Pukkelpop 2009

[Sparticus]

Is driving a realistic option when it comes to travelling to PP? I live on the South Coast, so it only takes a couple of hours to get to the euro tunnel, but as I've never driven abroad, I have no idea on how easy/hard it will be to get there. Being able to drive home via Amsterdam seems like a fantastic idea also.

[Semprini]

Although we've always driven down from Amsterdam, I've been on a few football trips where we took the ferry over to Calais and then drove up to Eindhoven (which is actually about 50kms further than Hasselt but in the same direction). From what I can remember it's a fairly straight forward journey on motorways but it probably wouldn't do any harm to get Sat Nav if you've never driven over there before. It took us about 4 hours so you'd probably want to leave yours on the wednesday around 7am for a ferry at 10ish. You'd be off there sometime after 12pm and then into Hasselt by 4pm or so. That's what time we got there last year and it was nice as we had time to go for a meal in the town before heading to the pre-party for a few hours.

I'm sure you've looked on a map but Amsterdam is the opposite direction to Calais and will take you about 3 hours to drive to from Hasselt. It's probably just the way you've worded it but there's no way you'd go home via Amsterdam unless you're planning to stop for at least a night. If you were looking to just pop into somewhere in Holland before heading home then Eindhoven or Maastricht would be a much better bet. I haven't been to Maastricht but Eindhoven is really nice and is about an hours drive from Hasselt.

The official website has been updated for the request lists to be submitted. My choices/wishes for this year are:

Orbital

The Prodigy

Underworld

Doves

Balkan Beat Box

[olithewally]

I imagine the "big" bands that are playing the summer festivals this year will also have a high chance of being at PP, so thinking I can't alter the headliner decisions, I went for some smaller acts I would rather see. Apart from number 1, which is just extremely wishful thinking.

Band 1 : Daft Punk

Band 2 : Modeselektor

Band 3 : Proxy

Band 4 : Burial

Band 5 : Pnau

[Cheimoon]

If you were looking to just pop into somewhere in Holland before heading home then Eindhoven or Maastricht would be a much better bet. I haven't been to Maastricht but Eindhoven is really nice and is about an hours drive from Hasselt.

[Semprini]

Eindhoven 'nice'? That's an interesting concept! (touristically, anyway, as the city has no history to speak of, apart from it being the founding place of Philips...) Instead, I would advice visiting Maastricht, which has a nice centre with lots of medieval stuff and a very good atmosphere; or any of those great Belgium cities: Brussels, Ghent, Bruges or Antwerp.

[Cheimoon]

Maybe I'm doing the average British tourist a disservice here but I'm guessing that the reason many of them want to pop over to Holland for a day (particularly after a festival) isn't to explore the beautiful architecture and rich history that many of its cities have to offer Having said that, Eindhoven does have a nice square, some good shops and PSV may be at home on the Sunday after Pukkelpop so it's not all bad

I would like to check out Maastricht some time but we're flying straight back after the festival. As fun as Amsterdam is, it doesn't give a true impression of what Holland is all about so it's worth taking the time to visit some of the smaller cities too.

[olithewally]

Hm, yes - how silly of me!

Although, if it's about the drugs thing, you might want to travel a bit further inland than Eindhoven or Maastricht anyway. The Netherlands are having troubel from drug tourists, so border cities are working on ways to get rid of that, and a few cities are even closing down all of their 'coffee shops' because of it (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5201342.ece). Don't know about Eindhoven in that regard, but maybe better to go to Den Bosch instead then (has a much better square, too ).

[Semprini]

I can't find Den Bosch on the map, where abouts is it? Maastricht might be ok, in that article they are only talking about the idea, I reckon we have time! If we have the time and money though, we have to go to the grey area in 'dam.

[twenty_foot_chickens]

Any idea when we can expect a line-up announcement? Will it be after Polsslag?

So far the self-confirmations haven't excited me, with the exception of Aeroplane. Hoping for The Cure, Pixies, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Digitalism, The Whitest Boy Alive & Beastie Boys. Jane's Addiction wouldn't go a miss either.

Also, I noticed that the Mars Volta are confirmed for Rock Werchter - does that me them less likely to play Pukkelpop or not?

[Mr.S]

Any idea when we can expect a line-up announcement? Will it be after Polsslag?

So far the self-confirmations haven't excited me, with the exception of Aeroplane. Hoping for The Cure, Pixies, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Digitalism, The Whitest Boy Alive & Beastie Boys. Jane's Addiction wouldn't go a miss either.

Also, I noticed that the Mars Volta are confirmed for Rock Werchter - does that me them less likely to play Pukkelpop or not?

[Redwinevino]

Yeah after Polsslag is i think how they did it last year.

Sometimes bands will play both Werchter and Pukkelpop, generally the smaller ones though, so its very unliklely the likes of NIN,coldplay, the killers, kings of leon, kaiser cheifs etc will play Pukkelpop as their all playing RW high on the bill.

--

Booked my flights anyway, 85€ return, roll on August:)

[Mr.S]

Do Pukkelpop share bands with Polsslag?

[Semprini]

So far the self-confirmations haven't excited me, with the exception of Aeroplane.

Also, I noticed that the Mars Volta are confirmed for Rock Werchter - does that me them less likely to play Pukkelpop or not?

[lifelessfool]

I reckon ill be pukkelpopping it again this year, finally managed to convince my girlfriend to go again, will probably fully decide when line up is announced as ive got no money this year, bloody redundancy.

[Semprini]

N*E*R*D* have self-confirmed for the final day of Pukkelpop (22/08/09).

[pumpkinprincess1]

N*E*R*D* have self-confirmed for the final day of Pukkelpop (22/08/09).

[Semprini]

The nice thing about PP is that you can leave it until the last minute as there'll still be tickets available but I know what you mean about budgeting this year. I'm sure though that once the line up comes out your boyfriend won't need much convincing

Speaking of which, I'm not sure where they're coming from but the rumours circulating the Dutch forums tonight are that the first names will be announced tomorrow. Apparently it was around this time last year that Metallica were announced so I don't know if someone's just guessing based on that or if there's something more concrete to it??? Time will tell I suppose.........

[ArcticMonkeysUK]

As the first spring breeze makes its way into our offices, we also welcome the first names to the Pukkelpop 2009 line-up. On 20, 21 and 22 August, Pukkelpop’s 24th edition guarantees the most exciting that the music scene has to offer. Arctic Monkeys confirmed their presence after finding out how high they were on the Pukkelpop visitors’ wish lists. Electronica pioneers Kraftwerk, Pharrell’s hip-hop collective N*E*R*D and the pop punk band The Offspring will also be coming to Hasselt.

Furthermore, we are particularly proud of Beirut, Wilco, Phoenix and Bon Iver, bands who will definitely create a few goosebump moments. You can test the elasticity of your body to the sounds of top DJs such as Dave Clarke, Eric Prydz, Grooverider and Tocadisco or during the live sets of Martin Solveig, Vitalic and Alter Ego. Obviously, someone also has to do the rough work at the Pukkelpop festival. This year’s volunteers are Opeth, Anti-Flag, Life of Agony, Mad Caddies and – extremely exclusive – the reunion of Kurt Cobain’s favourite band The Jesus Lizard.

More acts to be announced shortly.

[Mr.S]

http://www.pukkelpop.be/en/news/the-first-pukkelpop-acts

[Semprini]

That's a pretty solid start I'm very happy about Kraftwerk, Eric Prydz and Alter Ego but there's a few others there that I'll probably check out over the weekend too.

I've been doing a bit of hunting around and a few of the bands have confirmed what day they will be playing:

The Offspring – 20/08

Bon Iver – 20/08

Kraftwerk – 21/08

Arctic Monkeys – 22/08

I can't see Kraftwerk headlining the Main Stage so I would guess that Arctic Monkeys are the only headliner out of this first announcement.

No Prodigy though

[Mr.S]

That's a pretty solid start I'm very happy about Kraftwerk, Eric Prydz and Alter Ego but there's a few others there that I'll probably check out over the weekend too.

I've been doing a bit of hunting around and a few of the bands have confirmed what day they will be playing:

The Offspring – 20/08

Bon Iver – 20/08

Kraftwerk – 21/08

Arctic Monkeys – 22/08

I can't see Kraftwerk headlining the Main Stage so I would guess that Arctic Monkeys are the only headliner out of this first announcement.

No Prodigy though

[DDave]

Well pleased with the first announcements, am particularly looking forward to seeing the Arctic Monkeys without a UK crowd. Not keen on Offspring at all but aside from that, its a great start for me.

[Azzabaijan]

The nice thing about PP is that you can leave it until the last minute as there'll still be tickets available

[Mr.S]

Is that norm or just last year. I really want to go but probably won't know what is happening with my travel plans until June/July.

[Azzabaijan]

Its the norm, the last 3 years ive been going anyway, you could always buy tickets at the festival, so it never sold out, and as far as i know, since the festival started, its only ever sold out once.

Never understood why really, its piss cheap and 9 stages = loads of bands.