Major Tom's Oddity: August 2008

mud flow - with muse-like guitar scratching in in time, and the singer's voice a slightly higher version of editor's tom smith, unfortunately quite early at this free festival, and me arriving late, so 2 numbers i hadn't heard before, the before mentioned one and the long and lovely my fair lady audrey, because after all every second counts ... next the tellers, and problems with the base, so singers ben looks around a bit, shakes his shoulders and starts solo, and then the mud flow base guitar comes to the rescue, and they kick off together ... more people already, and they are right to be there, because our tellers fill without problems and with a pavement cover an hour of poppy and cheerful songs and even "the next one is a dancing tune" ... then trixie whitley, with an adorable gents accent and soulful voice, and songs worth listening to, and an invitation to everyone to come by and buy an ep afterwards (voor maar vijf euro, met dito accent), which she sings confused with "ode" when asked to write an ode to gent, and after scratching that and thinking about it a kort en krachtig "beestig" ... then arid to fill the gap, and they even had one nice song, featuring a loud slide guitar and less loud vocals ... and then, headlining here, zita swoon, this time featuring eva with a sixties secretary look, and again different, and again magic, and again enjoying all they do on that stage, with what sounded like more emphasis on the three voices mingling together nicely, and more distorted guitar-like organ sounds ... everything is not the same announced as "filosofisch blueslied", a great people are like slamming doors, with the mantra "i forgive and i love" evoking how a catholic priest wants a mass to be, a weird stamina with the three voices whispershouting "i wish" at the end, a dare to love ten times more daring than on cd and an amazing moving through life as prey, leaving us astonished, and with love love, happy happy ... and near the end "vandaag heeft een belgische vrouw over 2.05 gesprongen, applaus voor tia, en voor zita swoon"

highlight: the weather, a belgisch kwakkelzomerweertje was predicted, but it was the whole time amazing ... this climate of us is changing rapidly ...

coolest man on stage: greg dulli, addressing us at one o'clock in the night with "goodmorning pukkelpop", and later on "we're scheduled for one hour, but if you want we play all night long" and how he utters "we're gonna have some fun, son" in last song front street, you're wishing you were his son and were in for a crazy night ... followed by the drummer of two gallants, uniting drum, base and rythm guitar in one person and going totally crazy

darkest man on stage: off course mark lanegan, this time literally as no spot was aimed at him, but if the long applause he got when introduced were rays of light, he would be shining like a black hole ...

strangest man on stage: jonathan donahue, singer of mercury rev, half goat (strange beard), half olympic turn-champion (strange moves) and half whatever (just strange)

coolest girls on stage: lots of those, especially the swedish were well represented (those counting days even had five, hooray)... and lil fee, the drumster of the whip, pointing a drumstick in the air always kicks ass, even at twelve in the afternoon

bands then ... in order of waawness ... gutter twins, perfectly cast way after midnight in the marquee, if this is how life in the gutter is, take me there, with idle hands a song metallica (playing before them on the main stage) could be jealous of ... editors, a perfect gig this time, blowing me away, how big will they become ??, see the lowlands review, and indeed, people are fragile things you should know by now :), played my favorite when anger shows, and i can tell you, it's ok ... sigur ros, maybe the greatest band of nowadays - if you accepted their invitation to enter that amazing world, with the new songs more melodic and, hey, even fun, next year headlining the marquee with a two hour set ? ... bloc party, only kele's short trousers were a bit, hm, un-mainstage-fashioned, but what a gig, i was in front, but from the smiles on their faces i would say that the whole field, including some lost cows, were enjoying it, too short though, i still remember and uniform weren't even on the setlist ... red pill blue pill red pill blue pill, i can not choose ... mercury rev, have to be honest, opening rather strangely with a presentation of some of their heroes on nice music (apparently cocteau twins) and a new song, snowflake in a hot world, back to psychedelica with more emphasis on synths, but they take you on a trip to a weird but warm place were the dark is rising and the senses are on fire ... girls in hawaii, fields of gold is an amazing song, outroed long and wide ... the national, their gear was breaking up after the european tour, but they luckily not, and again, great, but why so early ?? i'll apply for pukkelpop programmer and put them next year on top of the marquee (ok, before sigur ros) ... elbow, hm, this list is not hierarchic any more, it's more a waawness pyramid, this is just lovely music, and even the mirror balls were there ... mgmt, at werchter not the fun in mind, but here more than fun, great songs and great performance, they even let the whole marquee turn to the other side, were there was, i have to admit, totally nothing happening ... blood red shoes, only saw the last part, but that was quite great, left us (i'm so) distracted ... the whip, i needed a wake up call (last day at noon), and got one, a mix of eighties keyboards with tempo beats and crash guitars, leaving us trashed, also read here ... two gallants, probably the same stupid programmer (no offence) put them right after the national at the other side of the field, so a bit of running, taking hords of sleeping people, but in time to enjoy and listen to their nice stories, which more people were doing next to me, great ... get cape wear cape fly, knew none of the songs, but nice gig, someone to keep an eye on, he even got an t-shirt from someone, because he didn't bring a spare one and it was indeed hot in (t)here ... tunng, a discovery, quiet but o so nice songs, a perfect change after the noise of foals (who were also entertaining), with a distortion outburst in a song dedicated to lars ulrich, fun ... the dodos, sounded great but left too early :( for das pop, a bit too much focusing on the public, and less on the good new songs, we never get enough ... flaming lips, with a sound not that good, which i didn't notice at all because busy chasing balloons and the paper rain, disappearing everywhere, and enjoying yoshimi battles the pink robots, pt. 1, the nicest song i heard these 3 days ... actually the best part was before the gig, when singer wayne was with a big smile on his face trying out the paper-air-guns on the waiting & sitting crowd and in the meantime checking nervously the progress on stage, how hilarious ... santagold, could have been a better party (scheduled in dance hall), but still ok and really enthousiastic, always nice to see ... arsenal, lotuk is a great record and by now they have already an outstanding repertoire, but personne ne bouge sounds better with balou, and saudade is a great last song (were earlier they often opened with it) ... those dancing days, five swedish girls, more than a gimmick, indie pop music with nice vocals ... erol alkan, only one boiler party this year (except the fun avant-opening one, with apparently already 35000 other people camping), lots of beeps and sweet dreams at the end ... hadouken, a great party in the club, nu rave/early prodigy like tunes and so on ... white lies, a (short) dark intermezzo, we'll hear more from them ... state radio, rock with some reggae influences according to the pp-manual, but you'll have to listed good to hear those, nice listening music, with some lost flaming paperpieces still coming down (the day after)... lightspeed champion, with a short set and weird winter muts ... robyn, only heard with every hearbeat from far away, but that sounded like one ... last here, tricky, but with a this is 10 years too late feeling, though black steel is timeless, whatever ... and the amazing screen metallica brought, chokri should have aired part of the weekend never dies there ...

to conclude, i didn't make my 20 bands per day (due to strategic issues, tiredness and sometimes looots of people), so missed again some bands, which i'll make up ... again a great edition, with less unknown surprises (due to strategic issues, tiredness and sometimes looots of people) but more bands playing as or better than expected ... have to say i wonder where portishead, interpol, manu chao, the tellers, ratm, foo fighters were, anyone ?? ... to finish a girls of hawaii quote out of plan your escape (which they didn't play unfortunately, but fits here well) ... thank you for what i've got fuck you for what i'm not ...