Pukkelpop 2009

[Capzilla]

Where've you read that its been explicitely denied for Pukkel?

[DDave]

Just got back, and i'm fooked.

Great, Great festival. Hasselt itself is a great place and the people very friendly.

Highlights for me were MSTRKRFT, NERD, Simian Mobile Disco and Vampire Weekend. Best set were Kraftwerk for me though, pity about the measly crowd that turned up for it.

Lowlights - only one - Arctic Monkeys. Didnt look arsed and hardly played any hits. Very, very disappointing.

[Suite_Pee]

Hi! I'm new to the forum but just wanted to mention how awesome Pukkelpop was!

Had a great time, although campsite was not so great in comparison to other festivals like Werchter, or Rock am Ring - but at least it was real close to festival site...

Best surprise of all was 'Them Crooked Vultures' who were amazing!! I agree with the 'Arctic Monkeys' comment however, was really looking forward to it as I've never seen them before but, they lacked enthusiasm and didn't seem arsed at all, although I've heard this a lot about them...still, many many great bands, hopefully next year's line-up will be as good!

[Suite_Pee]

Did anybody witness this? (Faith No More - Midlife Crisis)

We watched them play but didn't even realise at the time...ouch!

Edited August 25, 2009 by Suite_Pee

[Aeryn]

Did anybody witness this? (Faith No More - Midlife Crisis)

We watched them play but didn't even realise at the time...ouch!

[Suite_Pee]

OUCH!

I didn't even watch Faith No More, actually. Both my boyfriend and I were extremely ill, and after going crazy for The Offspring (who in my opinion were the best band of the festival) we went back to our tent and passed out. The only downside was that half the time it was way too hot, but there were some amazing bands on! Can't wait for next year.

[Aeryn]

We only watched a bit of Them Crooked Vultures, enough to see what they were like, before heading off to the main stage. We were soaked through from the storm as well

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of Pukkelpop, and apparently it's gonna be pretty spectacular. I'm almost definitely gonna go.

[madee1]

My highlights:

1. FNM

2. dEUS (both nights)

3. Kraftwerk

4. Metric

5. The Whitest Boy Alive

and cherry beer, and chips with mayo, and great weather (if somewhat too hot the first day), great people. Pukkelpop is my favourite festival, I hope to keep on coming every year

[Semprini]

Well I'm pleased to report that that was another excellent edition of Pukkelpop. Like last year, I'll make no apologies for the length of my self-indulgent review, which I'll probably do over the next couple of days.

Wednesday 19th August

Up early and very excited to be heading off again to Pukkelpop. Arrived at Norwich airport by 8am for our 9.50am flight and thankfully everything was on time. The flight was only 45 minutes so before we knew it we were in Schiphol, had picked up the hire car and were on the motorway enjoying the sunshine and tunes! After a quick pit stop in Eindhoven we crossed the border and arrived in our hotel by 4pm. We'd never really explored Hasselt that much so we took advantage of the lovely weather and had a walk around the town. It's a beautiful place with loads of vibrant bars and restuarants and is well worth checking out if you ever get the chance.

We had debated whether to go to the festival site that evening but thankfully we did. I say thankfully because I heard that it took people over 2 hours in get in with tickets the following day which surprised me as they are usually so well organised with things like that. There was only a small section of the festival site open for the pre-party and the Boiler Room was the only stage playing music. The first thing we saw though was the outdoor stage between the Boiler and Dance Hall which this year was a sea of flags dotted around 4 platforms. There were loads of lights everywhere and it looked spectacular. The Boiler was rammed already and the atmosphere was charged to say the least. We didn't stay too long though as it had been a long day and we wanted to have a look around the campsite for a bit. Again there was a brilliant atmosphere and everyone was on a high, there's nothing like the expectation the night before it all kicks off!! We were amazed at how close all the tents were together though and I would imagine there were a lot of casualites falling over late at night as they picked their way through to their tent!! We found a 2nd hand clothes shop on the right hand side of the campsite and had a laugh looking round there trying on different bits and pieces.

We caught the bus back into town and found a bar bear the hotel for a late drink. It was still really warm at 1am, which we hoped would set a precedent for the rest of the weekend. We spotted The Invisible wandering round the town (one of them has a very distinctive beard ) looking for a bar that was still open and they were actually staying in our hotel. We also saw members of Beirut, the Virgins and Puppetmastaz over the weekend, along with loads of other people with artist wristbands that we didn't recognise.

Photos

Thursday 20th August

We were up and about by 9.30am as we wanted to get to the site for opening at 11am. There are free buses from Hasselt to the festival but it's a 10 minute walk to the station so we ordered a taxi and stood outside the hotel waiting for it. The next thing we know an official festival shuttle bus pulled up and a women jumped out and asked if we were going to the festival? We knew they were for the artists but said 'yes' anyway and jumped in! We were all giving each other shifty looks as we drove in and weren't really too sure where we were heading as she went down loads of back roads. We then came to the VIP/Artists gate and were waved through into the backstage compound. There were loads of massive tour buses there and we finally stopped behind the Main Stage by some portacabins that were the VIP/Artist reception. The kind lady got out and pointed us over to them but obviously we didn't want to go in as none of us were on the guestlist. Thankfully she got back in the minibus and drove off so we had a bit of a wander around!! There were security on most of the gates behind the Main Stage but we walked right up to the entance of the Marquee to look around. The Maccabees were then taking to the stage so we headed out into the arena, happy with our brief backstage experience

They put on a good show to a reasonable crowd and were a nice way to kick things off. After a quick pop into the Club to see the start of Baddies (not really my thing) I headed over to the Dance Hall for Amanda Blank. She was very energetic for that time of the day and managed to get the crowd going pretty well. It was then back over to the Main Stage for The Twang who I really enjoyed but the crowd was tiny. The new stuff sounded OK but it was old favourites like 'Either Way', 'Wide Awake' and 'Two Lovers' that got the best reception. My first big clash of the day was coming up and, like many others over the weekend, I opted to split my time. As it was on the way I went into the Marquee to hear the first couple of tracks from Howling Bells. They sounded very true to their studio recordings and the lead singer was also very easy on the eye It was only a brief stop though as I really wanted to see the next band in the Dance Hall - The Juan Maclean. It couldn't have got off to a better start as I heard the familiar piano chords and vocals of 'One Day' drifting across the field as I approached. They played a tight set which was unfortunately blighted some what by a technical mishap at the end of the last song, 'Happy House'. The keyboard player must have pushed the wrong button and the track started off again, clattering over the others who were playing live. It was funny watching Jim Maclean remonstrating with him before telling the others to stop - he didn't look very happy as he stormed off stage!!

The weather was scorching by this stage, almost to the point of being too hot. On the upside, the standard dress for girls was bikini's and it was becoming hard to focus on the stage at times!! I had a quick look at James Yuill in the Chateau (not too bad) before heading to the Marquee for Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar. They were the only Balkan band on the bill this year and quickly got a party atmosphere going. I did intend staying for their whole set but I really wanted to see Golden Silvers who were on at the same time so I headed over to the Club for the last 20 minutes. They were excellent and sounded superb, even if I did miss them playing 'True Romance' .

My friends headed off to see Paulo Nutini but it was time for my first proper venture of the day into the Boiler Room for Aeroplane. I was concerned prior to the festival that they had reduced the size of the Boiler this year with the new tent they used but thankfully it was at least the same size if not bigger. The set up inside was visually stunning with a massive arched LED canopy stretching from one end to the other, as well as a huge bank of lights behind the DJ booth. I've got loads of Aeroplane's productions and it was pleasing to hear quite a few of them, including their remix of 'Paris' by Friendly Fires. I decided to have a bit of a wander at this point and briefly saw Bon Iver and the Big Pink before settling at the Main Stage for Maximo Park. I'm not a masive fan but it's surprising how many of their tracks are familier and Paul Smith was entertaining to watch.

I had to make sure I was back at the Boiler for 5pm though to catch Sub Focus and MC Jakes. He kicked off with 'Rock it' which was predictably huge and the set just progressed from there. Although the tent was busy, I was able to get right onto the barrier at the front and this was the case for many of the bands and DJ's I saw over the weekend. I watched a bit of the V festival footage when I got home and it was just wall to wall at every stage with no chance of getting near the front unless you camped out. That's one of the great things about Pukkelpop and the crowd it attracts in that people will let you through without any attitude or hassle.

My big clash of the weekend was fast approaching though and I headed past the Marquee and Dizzee to the Club for Passion Pit. Their album is my favourite of the year and I'm pleased to say they didn't disappoint live. 'The Reeling' and 'Little secrets' were personal highlights but I had my eye on my watch as I wanted to catch the last 10 minutes of Dizzee so it was another quick dash past the Main Stage to the Marquee. It was rammed (the busiest I'd ever seen it at that point but more on that later!) but I managed to work my way actually into the tent. He was playing new single 'Holiday' as I arrived and the place was bouncing. He followed it up with 'Dance with me' and then it was the big one - 'Bonkers'!! Say what you like about the song (I personally think it's a bit chessy) but it was amazing to be in the middle of a huge crowd when the beats kicked in at the end of the breakdown.

I managed to drag my friends over to the Boiler for the end of Sub Focus and we then had a bit of down time watching La Roux whilst grabbing a bite to eat. The Club was quite busy and I couldn't be bothered to fight my way through so we sat on the grass outside and enjoyed the fading sunshine. I made my way back over to the Dance Hall for a bit of Zombie Nation before Dr Lektroluv took to the stage in the Boiler. Being Belgian there was a superb atmosphere inside the busy tent and he cranked things up with his trademark brand of Electro House. Although it wasn't officially announced, most people knew the surprise act would be Them Crooked Vultures so out of curiosity more than any love of the individual members I went across to have a look. The Marquee was so busy that people were spilling out across the large area surrounding the tent. I stayed for a bit and what I heard sounded ok but it was back over to the Dance Hall again for Simian Mobile Disco. I enjoyed their set last year and it was nice to hear a few new tracks slotted in.

Aside from brief ventures over to check Zero 7, Faith No More and My Bloody Valentine, I spent the remainder of the night in the Boiler Room for firstly Eric Prydz and then Andy C. Prydz was the DJ I was most happy to see announced prior to the festival as I love his productions and DJ sets and he played a solid set. My only gripe was that he went too far into cheesy electro land with some dodgy remixes of chart songs but I met some really cool Dutch and Belgian people during his set and had a great time . I don't listen to a lot of Drum and Bass now but my early rave days were spent at places like World Dance and Helter Skelter so it still holds a place in my heart. Coupled with the fact that it's always so well received at Pukkelpop, I try to see as many of the DJ's they put on each year as possible. Andy C is one of, if not the best, D&B DJ's around and he played the most energetic set I've seen in three years at Pukkelpop. From the very first track he just smashed the place and I remember checking my watch thinking he'd been on for well over an hour and it was only 30 minutes Along with MC GQ they whipped up an amazing atmosphere and I spent most of the time on the barrier near the front. He played on past the scheduled end of his 2am set and the reception he received when he finally stopped was amazing. I think it was about 3.30am when I eventually got back to my hotel room, tired but very happy following probably the best individual day I've had at the festival

Photos

[allantrotter]

me and my mates are lookin to go next year. am after some tips on travel

if we fly to brugges how hard/easy is it to get to the festival. or is there a closer airport.

if so how do we get to the festival from the airport?

is the festival expensive for food and drink. we were at Sziget this year & a pint of beer was 1.60.

not fussed about food can go out to get it.

any tips/ help/advice would be appreciated.

thanks.

[Aeryn]

me and my mates are lookin to go next year. am after some tips on travel

if we fly to brugges how hard/easy is it to get to the festival. or is there a closer airport.

if so how do we get to the festival from the airport?

is the festival expensive for food and drink. we were at Sziget this year & a pint of beer was 1.60.

not fussed about food can go out to get it.

any tips/ help/advice would be appreciated.

thanks.

[allantrotter]

we live in sunderland. hopefully flying from newcastle but really will travel anywhere to fly.

or if you say we could possibly get the eurostar, it depends on price and times and that like.

cheers for all the advice. if its that expensive we might look at somewhere else.

went to Sziget this year and it was 1.60 a pint of beer, spirits were priced as over here and the supermarket was about 10 minute walk away so food was fairly cheap for us.

might do that festival again next year.

[Semprini]

Thought it was about time I got on with more of my review

Friday 21st August

I felt pretty rough when I woke up and didn't even make it down to breakfast, which in hindsight was probably a mistake. My friends went for a walk around Hasselt so I caught the bus into the festival on my own and got there just in time to see Delphic kicking things off in the Marquee. There was a reasonable crowd present and although it was nice to hear 'This momentary' and 'Counterpoint' live I was starving and had a bit of a hunt around for some food. A combination of pizza and beer helped to slightly lift my hangover and I headed into the Chateau for The Gay Blades. The lead singer definitely deserved some points for enthusiasm as he made a valiant attempt to bring the crowd to life and it was nice to see someone making an effort to interact with the public.

I caught the last half hour of Congorock vs His Majesty Andre, which was lively but very similar to a lot of the other electro that I heard over the weekend. They were followed by Brookes Brothers who were excellent and treated the crowd to many of their own productions such as 'Gold Rush, 'Dawntreader' and 'Tear you down'. It was really evident over the weekend just how much the Pukkelpop crowd love their Drum and Bass as the atmosphere just went up a notch every time a DJ came on. I cut the set short though to check out possibly one of the strangest acts of the weekend who were playing in the Marquee - Puppetmastaz. Rather than explaining what they were about it's probably easier to look on youtube but they were definitely one of the highlights of the weekend for me

I spent the rest of the aftenoon and early evening watching The Virgins, Fake Blood, Alter Ego and The Count and Sinden (who were all good) before it was time for another clash decision - Vampire Weekend or Birdy Nam Nam? I watched the start of VW but didn't really get into it so dashed across to the Dance Hall where BNN were in full flow. If you didn't know, they're four superb DJ's who have won various DMC Championships in the past. The tent was rocking, partly due to the massive crowd but mostly due to how loud they were. I was on the barrier near the front and had to wear earplugs throughout the set!!

Night had drawn in by now and I moved between various stages for a few hours watching Grooverider, Fever Ray, Squarepusher, MSTRKRFT, Hank III and Assjack and Vitalic before it was time for the big one - Kraftwerk!!! I went to a U2 gig back in the early 90's that Kraftwerk also played but got there late and missed them so I'd been waiting a long time for this one. Apparantely there was a massive crowd for Placebo at the Main Stage prior to Kraftwerk (on par with Metallica last year so my friends said) but it was a lot quieter for Kraftwerk which was a shame. Having said that, they were still amazing and it didn't make any difference to me - if anything it helped as we were able to get very close to the front and had an excellent view of the band and all the visuals. The 90 minutes just flew by and there were many spine-tingling moments, such as during 'Tour de France', 'The Robots' and 'Trans Europe Express' to name but a few. Best performance of the weekend for me

Pictures

[ourkid1984]

Quality reviews Semprimi!

I look forward to reading the rest of your review and looking at the pictures.

I see you were right by me, my mate and my girlfriend for the Gay Blades, we were closer to the centre of the floor and were shaking a few moves as we thought they were excellent and one of my favs of the weekend.

Suprised you didn't manage to get into Vampire Weekend, we all thought they were, like always brilliant and a great way to liven people up half way through a tiring day.

[DDave]

Thought it was about time I got on with more of my review

Friday 21st August

I felt pretty rough when I woke up and didn't even make it down to breakfast, which in hindsight was probably a mistake. My friends went for a walk around Hasselt so I caught the bus into the festival on my own and got there just in time to see Delphic kicking things off in the Marquee. There was a reasonable crowd present and although it was nice to hear 'This momentary' and 'Counterpoint' live I was starving and had a bit of a hunt around for some food. A combination of pizza and beer helped to slightly lift my hangover and I headed into the Chateau for The Gay Blades. The lead singer definitely deserved some points for enthusiasm as he made a valiant attempt to bring the crowd to life and it was nice to see someone making an effort to interact with the public.

I caught the last half hour of Congorock vs His Majesty Andre, which was lively but very similar to a lot of the other electro that I heard over the weekend. They were followed by Brookes Brothers who were excellent and treated the crowd to many of their own productions such as 'Gold Rush, 'Dawntreader' and 'Tear you down'. It was really evident over the weekend just how much the Pukkelpop crowd love their Drum and Bass as the atmosphere just went up a notch every time a DJ came on. I cut the set short though to check out possibly one of the strangest acts of the weekend who were playing in the Marquee - Puppetmastaz. Rather than explaining what they were about it's probably easier to look on youtube but they were definitely one of the highlights of the weekend for me

I spent the rest of the aftenoon and early evening watching The Virgins, Fake Blood, Alter Ego and The Count and Sinden (who were all good) before it was time for another clash decision - Vampire Weekend or Birdy Nam Nam? I watched the start of VW but didn't really get into it so dashed across to the Dance Hall where BNN were in full flow. If you didn't know, they're four superb DJ's who have won various DMC Championships in the past. The tent was rocking, partly due to the massive crowd but mostly due to how loud they were. I was on the barrier near the front and had to wear earplugs throughout the set!!

Night had drawn in by now and I moved between various stages for a few hours watching Grooverider, Fever Ray, Squarepusher, MSTRKRFT, Hank III and Assjack and Vitalic before it was time for the big one - Kraftwerk!!! I went to a U2 gig back in the early 90's that Kraftwerk also played but got there late and missed them so I'd been waiting a long time for this one. Apparantely there was a massive crowd for Placebo at the Main Stage prior to Kraftwerk (on par with Metallica last year so my friends said) but it was a lot quieter for Kraftwerk which was a shame. Having said that, they were still amazing and it didn't make any difference to me - if anything it helped as we were able to get very close to the front and had an excellent view of the band and all the visuals. The 90 minutes just flew by and there were many spine-tingling moments, such as during 'Tour de France', 'The Robots' and 'Trans Europe Express' to name but a few. Best performance of the weekend for me

Pictures

[Semprini]

Thanks for the nice comments about my review, was a bit worried I was going OTT

ourkid1984: On reflection I did enjoy what I heard of Vampire Weekend but it was one of those situations where I really wanted to be somewhere else at that time. I'd heard so many good things about Birdy Nam Nam that I wanted to see as much of them as possible so my mind was more on them than VW.

There were probably loads of times over the weekend when various efest members were near each other but didn't know about it. I did meet one lad from Scotland who started chatting to me and, although I never mentioned efests, he must have picked up something from what I said and asked if I was Semprini off the board. Turns out I sent him a link from last years fest for some live sets from Deadmau5 and Simian Mobile Disco. Small world.......

DiscothequeDave: Fair point, I hold my hands up. Won't happen again

Saturday 22nd August

Managed to get a better nights sleep, and actually made it to breakfast, but still felt rough/knackered. I applaud anyone who camped and hit it hard for the whole weekend as just being on my feet for 15 hours a day had a cumulative effect on me, never mind all the drinking and whatever else went on.

We all headed in together in a taxi for the final day and got there just in time to see the start of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I'd meant to listen to more of their stuff before we came over but nevertheless I liked what I did hear and there was plenty to look at with so many of them on stage. Made the short hop (via the special beers tent for a white beer or two!) to the Main Stage for the Rifles who were up next. We saw them two years ago in the Marquee and wondered how they'd fair moving upto the Main Stage and playing outdoors but they were again solid and drew a healthy crowd. The newer material sounded good but it was old favourites like 'Local boy' and 'Peace and quiet' that hit the mark for me. Another act we'd seen two years ago who was back again was Jack Penate. I hadn't listened to his new album that much before the festival but he played a good festival set and mixed up old and new tracks to the sizable crowd in the Marquee. 'Torn on the platform' was very well received but no more so than 'Tonight's the day' and 'Be the one'. He also seemed to be enjoying himself which definitely adds to the occasion.

Probably my favourite stage at Pukkelpop is the Chateau but I'd spent hardly any time there over the weekend. That was well and truely addressed today though as I managed to catch most of the acts that played, even if that meant standing outside for some of them (more on that later though!). First up was Hudson Mohawke who had his own very unique take on dance music, and I use that term loosley. His bass heavy beats went down well with the crowd, even if he did play one track that was so out of time it couldn't have been deliberate. Maybe I'm just loosing touch with the kids but it sounded like the proverbial drummer falling down the stairs whilst playing :angry: I had a bit of a clash dilema next between Gang Gang Dance and the Glimmers presents Disko Drunkards but opted for the latter, partly because I knew I would be able to sit down in the Dance Hall and wouldn't then have to venture too far for the next couple of acts I wanted to see I love a bit of disco and their take on it was a nice addition to the varied sounds I'd experienced over the weekend.

I wasn't too concerned when I left the Dance Hall a bit later than planned to see Rusko in the Chateau but I should have been as there was a massive queue out the door and hundreds of people dotted around the tent trying to find ways to get in. Bearing in mind he hadn't even started yet it was also the first time I'd seen the Chateau closed down through overcrowding in the three years I'd been. Some people resorted to climbing over the fence and diving through the tarpaulin but loads of security then turned up and put paid to that. I stayed on the fence outside for the duration of his set and didn't bother joining the queue as they weren't letting anyone in, despite loads of people leaving due largely to the excessive heat in the tent. I was gutted as it sounded superb but I vowed to learn from my mistake for the acts playing there later in the day.

Saw a bit of Yo Majesty and Steve Aoki before it was time for the final fix of DnB of the weekend with Ed Rush and Optical. As much as I loved the sets by Sub Focus, Brookes Brothers and especially Andy C over the weekend, they were all playing a similar brand of the genre so it was great to hear a different style with Ed Rush and Optical. They didn't hold back and unleased some fierce and dark beats on the packed Boiler, another definite highlight of the weekend for me (becoming a bit of an overused phrase that one ). I ended up watching pretty much the whole 90 minutes of their set, aside from a brief venture next door to see the bizarre but captivating Peaches. I passed by the Whitest Boy Alive on the way to see Florence and the Machine but I was conscious of the time as I really wanted to see the Bug who was in the Chateau straight after so left a bit early to make sure we got in. I needn't have worried though as it was relatively quiet compared to Rusko (well, we could get in if that's any indication!) but he put on a great set. Flanked by three MC's, they collectively raised the bar and generated a wicked atmosphere with their dancehall tinged sound.

The Rusko fiasco was bearing heavily on our minds at the end of the Bug as next up in the Chateau was Magnetic Man feat Skream and Benga and there was no way we were going to miss that one. I really wanted to see Luciano presents AEther but in the end we headed over to the club and watched a bit of Little Boots who was excellent. We loaded up with white beers and went back to the Chateau 15 minutes early, only to be greeted by another massive queue outside - F*** IT My mate steve waited outside the exit of the tent but I decided to muscle my way into the entrance scrum in the hope they'd eventually let people in. No one was moving but that all changed when they actually came on stage. Loads of people began to surge forward and the security were having to hold the fencing up (which they'd used to make a channel into the tent) to stop the crowd from knocking it over and collapsing on top of each over. This went on for a good few minutes and would have been a bit scary if it wasn't for the fact I was pretty pissed by this stage. Fearing a largescale crowd problem the secruity relented and let everyone in so I gleefully ran through into the tent!! Someone inside took a video which is on youtube:

They played a mental set which was made even better by the fact that Steve saw me inside and basically did the same thing so we ended up watching it together

I made my final trip over to the dance area for a bit of Martin Solveig (ok but not the spectacle that Etienne de Crecy put on last year to round things off) and a good hour of Ellen Allien who was superb and a refreshing change from much of the gnarly electro on offer over the weekend. I caught the start of Dave Clark before meeting up with my friends again for Arctic Monkeys at the Main Stage. I was lucky enough to catch them at a small venue in Norwich just before they broke and they were amazing that night but sadly were a shadow of their former selves at Pukkelpop. They didn't look interested and playing so many new tracks at a festival (the album didn't come out until two days after) was never going to win people over. I left after about 5 songs but my friends said the old ones went down well, when they finally got round to playing a couple of them. I fittingly finished the weekend off back in the Chateau for Moderat. I love the album but can't really remember hearing too many tracks off it - tbf by this stage my body was beginning to self destruct and I was physically and mentally a bit of a mess!! I met up with my friends again for the fireworks and acrobatic/trapeze show (whatever it was?!?!?) and it was back on the bus for the final time, tired but again very happy.

Pictures

The following day as we sat outside Stones in Amsterdam enjoying the final few hours of the weekend before our plane left, my two friends both said they thought this was the best year of the festival. I didn't disagree with them but I've had an amazing time at all three so it's hard to compare one year against another. I had three definite favourite acts from last year (Midnight Juggernauts, Pete and the Pirates and Girl Talk) but I've found it hard to put my finger on who did it for me this time round, basically because there were so many. If I was pushed though it would probably have to be Andy C, followed by Kraftwerk and the Bug/Magnetic Man tied for third place.

Once again I couldn't fault the organisation at all (aside from maybe more bins around the arena and a more varied selection of food but I'm being picky here for the sake of it) and I'm still amazed how I've never had to queue for anything in all the times I've been to the festival. I've also yet to see any anti-social/yobbish behaviour, which sadly seems to be a characterstic of most UK festivals nowadays.

Next year is the 25th anniversary and the organisers have already said they'll be pulling out all the stops to celebrate.

See you all in 2010!!!!!

Edited September 18, 2009 by Semprini

[TheNewUnion]

At Kiewit a few marks left by tents on the grass of the Pukkelpop fields are the only reminder of three days of great festival fun. No more fences or chip stalls to be seen, no more Pukkelpop flags. They have earned a well-deserved rest. The Kiewit grass can quietly recover and get itself ready for the 25th Pukkelpop edition!

Edition 24, with its scorching temperatures, exceptional surprises and highly-appreciated shows and DJ sets, could never have been such an enormous success without the elated audience, who moved from one stage to the other like never before. With a broad smile on their faces, 180,000 Pukkelpopgoers jumped from metal to hip hop, indie rock and back in the true Pukkelpop spirit!

We hope to see all of you again on the Pukkelpop fields in 2010.

19th, 20th and 21st August: three fantastic festival days to be marked on your 2010 calendars.

No sleep ‘til Pukkelpop 2010!

Edited September 28, 2009 by TheNewUnion

[greenarmy101]

At Kiewit a few marks left by tents on the grass of the Pukkelpop fields are the only reminder of three days of great festival fun. No more fences or chip stalls to be seen, no more Pukkelpop flags. They have earned a well-deserved rest. The Kiewit grass can quietly recover and get itself ready for the 25th Pukkelpop edition!

Edition 24, with its scorching temperatures, exceptional surprises and highly-appreciated shows and DJ sets, could never have been such an enormous success without the elated audience, who moved from one stage to the other like never before. With a broad smile on their faces, 180,000 Pukkelpopgoers jumped from metal to hip hop, indie rock and back in the true Pukkelpop spirit!

We hope to see all of you again on the Pukkelpop fields in 2010.

19th, 20th and 21st August: three fantastic festival days to be marked on your 2010 calendars.

No sleep ‘til Pukkelpop 2010!

[anx]

freaking loved pukkelpop 09

back for sure next year