Pukkelpop 2018

[TheKiewitGuy]

She's good and I like the record (like I said) but the hype she's getting is really excessive. She's not (yet?) "the patron saint of indie rock" (https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2018/5/31/snail-mail-patron-saint-modern-indie-guitar-rock) or "the future sound of indie rock" (https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/snail-mail-lush/). She's really good at what she does, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before. Therefore I think some reviewers should calm down, because it doesn't really help the artist either if she (unfairly) has to deal with this amount of hype (which she seems to do well by the way).

Even if you give your opinion with some nuance here you get downvoted nowadays...

[TheNewUnion]

You're right, that kind of hype is not helpful at all. Escalates the artist way too quickly, then they end up headlining large venues way too early and everyone gets stuck into them for not being up to the task. Still, hope they book here, nice mid-afternoon slot on Saturday would be good.

[DDave]

I'll be disappointed if Cabbage aren't in the next batch of names tbh. Perfect for the lift stage and playing Lowlands as well.

[Kikujiro]

Overhyped or not, Snail Mail would be a very good addition (i was saying it some weeks ago, when she announced her tour).

But she's not the only one "critics' favourite" around in that days.

Soccer Mommy, Julien Baker, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Frankie cosmos and Alex G are playing the same fastivals she will.

They would probably please the younger audience (they'll probably bump into them accidentally between an "unmissable" big act and another) without disgusting a more mature one.

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Kikujiro

[Kikujiro]

Now that they completed wednesday, how many acts do you think are left to announce?

I have the feeling they are waiting to gather a last batch of names to announce them at once.

[Kikujiro]

That's interesting...if i'm correct they announced 169 names by now. This clashfinder prediction makes it look like they're almost finished announcing and there's little room for improvement, with very few spots to fill.

https://clashfinder.com/s/pukkelpop2018/

But i remember 2016 edition to have nearly 260 names in the lineup. Are we really waiting for 90+ new names or Pukkelpop has become a smaller festival this year?

Still have to decide if i'll buy my ticket or not...

[johnybegood]

1 hour ago, Kikujiro said:

Now that they completed wednesday, how many acts do you think are left to announce?

I have the feeling they are waiting to gather a last batch of names to announce them at once.

They will release a batch of names just after Rock Werchter, including some bands from their line-up, probably James Bay, Franz Ferdinand or The Kooks....

Edited June 11, 2018 by johnybegood

[Kikujiro]

3 minutes ago, johnybegood said:

They will release a batch of names just after Rock Werchter, including some bands from their line-up, probably James Bay and The Kooks....

Well...they better not wait until the second week of July to announce something new...if i'm doing my math correctly they still have 90+ names to announce.

Doing that at only 1 month to the festival would be masochistic!

[Kikujiro]

Or...sadly Pukkelpop has become a lot smaller in the last two years (we are at 65% of the announcements if i compare 2016's numbers to this year's ones...i can't find a complete lineup for 2017 to compare...ho many acts were there approximately?).

Edited June 11, 2018 by Kikujiro

[DDave]

3 minutes ago, Kikujiro said:

That's interesting...if i'm correct they announced 169 names by now. This clashfinder prediction makes it look like they're almost finished announcing and there's little room for improvement, with very few spots to fill.

https://clashfinder.com/s/pukkelpop2018/

But i remember 2016 edition to have nearly 260 names in the lineup. Are we really waiting for 90+ new names or Pukkelpop has become a smaller festival this year?

Still have to decide if i'll buy my ticket or not...

That clashfinder has names that are predicted, not confirmed. Arcuse's clashfinder has the confirmed names - https://clashfinder.com/s/pkp2018/

Probably around 30 names to come. More than likely named after or nearer to RW if we are to have a few names from their bill.

So, there's still names to come for 

Thursday - Main - 1 small name, 1 Marquee name - potentially a RW name, probably a smaller name though.

Friday - 2 main stagers to come - could save the day for me, but unlikely. Not sure if Travis Scott has been confirmed to close or not but it'll be the first time they've not had a dance closer on the main for years so they may stick one in after him I suppose.  In reality it'll probably be as Arcuse has it and a smaller name before Nothing but Thieves and then something before N*E*R*D.  Still 3 names to come in the Dance Hall which could make it a lot better as well, wouldn't be surprised to see Craig David announced again.

Saturday

@arcuse - Just checked the website and Justice look like they are closing the Marquee which is only right. The order of the names on the website by stage have changed a couple of times but I'd be amazed if they were anything but closers. That's gonna be one of the sets of the weekend for me. Can possibly see a fairly big name before or after Roisin Murphy. Then there's the two normally back to back slots they have to close off the Castello which are normally very good names.

Still another couple of names to go for the main as well so a couple of good well known acts in the afternoon would be great.

Another thing to note is that the Club stage has 8 names on the Saturday so although most of the stages are fairly filled already across the weekend, there's room for at least one more on most of them.

From the RW bill I'm predicting Post Malone, Fleet Foxes, Franz Ferdinand and the Vaccines being the most likely candidates.

Still not booked my tickets but probably will. Thursday and Saturday are great for me as long as clashes are kind, the Friday is at present a write off barring a couple of names. Hopefully it'll be salvaged a bit in the final batch.

 

[Kikujiro]

1 minute ago, DiscothequeDave said:

That clashfinder has names that are predicted, not confirmed. Arcuse's clashfinder has the confirmed names - https://clashfinder.com/s/pkp2018/

Probably around 30 names to come. More than likely named after or nearer to RW if we are to have a few names from their bill.

So, there's still names to come for 

 

 

Ok, i was watching the wrong clashfinder...still, if we add 30 names to what is confirmed we'll stop at 199, while 2016 had 260.

Have they really reduced the lineup by 60 names in just 2 years or am i missing something?

[DDave]

9 minutes ago, Kikujiro said:

Ok, i was watching the wrong clashfinder...still, if we add 30 names to what is confirmed we'll stop at 199, while 2016 had 260.

Have they really reduced the lineup by 60 names in just 2 years or am i missing something?

Last year there were 189 names + 27 names for the Think Tank (can't even remember this last year)

The Shelter and Wablief? stages went last year so there's your 50 odd names gone. Must have been an incredible strain on the resources bearing in mind the poor ticket and beer sales that year (although it was their best year in my opinion, except for Rihanna)

Edited June 11, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[Kikujiro]

25 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

Last year there were 189 names + 27 names for the Think Tank (can't even remember this last year)

The Shelter and Wablief? stages went last year so there's your 50 odd names gone.

You're absolutely right, i just checked a poster from last year...well let's hope that 30 names are quite good...

2016 was a great year for me, now i can understand what happened in the meantime...two stages gone is A LOT but maybe 2016 has been a bit hypertrophic for their possibilities...

On the optimistic side...the names left to announce at least will not be for Wednesday and hopefully some of them will be for the Castello (usually my favourite stage).

Edited June 11, 2018 by Kikujiro

[Kikujiro]

Also...Rock Werchter is soooo boring for me except for Nick Cave, Fever Ray and Fleet Foxes (and unfortunately i've seen them all recently). Werchter is all about flaccid reunions and big rock bands that have past their prime long ago...that's way worst of everything that Pukkelpop is offering this year.

I hope we don't get none of that, and instead see the announcement of some fresh and innovative acts.

In the current line up i really recommend Sons of Kemet and Sudan Archives...they have been my favourite concerts of 2018 by now!

[arcuse]

1 hour ago, DiscothequeDave said:

@arcuse - Just checked the website and Justice look like they are closing the Marquee which is only right. The order of the names on the website by stage have changed a couple of times but I'd be amazed if they were anything but closers. That's gonna be one of the sets of the weekend for me. Can possibly see a fairly big name before or after Roisin Murphy. Then there's the two normally back to back slots they have to close off the Castello which are normally very good names.

Yup, the names have been changed a lot on the website, these are still how they were placed on the website when the new names got announced (so two batches ago). The Vitalic-Justice conflict seems stupid aswell imo, seems only logical that they close the Marquee. 

I've seen a lot of posters popping up. I don't know if we can expect a lot more tbh. Some names from RW that's for sure, but how big they're gonna be, that idk. 

2016 still had Wablief? and Shelter as already mentioned. I'm curious if they're gonna change something next year because I feel like this year has been a big hell in sales for PKP. 

[Kikujiro]

13 minutes ago, arcuse said:

2016 still had Wablief? and Shelter as already mentioned. I'm curious if they're gonna change something next year because I feel like this year has been a big hell in sales for PKP. 

 

Hi arcuse, thanx again for the clashfinder. Last year Castello, Lift and Club always clashed with each other?

I'm aware last year they changed also the stage positions...

[DDave]

So that's the Arcade Fire Rotterdam gig done. Be interesting to see if they get named for Lowlands tomorrow.

[DDave]

New Lowlands names

Nile Rodgers & CHIC, The Tallis Scholars, Blaudzun, Miles Kane, ZHU, Portico Quartet, Alika & Nueva Alianza, Amenra, Amyl and The Sniffers, Arp Frique & Family, Carista, GAIKA, Jayda G, Moose Blood, Nakhane, Pythius, Sons of Kemet, SOPHIE (dj-set + visuals), Thunderpussy,  Yung Feurich

Can see Miles Kane getting added to the Saturday line up at Pukkelpop. Slim chance of Chic playing, they play Brussels on the Sunday but it has sold out. Would probably mean playing 3 days on the bounce though. Edit - would mean 4 nights on the bounce. Not gonna happen.

Would be very, very happy if they were booked though.

No Arcade Fire.

Edited June 14, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[arcuse]

Miles Kane is playing Crammerock, so is ruled out. 

[DDave]

1 minute ago, arcuse said:

Miles Kane is playing Crammerock, so is ruled out. 

Ah, didn't know that. Seasick Steve and Sigma ruled out too then. No loss really.

[Death By Sexy]

Classical music will open the Marquee on Thursday. Jef Neve, Crossbones Trombone Collective, Ola Gjeillo, Anton Bruckner and other artists will counter the cliches of classical music with a rock 'n roll approachment.

[DDave]

+ Mauro Pawlowski & De Kempenzonen (Marquee, Saturday)

[TheNewUnion]

3 hours ago, DiscothequeDave said:

+ Mauro Pawlowski & De Kempenzonen (Marquee, Saturday)

Nope, not a clue I'm afraid ?

[DDave]

12 minutes ago, TheNewUnion said:

Nope, not a clue I'm afraid ?

Mauro was in Deus and Evil Superstars. If I remember rightly he curated one of the Pukkelpop stages a couple of years back.

[DDave]

So flights are booked, bought some food and drinks tickets yesterday so we're committed now, just need to find myself a cheap ticket.

Weekend looks something like this for me at the moment, (pending clashes)

16/8 Death From Above - Kelly Lee Owens - UMO - Rag N Bone man - Grizzly Bear - Dua Lipa - Jess Glynne - TWOD - Bonobo or Martin Solveig - Arcade Fire

17/8 John Maus - NERD - Sons of Kemet - Goose - Todd Terje

18/8 Marlon Williams - Confidence Man - Ron Gallo - Gogo Penguin - RBCF - Justice - King Giz - Vitalic - Jungle - Kendrick Lamar

The ones in bold are the must-sees, the rest are expendable.

Looking forward to it now. Let's hope they pull something extra out of the bag for us in the next announcement.