The guys that were given the honour of starting this event were The Hangmen, who make rock ‘n roll. They played inside the Baroeg, but the sound wasn’t anywhere near outstanding and I had already missed more than half of their set, so I didn’t witness too much of this.

The band to kick it off in the tent was No Turning Back, which also functioned as a replacement for the cancelled Discharge. I had seen their name practically everywhere, but I had never seen them live. Their hardcore managed to get things moving instantly, an enthusiastic stage performance and a very well sound just lit the crowd on fire. There was some intensive mosh action only feet away from me so I was caught up with that hardcore feel. But as is the case with most hardcore, after half the set I was getting bored so I ventured back into the Baroeg again, where the next band was getting ready for their performance.

 

Flesh Made Sin was the band, thrash metal was the story. This was my second time to see them, but again the sound proved poorly arranged and I couldn’t stand more than three tracks. Nevertheless they got some headbanging going, and I believe even a moshpit. Just too bad that their tight playing got lost in the chaos a bit. I also have to add that there are thrash bands in Holland with far better and most of all catchier riffs than this one, for instance Legion Of The Damned and Outburst.

Then it was time for one of the reasons I was attending this festival, the inevitable Textures. Opening track was of course ‘Drive’ but the sound started out a bit mild. This increased within two or three songs and it wasn’t long before I found myself slamdancing with some other maniacs. Of course they played an absurdly tight and convincing show, but since I’ve been confronted with that quite some times now, I felt like violent dancing more than getting flabbergasted. Unavoidable tracks like ‘Polars’ and ‘Regenesis’ came by and the crowd was very happy to receive them. A good show by, for me, the best band of the day.

 

After this I was bruised and beaten and I really didn’t feel like seeing a black metal band so I went to get something to eat. But as they had strategically placed the snackbar in a narrow passage between all the merch stands and such, it was very crowded so we went across to the supermarket, also to get additional cheap nasty beer. Jaeger rules! I ran into my friends from Inhume whom I hadn’t seen in a while, so I missed some gay electro industrial goth stuff called Das Ich which I’m really not into, no harm done. The place was crawling by the way with fluorescent dreadlocked latex skirt wearing cybergothics, which I honestly find a scary sight. Taste varies, we’ll just say before I go on a hostile rant. 

So, a bit more drunk and stoned, I felt just in the mood for some top-notch goregrind in the form of the aforementioned Inhume. Before they had even finished soundchecking and such, the crowd already started to get out of control. The retarded mosh farmer sphere was definitely apparent, oh how I missed that. It must have been more than a year since I had seen them, so I was anxious for some ultra blasting noise. As soon as the first track they played together since a month started, the place instantly turned into a prehistoric battlefield, and it stayed that way until they left the stage. What mayhem! Even with a tired neck my head was still banging, and I even ended up thrashing from side to side. The sound was excellent, nice and dirty like a pitchfork stirring in your guts while blowtorching your anal exit. The six-piece once again proved that there is no better high-tempo goregrind band in this country, and with the new album entitled Chaos, Dissection, Order of which we heard quite some new tracks they’ll surely prove again that they still reign supreme. I heard it has got more groove to it, be warned!

 

Well, I guess it was time for arrogance-gothrockers After Forever to take over the stage in the tent, but I could care less. Burn ‘em, crucify ‘em, even keelhaul ‘em, just keep them out of my sight. But as always they were received with the glory they probably deserve, I just felt like getting drunk was a better idea. I saw some tracks from Backfire! after that, but I really wasn’t that interested in hardcore.

The headliner of this free festival was chosen in the form of Suicide Commando, and for some reason I was caught in a Dour festival spirit since it was quite experimental (from what I remember), and it was comprised of beats and industrial noises with distorted vocals. Me, hanging around in the back of the tent, dancing with the lads of Inhume, for what you might call dancing, wondered if all the latex dreadlocks were going out of their mind in front of the stage. So I ventured off towards the stage to witness it with my own eyes. And yes, typically Dutch, no movement whatsoever. I guess since depression is like the flu with these people, they all stood and stared, covered in make-up and horrible outfits. My suggestion for this is, inspired by The Ramones, put something in their drinks! Get some action going out there man, you bunch of zombies! I’ll quit here before I get mailbox bomb threats and find my cat sodomized and fluorescent.

 

Nevertheless, I had a great time at this free festival, which was organised very professionally and I hope that it will become a tradition to do this every year. Baroeg surely proved they can handle this, even when 3000 visitors show up, which is double of what they expected. Hail to heavy music, free festivals, and me being drunk yelling at cybergothics.