Pukkelpop 2018

[DDave]

Frequency Festival first names are coming next week. Interesting to see they've reverted back to a Thursday-Saturday event rather than a mid week event. Maybe an indication of a bigger pool of bands to choose from this year. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the Foos will headline both Frequency and PP, bearing in mind they won't be doing Lowlands as they're playing Pinkpop. 

Edited December 7, 2017 by DiscothequeDave

[Death By Sexy]

Dave also loves Pukkelpop, thanks to a drunk crowd during a Nirvana gig in the '90 at noon.

Einsturzende Neubaten is confirmed for Haven Festival. Has the Pukkelpop of 2018 the balls to book them?

 

[TheNewUnion]

Foo Fighters are a really big name, for me PKP has been a bit lax on what I think of as really big names in the last couple of years. If they have booked Foos then I think the other two headliners will be a bit meh? I do like Foo Fighters though, they were great at Glastonbury and they do always deliver. Let's hope Chokri goes big this year and we're looking forward to Foos, Arcade Fire and A N Other when the lineup drops.

All that said, I have not had a bad day at PKP in 5 festivals, so it'll be good times abound no matter what.

[Semprini]

In terms of 'big' bands/artists who still play festivals, Foo Fighters are in the upper echelons of that category and there's probably only a handful of others who are there with them (that fairly regularly play these kind of festivals - Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Muse, Metallica, Ed Sheeran etc - add your own example in here!). PKP don't have the budget to book 2/3 of these kind of acts in a single year so as you say TheNewUnion it's inevitable that the other headliner's will be smaller in comparison. This is completely up for debate (and of course subject to personal preference) but imo you've then got the likes of Arcade Fire, Kasabian, Kings of Leon, The Killers etc who will quite rightly headline festivals but currently aren't in the same bracket as the others in terms of pulling power (there's geographical factors to take into consideration here too so that's my disclaimer!!). I think if PKP get FFs and Arcade Fire then they'll be more than happy with that, alongside a relatively smaller or new headliner for the final slot (and a decent dance closer or two).  

At the danger of sounding like a stuck record (as those of you who've been on here for a while will have heard me say before!), you can't book huge headliners and also fill 8 stages with 200+ quality bands and DJs over 3 and a half days when your daily capacity is around 70,000 people and tickets are 200 euros each. Rock Werchter are great at what they do but they have about 80 bands over 4 days with a capacity of 88,000 per day. The problem with booking huge headliners at somewhere like PKP is that the rest of the line up would inevitably be diluted and for me that'd be a disaster. I think they struck a really good balance last year getting popular bands that didn't break the bank (not sure I'll ever understand where Editors fit in here but good luck to them and their agent who must sit by his/her phone all year waiting for the call to come in from Belgium - add Bastille to this category too!!) so in that sense I think they'll have a hard act to follow next summer.

Be interesting to see who Frequency announce as that'll be the first real indication we have of who's around that weekend. #snowpatrol

[arcuse]

PKP changed the way how they wanna set up their program a few years (the most drastic one was probably closing the Shelter). But in my opinion they've never been a festival that has it from it's headliners but rather from it's undercard. Just go to line ups from past years and you'll notice that they never really book the massive headliners stated above. The festival scene changed a lot and they had to change with it, on purpose or not.. Foo Fighters have their own history with the festival (look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about.. But I'd take that also in account + the fact that they're playing a show already in Sportpaleis has also it's own factor..)

17 hours ago, Semprini said:

you can't book huge headliners and also fill 8 stages with 200+ quality bands and DJs over 3 and a half days when your daily capacity is around 70,000 people and tickets are 200 euros each.

This imo is a bit delusional because most of the acts are (or used to be) acts that are upcoming bands/DJs and don't cost that much. Having the Lift/Booth instead of the Shelter is a big change money wise though. In the topic from last year, someone who has connections with someone stated that the organisation does this on purpose.. They're just doing what works best to sell out and having an extra dance tent, closing the Shelter, adding new additional stuff like Baraq Futur etc.. Which also counts for the headliners they're going for.. Let's be honest, this year's headliners were 1) extremely obvious 2) not exciting and 3) cheap! And they'll probably transit that line towards the line up of next year meaning we'll probably get 3 headliners who will attract, the PKP-audience they're going for, a lot and will probably be cheap and upcoming. With this in mind I'm thinking about Imagine Dragons, Royal Blood, Twenty One Pilots etc who I think are gonna get big spots on the bill. If you add Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire to that, I think no one will complain but you're still somewhere gonna think "well, these headliners could've been a lot more exciting.. But I'll take it"

[Trufflehound]

On 12/7/2017 at 9:20 PM, Death By Sexy said:

Dave also loves Pukkelpop, thanks to a drunk crowd during a Nirvana gig in the '90 at noon.

 

 

It was '91 and 11am if I recall - I got there around noon and had already missed them!

Edited December 11, 2017 by Trufflehound

[DDave]

Arcade Fire are headlining Way Out West and Oya the week before PP.  That said they've also announced a stadium gig in Rotterdam in June. So you'd think that they would be ruled out for Lowlands. As mentioned on the Sziget forum they're ruled out of that due to the June stadium gig.

I have a feeling that they'll be in Japan over the Pukkelpop weekend and we'll miss out. 

EDIT - just seen the Austrian stadium gig which would probably rule them out of Frequency - nail in the coffin for Pukkelpop I think although no added Belgium date gives a little bit of hope.

Edited December 11, 2017 by DiscothequeDave

[Semprini]

23 hours ago, arcuse said:

Just go to line ups from past years and you'll notice that they never really book the massive headliners stated above.

Foo Fighters have their own history with the festival (look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about..

Thanks for the heads up, will definitely have to do some research into the festival in future  

[DDave]

First names for MS Dockville, same weekend as PP. Bonobo's a very high chance of playing I would say, maybe even as a main closer...more likely the Moderat slot in the Marquee from this year?

Hope to see Everything Everything there as well.

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by DiscothequeDave

[DDave]

Was also expecting an announcement from Chiemsee Summer festival in Germany which is on the same weekend and normally shares a few bands with Pukkelpop. Didn't realise that the majority of this years edition was cancelled due to bad weather and they have postponed the 2018 edition due to the financial fallout from giving refunds etc. Gives a bit more perspective of what happened to PP in 2011 and the following couple of years.

[DDave]

No Foos for Frequency. Surprised to see Gorillaz there. Bet we get Netsky as a main closer again.

Pretty crap line up tbh

 

[Trufflehound]

That Frequency bill looks dreadful. I'd be happy with 'none of the above'.

[Semprini]

Not sure what's worse about Frequency - the line up or that disgusting font they've used on the poster?!? The festival seems to have lost its way recently as the caliber of bands is just decreasing year on year.

Having said that I'd definitely take Dimension, Hype b2b Hazard and Netsky but the rest is just dire. Suspect we will get Krewella and Seven Lions as they always put some of that kind of shit in the Boiler to keep the kids happy.

Drunken Masters? That could easily be our pseudonym each summer Trufflehound and Dave!!  

[DDave]

36 minutes ago, Semprini said:

Not sure what's worse about Frequency - the line up or that disgusting font they've used on the poster?!? The festival seems to have lost its way recently as the caliber of bands is just decreasing year on year.

Having said that I'd definitely take Dimension, Hype b2b Hazard and Netsky but the rest is just dire. Suspect we will get Krewella and Seven Lions as they always put some of that kind of shit in the Boiler to keep the kids happy.

Drunken Masters? That could easily be our pseudonym each summer Trufflehound and Dave!!  

Tbf the font is just how it copied and pasted. It's much more readable on the website.

Still shit though

[SilverLining]

From this line-up I'm gonna nail on Rag 'n' Bone Man + Kaleo. More likely now Krewella will be there. I'd take Killers or Kasabian as a headliner and would definitely want BRMC at PKP.

[DDave]

4 minutes ago, SilverLining said:

From this line-up I'm gonna nail on Rag 'n' Bone Man + Kaleo. More likely now Krewella will be there. I'd take Killers or Kasabian as a headliner and would definitely want BRMC at PKP.

Still just shy of a month off Pukkelpop but yeah solid suggestions. BMRC are due a return. And Kasabian still haven't turned up since the cancelled 2011 edition. They aren't big enough in Belgium to headline though. Would be a great sub though.

I can definitely see Years and Years at Pukkelpop next year, mid afternoon main stagers

[DDave]

Bjork announced for Paredes De Coura in Portugal for the Saturday of Pukkelpop weekend. 

[DDave]

Most of the top lines on this ruled out, which hopefully means no return for Chase and Fucking Status next year.  https://crammerock.be/home

[arcuse]

Dave, that's a Crammerock poster from this year.. I think Björk will be there but'll play in the Marquee..

[DDave]

46 minutes ago, arcuse said:

Dave, that's a Crammerock poster from this year.. I think Björk will be there but'll play in the Marquee..

Shit, so it is. Nicked it from another forum, didn't check the date.

So there's a change for CAFS after all :-(

[arcuse]

Foo Fighters - Arcade Fire - Imagine Dragons
Kygo - Macklemore - The War On Drugs - Björk
Kasabian - Royal Blood - Bonobo - The Libertines

Would you be able to live with this?  It's only headliners, dance closers, subs and Marquee heads.

[DDave]

5 minutes ago, arcuse said:

Foo Fighters - Arcade Fire - Imagine Dragons
Kygo - Macklemore - The War On Drugs - Björk
Kasabian - Royal Blood - Bonobo - The Libertines

Would you be able to live with this?  It's only headliners, dance closers, subs and Marquee heads.

Yeah I'd take that. If Arcade Fire and Kasabian are on the bill I'll be a happy man. 

 

[DDave]

@arcuse

Going off my first prediction I'll update it to

Paramore / Florence and the Machine / Disclosure

Twenty One Pilots /  The Killers / Netsky

30 STM / Foo Fighters / Chainsmokers

 

For the main. I still think Dua Lipa will be there and I hope that Prophets of Rage are the usual American mid-late afternoon US rap/rock act they usually go for. They'd be a great sub for the Foos if they are to headline. Add James Bay who will have an album out shortly and Snow Patrol who are...well Snow Patrol. Lykke Li is about and may get a high spot again. Chrvches will no doubt be back and on the main this time and I think Rag n Bone man and Kaleo are good main stage shouts as well. Only other headliners I think could be there are Kendrick or Eminem and maybe Muse at a push however they could have booked them for 2016 and chose not to so why would they for next year? Prodigy could turn up as a main stage closer. It has been a while.

and I'll go for Pixies (US tour finishes on the 12th August), Bjork, Phoenix, Bonobo, Patti Smith and the War on Drugs for the Marquee if TWOD don't get a main stage spot which I suspect they might. Hopefully Future Islands, The Lemon Twigs and Friendly Fires will pop up in the club.

Personal realistic hopes are Arcade Fire (don't think we'll get them though) Kasabian, Phoenix and Justice. If we get two out of those four I'd be delighted.

[SilverLining]

Chemical Brothers playing a few live dates at the end of July, I'm assuming we can rule them out though considering they headlined in 2016?

[DDave]

1 hour ago, SilverLining said:

Chemical Brothers playing a few live dates at the end of July, I'm assuming we can rule them out though considering they headlined in 2016?

Yep.