Festival Reports
Alcatraz Festival has quickly become one of Belgium’s favorite metal and rock festivals, and the biggest heavy music event of the country after Graspop Metal Meeting. And not just for Belgians, with tons of people travelling from all over the world to join the 3 days of festivities. And with a great organization, a more cozy atmosphere despite the size and every year a stellar line-up, it doesn’t really come as a big surprise. Somehow they manage to satisfy anyone’s needs, whether you’re into more accessible metal/rock, extreme metal or hardcore and punk, and often they know to group these bands somewhat together on the same day or even the same stage, so you definitely know where to go! For this edition, they’ve released a handful of genre specific line-up posters, and based on those we’ve picked out some of the more memorable shows we caught from the offering of over 100 bands!
Read More >
Alcatraz Festival has quickly become one of Belgium’s favorite metal and rock festivals, and the biggest heavy music event of the country after Graspop Metal Meeting. And not just for Belgians, with tons of people travelling from all over the world to join the 3 days of festivities. And with a great organization, a more cozy atmosphere despite the size and every year a stellar line-up, it doesn’t really come as a big surprise. Somehow they manage to satisfy anyone’s needs, whether you’re into more accessible metal/rock, extreme metal or hardcore and punk, and often they know to group these bands somewhat together on the same day or even the same stage, so you definitely know where to go! For this edition, they’ve released a handful of genre specific line-up posters, and based on those we’ve picked out some of the more memorable shows we caught from the offering of over 100 bands!
Read More >
Alcatraz Festival has quickly become one of Belgium’s favorite metal and rock festivals, and the biggest heavy music event of the country after Graspop Metal Meeting. And not just for Belgians, with tons of people travelling from all over the world to join the 3 days of festivities. And with a great organization, a more cozy atmosphere despite the size and every year a stellar line-up, it doesn’t really come as a big surprise. Somehow they manage to satisfy anyone’s needs, whether you’re into more accessible metal/rock, extreme metal or hardcore and punk, and often they know to group these bands somewhat together on the same day or even the same stage, so you definitely know where to go! For this edition, they’ve released a handful of genre specific line-up posters, and based on those we’ve picked out some of the more memorable shows we caught from the offering of over 100 bands!
Read More >
Graspop Metal Meeting, or GMM for short, is the first festival of the summer for many of us. As always, I was looking forward to being back at the holy grounds this year. While I was working at the festival, I checked out as many bands as possible. Let me take you along on GMM 2023!
Read More >
It’s the second day in Blackpool, and I’m taking it easy today. A leisurely breakfast at the Compass Cafe (an essential eatery when you are at Rebellion) followed by a stroll up to the Winter Gardens. After perusing the merchandise stands, it’s time to see some bands!
Read More >
Graspop Metal Meeting, or GMM for short, is the first festival of the summer for many of us. As always, I was looking forward to being back at the holy grounds this year. While I was working at the festival, I checked out as many bands as possible. Let me take you along on GMM 2023!
Read More >
If it’s August, it must be Rebellion time in Blackpool! Thousands of punters from all points on the compass have flocked to the 4-day punk rock jamboree at the Winter Gardens and are hell-bent on enjoying themselves. There are literally countless bands from all over the world playing punk, ska, goth and everything in-between, over 6 stages of varying size and also a literary stage for interviews.
The beauty of this is that there is always something on from lunchtime to the early hours of the next morning. If you don’t like the band you are watching, go and watch someone else! What is also good is that you are able to come and go as you please from the venue, so you can pop out and get refreshments rather than pay the inflated prices inside.
There is so much to see and do, and I realised last year that I wasn’t going to see everything I wanted to. The trick is to go at your own pace and enjoy yourself. There is also a large merchandise area where you can get just about anything you ever wanted, from punk rock cushion covers to that elusive record you have always wanted but could never find.
Read More >
Graspop Metal Meeting, or GMM for short, is the first festival of the summer for many of us. As always, I was looking forward to being back at the holy grounds this year. While I was working at the festival, I checked out as many bands as possible. Let me take you along on GMM 2023!
Read More >
Tuska organization killed it again, considering the line-up with a solid combination of established and classic names with modern and upcoming greats. Staying in touch with their roots and history, while at the same time looking to the future and moving forward. Tuska Sunday is always a bit of a chill-out day. Later start of the day, earlier end, less bands and more room to just hang around, stroll around to try and see if there are any things you had missed before, get those last pieces of merch or some last minute deals from the vendors that are trying to go back home with the least amount of leftover items as possible and so on. But while there were less bands to catch on this day, they were most definitely pretty massive one for one!
Read More >
Tuska organization killed it again, considering the line-up with a solid combination of established and classic names with modern and upcoming greats. Staying in touch with their roots and history, while at the same time looking to the future and moving forward. On the second day, despite a really full schedule, we took some time to go on a discovery at the newly expanded Tuska Expo which had a much better location compared to the rather stuffed space it was in last year, and with tons of really cool and interesting vendors! On top of that there were more tattoo and piercing artists present than ever before, and there were even a couple of proper suspension shows from time to time! A really cool addition to the overall festival experience that we’re hoping will continue to evolve and get more interesting. But back to the music, which is the main reason we were at Tuska. With 11 very diverse shows we managed to see, it was quite the fun day again!
Read More >
