Lowlands 2011 Day 3: Taking It Easy

When you're partying it's time for the last day before you know it. A bit of coffee to get us going (that DE coffee really is horrible) and we're on our way for day three!


Lowlands 2011 Day 3, August 21 2011
Looking at the program this is gonna be a relaxed day. Which is good because our bodies are aching from head 'til toe and we could use some rest now and then.



Frank Turner (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
First up is the man I heard a lot about. He used to play punk but traded his electric guitar for an acoustic one and...kind of still is playing punk music but with an acoustic ring to it. Which works really well. Not all songs are equally appealing especially when they're turning into Scottish folk. But the songs that are more melodic are quite good. He looks comfortable on stage, is chatting away making funny comments and his voice is just really powerful.

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De Staat (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
With their first record they dropped a bomb on the Dutch music scene and filled up the Grolsch stage two years ago. This year with their second album they make it to the biggest stage. And they play a good set. Not all songs are real crowd pleasers; they are good but maybe not that rocking as the older songs. However they balance their set nicely and put down a good show. "The Machine" seems to have a bit of a slow start in 'Back To The Grind', but it still impressive to see it laying down the groove for the song. And 'Ah I See' is a great way to close their performance.

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The Kills (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
You never know what you're gonna get with Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince. They're off to a good start, the dark and a bit cold songs sound good and rock bitch Mosshart is going through all her poses. It's far from party music so the crowd is not exactly jumping. Then a beer hits Hince's guitar. He seems to kind of ignore it, but at the end of the song he's pretty pissed (and for a good reason). It takes the fire out of the show and they finish it on routine. Too bad with such a promising start.

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Happy Camper (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
I've mentioned this project many times on my blog so I won't go into details about the story behind it. All guest vocalists are present today, so the songs get the interpretation they deserve. The Lima stage is the perfect setting, the weather is lovely and it ends up in a dream for initiator Job Roggeveen. It is showing once again how strong his compositions are.

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Interpol (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
With this band from New York you can't really go wrong. Their dark music is always impressive and they play a very tight set. But I can imagine that for many it isn't really appealing to see those static musicians on the dark stage. Of course they also play songs off their last album that simply isn't as good as the other three. Fortunately the end of the show is the best part where 'The Heinrich Maneuver' and 'Slow Hands' come up and where they close the set with the great 'Obstacle I'.

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Karnivool (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
I was making sure not to go see The Offspring and decided to go see Karnivool. I heard many good thing about them and especially the part where people say they play Tool-like compositions triggered my interest. But it's a disappointing show. The music is complex and creative but nothing near Tool. The musicians have no charisma at all and singer Ian Kenny's vocals sound alike most of the time. The songs and set list are lacking variation because of that and it makes this show a hard one to sit out.

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And so Lowlands 2011 comes to an end. But not before we party out our last bits of energy. Maybe the program wasn't that great on paper but we had a great weekend with many good performances in the end. Lowlands 2012 anyone?

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Lowlands 2011 Day 2: Magic and Sausages

We wake up to a lovely day. After a great first day with many high lights, today is looking a bit pale on paper. But I'm ready to be proven wrong. After a hearty breakfast and coffee of course.


Lowlands 2011 Day 2, August 20 2011
To head it off we join the big Karaoke party 'Lowlands is singing' that is a good way to get rid of your hang over and get you in the right mood. With a smile on our face we leave for the first performance of the day.



Young The Giant (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
One of the upcoming bands and promising for the future according to many, but I wasn't impressed by their album at all. Hopefully they can convince me live on stage. But after a few songs I already find out that's not gonna be the case. Singer Sameer Gadhia has a good clear voice but I don't believe him. It looks like he's practiced every single move in front of the mirror. The performance of the band is looking pale and after a while I'm getting bored. Like on the album they only have a few really good songs. But I'm not gonna stick around for their best song 'Body'.

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The Deaf (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
So I rush over to The Deaf at the small Charlie stage. I liked their lively performance when they were support act for the Arctic Monkeys a few months ago. And today it's even better. The band is full of energy and their punk rock songs are firing up the crowd. Frans "Spike" van Soest is proving once again he is a great front man. He's playing with a big smile on his face all through the show. Keyboard player Maurizio "Skinny Mau" Pinna keeps rocking his organ most of the times adding to the lively atmosphere. It's the perfect band for this sunny afternoon and just the wake-up call I need.

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DeWolff (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Three young dogs take the big Alpha stage for their psychedelic rock music. Only a few years ago they were playing the small neighbouring Charlie stage but things went fast. With their second album they proved they are here to stay. I was a bit worried the stage may be too big for them, but during their show the huge tent fills up gradually. Many people are impressed by the skills and talent of this young band. They have put together a smart set list that slowly builds up to a climax. By then they have already won everyone over.

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National Youth Jazz Orchestra (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Jazz on a festival like Lowlands may not be an obvious choice and is quite a gamble. The Lima on the other hand is a great stage for these experiments, where people are open minded and that can turn into a party. The orchestra consists of some of the most talented young jazz musicians in The Netherlands at the moment and Benjamin Herman is their mentor and conductor. He's the right man for the job with his never ending enthusiasm and great skills. And it works brilliantly. They have put together a very good set with appealing and swinging songs. A couple of young, talented and more experienced musicians join them as well to take on many of the solo's. It's a great success and proof that even jazz has a place on this festival.

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Cloud Control (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
I'm trying out this band from Australia. Their mix of folk and psychedelic indie rock isn't really my kind of music but it sounds interesting enough to stick around. They are playing a convincing set and the musicians are giving it all resulting in good vibes. The part where bass player Jeremy Kelshaw is hitting a flight case with some kind of big plastic sticks is a bit weird though. It's probably supposed to add some percussion element but it gets kind of lost. Overall it's a good show nevertheless and it's one of the surprises of the weekend. This is a band to keep an eye on.

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Cage The Elephant (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
Matthew Shultz, the singer of this band from Kentuky, is known for his energetic performances. And that's definitely no lie. He's all over the stage and looking for contact with the crowd. But his vocals aren't great and it all starts to sound the same after a while. Shultz is addicted to stage diving and when the rest of the band has already left the stage he decides to take one more leap into the crowd. When they could improve their songs it would get a lot better. But it's a nice band to have on a festival.

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Elbow (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
When you've seen Elbow a few times, you know what you're gonna get. So it won't be a surprising performance. But when you do it so well and convincing like Guy Garvey and friends that's no problem. The show will be recorded for an upcoming DVD and so everyone is looking at its best. Garvey is as charming and charismatic as ever. He's wrapping all of us around his finger without a problem and everyone is kindly following his interactive requests. He could have asked the crowd to do anything really. The set is mostly made off their last two hit albums and with the addition of some live strings they all sound magical. In between they even have time to celebrate their 20th anniversary with a drink and a small acoustic moment together. So maybe it isn't all that surprising but it's still working so well. And yes Guy, we're still okay.

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So this day is ending strong and it's party time again. A few hours later we find ourselves in the middle of a big sausage party at the camping shop. Mustard anyone?

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Lowlands 2011 Day 1: Explosive First Day

What a day before the Lowlands festival kicks off. A horrible thunderstorm causes a drama at the Pukkelpop festival with four people getting killed and many wounded. There's also lots of damage to the festival site and band equipment. The same day the Lowlands visitors who already were at the camping sites suffered heavy rain as well but fortunately it was nothing compared to their fellow festival visitors in Belgium. When the air clears up Lowlands is ready to kick off the 19th edition.

Lowlands 2011 Day 1, August 19 2011
Skunk Anansie and the Smith Westerns who are playing the festival had their equipment damaged at the Belgian festival drama and have to rent replacements. But for the rest Lowlands doesn't suffer any consequences. So we're off the usual way except for an unnecessary long wait at the festival site's entrance that causes us to miss The Wombats. Organization, deal with this next year please!



Fitz and the Tantrums (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
So the first band we see is the soul band from LA. The band of Michael Fitzpatrick is a good way to start with it's uplifting soul songs. The real star of the band is singer Noelle Scaggs with her impressive voice. The whole band is treating us to a lively performance and the crowd is digging it a lot. I'm sure they made many new friends today.

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Anna Calvi (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Time to check out the singer with the impressive voice. I read goog things about her performances but I guess today wasn't really her day. It isn't easy for her to keep everyone's attention in the half full India tent at this time of the day. Her voice is good though and although it's not really my cup of tea, she's still playing a solid set. Better go see her live in a small intimate club.

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Wolf Gang (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Singer Max McElligott's band Wolf Gang are playing the small Charlie stage and I agreed to meet some friends there. I can't find them but I see most of this band's show which is a nice one. His voice is good and they are playing catchy indie pop songs. It all stays really friendly though and it doesn't really stick out. If they take more risks and rough it up a bit this could grow into a bigger act in a few years.

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Jungle By Night (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Another show by these young musicians, that I've watched a few times now. Are they able to play the Lowlands crowd as well? Of course they are. The crowd at the Lima stage are usually open minded and love a good party. So this afro beat party is a winner right from the start. And the young band know exactly how to play a willing crowd. They fire them up, let them participate and every solo is greeted with loud cheers. In a few years they will probably rock the big Alpha stage if they can keep this up.

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Miles Kane (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
With his friend Alex Turner he showed he's capable of writing good songs. But exactly how big is his part in The Last Shadow Puppets? His old band The Rascals never really could impress but as a solo artist Miles Kane is showing he's able to come up with some great jangling guitar songs of his own. And on stage it all sounds convincing as well. Too bad Turner doesn't show up although his Arctic Monkeys are playing later today.

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dEUS (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
They are coming up with a new album next month, but still they let us decide what songs to play earlier in the week. Of course that results in a greatest hits set that shows how good this band is and how many great songs they wrote. Only one new song, 'Constant Now', made it into the set and for the rest all the big ones are there: 'Suds & Soda', 'Fell Off The Floor Man' where front man Tom Barman effectively squeezes in the words "Barbara Streisand", referring to the Duck Sauce hit. 'Nothing Really Ends' flows into 'Bad Timing' seemlessly, although I think the intro to the last song lasted longer earlier this year. The set closes with the ever brilliant 'Instant Street'. Although not as experimental anymore as they used to be, dEUS has transformed into a solid rock band over the years. I can't wait to hear the new album.

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White Denim (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
After another great album I was dying to see White Denim live. And I wasn't disappointed at all. They play their complicated songs with such ease that it almost looks simple. The playful guitar licks, swinging drums and high pitch dreamy vocals sound great. The band is looking lively and fresh and these fine musicians impressed many people. I think they made many new friends today.

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Arctic Monkeys (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
After two very convincing shows earlier this year I thought I knew what was coming and wasn't expecting many suprises. But I was wrong. The first surprise was Alex Turner's look: an impressive 'Teddy Boy' quiff and leather jacket for a true rock 'n roll look. It suits him well and seems to give him more confidence. The band looks totally different from two years ago when they were closing the festival. They treat us to a hot energetic show, playing their best heavy songs. 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor', 'When The Sun Goes Down', 'Brainstorm', all the favourites are there. Of course the ones from the new album are not missing out, including the great current single 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala'. Friend Miles Kane does turn up in the last song and great closer '505' to play some guitar. Can this band get any better?

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This day turned out even better than I hoped. Can the other two days even come close? We'll find out tomorrow, but first it's time to party. Titty Twister anyone?

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