Pukkelpop 2018

[Death By Sexy]

6 hours ago, Semprini said:

They just posted a video of some of the stages: 

That must be the Castello top right so guessing the Club has moved back to its original position opposite the Main? Liking the look of the new Marquee and Lift tents.

 

Club will be at last year's Lift I think. There is a tent being built at the moment. 

And yes, it's very dry at the moment. It hasn't rained for 3 weeks now except some drops, the temperature has been +29 degrees for most days. It is 10 pm at the moment and the sweet is still dripping from my back. 

[Semprini]

2 hours ago, DiscothequeDave said:

I'm gonna make an early prediction that one of Eppo's 'friends' in his Castello DJ set will be DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler)

My take on this was that it'll be some of his friends from StuBru but would definitely be a coup if it's someone like Win.

Now the final additions are in, here's my plan for the weekend. I've only included the DJ sets that I'll see at least half of as there'll be quite a few where I just dip in and out:

Thursday: Circa Waves, Marquee Ouverture, Thunderpussy, Kelly Lee Owens, Brockhampton (just to see what they're about), Superorganism, Dua Lipa, Nastia/James Holden, TWOD, Marcel Dettman, Bicep, Denis Sulta/Charlotte de Witte and Eppo/San Soda.

Friday: Whispering Sons, Amber Run, Jax Jones, Sudan Archives, Dimension/H09909, Or:la, SOPHIE, Call Super, David August, Todd Terje/Inga Mauer/Sub Focus and Locked Groove.

Saturday: Mauro and De Kempenzonen, West Thebarton, The Joy Formidable, Confidence Man, The Wombats or Ron Gallo (will decide on the day), RBCF, Maribou State/Ed and Kim, The Blaze, Patrice Baumel B2B Guy J, Awesome Tapes from Africa, Vitalic, Jungle, Justice/Nina Kraviz/Kolsch and George Fitzgerald.

[Semprini]

19 hours ago, Death By Sexy said:

Club will be at last year's Lift I think. There is a tent being built at the moment. 

This picture was posted earlier today - don't think they could have got the Club any closer to the Boiler:

[TheKiewitGuy]

To say one last thing about Travis Scott: I actually like some of the beats he used on Astroworld. For me his problem is that he's mostly forgettable on his own songs, while his features really shine. Take for example 'Stop Trying To Be God'. The James Blake bridge, Kid Cudi's humming and Stevie Wonder playing the Harmonica are absolutely beautiful, but I just can't get over that stupid autotune voice.

 

Anyway, really counting the days now until the party starts!

Edited August 5, 2018 by TheKiewitGuy

[DDave]

47 minutes ago, TheKiewitGuy said:

To say one last thing about Travis Scott: I actually like some of the beats he used on Astroworld. For me his problem is that he's mostly forgettable on his own songs, while his features really shine. Take for example 'Stop Trying To Be God'. The James Blake bridge, Kid Cudi's humming and Stevie Wonder playing the Harmonica are absolutely beautiful, but I just can't get over that stupid autotune voice.

 

Anyway, really counting the days now until the party starts!

Amen to that. You're right about the TS album. There's a couple of songs where he sings in his normal voice and it borders on being ok but that daft autotune that a lot of mumble rappers use is completely unnecessary.

Weather reports are varied but this one that I trust the most looks great

 

[Semprini]

Just spoke to my niece who went to Benicassim and she said Travis Scott was awful. Turned up nearly an hour late and then only played for about 40 minutes. She said he was lip syncing and even then it sounded shit.

Depressing to think how much he will have cost as thought they might have learnt their lesson after Migos last year. 

[DDave]

35 minutes ago, Semprini said:

Just spoke to my niece who went to Benicassim and she said Travis Scott was awful. Turned up nearly an hour late and then only played for about 40 minutes. She said he was lip syncing and even then it sounded shit.

Depressing to think how much he will have cost as thought they might have learnt their lesson after Migos last year. 

Had a 1 hr 20 mins slot at Lollapalooza Paris and only did an hour. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[Death By Sexy]

This year, you have to pick up your bracelets at the camping side. They try to reduce the queus at the entrance of the festival.

 

https://www.tvl.be/nieuws/inkom-pukkelpop-wordt-veel-vlotter-dankzij-nieuw-controlesysteem-63512

[DDave]

1 hour ago, Death By Sexy said:

This year, you have to pick up your bracelets at the camping side. They try to reduce the queus at the entrance of the festival.

 

https://www.tvl.be/nieuws/inkom-pukkelpop-wordt-veel-vlotter-dankzij-nieuw-controlesysteem-63512

Hmm, never seemed to have had a problem before, then again I'm never really at the festival that early.

On the festileaks forum it says that Chokri trys to explain Friday being a bad day. For the non Dutch speakers, can you elaborate on what exactly he's said?

[Trufflehound]

16 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

Hmm, never seemed to have had a problem before, then again I'm never really at the festival that early.

On the festileaks forum it says that Chokri trys to explain Friday being a bad day. For the non Dutch speakers, can you elaborate on what exactly he's said?

It's more his explanation of why Friday ticket sales are lower. Along the lines of "Thursday is a strong [line-up] day, and Saturday is a strong day... Friday is a strong day as well, but it just doesn't look like it when you compare it to Thursday and Saturday..." That doesn't tell us anything about why they didn't/couldn't/wouldn't get any bigger names for Friday.

[DDave]

9 minutes ago, Trufflehound said:

It's more his explanation of why Friday ticket sales are lower. Along the lines of "Thursday is a strong [line-up] day, and Saturday is a strong day... Friday is a strong day as well, but it just doesn't look like it when you compare it to Thursday and Saturday..." That doesn't tell us anything about why they didn't/couldn't/wouldn't get any bigger names for Friday.

Cheers. At least it's been noted that it's been nowhere as successful in terms of ticket sales than Thursday and Saturday. Did you manage to sort your hotel dates out for BKS?

Edited August 7, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[Trufflehound]

42 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

Cheers. At least it's been noted that it's been nowhere as successful in terms of ticket sales than Thursday and Saturday. Did you manage to sort your hotel dates out for BKS?

Yup, all sorted now cheers. Having to pay an extra €20 per night, but that's a bargain considering the hotel weren't under any obligation to offer anything...

[TheNewUnion]

1 hour ago, DiscothequeDave said:

 Chokri trys to explain Friday being a bad day. For the non Dutch speakers, can you elaborate on what exactly he's said? 

I'd guess he said "to be honest, we spent a lot of money on a terrible headliner and people have voted with their wallets. That's the last time I let my daughter influence my booking decisions based on who she follows on Instagram. I should have learned my lesson after Rihanna"

[Semprini]

The site map is now on the app. Nothing too major to report as we already knew where most of the stages were. Booth is in the same place. Petit Bazar is now near the Dance Hall and the lockers are next to the main entrance.

Looks like they’ve opened up the area around the entrance which is a good thing. It got way too crowded during the pre-party last year as that was the only place you could exchange print outs for food/drink vouchers. 

[Otto77]

On the food and drink voucher is also mentioned that you can exchange the voucher at the same time you collect your wristband. You can also exchange it at the stands where the tokens are sold.

[DDave]

1 hour ago, Semprini said:

The site map is now on the app. Nothing too major to report as we already knew where most of the stages were. Booth is in the same place. Petit Bazar is now near the Dance Hall and the lockers are next to the main entrance.

Looks like they’ve opened up the area around the entrance which is a good thing. It got way too crowded during the pre-party last year as that was the only place you could exchange print outs for food/drink vouchers. 

Where's the map on the app? Mine keeps crashing when I go into the 'go explore' bit.

Edit - have re-installed in and still keeps closing. Frustrating.

Edited August 7, 2018 by DiscothequeDave

[Dietediet]

1 hour ago, TheNewUnion said:

I'd guess he said "to be honest, we spent a lot of money on a terrible headliner and people have voted with their wallets. That's the last time I let my daughter influence my booking decisions based on who she follows on Instagram. I should have learned my lesson after Rihanna"

Even if the lineup is gradually getting more shit every year, it's fairly naive to think a major festival would let a 16 year old take control of the more expensive acts on the lineup. She's just allowed to lead the communication department, as she knows best how to reach the Snapchat/Instagram generation.

Supposedly Live Nation helped out big time in keeping the festival alive after the storm, and in return they ask that Chokri & co suck it up whenever LN asks for a favor. Taking over Rihanna after the hugely failed Werchter Boutique event is the most obvious example of that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Travis Scott, Bastille and Oscar & The Wolf (LN's biggest Belgian cash cow) headlining in past years are similar stories.

[Semprini]

30 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

Where's the map on the app? Mine keeps crashing when I go into the 'go explore' bit.

Edit - have re-installed in and still keeps closing. Frustrating.

Click on the fourth icon along the bottom and that takes you to the ‘explore’ section. Any of the links there will take you to the map. 

[TheNewUnion]

6 minutes ago, Dietediet said:

Even if the lineup is gradually getting more shit every year, it's fairly naive to think a major festival would let a 16 year old take control of the more expensive acts on the lineup. She's just allowed to lead the communication department, as she knows best how to reach the Snapchat/Instagram generation.

Supposedly Live Nation helped out big time in keeping the festival alive after the storm, and in return they ask that Chokri & co suck it up whenever LN asks for a favor. Taking over Rihanna after the hugely failed Werchter Boutique event is the most obvious example of that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Travis Scott, Bastille and Oscar & The Wolf (LN's biggest Belgian cash cow) headlining in past years are similar stories.

I wasn't being entirely serious ?. 

Interesting point about Live Nation, had no idea that they were so influential. 

[Chimme]

There’s a “merchandise and records” stand it seems. That would be nice, being able to buy records at Pukkelpop. 

[Chimme]

And I still don’t understand why people keep saying Friday’s such a bad day. For me it’s definitely as good as the Saturday and better than Thursday. 

 

[DDave]

30 minutes ago, Dietediet said:

Even if the lineup is gradually getting more shit every year, it's fairly naive to think a major festival would let a 16 year old take control of the more expensive acts on the lineup. 

It's not naive though to think that the owner of the festival has given his daughter the most amazing (in her eyes) graduation present by booking TS though is it?

[DDave]

Just now, Chimme said:

And I still don’t understand why people keep saying Friday’s such a bad day. For me it’s definitely as good as the Saturday and better than Thursday. 

 

It's because they've put the stuff with the least amount of crossover appeal all on the same day. If you don't like drum n bass, you don't like drum and bass and if you don't like metal, you don't like metal. Same goes with mumble rap. If the same lineup for the 3 days were spread out differently, people wouldn't be moaning half as much as they are now. I certainly wouldn't.

[Chimme]

42 minutes ago, DiscothequeDave said:

It's because they've put the stuff with the least amount of crossover appeal all on the same day. If you don't like drum n bass, you don't like drum and bass and if you don't like metal, you don't like metal. Same goes with mumble rap. If the same lineup for the 3 days were spread out differently, people wouldn't be moaning half as much as they are now. I certainly wouldn't.

I’m not into d&b or mumble rap, and still I think Friday is the most interesting day. There’s new wave, afro jazz, metal, soul, noise/punk...all of excellent quality. And quite a few bands I didn’t know but look very interesting (e.g. Sudan Archives). 

If less people show up, then there will be more space for me :-)

 

[DDave]

42 minutes ago, Chimme said:

I’m not into d&b or mumble rap, and still I think Friday is the most interesting day. There’s new wave, afro jazz, metal, soul, noise/punk...all of excellent quality. And quite a few bands I didn’t know but look very interesting (e.g. Sudan Archives). 

If less people show up, then there will be more space for me :-)

 

I get that but this is supposed to be a major international festival with a ticket price to match. They had options to go with some fairly prestigious names and went for what they went for. 

Anyway, that's my last word on the Friday, barring any last minute cancellations, it is what it is and it'll give me chance to explore the site and see different things, something I won't really have time to do on the other 2 days. 

8 days to go!

Edited August 7, 2018 by DiscothequeDave