Roadburn festival and Vera, Groningen (April 20-22)

[norecess]

Last weekend I went to the Roadburn festival, and Sunday I went to see Porn, Big Business and the Melvins once more in the Vera, Groningen. The weekend was amazingly good; great people, great vibe, and of course, great bands.

After we had arrived at the camping on Friday we headed over to the 013 venue where Roadburn took place and started with Orange Sunshine, a heavy powerhouse trio from The Hague with Blue Cheer, Stack Waddy and the smell of napalm from the late 60's as their main influences. After their show we went to see the Circle spin off Pharaoh Overlord; simple yet effective, repetitive riffs, without vocals. Very trippy. Porn was up next and played very loud and had a different set list when I saw them a few months ago in London. They also had a cool buble machine (see http://images.vpro.nl/images/34342336). Dale was crushing, and during their set Kurt got introduced by Dale as Bootsy Collins. Big Business slayed. When Dale joined them, Scarlet was dancing on the side of the stage, with headphones to protect her ears, and Maureen and Tim standing behind her. When they wanted to get her away, she was trampling her legs and wanted to stay. She was dancing and having a good time, at one point she waved to the audience and everyone waved back, very cool. See http://images.vpro.nl/images/34342391 for a pic of her. Dale's guitar playing is sometimes a bit too prominent I think, and the guitar was a bit too loud. There was one asshole trying to form a pit, bothering everyone who was trying to enjoy the show, but eventually we made him leave the place up front; what a jerk. The Melvins were cool, but the sound wasn't that good, and Buzz's guitar didn't sound that good, I thought. Still, they were the highlight of the day and everybody seemed quite impressed. Buzz's attitude when he entered the stage was very cool, he looked like he wanted to prove something. The new song is very cool. It's a bit HAT-like, has some references to riffs from Stage and POTRE, and it ends with a cool classic rock riff. They ended with Dwight Frye, and it's a brilliant version with Jared's vocals on it and the double drums. This version would make Alice Cooper more proud than the one on Lysol.



The Saturday had an amazing line up as well. I saw the way too loud, and slightly boring, Acid King, The Hidden Hand - who were less bad than I thought they would be - a bit of the 'not-as-good-as-Black Dice' Growing, and also Thrones, Om, Neurosis and Black Cobra. Thrones were amazing! One of the highlights. The set was the same as two weeks ago, but they also played a beautiful, long, heavy and tragic song, maybe it's from Aurane. Om got many complaints that the amps were too loud, but I was busy preparing a joint during the first song. The second song was At Giza, and they performed it amazingly well. The jam at the end of the song reminded me of Sleep. After that I wanted to check out Stinking Lizaveta but it seemed too crowded. I'll check them out in Amsterdam in a few weeks instead. I enjoyed Neurosis, but went to the bar downstairs after an hour. I was tired, drunk, deaf and stoned, and wanted to take a break. I ended up going to Black Cobra half an hour after that, and the band absolutely slayed. Lovely stuff. Two guys, guitar and drums, who play fast and slow, hardcore and sludge. A bit Gluey-era like, very cool.

Sunday I could make a deal with our camping neighbours (http://www.tekhton.com/) from Groningen to take me to the hotel I had booked there, weeha! (Tilburg is in the south, and Groningen up north, +- a 2,5 hour trip.) The Melvins played in a small and nice venue there. Lunica was with me and met Jared in the street of the venue before they had their soundcheck. I was standing up front with Rembrandt and Lunica, and also Galvano/Greven was somewhere behind us, almost like a meeting! I bought a poster that looks like it was made by Scarlet. Pics of that later. The Melvins show ended with Coady and Dale playing Second Coming, and Jared singing the lyrics of Lady In Red. They didn't play Oven that night, but did a bit more jamming than they did at Roadburn.

A friend of mine took a shit load of amazing pictures at Roadburn, and also shot some video clips. He also filmed Scarlet on stage, you can see her really good on that one. The quality of all this is very good. He'll burn a friend of mine a CD-R some time and so I'll get it eventually as well, hopefully soon. One of the Galvano guys taped the Vera show.

This Sunday the Groningen show is also on a regional tv channel in Groningen, including an interview. I hope it will be available on the website as well, or otherwise I'll try to find someone to tape it.

Some photo's from 3voor12:
http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/artikel/34343900
http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/artikel/34343970

[Idlehanz]

Well done Cessy.  good review.

[Schnabster]

Superb review, Cess! 

[Lunica]

I'll vouch for that!

[norecess]

Thrones were amazing! One of the highlights. The set was the same as two weeks ago, but they also played a beautiful, long, heavy and tragic song, maybe it's from Aurane.

I think the song they played was Mercuric, but don't quote me on that.

[norecess]

http://www.roadburn.com/frames.html

Talk about the on demand webcasts. We have been recording the entire festival for Vpro 3voor12, and in the next few weeks, these recordings will be mixed and mastered. We'll keep you posted about when the webcasts will be up and running.

[Lunica]

Melvins Big Business - Oven & new song @ Roadburn 2007
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OGf1v88awuM

Some more Melvins @ Roadburn
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Far36BGorKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URVk1mmHNmc

Big business with Dale, and Scarlet dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvh9EYrR6I

[Zelig]

Youre a Heartbreaker!

[Smellis]

Moss looks like he is ready to kick someone's ass! Scarlett is getting big!

[glen]

Melvins Big Business - Oven & new song @ Roadburn 2007
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OGf1v88awuM

Some more Melvins @ Roadburn
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Far36BGorKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URVk1mmHNmc

Big business with Dale, and Scarlet dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvh9EYrR6I

you pretty much rule for this.

[sebo]

Melvins Big Business - Oven & new song @ Roadburn 2007
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OGf1v88awuM

Some more Melvins @ Roadburn
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Far36BGorKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URVk1mmHNmc

Big business with Dale, and Scarlet dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEvh9EYrR6I

you pretty much rule for this.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeah.

[RichieGoodtimes]

I know Scarlett and Tim Moss.

I think the poster you got that looks like a little kid made it was done by Dale Flattum's (Steel Pole Bathtub) son Eli, because...Eli is a kid and I heard his dad paid him 10 bucks to draw it.

[norecess]

I know.

Whoever draw it, he or she is talented and knows how to make an original poster.

[anaconda]

Post a picture of it if you can, I haven't seen this poster yet.

[mopafeena]

Post a picture of it if you can, I haven't seen this poster yet.

Yeah, i'd like to see it too.