Best Kept Secret Festival 2018

[arteet]

Weather forecast looked alright when I looked earlier. There’s a few drops of rain in the air now but you can barely tell. 

Campsites are fine 

it’s good to be back!

 

[with_tired_eyes]

So it looks like this festival sends out journalists accreditations the evening before the festival. :-(

I mean, if it would'nt be 700 km, okay, but...

[Tijn]

12 hours ago, Radio cure said:

Thanks Tijn very much appreciated. Is it relatively simple to get a cab from the grounds to Tilburg?

Yes, there should be more than enough cabs after the headliner ends from what I remember. Think 20-30 euros. 

[Tijn]

Thoroughly enjoyed myself this weekend, I'd say the best Best Kept Secret thus far. High level of shows all weekend, with Slowdive, Deerhunter, LCD Soundsystem and Mogwai being the best of them. 

They announced yesterday that the 2019 edition will take place from 7 till the 9th of June, so once again the week after Primavera. 

[DXPLXCXTY]

it was pretty damn cracking

[HappyWednesday]

What a fantastic weekend.  Will definitely be back.  I kept an eye out all weekend but didn't see any "secret" sets or some such.  Did I just miss it all or was there nothing like that?  Got excited by the big question mark on the map by the hangout, but then only saw a few DJ's on late night.

[mellowmaniac]

1 hour ago, DXPLXCXTY said:

it was pretty damn cracking

Yes. For my personal taste (and that of the rest of our pretty large traveling party) much better than 2016 & 2017. They just could have announced much earlier that there will be no Despacio. With even 3FM hyping it, there was too much anticipation for a food court with a late night party spot. We'll definitely be back next year.

My personal music highlight Top 5: 1.) LCD Soundsytem, 2.) Khruangbin, 3.) Cocaine Piss, 4.) The Comet Is Coming, 5.) Bully (missed Crows, though)

[mellowmaniac]

5 minutes ago, HappyWednesday said:

What a fantastic weekend.  Will definitely be back.  I kept an eye out all weekend but didn't see any "secret" sets or some such.  Did I just miss it all or was there nothing like that?  Got excited by the big question mark on the map by the hangout, but then only saw a few DJ's on late night.

The only "secret" sets were the radio sessions of SYML, Nana Adjoa, Alex Cameron, Mattiel, Downtown Boys, Rostam, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Superorganism, next to Stage 2.

Edited June 12, 2018 by mellowmaniac

[StupidDream]

Turned out the weather was great for three days in a row! Late in the evening/night it got a bit chilly, but still pleasantly warm in a crowd or when dancing. Nothing much to complain about for me really: great atmosphere, great food, great music, well-organised - as was also the case in previous editions. Last year of course Radiohead and Arcade Fire, but with Arctic Monkeys, The National and LCD Soundsystem, and a better undercard this year, I have to say that musically it might have been a better edition. My friend is affected by the hairs of oak processionary caterpillars, causing a really itchy rash; maybe the only real negative. The last day we were really tired, so didn't enjoy it to the fullest.

Expectations for the questionmark on the timetable were high, but turned out to be the Hang Out: food and lounge by day, DJ and dancing at night. Frankly, my weekend was packed already, so didn't spend much time there. But it was an improvement for the atmosphere late at night. 

All three headliners had great shows, especially LCD Soundsystem and The National, but I find it hard to compare the three. Arctic Monkeys received mixed reviews and I heard the crowd was a bit bored a bit further from the stage, which was much less the case during the other two. I was more in the front and the people had a great time, especially during the older songs and those from AM. Second half of the set was a bit flat and the crowd is clearly a bit struggling with the chosen direction on the new album and some of the older songs that come with them. I felt the set could be a bit more balanced, but my friend disagrees. I quite like the new album, but I am not yet convinced live. It kind of lacks the magic or 'drag' that The National did have the next day. LCD Soundsystem isn't exactly my thing, but it was obvious it was terrific and a perfect closing act. 

My musical highlights (greatly influenced by taste of course) beside headliners:
Khruangbin (!), Father John Misty, Mattiel, Ty Segall & The Freedom  Band, Nana Adjoa, Warpaint, Pitou

Also great:
Isaac Gracie, Rostam (intimate acoustic session), Jay Som (second half), ...and you will know us by the trail of dead, Wolf Alice (had bigger expectations), The Districts, CHVRCHES (heard a couple outside the tent, usually not my thing...), Dermot Kennedy

Not my thing and seen a bit of:
Tom Grennan, Future Islands, Yellow Days, Waxahatchee, Gang of Youths

Apparently I should regret missing Slowdive, Deerhunter (second half) and Mogwai, which were initially on my to-go-to list. Sat outside the tent during Slowdive, but wasn't sucked in. Sudan Archives and Wavves were on during headliners unfortunately, but still great finds for me. 

Not much needed really to get me convinced to attend next year. Hoping for names like Florence + The Machine, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala on the higher spots. And Local Natives and Other Lives as personal favourites. 

[DDave]

I have a feeling the Cure will be there next year.

Tame Impala / The Cure / Vampire Weekend or Bjork

[arteet]

Was a great weekend, possibly my fave of the three I’ve been to. Loved The National and LCD. 

The early bird ticket prices are 145 euros which is cheaper than standard price this year. I can’t remember if they did a similar thing after last years fests though. 

Got Down The Rabbit Hole at the end of the month too - first time at that one 

[Tijn]

Second time they offer early bird tickets, the first time was in 2015 when you could buy combi tickets for 100 euros at the last of the festival for next years edition. 

[DDave]

Change of date for next year. Must have already booked their main headliner and probably sharing with Primavera I reckon.

 

[Trufflehound]

32 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

Change of date for next year. Must have already booked their main headliner and probably sharing with Primavera I reckon.

 

Cock. Already paid for my hotel as I found an unbeatable "no changes no refunds" deal. Now I've had to send them a begging email to see if they'll change it anyway...

[DDave]

4 minutes ago, Trufflehound said:

Cock. Already paid for my hotel as I found an unbeatable "no changes no refunds" deal. Now I've had to send them a begging email to see if they'll change it anyway...

Fingers crossed.

[kingcrawler]

Must be a pretty big name if they’re moving weekends for that reason. Wonder how mucn having it on the same weekend as Primavera will affect the crowds, both appeal to a similar crowd but can’t imagine many people go to both anyway.

[StupidDream]

It seems one of the main reasons for the change is the adjacent zoo/safari park, with whom they share accommodation. It is an important national holiday weekend for them, and likely they did not agree with the festival dates. I guess most of the important names will still be around the week after Primavera, and around Nortshide, APE etc.

[arteet]

2 hours ago, StupidDream said:

It seems one of the main reasons for the change is the adjacent zoo/safari park, with whom they share accommodation. It is an important national holiday weekend for them, and likely they did not agree with the festival dates. I guess most of the important names will still be around the week after Primavera, and around Nortshide, APE etc.

Would they not have sorted that out before announcing the original dates though?

Having said that BKS had 2 Primavera headliners this year on the following weekend so doubt that is a massive issue as you say.

My gut instinct (with no knowledge) is there is one particular act who agreed to play BKS but they wouldn’t / couldn’t do it on the original dates. 

[DDave]

1 hour ago, arteet said:

Would they not have sorted that out before announcing the original dates though?

Having said that BKS had 2 Primavera headliners this year on the following weekend so doubt that is a massive issue as you say.

My gut instinct (with no knowledge) is there is one particular act who agreed to play BKS but they wouldn’t / couldn’t do it on the original dates. 

Can only imagine it being an American (or Canadian) artist if that's the case. Can only think of the Strokes and Neil Young who'd warrant the moving of the festival and they've both been at Primavera before. Any British band would surely have greater flexibility (can't see the Cure being the reason if Bob is still averse to flying)  they're not going to move the dates for someone like Tame Impala or Vampire Weekend, surely.

[Trufflehound]

13 hours ago, StupidDream said:

It is an important national holiday weekend for them, and likely they did not agree with the festival dates.

That is true, but the weekend they've moved to is also a holiday weekend. Thursday 30th May is the Ascension Day public holiday, and many people in NL take the Friday off as a 'bridging day' to make a long weekend of it.