Pukkelpop 2018

[SarahEmpre]

Most of rock bands are playing in Friday. The piont is: if you make Shelter dissapear, why do u place in several stages some random Shelter bands just for one day ? 

Chokri and her daughter have kicked metal/punk fans out of their festival, so it is logical that expensive bands like Papa Roach or Incubus .. won’t help to sell tickets. 

Next year will be time to get the Shelter back and make these 3 o 4K metal/punk/hardcore fans that spent most of their weekend in the Shelter come back to this festival. If not, stop wasting money in rock bands and bring more Kasdashian stuff as birthday present to the beloved daughter.

Edited August 7, 2018 by SarahEmpre

[arcuse]

19 hours ago, Dietediet said:

and in return they ask that Chokri & co suck it up whenever LN asks for a favor.

This will only lead to a possible demise if they continue to do so, heard a story that Pukkelpop was first to get their hands on Gorillaz but were called back by LN and given to Werchter instead. Maybe this weak line up is already a sign tha they're financially not doing so well. Wonder what will happen with this fest next year because I can't see this going much further without having consequences. They already upped the price for tickets, ask money for camping A etc. I mean.

 

15 hours ago, SarahEmpre said:

Most of rock bands are playing in Friday. The piont is: if you make Shelter dissapear, why do u place in several stages some random Shelter bands just for one day ? 

To get all the metal and punk heads to buy a one day ticket. It's easier money to book 5/6 metal acts spread over just one day than have one stage dedicated to that kind of genre when the same amount of people will show up to that stage. One day tickets bring in more money than combi tickets. I'd just ditch the fest and go to Lokerse Feesten, Alacatraz or Ieper Metalfest instead.

[DDave]

23 minutes ago, arcuse said:

This will only lead to a possible demise if they continue to do so, heard a story that Pukkelpop was first to get their hands on Gorillaz but were called back by LN and given to Werchter instead.

 

Awful if true but a likely story given the rest of the August festivals they are at. Would have been a great fit for Pukkelpop. We'd have probably have gotten De La Soul as well.

Edited August 8, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[SarahEmpre]

20 minutes ago, arcuse said:

This will only lead to a possible demise if they continue to do so, heard a story that Pukkelpop was first to get their hands on Gorillaz but were called back by LN and given to Werchter instead. Maybe this weak line up is already a sign tha they're financially not doing so well. Wonder what will happen with this fest next year because I can't see this going much further without having consequences. They already upped the price for tickets, ask money for camping A etc. I mean.

 

To get all the metal and punk heads to buy a one day ticket. It's easier money to book 5/6 metal acts spread over just one day than have one stage dedicated to that kind of genre when the same amount of people will show up to that stage. One day tickets bring in more money than combi tickets. I'd just ditch the fest and go to Lokerse Feesten, Alacatraz or Ieper Metalfest instead.

Do you think that a metal/rock fan will pay 100€ for Papa Roach, Incubus and some smaller bands that most of them have played Pukkelpop in the last years?

[Chimme]

Oh no, not the Shelter discussion again.?

The main problem is that "guitar music" is not really in fashion these days. You can't blame Pukkelpop, a festival that always has and will always have it's focus on young people, for programming music that young people like. 

They were one of the first festivals to have a "skate stage" when that kind of music was popular with teenagers, they were the first to put dj's and dance acts on the bill when the focus shifted to dance music, and so on. At the moment, most teenagers fancy dance, rap and pop music, and you will notice that in the line-up.

Every year, I hear the same kinds of comments by people who would love Pukkelpop to return to the nineties. This will probably not happen very soon.

But every year, I go back to the festival and have a great time, discovering new bands, switching from rock to pop to dance to metal to jazz to whatever in a few hours' time. I don't know any other festival, apart from Dour maybe, that has so many different styles of music on offering. That's just one of the main reasons I go to Pukkelpop each year. I don't care about dance-only or metal-only festivals like Tomorrowland or Graspop, I want it all and I want it now ?

If you want "big names only", then go to Werchter. If you want to see the bands before they become big names, go to Pukkelpop. Just compare the line-ups from Werchter and Pukkelpop:  a lot of the bands from the Werchter line-up were at Pukkelpop the year before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[arcuse]

1 hour ago, SarahEmpre said:

Do you think that a metal/rock fan will pay 100€ for Papa Roach, Incubus and some smaller bands that most of them have played Pukkelpop in the last years?

Last year that plan pretty much succeeded on Saturday, didn't it?

 

54 minutes ago, Chimme said:

Every year, I hear the same kinds of comments by people who would love Pukkelpop to return to the nineties. This will probably not happen very soon.

No, Pukkelpop should've stayed with their core alternative audience and not take the easy route and book easy get pop/rap acts that attract the big masses a few years ago.

[Trufflehound]

Just for the sake of rap/dance/skatepunk pedantry here, I should point out that the birth of the Dance Hall at PKP (1994) preceded the birth of the Skate Stage (later the Shelter) by two years.

In the same year as the Skate Stage appeared (1996), I fondly remember watching Ice-T making a tit of himself on the Main Stage, by repeatedly going 'Yo! Holland is in the house!' and then wondering why everyone was booing him - until a roadie handed him a note that said: "You're in Belgium, stupid." He actually switched from being 'gangsta' into quite a decent normal bloke after that...

 

[DDave]

1 hour ago, Chimme said:

Oh no, not the Shelter discussion again.?

The main problem is that "guitar music" is not really in fashion these days. You can't blame Pukkelpop, a festival that always has and will always have it's focus on young people, for programming music that young people like. 

 

I disagree.  If you look at the last year that sold out well in advance, 2010. There is nothing that's really focused on the young yet there were still loads of young people there and it was still a quality line up (having one enormous band like Iron Maiden does help of course), you can say the same for the successive line ups until probably 2014/15 onwards. For me, the young people will turn up pretty much regardless of whose on as it's a Belgian rite of passage and the party side of things is always great. It's the more discerning (and probably older) Pukkelpop goers who will make up the numbers to get it towards a sell out (we also drink more as well and probably spend more money - of that I'm convinced)

[DDave]

4 minutes ago, Trufflehound said:

Just for the sake of rap/dance/skatepunk pedantry here, I should point out that the birth of the Dance Hall at PKP (1994) preceded the birth of the Skate Stage (later the Shelter) by two years.

In the same year as the Skate Stage appeared (1996), I fondly remember watching Ice-T making a tit of himself on the Main Stage, by repeatedly going 'Yo! Holland is in the house!' and then wondering why everyone was booing him - until a roadie handed him a note that said: "You're in Belgium, stupid." He actually switched from being 'gangsta' into quite a decent normal bloke after that...

 

Haha, that would have been fun. Reminds me of Kelis shouting 'How ya doing Manchester?!' at Creamfields....in Liverpool.

[TheNewUnion]

Also, remember the debacle that was Rhianna seemingly unable to pronounce Belgium.

2010 was my first Pukkelpop and looking back there was huge strength in depth on the lineup. Pukkelpop, in the 8 years I have been going, have delivered some incredible lineups with some real strength in depth. Lineups that have appealed to a braod spectrum of music fans, and also to the casual fan.

My Mrs is a music lover and regular festival goo'er, but not a music obsessive in that she doesn't always know the name of "that band that did that particular song" but I am finding it very difficult, beyond NERD's Frontin' and Lap Dance to say to her, "Yeah, you know that band they sang this" on the Friday. Every year we go though our festival lineups and pick out who we want to see (we're talking 9 Glastonbury's, 4 Pukkel's together, 3 NOS Alive, 2 V Festivals and a variety of others from Splendour in Nottingham to Life is Beautiful in Vegas) she picked NERD on the Friday, I think them and Kodaline are the only ones she has really heard of and listened to.

All of that is not to say that the lineup is "bad" just that perhaps on the Friday they could have had some more names which were better known to the casual music fan.

All of THAT being said, are we having a pint one evening? Assuming everyone can find a gap in their schedules?

 

Edited August 8, 2018 by TheNewUnion

[Chimme]

1 hour ago, TheNewUnion said:

Also, remember the debacle that was Rhianna seemingly unable to pronounce Belgium.

2010 was my first Pukkelpop and looking back there was huge strength in depth on the lineup. Pukkelpop, in the 8 years I have been going, have delivered some incredible lineups with some real strength in depth. Lineups that have appealed to a braod spectrum of music fans, and also to the casual fan.

My Mrs is a music lover and regular festival goo'er, but not a music obsessive in that she doesn't always know the name of "that band that did that particular song" but I am finding it very difficult, beyond NERD's Frontin' and Lap Dance to say to her, "Yeah, you know that band they sang this" on the Friday. Every year we go though our festival lineups and pick out who we want to see (we're talking 9 Glastonbury's, 4 Pukkel's together, 3 NOS Alive, 2 V Festivals and a variety of others from Splendour in Nottingham to Life is Beautiful in Vegas) she picked NERD on the Friday, I think them and Kodaline are the only ones she has really heard of and listened to.

All of that is not to say that the lineup is "bad" just that perhaps on the Friday they could have had some more names which were better known to the casual music fan.

All of THAT being said, are we having a pint one evening? Assuming everyone can find a gap in their schedules?

 

Probably I’m not a casual music fan ? 

I would love to have a pint with you guys. Didn’t buy all those food and drink tickets for nothing...

1 hour ago, DiscothequeDave said:

I disagree.  If you look at the last year that sold out well in advance, 2010. There is nothing that's really focused on the young yet there were still loads of young people there and it was still a quality line up (having one enormous band like Iron Maiden does help of course), you can say the same for the successive line ups until probably 2014/15 onwards. For me, the young people will turn up pretty much regardless of whose on as it's a Belgian rite of passage and the party side of things is always great. It's the more discerning (and probably older) Pukkelpop goers who will make up the numbers to get it towards a sell out (we also drink more as well and probably spend more money - of that I'm convinced)

The older festival goers spend (a lot) more money at the festival site, that’s true. If they were in need for money, they surely would have added some more acts to please the older crowd, no? But they chose not to. Hence my theory about the focus on the younger audience. 

Whatever, I’m gonna have a good time no matter what. ?

[Semprini]

1 hour ago, TheNewUnion said:

All of THAT being said, are we having a pint one evening? Assuming everyone can find a gap in their schedules?

Not sure of our exact plans for Weds night (in fact, exactly THIS TIME next week!!) but likely we'll get wristbands, spend an hour or two at the festival and then hit a few bars in Hasselt. Be great to see anyone who's in town later on, probably after 10pm.

Dave, Jimmy and I have managed to blag a backstage tour at 6pm on Friday so any meet up for us will probably need to be before 3pm. Having said that, those two rarely get to the site until late afternoon but I'll be around early doors!! How about 1.30pm in the PKP Cafe next to the Lift? A few people have Whispering Sons on their schedule at 2.05pm so we'll be in the right place for that. Happy to go with any alternative suggestions though.

[TheNewUnion]

1:30p, PKP Cafe at Lift. Why not, I'll add it o my schedule

[Stef_P82]

Weather forecasts looking great. 

Could be my last PKP this year, if they don't up their line-up next year. Been going since 98. My music taste is very eclectic, and I have been wel served by PKP over the years. The last years however, I feel like the line-up does not serve my tastes quite like they used to. Been thinking about going to Dour again instead. 

[DDave]

[Chimme]

1 hour ago, DiscothequeDave said:

I'd guess the temperatures will be a little bit lower than this, but the weather forecast seems great so far. Fingers crossed. 

[Stef_P82]

 Could someone post a pic of the festival map here? My Android app crashes every time I want to go to the map... Thx! 

[Semprini]

There’s so many icons on the map that it looks a complete mess if you have the whole arena on the screen. I’ve zoomed in and divided it into sections but it’s still a bit busy in places. 

Orange strips are food, green are drinks, dark blue is where you get tokens, purple is partners and brown is merchandise. If there’s anything else you want to know just give me a shout?

Edit: The big green shape on the right of the last picture is Petit Bazar.

 

Edited August 9, 2018 by Semprini

[Stef_P82]

Thx! Club awfully close to the Boiler... 

[Trufflehound]

5 minutes ago, Stef_P82 said:

Thx! Club awfully close to the Boiler... 

Indeed. That's Amber Run's and probably Marlon Williams's sets screwed already (and any other quiet bands I'm unaware of).

 

On the other hand, I'm glad they've moved the Castello back to somewhere more accessible for lazy folk like me who like to hang out in the Lift/Marquee/Club and can't be arsed to walk vast distances.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Trufflehound

[Semprini]

6 minutes ago, Stef_P82 said:

Thx! Club awfully close to the Boiler... 

It's a strange move as the Shelter people complained for years about the sound bleed from the Boiler and their music was about as loud and heavy as you can get. I didn't spend much time in the Lift last year so can't remember how much of an issue it was but there's going to be no escaping it this time. Amber Run are my only 'must see' over the weekend but you're right Trufflehound it will spoil a number of sets.

[Chimme]

10 minutes ago, Semprini said:

It's a strange move as the Shelter people complained for years about the sound bleed from the Boiler and their music was about as loud and heavy as you can get. I didn't spend much time in the Lift last year so can't remember how much of an issue it was but there's going to be no escaping it this time. Amber Run are my only 'must see' over the weekend but you're right Trufflehound it will spoil a number of sets.

I saw quite a few acts in the Lift last year, but they were all much louder than the sound that came out of the Boiler (not surprisingly, with acts like Ho99o9, Cocaine Piss, Black Lips or Moon Duo) so there was no problem then.

Fingers crossed for Marlon Williams. 

[DDave]

4 hours ago, Chimme said:

I saw quite a few acts in the Lift last year, but they were all much louder than the sound that came out of the Boiler (not surprisingly, with acts like Ho99o9, Cocaine Piss, Black Lips or Moon Duo) so there was no problem then.

Fingers crossed for Marlon Williams. 

Julia Jacklin was fine in there last year and she's hardly Megadeth. Should be ok hopefully.

[DDave]

21 hours ago, Stef_P82 said:

 Could someone post a pic of the festival map here? My Android app crashes every time I want to go to the map... Thx! 

Mine was doing this. Has started working now.

[Mellett]

Wondering if anyone could help me in regards to the free train ticket you can get when you purchase a ticket. Flying into and out of different airports and was wondering if you had to return to the same place you departed from on the first journey for the train? Also are any transfers needed to get to your destination (say transfer from hasselt to Kiewit) free as oppose to buying another ticket? 

Thanks