steppin' out with frantic666: 2010

I HATE festivals. I really do. Tickets are a lot of money, your favorite band plays only a short set, in broad daylight and 90% of the people there don't care about your band.

I LOVE festivals. I really do. Most of them are crap, but some of them are really good. And yes, it's true: in Belgium we have the most festivals, and the best. Fuck it, we invented the festivals as you all know them now. I love it when my favorite band comes to a Belgian festival after they played their own gig in one of our fine clubs. Or before, whatever. I love it when I see my fav band gets discovered by some of those 90 percenters. I love it when it's summer and everybody is in a good mood and wants to enjoy a common passion together: music.

Pukkelpop has it all. It's big (almost like Werchter), but it keeps the friendly atmosphere of a smaller festival. People come there for the whole thing, there's about 8 stages or so and 666 styles of music mixed and a lot of side attractions who are very good too. Surprisingly, those side attractions are NOT made by some sponsor. No Coca-Cola animation, no Jupiler Saloon. No, REAL art and theatre, right there. Apart from that, people still put the music on no1. Almost everybody's making his own Pukkelpop program way in advance, just to avoid getting lost in 200 bands. I've been to many many editions of the festival. You'd think I'd be sick of it by now, but no, the last years I've tried to go for the whole 3 days more than in the earlier days.

This year, Pukkelpop celebrates its 25th anniversary. I was a bit disappointed because I had to work on Thursday and Friday. So no 3 days this year, only Friday evening and a whole Saturday. Main stage line-up was probably the worst in years, allthough that's always a personal thing. On the other hand, Shelter stage, MY place, had the best in years. The stage that is more hardcore/punk/metal oriented seemed to be slacking the last couple of years, but this year was a classic.
When Paranoiacs were confirmed for Saturday, it felt like the cherry on the 25th anniversary pie was finally added. Paranoiacs also celebrated thier 25th year and their first appearance on the Pukkelpop festival was exactly 20 years ago when they shared the stage with Rollins Band, Nick Cave, Mudhoney and Faith No More amongst others.
This year, they share the Shelter stage with Against Me!, Rise And Fall, The Toy Dolls and Bad Religion. uhm... wow.

I had to miss Thrice, We Are Scientists, Blink182, Young Guns, Danko Jones, Garcia Plays Kyuss, Band Of Horses and Mark Lanegan on Friday. Damn it that's a lot of good bands.
I saw on Friday evening: You Me At Six, Mumford & Sons, The Prodigy and Gallows, who managed to impress the hell out of me even though I knew what I was gonna get and saw them play before. Mumford were great too, loudest crowd I've heard that weekend. I visited the Pukkelpop museum, and yes, it had the legendary Kurt Cobain photo, taken at Nirvana's only Belgian gig (where else than at Pukkelpop?)

Personally, Saturday started with my headliners: Paranoiacs and right after, Against Me!. Both played early but excellent sets and there were a lot more people there than I expected on this early hour. And they all seemed to like it. The reviews for the Paranoiacs show are good, victory. I saw quite some old Paranoiacs t-shirts but I kept wondering: where are you people at all these other Paragigs?

Unfortunately, the 25th Pukkelpop editions counts 2 (two) deads. Not among the fans, but among crew and artists. A sound engineer died of a heart attack on day1, and the next day, Charles Haddon, singer of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, commited suicide backstage, after the band's concert.

Still, Pukkelpop25 was a great edition I'm already looking forward to no 26!

Pics and vids below.
All the vids on my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/frantiek (I'm still uploading more as we speak)

The Museum: 25 Years Of Pukkelpop