Festival report: Ieperfest 2012, day one

I've managed to hit a speed-bump of sorts when it comes to life, so my inspiration levels have decreased significantly, which equals less posts on here. Lucky for me, I had my trusty booklet on the festival and I kept notes about my thoughts, so writing will come easier than usual. This event marked the ending of the summer festival season for me and there are tons of things I need to share, some positive some negative. As I already mentioned, after this I will start posting release reviews, which I presume will be a good thing due to the fact that you boys and girls are probably bored by only reading my gig and festival write-ups.

The year 2012 saw a grand twentieth birthday of "Ieperfest", a huge hardcore happening stretched over three days in Ieper, Belgium. What started out as a modest 2-day festival in 1992 today stands as a force to be reckoned with and has become the underground event with the longest tradition. "Genet Records" and "Republyk Vort'n Vis" have been working together all these years, the fruits of their labor manifesting as a really amazing and long list of bands which they hosted. I have to be completely honest and say that in all those 20 years, this is the first time I have heard of the festival and it makes me sad, and ashamed, since I obviously missed out on a lot of amazing bands. When I saw the schedule for the twentieth edition of the event I was instantly mesmerized, to say the least.
Getting into a little bit more detail regarding the festival itself. As I mentioned above, it is located in Ieper, a small town in Belgium, just 15 kilometers from the French border. The site is located next to the road and is fairly easy to be found. There is a really big area for parking and an equally huge camping spot. The field where the camp is settled was kinda hard to maneuver, since the grass was somewhat tall and the very ground is wavy, but in the end it turned out to be manageable. Two things really surprised me when it comes to the lodging area and those are extremely clean, and nice smelling, toilets and a spot with showers. Although my woman and me were true hardcore/punk/crust and so we didn't shower during the festival, it is very neat to know that you can if you need to.
Another awesome thing was the food, though it comes with a flaw of sorts. 100% vegan dishes featuring seitan stew, scrambled tofu, pasta with minced soy, fries, vegan ice cream, fruit and many other things on the menu kept everyone filled with energy and also being extremely tasty in the process. However, the downside was the fact that you had to buy tokens in order to get food and drinks. Not only are the plastic coins entirely environmentally unfriendly, which goes against the policies of the festival, but most of the times they are hard to get since the lines are huge. The same goes for actually getting the food, since the waiting time tends to be quite long. At one occasion we actually measured the time we waited in the que, ending up being locked in the line for more than 30 minutes. My suggestion would be to make the meal distribution like on "Fluff Fest", one really big tent and multiple stands. And definitely lose the plastic coins, for reasons obvious.
One other thing worth mentioning, despite the fact that it will get its share of words throughout the review, is the "More Than Music" tent. Filled with info-desks, a small zine library and a podium for presentations, documentary movies and interviews with bands, this tent served as an extreme example of the festival's desire to educate people. I spent a fine amount of time in the "MTM" tent, but the sad thing is that every time I went there I realized that not a lot of people are present or they are just there to relax in the library. In general, I felt really alienated from the majority of the crowd because it was a completely different scene than the one I usually am a part of, so I guess it is just a different mindset of the audience. Despite that I give utter praise to the festival for trying to have an educative aspect and putting a huge accent on supporting the vegan lifestyle and the anti-fascist, ALF/ELF movements.

Now I will present to you the entire list of bands for the first festival days. I just now remembered one awesome thing about "Ieperfest", a thing that events like "Fluff Fest" and "New Noise" should really take note of. Although the timetables were extremely tightly knit, there would be only one band playing at a certain time. Even though there might have been a delay in the tent, for instance, the band on the main stage would not begin playing until the tent band was done. This way you can see everything and you don't have to stab yourself in the face and shoot people because you have to sacrifice one band in order to see another one. So festivals, watch and learn. Anyway, here is the schedule for day one:
- Sydney Ducks (T)
- Midnight Souls (M)
- Dukatalon (T)
- Take Offense (M)
- Coke Bust (T)
- The Mongoloids (M)
- Dean Dirg (T)
- Death By Stereo (M)
- For The Glory (T)
- Kylesa (M)
- Skarhead (T)
- Norma Jean (M)
- Homer (T)
- Knuckledust (M)
- The Chariot (T)
- Corrosion of Conformity (M)
- Mucky Pup (T)
- Crown of Thornz (M)
- Aborted (T)
- Funeral For A Friend (M)
- Congress (T)
- Agnostic Front (M)

The band which kicked off the festival for me was "Dukatalon" and it was a truly pleasant surprise. Not only was it really cool to see a band hailing from Israel, but the output they presented was excellent. This three-piece project mixed tones of sludge and post metal, creating a heavy and eerie sound wall of sound. They excel at making truly enormous and perfectly flowing soundscapes, a trait which is quite impressive since we are dealing with a trio here. The band just swept away everything, no special effects or makeup, just straightforward stomping, overtly grim and mood-bending atmospherics. This was definitely the surprise of the day and I recommend that you all check them out. I'm yet to take a listen to their recordings, but I'm pretty sure that they will grasp my liking even at home.

"Coke Bust", strike two. And I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed. The band was equally energetic as on "Fluff Fest", but back there they just sounded better. In the Czech Republic, the songs were much more discernible and, at the same time, far more aggressive, while on "Ieperfest" they ended up being too noisy and just not that violent. I still like the band though and it was a pleasure to hear "Fumigation", "No Authority" and all of their other tracks they performed on tour. Once again, definitely take a listen to these guys and keep an eye open for them.

My initial plan was to go and see "Dean Dirg", but as it turns out they cancelled. And not only that, but the band actually broke up, which really made me bummed out since I basically could have seen one of their last ever shows. So instead I kinda hanged out with my girlfriend and our friend until it was time for "Death By Stereo". I have to say, this ended up as being a sort of black sheep of day one due to the fact that the band managed to piss me off with just one of their live statements. The band started out fairly well, providing a great amount of energy and being instantly entertaining. At that point I really regretted the fact that I missed their show in my hometown some time ago, since I imagined a smaller show being even more energetic. Then, however, came a couple of sentences from the singer where he noted that "there are not a lot of emo kids in the crowd". "Good, they are hurting our scene." Okay. First of all, and this is coming from someone who is mainly going to punk festivals and gigs and I am sure that a lot of my readers will concur, I really disapprove of any sort of verbal oppression, intolerance or insults, unless the said statements are against the system because that's what this is all about basically. Even if I wasn't a punk and an anarchist, it's safe to say that my dear mom and dad did a fairly good job at raising someone who is not an intolerant douche. Second, those words sounded like they came out from 2006, when people mistook a movement of teenagers wearing eyeliner and checkered bracelets for "emo kids" and went around to beat them up. Even if you're gonna bash something, at least learn your damned terminology. I might fall into the category which you might call an emo since I listen to emo obviously. You know, bands like "Rites of Spring" and the tightly connected screamo like "Saetia" and yeah I'd go and cry my eyes out on their show, or I'd go and listen to "Orchid" and smash your brains out. Those words on stage, coming from someone who started out in 1998 when emo and screamo were truly strong, are really disgraceful and just stupid. Maybe I'm being too judgmental and I take my music seriously, but I'll leave that to the readers to decide. All in all, total disappointment.

Ages ago I was dying to see "Kylesa" live, yet there I was on "Ieperfest" being ready to see them a second time. Previously I saw them in Nijmegen, a show about which you can read here, and I was really curious how they will sound like on this occasion. And it is safe to say that I definitely enjoyed their performance on the festival far more than in "Doornroosje". "Said And Done", "Don't Look Back", "Unknown Awareness" and "Scapegoat" are just some of the songs which were performed and which sounded far more awesome than on the previous show. The sound was much more gigantic and even more clear and impacting than before, so it really seems that the band can do no wrong. Additionally, I have to say that the female vocals were excellent this time, since previously I had some complaints. On this occasion everything was definitely like on recordings, nicely executed singing and screaming which was on par with the album material, a strong and heavy instrumental section and a truly massive sound overall, something that "Kylesa" is well known for. Overall, this was a superb performance, way better than I hoped for. 

"Norma Jean" was up next on the main stage and I was fairly excited, since I heard that they are really entertaining live. I honestly didn't listen to them before, but their tunes ended up being extremely catchy and interesting, so I enjoyed their set quite a lot. The band was also really cool to look at, bursting with quite a lot of energy and providing a fine dose of wild maneuvers on stage. What did leave a murky experience is the fact that the crowd was really stiff and unmoved, this actually happening on most of the shows on the festival, and you could somewhat sense that the band was slightly irritated by it. Or well, at least I found it quite weird to see a band jump around and swing their instruments while the crowd is just existing there. The vocalist addressed the crowd numerous of times, but to no avail. Still, the band did their part really efficiently and I definitely don't have any complaints. One of the last songs, or maybe even the last one I can't really recall, featured the singer of "The Chariot" as a guest vocalist and that was a really climactic point where everything went insane. I have to say that I would really love to grab a chance and see them in a smaller venue on their own gig, which I presume would be a totally insane experience.

Here we come to something that never happened to me while writing a review and that is the fact that two bands in a row get almost identical critique. Prior to the festival I was told that whatever I do I just have to go and see "The Chariot" so, voila, I did just that. Like with "Norma Jean", I was so pumped up with words regarding their live performances, since I only heard praises, but after the show I had no idea what to write in my booklet due to the fact that the set didn't leave any sort of impression on me. But hey, maybe that is a good thing sometimes? The sound was really fast and powerful with really peculiar melodies. Additionally in correlation with the previous band, "The Chariot" radiated with energy and they could have done a lot more, but the crowd just didn't respond properly and I think that the lack of a response really reflected on the band. Nevertheless, they provided a lot of crazy movement on the small stage, which I failed to completely see since I was standing at the left side of the entrance, so my vision was somewhat flawed. And again similarly to "Norma Jean", I hope to see them live on a gig which they are headlining, so maybe one day I get my chance.

Now was the time for a band that is probably one of the most unexpected names to get an invitation to the festival. "Funeral For A Friend", the famous post hardcore hailing from Wales, might have seemed to be completely out of place on this event, but they managed to put on a fantastic performance and end up being one of the most positive bands of the entire "Ieperfest". Ages ago I used to listen to them and, although I stopped somewhere along the way, they succeeded to bring back some truly nice memories. Aside of the fact that they sounded excellent, it was just their great attitude and energy that made me love their set. The band simply came on stage and had fun, enjoying every second of it, making it almost impossible for people around not to like them. They addressed the audience on numerous occasions, excusing themselves and saying that they know they aren't really hardcore, which I found  quite friendly in a way and, if I may say so, cute. That entire "we are all different, let's just have a fun time" attitude definitely crowned their set and it made me enjoy every second of it and with a huge smile on my face. I really haven't listened to the band in a long long while, so I forgot most of their song names and whatnot, but I do remember that they played "Bullet Theory" and "Roses For The Dead". I took a listen to them at home while writing this review and I have to say that I am extremely happy that I had the pleasure to see them live. Maybe I'm not a real fan or whatever, you might not be one as well, but I definitely recommend anyone to go to their show, you will go home full of energy.

The closing act of the day was the legendary hardcore band from New York, "Agnostic Front". No matter how well known and famous, I didn't really enjoy them live and I ended up walking away after a few songs. I have no idea what was going on, but their sound seemed extremely weak and somehow "empty" for a five-piece. I could barely notice any sort of melody, or anything else for that matter, and even the vocalist was weirdly heard. At first I thought that it was just the place where I was standing, but the sound remained obscure even when I moved through and out of the stage area. Not a really glorious end of the day, but I knew that the next one will be insane.

Festival report: Fluff Fest 2012, day one

 "Ieperfest" and my trip to Belgium is long over, thus I am home once again. At this point I have no further travelling plans, which really bums me out since it means that I won't be seeing my better half any time soon. I do, however, have some local gigs coming up and definitely expect to read about  those in the near future, as well as an "Ieperfest" review of course. There are also some changes and upgrades which I am currently planing for the blog, so stay tuned about that. Additionally, I have a lot of unanswered e-mails and releases waiting to be written about, so thanks to everyone who provided continual attention and patience for my feedback. Until I get back to all of you, here are my thoughts concerning this year's "Fluff Fest".

Celebrating its twelfth edition, this year "Fluff Fest" was held from 20th to 22nd July 2012 at the well known Rokycany Airfield, the Czech Republic. This was my second consecutive year on the event and I already wrote briefly about the happening in my previous festival report regarding it. Even despite my words about it on this blog, the festival has become all too known and has definitely grabbed an almost cult following over the years. With a lengthy list of bands that have played and a solid message and ethics, "Fluff Fest" is a synonym for both good entertaining times, friendship and education of its attendants.

Without further ado, here is the timetable for the main and tent stages on the first festival day, 20 July 2012:

Main Stage:

2:45 PM - Wojczech

3:30 PM - Weekend Nachos

4:15 PM - Reign Supreme

5:05 PM - Coke Bust

6:00 PM - End Of A Year aka Self Defense Family

7:00 PM - Graf Orlock

8:00 PM - Loma Prieta

9:00 PM - Defeater

Tent Stage:

3:20 PM - My Turn

4:05 PM - Sick Fix

4:55 PM - Comfort Woman

5:45 PM - Grieved

6:45 PM - Nine Eleven

7:45 PM - Code Orange Kids

8:50 PM - No Omega

10:00 PM - Former Thieves

Since we arrived deep into the night on the 19th July, we had enough time during the following day to make sure that "Wojczech" was grabbed first. I never heard about this band before, but I was quickly noted that it has a fair bit of history behind itself. And when I say a "bit" I actually mean sixteen years, so that particular fact left me quite flabbergasted. Either way, the band's performance was nothing short of brutal. Extremely heavy and maniacal hardcore grind mixture with a lot of precise melody shifts and amazing vocals. The vocals were the thing that definitely grabbed the most of my attention. Vocal duties were bouncing between two band members and their outlet was simply awesome. Although it was just the two of them, they managed to produce a score of various vocal sounds, providing a really interesting diversity to the songs. All in all, this was a real surprise for me and the band definitely made me want to check them out properly at home and keep an eye out for them.

“Weekend Nachos” arrived next and it was one hell of a punch to the senses. Throw a massive batch of hardcore, powerviolence and grind into the mixing pot and there you have it, a deadly concoction for a weekend meal of aggression. I have to say that I don't remember bits and pieces of their set, thus I'll keep this short, but I recall being utterly mesmerized with the amount of violence and chaos they unleashed. Despite all the madness and short songs, the band manages to implement a lot of interesting twists and turns regarding melodies in their tunes, which makes it a not so typical chaotic band. I seriously feel like their performance lasted only a couple of minutes, since the whirlwind under their name just rushed past everything. In short, just check them out and stop missing out.

“Coke Bust”. Straight edge, angry and insanely fast. A band hailing from Washington, DC, they attacked with short spasm-like songs and an "in your face" attitude. Their entire set was a true beating to the ears and it just kept coming, over and over again. "Fumigation", "No Authority", "Pain And Suffering", all were thrown at the audience in a maddening rush. The sound was presented with an amazing quality and flawless execution which is a huge plus for a band of this caliber. At that point in time I knew that there was a small, but possible, chance that I get to see "Coke Bust" again on "Ieperfest" and seeing them once more would be awesome. Since you'll be reading about the band twice, I'll stop here and save some material for later. Until then, definitely check them out, this band is a must.

It was time to go catch “Grieved”, a Swedish quintet which actually teamed up with "No Omega" for a  European tour and made "Fluff Fest" one of their stops along the way. Although I find the band to be a rather typical incarnation of dark hardcore, which I do enjoy at home I might add, they proved to be entertaining live. The sound was massive and pounding, which always spells out chaos when such a band is placed on the tent stage. I didn't stick around for the entire set, but even the part that I did witness was enough for me to be completely satisfied. The band and its members are still young, so I presume there is a lot more to come from them and it should be kept under a watchful eye.

“Graf Orlock” strike two. And what to say more other than the fact that this was the first band this  year which made "Fluff Fest" go absolutely nuts. Immediate stage diving, crowd surfing, screaming and just total mayhem ensued while the band lashed out with their movie samples and choking melodies. The band had a fairly similar setlist like last time I saw them, which was on "Cry Me A River" and you can read about it here, but here the sound was much more powerful and heavier. As chaotic as their songs are, their sound was unbelievably clear and technical now, so their performance was stunning in every way possible. As the show kept getting more intense and crazy, the band members seemed more and more amazed by the crowd and their reception, so they went wild themselves. The singer kept stage diving and interacting with the audience, which made the entire gig that much more awesome. Once again "The Dream Left Behind" was played last, but this time the entire band crowd surfed away, marking the end of the show with style.

“Loma Prieta” strike four. Aside of meeting the guys from the band once again, since I got to know them a little bit thanks to my girlfriend, it was amazing to see them play one last time on their European tour. This was by far their loudest and most gigantic sounding performance I saw and heard, although as nearly chaotic as the show in Munster. They swallowed the entire audience with the mayhem they brewed, backed up by interesting visual entertainment, since I always found it interesting to gaze at the insane speed with which they play. The band itself was equally alive, so much in fact that the closure of their set almost ended up in their equipment being thrashed. Part of the drum kit ended up being dismantled, a guitar flew into the set, the bass dropped to the ground. After four reviews there really isn't much left to say, other than that you should try to grab a gig and keep this band under your radar for the future. It was really nice meeting them in person, so if you can go and talk to them at a show just do so, they are truly awesome people.

As soon as the quartet from the US finished their set, it was time for “No Omega”. I have seen this band last year on the Pre-Fluff gig in Prague, about which you can read here, and after that performance I completely fell for the project. Recently a new outlet from the band came in the form of an album named "Metropolis", which I took a really long and good listen to, and I have to say that they kept my liking firmly. As a result, I was extremely excited about seeing the new material being performed live. Songs like "Breathe" and "Heavy Rain" were played, along with my old time favorite "Raven's Fair", and once again they managed to blow me away live. Their sound remained to be very heavy and dark, although the band implemented more melodic and faster parts on the new recordings which made their set that much wilder. The crowd responded respectively, displaying a lot of dancing, kinda annoying karate kid moshing and jumping on stage. I did a tiny bit of dancing, more focusing on singing along and just enjoying the overall scene. I also briefly saw the band once more on the "After Fluff Matinee", which I won't do a write-up on, and they remain to be entertaining time and time again.

Skipping "Defeater" for reasons that are obvious and staying at the tent, “Former Thieves” were up next. I won't spend that much time writing this section of the review, simply because I didn't really enjoy the band. Aside of the huge attention they mustered in recent time, they just failed to grasp my attention and I ended up staying at their show due to the fact that one of my friends wanted to see them. If it was up to me, I'd much rather go and eat or loom over distros. Still, I realized that the project really has a crowd that is enjoying their tunes, so cheers to the band in that regard.
The first day was over after a really nice batch of bands and for me it was calling it quits for the night, since I was insanely tired, so I drifted away into slumber whilst disco was blasting in the party tent. Stay tuned for more!