overview

After Werchter I realised that the BelgiumÂ’s know what a good line up is. Maybe bands donÂ’t tour there as often; maybe they time the festival well. Anyhoo the line up for Pukkelpop is amazing, and the travel and festival ticket combined work out the same as going to the Carling or V festivals.



Once you have got into Belgium, either by plane (or as eFestivals would prefer - the train) your train and bus journeys throughout Belgium are free with your festival ticket. Only an hour out of Brussels, the festival site is a short walk from the Keweit station, where locals line the streets selling food and drink from their driveways.



Upon gaining your wristband from the festival entrance, it is time to queue to get into the campsite. One thing that put me off last year was the four hour wait whilst everybodyÂ’s bags were checked for random things like glass, dogs and spades. This year I am pleasantly surprised; I am in after only twenty minutes and have put my tent up while it is still light. The campsite is very cramped already, but the festival-goers are friendly enough and speak English well.

Like Werchter you have to buy food and drink tokens for use in the campsite and arena, which is over the road from the campsite (police are there to make sure everyone crosses the dual carriageway safely). The range of grub and beverage are very limited; pizza, chips and beer and coke. Inside the arena you can get bitter from the Special Beers tent and the odd wrap and Chinese, but it is a bit repetitive.


With eight stages showing the best in a whole range of music, itÂ’s hard to see why this festival does not sell out. Lowlands, on at the same time and with less of a line up manages it. There is not just music here; there is an Arabian chill out area with bongs you can rent out (though I donÂ’t fancy handing over my passport as a deposit) and a Red Light district with freak shows, a disco salon and a peep show (though blink and you will miss it; it is only open a few hours a day).



Lined with tall trees, which at night have pretty blue lights that look like rain (donÂ’t tempt it) dangling from them, the festival site is well planned out; each stage is itÂ’s own even though there can be three in a field.

The dance area has the Dance Hall and Boiler, with brilliant lighting shows and an extended dance floor outside. The Wablief sits quietly across from this busy area hosting comedy through the day (though I didnÂ’t see any, I would not understand it unfortunately) and music at night.

The Marquee is the second stage, hosting the large bands that didnÂ’t make the Min stage. Next to that is the Skate Stage in its own field with the campaign stalls, and at the opposite end is the half-seated Chateau. In the Main area is the Main Stage, Club Stage and the Mine stall that has a few extra acoustic performances from some of the artists (like Mud Flow). With all this to do, and a line up that would take three festival trips over here to beat, it really is worth the journey.

For the music, the main pull for me was catching Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Cornell and Silverchair all within two of the three days. Grunge overdose! I have seen early Reading festival line ups from when I was too young to go, and arrangements like these almost make me cry.

Oddly the festival runs from Thursday to Saturday, meaning you can still get to work for one of those lovely Monday mornings. ThursdayÂ’s musical best bits are Gorgol Bordello and their strange circus punk on the Main stage, playing the same time as The Cribs in the Marquee, who look a little fed up with it all as their equipment is not working as well as they would like. When all you do is scrap your guitar on your amp at the end of the set it doesnÂ’t really matter does it?

Eagles Of Death Metal are overly complimentary to the crowd, thanking them too much. The Draft are quite impressive on the Skate Stage; singer Chris Wollard looks like he could do with some more beer. Rilo Kiley must think theyÂ’re better than sliced bread when their tent is packed out (result of a sudden downpour). I am gutted that Willy Mason has missed his flight, but happy that his band (including brother Sam) get to play some of their original music in his place.



Rodrigo Y Gabriela, getting ready for their four slots at the V festival, truly wow the crowds with acoustic madness in the form of Metallica riffs and other fast pluckings. Hayseed Dixie do things their way, playing their hillbilly versions of famous heavy metal anthems (along with their own classic ‘Poop In A Jar’).

Devendra Banhart stops his weird noise to allow a crowd member to get on stage and play a tune of his own. The Kaiser Chiefs create a sea of people singing the chorus to ‘Ruby’ when back at the campsite.

Friday sees less rain, though it doesnÂ’t matter as six of the eight stages are undercover (only the Main stage and Skate stage are outdoor). One thing you donÂ’t see everyday; a man digging a beeÂ’s nest out of the field in front the Skate stage, to a loud cheer.

Biffy Clyro start the day in the Marquee, giving it their all but focusing too much on the new album. DJ Marky in the Boiler (aptly named today) is remixing Pendulum and Zinc, and a wheelchair user is lifted high above the crowd to see what’s going on. Over in the Wablief an older looking Henry Rollins is having a yak after turning up half and hour late (“there’s only one microphone to sound check”). Stories include Bush, joining The Runts and a mention to the lighting desk “I do not need a smoke machine, I am not a heavy metal band!”



Chris Cornell is amazing on the Main stage, even performing the Bond theme that is a little sh*t. Tracks from across his career show what a musical talent he is; Soundgarden and Audioslave and solo work as well as a slow version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

Juliette And The Licks give a rowdy performance on the Skate stage, feathers intact. Dinosaur Jr are the real heroes today, with many bands giving them a mention. Lou keeps us up to date when five minutes from the end the snare drum breaks. “We have broken the drum / and there is but one!”



Smashing Pumpkins show they are back with a grand lighting show and tracks like ‘Tonight’ and many from ‘Siamese Dream’. The slow parts of the set drag a little, but who cares? They are the Pumpkins, leave the mardiness to them that know best.

The last day and Saturday is a warm one. You can not buy bottles of water in the arena, only small cups (like what the beer and coke come in) so pacing yourself in this heat is a good idea. They may look small but the drinks are strong. Are U2 here? No, but Sparta (starting off the Main stage) sound like them with less ideas for saving the planet.

Silverchair are not going to go back to their teenage years, as much as I would like to here. ‘Freak’ is as far back as they go, but the crowd like the new poppier direction and comply when asked many times to clap and scream. I don’t think Goldie played his slot in the Boiler; with a line up this exhausting you don’t have time to hang about to find out. Andy C nearly filled the dance field with his drum and bass, which they appear to love over here.

The Mad Caddies are loving the attention as the penultimate band on the Skate stage, even though the crap microphones are doing Chuck RobertsonÂ’s vocals no favours. Tool finish off the festival on the Main stage, helped out by amazing visuals on the screens. There were fears that they were cancelling due to singer Maynard James Keenan bad throat, but they put on a great set.

After the fireworks there is still music from DJ 4T4 in the Boiler until 4am (the Main stages finish at 2am), meaning the last night is more rowdy than previous nights. The weather held off for once and the festival was a success. It is well organised and I would recommend it to anyone. Also the toilets are the cleanest I have seen (as at Werchter) and you get free bog roll. The balls in your court UK to pull your socks up.

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