{"id":10349,"date":"2015-05-05T12:16:48","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T12:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/live-review-groezrock-2015-meerhout-belgium-2\/"},"modified":"2018-07-10T12:53:55","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T11:53:55","slug":"live-review-groezrock-2015-meerhout-belgium-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/live-review-groezrock-2015-meerhout-belgium-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Live Review: Groezrock 2015 –\u00a0Meerhout, Belgium – 01\/05\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"It genuinely feels like spring when Groezrock<\/b> rolls around, and this year, despite a monumental hailstorm while pitching the tent, is no different. The beer\u2019s flowing freely, 40,000 punks from across Europe have converged on the tiny village of Meerhout, approximately 50km east of Antwerp, and some of the finest punk, hardcore and emo bands are scheduled to play across 5 stages.<\/p>\n

Kicking off proceedings on the main stage, Joyce Manor<\/b> are the ideal wake-me-up following Thursday\u2019s chaotic campsite party. Drawing largely off of their self-titled 2013 album and 2012\u2019s \u2018Of All Things I will Soon Grow Tired\u2018<\/i>, the likes of \u2018Beach Community\u2019<\/i>, \u2018Derailed\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Famous Friends\u2019<\/i> are all appreciatively received from an impressively large crowd considering the time. However, following the success of last year\u2019s \u2018Never Hungover Again\u2019<\/i>, the biggest sing-along I reserved for the excellent \u2018Heart Tattoo\u2019<\/i>, while a cheeky cover of Weezer\u2019s \u2018You Gave Your Love To Me Softly\u2019<\/i> ensures Groezrock 2015 gets off to a grin-inducing start. (3.5\/5)<\/p>\n

Talking of grins, Beach Slang<\/b>\u2019s James Snyder is beaming from ear-to-ear. Bassist Ed McNulty would later tell me that they were warned not to expect much of a crowd due to the early hour they were playing, but the tent is filled to capacity and beyond. It seems the word is out about just how good the Philadelphia mob are \u2013 and those with any doubts would soon have them dispelled. In fact, expect the hype around the group to only increase after delivering one of the finest festival sets I\u2019ve ever seen. <\/p>\n

Looking like he\u2019s off to an interview at an Ivy League university (complete with jumper and blazer), Snyder does not look like a rock star. He sure as hell throws himself around stage like one though. A blur of kinetic energy he barely stands still, wielding his guitar like a weapon. I imagine catching The Replacements in their 80s pomp would have been a similar experience, and it\u2019s what festivals are all about. The set is simply thrilling viewing and the crowd responds in kind. It helps they have the tunes too, with \u2018All Fuzzed Out\u2019<\/i>, \u2018Filthy Luck\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Punk or Lust\u2019<\/i> all sounding like they\u2019ve come straight from the college rock radio boom and dressed up in 90\u2019s alt-rock clothes. Midway through \u2018American Girls and French Kisses\u2019<\/i>, with the pit singing back every word, Snyder looks up and drinks it all in. He looks bemused, perplexed and elated all at the same time. It\u2019s something he might have to get used to. (5\/5)<\/p>\n

Someone else going through a range of emotions on stage is The Swellers<\/b>\u2019 Nick Diener. This is the Michigan Group\u2019s last ever show, and the group are determined to go out on a high. Fans are out in force too, and although a mid-afternoon set is far from ideal, they go at it from the off. By the time Diener screams \u201cThanks for letting me into your home\u201d<\/i> on their penultimate song, \u2018Running Out Of Places To Go\u2019<\/i>, it seems a beautifully fitting end to a bittersweet set. That they followed it up with \u2018The Best I Ever Had\u2019<\/i>, they ensure it was a triumphant end to a challenging and emotional set. (3\/5)<\/p>\n

Unbelievably, this is Gnarwolves<\/b> first ever appearance at Groezrock \u2013 but it\u2019s clear the kids down the front have been clamouring for this to happen for the last couple of years. The tent is heaving \u2013 although the circle pit is big enough down the front you could drive a truck through the middle of it and still have room to spare. Naturally, Gnarwolves<\/b> feed off the energy and deliver a raucous, high-octane set to show Groezrock what they\u2019ve been missing. It culminates with a frenzied \u2018Melody Has Big Plans\u2019<\/i> which descends into stage-diving, finger-pointing and slam-dancing chaos. (3.5\/5)<\/p>\n

After all that carnage, Masked Intruder<\/b> represent a more sedate way to spend the afternoon \u2013 although they face their own challenge in getting away from their brilliant hype guy\/cheerleader Officer Bradford. Proceeding to run around and pretend to hit the intruders during \u2018I Fought The Law\u2019<\/i> \u2013 and giving the audience an officer\u2019s eye view of police brutality thanks to his helmet camera, he\u2019s a high-kicking, high-camp addition to Masked Intruder<\/b>, adding a whole different dimension to their linear punk rock sound. Despatched into the crowd, and with Officer Bradford\u2019s camera linked to the big screen, it\u2019s hugely entertaining snapshot of the fun people were having during the Masked Intruder<\/b> set. Combined with a guest appearance by Not On Tour\u2019s Sima for \u2018Heart Shaped Guitar\u2019<\/i> and Masked Intruder<\/b> very nearly got away with stealing the show over the weekend. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n

The Hotelier<\/b> were perhaps the biggest underground success story of 2014, and The Revenge tent is again busy to see if the band can justify the hype. The moment hundreds of voices join in the opening line, \u201cOpen the curtains\u201d<\/i>, from \u2018An Introduction to the Album\u2019<\/i>, the answer is a resounding \u201cYes!\u201d<\/i>. Vocalist Christian Holden holds notes and emphasises different phrases compared to the record, which makes for an interesting watch, but the band have honed their act to get every bit of emotion out of the material, including elongating songs such as \u2018An Introduction\u2026\u2019<\/i> to increase the tension. That said, they rip through crowd favourite \u2018Your Deep Rest\u2019<\/i> with ferocious speed, while \u2018Dendron\u2019<\/i> is the perfect closing number to an emotionally draining set. Like Beach Slang<\/b>, you\u2019ll be mad to miss them when they head to the UK. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n

Against Me!<\/b> are old hands at this festival lark, and it\u2019s consequently a bit of a surprise to find them so low down on the bill. Not that Laura Jane Grace and Co. are bothered as they tear into \u2018I Was A Teenage Anarchist\u2019<\/i> to the delight of a bumper crowd at the main-stage. Despite their set feeling all-too-brief, it\u2019s packed with audience sing-alongs, with both \u2018Unconditional Love\u2019<\/i> and \u2018The Ocean\u2019<\/i> really standing out. (4\/5)<\/p>\n

The Smith Street Band<\/b> are also experienced festival performers and Groezrock favourites, and a late afternoon slot on the stage-diving friendly Revenge stage was the perfect recipe for a stellar set. Combined with a rabid support \u2013 you couldn\u2019t walk 10 foot all weekend without seeing someone in either a Smith Street Band t-shirt or bobble hat \u2013 then you have festival gold. And so it proved after a low-key start with \u2018Something I Can Hold In My Hands\u2019<\/i>. \u2018Don\u2019t Fuck With Our Dreams\u2019<\/i> was the soundtrack to a cavalcade of bodies throwing themselves off stage, while the triple whammy of \u2018Sigourney Weaver\u2019<\/i>, \u2018Young Drunk\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Throw Me In The River\u2019<\/i> ensured everyone left the tent deliriously happy. (4\/5)<\/p>\n

Go back two years and I could safely bet that there wasn\u2019t a single person in the Revenge tent who would have expected to have seen Knapsack<\/b> perform again. That this is their first ever European show after first splitting in 2000, means the tent is fittingly rammed to capacity and there\u2019s a palpable excitement and tension in the air. Considering their last full-length, \u2018This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now\u2019<\/i>, came out the best part of 18 years ago, it feels weird to say this, but it was very much worth the wait. <\/p>\n

As a fanboy side note, Blair Shenan remains one of my all-time favourite lyricists and vocalists, both with Knapsack<\/b> and The Jealous Sound and to witness him sing in person for the first time was a real privilege. That voice \u2013 by which I mean THAT voice \u2013 really is something to behold, switching from poised and graceful to this raging, powerful maelstrom of emotion is something else, and he absolutely delivered. Interestingly, each of Knapsack<\/b>\u2019s albums show such growth in terms of style and ability, it was remarkable how cohesive it all sounded live, with the likes of \u2018Thursday Side Of The Street\u2019<\/i> sounding a little less rugged than they are on record. But for me, seeing \u2018Change Is All The Rage\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Katherine The Grateful\u2019<\/i> live was worth the journey to Groezrock alone. (5\/5)<\/p>\n

Mineral<\/b> are another band which took an eternity to get to Europe, making their debut appearance in February this year. Back for Groezrock, they were so good a few months back, it was clearly a no-brainer about watching them again. Last time, vocalist Chris Simpson was struggling with a throat infection and cough, but gamely battled through. But this time, fully fit, they were even better. Drummer Gabriel Wiley is still just as mesmerising, however, and it is astonishing the dexterity with which he drums and, like last time, I find myself getting drawn to his performance alone. If you ever want to a masterclass, he\u2019s your man. Regardless, Mineral<\/b> are again fantastic and \u2018ForIvadell\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Palisade\u2019<\/i> both showing just how second-wave emo will always have a special place in my heart. (4\/5)<\/p>\n

After a long day Title Fight<\/b> offer one last chance of no-barriers fun on the Revenge Stage \u2013 only it seems no-one told Title Fight, who play a somewhat fractured set, flitting between the downbeat, shoegaze post-punk of last full-length, \u2018Hyperview\u2019<\/i> and their more punked-up earlier sound. It\u2019s a funny juxtaposition, as the likes of opener \u2018Murder Your Memory\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Rose of Sharon\u2019<\/i> get met with appreciative applause but little gusto, while \u2018Shed\u2019<\/i> and songs from \u2018Floral Green\u2019<\/i> are greeted with flailing limbs and numerous stage-divers. It means Title Fight<\/b> are caught between two sticks when it comes to playing live, resulting in an interesting, if somewhat downbeat, end to the first day\u2019s proceedings. (2.5\/5)<\/p>\n

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It genuinely feels like spring when Groezrock rolls around, and this year, despite a monumental hailstorm while pitching the tent, is no different. The beer\u2019s flowing freely, 40,000 punks from across Europe have converged on the tiny village of Meerhout, approximately 50km east of Antwerp, and some of the finest punk, hardcore and emo bands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":14026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8181],"tags":[4170,1575,748,1216,3548,2874,5886,5881,3318,5887,15022,2285,1977,5885,795],"class_list":["post-10349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-reviews","category-post","tag-4170","tag-against-me","tag-beach-slang","tag-gnarwolves","tag-groezrock","tag-joyce-manor","tag-knapsack","tag-live-reviews","tag-masked-intruder","tag-mineral","tag-rob-mair","tag-the-hotelier","tag-the-smith-street-band","tag-the-swellers","tag-title-fight"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLive Review: Groezrock 2015 -\u00a0Meerhout, Belgium - 01\/05\/2015 - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It genuinely feels like spring when Groezrock rolls around, and this year, despite a monumental hailstorm while pitching the tent, is no different. 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