which turns out to be a good choice. This band has so many good songs and many of them hit bulls eye this afternoon. Gillespie is in a very good mood and is watching how the crowd has a great time with a big smile on his face. He's truly pleased when everyone is dancing to great tunes like 'Loaded' and of course 'Rocks' for our first real party of the day.

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Stereolab

The avant-garde band Stereolab have been away for ten years but announced their comeback last year, confirming playing some festival dates. The indie electro pop sound is quite interesting and clever and it's nice to hear for a while. But after a few songs I notice I start to lose interest. Maybe it's not the right moment for me to truly enjoy the mellow music and there isn't exactly a lot happening on stage, so we decide to look elsewhere.

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Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

We don't have to look hard, since I already was hoping to see this band. It is one of the reasons why I like festivals so much. The Australian band is relatively unknown but excels today with an amazing performance. Psychedelic rock songs that are damn catchy and simply sound amazing in a tent that completely fills up. The crowd loves the group from Down Under and the band is feeding on that energy, getting better by the minute. Their psychedelic jams are wonderful and intense. This was a best kept secret but probably not for long.

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Priests

Priests’ name has been buzzing around and l like their light punk songs. Katie Alice Greer is very lively on stage and really is carrying the band. When drummer Daniele Daniele takes over for one song, the performance kind of looses its momentum and although they switch back again, they aren't able to pick it up again. The songs sound pretty good though and I loved their version of Danzig's 'Mother'. Maybe because I had high expectations I feel the band didn’t really deliver today.



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Jambinai

Bon Iver is the headliner and closing the main stage for a day. I know I don't really like their music, but still want to give it a try, since I may be suprised. However after a few songs I decide to leave and head to Jambinai. It's been a long time since I saw the Korean rock band play in Barcelona. I like their post-rock sound where they combine traditional instruments with modern ones. In the dark tent the music works really well, turning the place into an atmospheric place.

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Crack Cloud

This Canadian band is a remarkable one, consisting of (ex)drug addicts who use music to overcome their problems and addictions. Centred on stage is drummer Zack Choy and the other members are standing around them. Crack Cloud is a collective with a lot more members but I understand this is kind of the core. Their post-punk is intense and groovy, with guitars that nail themselves in your head. With an incredible tempo the band is ploughing their way through their relentless set like there's no tomorrow.

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Shame

After seeing this British band a couple of times, I know they will totally deliver. By now everyone knows they will turn every show into a big messy party and tonight is not different. Right form the start the crowd flies into it and so does the band. The group is always full of energy, fronted by the charismatic Charlie Steen. The young men put everything in their powerful punk and rock songs with never ending effort. Steen is firing up the crowd that already has turned into a swirling mass of dancing bodies. It may be late at night but this crowd has plenty of energy left to turn this place upside down. Definitely one of the best things we will see this weekend I’m sure.



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BCUC

We stick around stage Five for BCUC, or Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness. African music can always please me and BCUC from Soweto gives a very original twist to their music. Two drums lay down a simple but irresistible groove. Jovi is signing and rapping his lyrics from the heart and the band is putting down an inspired show. Kgomotso Mokone adds beautiful vocals to balance it out, with beautiful harmonies and soul. Their songs are traditional rhythms, rites, gospel and soul, presented in a modern and playful way. The band play with a lot of passion giving this hungry crowd the dance party it asks for and the everyone simply loves it.

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DITZ

We head to the Casbah where we are able to catch the last bit of DITZ' show. I like what I hear there, violent punk rock, sharp as a razor blade. Pounding drums and heavy guitars that try to hammer their way into my head. It's hard to actually see the band, since the Casbah doesn't really allow it. It is probably the reason why there's an extra stage Seven this year and why there aren't that many bands playing here. But DITZ is a perfect fit for this place, at this late hour, with a few more beers and some loud punk music to top off this day.

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And what a day it's been! I saw so many bands and diverse music that my head is spinning. Can't be the beers right?

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 2
Best Kept Secret Festival 2019 Day 3

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