Pukkelpop 2009

Just a little over a week ago, I returned from three great days at the Pukkelpop festival. A small recap with some pictures of my favourite acts and the amazing people I shared these days with.

Day 1 - I saw: The Maccabees, Baddies, The Twang, James Yuill, Shantel & Bucovina Orkestar, Paolo Nutini, The Big Pink, Maxïmo Park, Dizzee Rascal, Soap&Skin, La Roux, Andrew Bird, Freaky Age (yes, Filip), Ladyhawke, Faith No More, My Bloody Valentine.

The Big Pink: a very nice discovery. Ministry meets Stone Roses. Lots of potential!

Maxïmo Park and the ever excentric Paul Smith. Andrew Bird: really good, despite the leaking Chapiteau tent. Chearing for my mates from Freaky Age.Faith No More: too good to be true, even though I expected very little from this gig.
Day 2 - I saw: Das Pop, Metric, Alberta Cross, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Chapman Family, The Airborne Toxic Event, Air Traffic, Glasvegas, Patrick Wolf, Snow Patrol, The Black Box Revelation, Placebo, Blood Red Shoes (from a distance), Kraftwerk.

My sister came over for one day.

This Australian bloke called Bert proposed to me in a drunk haze and - polite as I am - I said yes. So...meet my fiancé...technically. ;)
Discovery of the year: The Chapman Family. You find some of their music a few posts back. Definitely give them a listen, although it's their terrific live performance that should really win you over.

The Airborne Toxic Event.

Glasvegas: superb! (and my ultimate sing-along moment)

Patrick Wolf.

Kraftwerk, legends.

Day 3 - I saw: Telepathe, The Temper Trap, The Rifles, Jack Penate, Absynthe Minded, Enter Shikari, The Whitest Boy Alive, Mad Caddies, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys.

The Temper Trap, glorious gig.

The Rifles, always good to see them again. Indie poprock like it should be.

Meeting up in the press area with Rob, bass player from The Rifles. We catched up over some beers, good to see him again!

Met some weird folks at the festival, as usual.

Filip.

Jim and Bart, falling in love.

The kids are not alright

The Belgian Pukkelpop festival is always a great place to discover new bands, but none of them were as good as this one. Meet The Chapman Family!

This is their single 'Kids'...

...and this is one of their amazing live performances (love the part at the end where they turn completely insane).

Pukkelpop day 3

Day 3, and another list of must-sees to go - even though my feet hurt like hell.

* Lykke Li (nice gig, but not quite as good as I expected)

* The Whip: no pictures, because I was too busy dancing till my poor feet were bleeding and being the subject of a photographer myself (despite the early hour this gig was a great party)

* Late of the Pier (wasn't such a big fan in advance - contrary to some of the girls I was hanging out with at the festival - but they managed to convince and convert me, even though I didn't see the whole gig)




* The National (the reason why I couldn't see all of Late of the Pier, and a very good reason it was - even if they only played Fake Empire it would've been worth it)




* Manic Street Preachers (another personal highlight; this band deserves to be and stay on top + I loved Nicky's microphone!)





* Bloc Party (a bit of a disappointement, I thought they would've been more energetic)




* Sigur Rós (best gig of the festival, this was everything and more - I was crying like a baby)









* Off stage:
Elke and her refreshment

Hermine, Phara, Gisèle, Gerlin - Late of the Pier fans :)

sleepy guy
covered sleepy guy
David (on the right) and a friend of his

my personal interpretation of body art: Steven-love (on Elke's arm)...
...Manic Street Preachers-love (on my arm)...
...self-confessed stalking affairs (on Sylvie's arm)...
...Roger Federer-love (on my arm, I screamed so hard that everybody at the festival must've understood that he won the golden medal in the double tennis games at the Olympics).

Elke and Ringlings. Oh, how we love festival food.

FESTIVAL TOP 4:

1) SIGUR ROS

2) Manic Street Preachers

3) Dirty Pretty Things/Editors

4) The Futureheads/The National