Belgium

There are a few reasons why I really like the Flemish part of Belgium...

1. They watch TV in English so whenever I happen to go up there or get a station here, I can watch it in English, yay!

2. Some things in Flemish just really crack me up: "Wat eeten wee?" - what are we eating?, "We komen aan in" - we're arrving (we comin on in...)

3. They REALLY know how to throw music festivals

So for those of you who don't know, Belgium holds some of the finest music festivals in the world, including the one everyone calls THE best on the ENTIRE planet. That one is called the Werchter Festival and has some pretty big hitters this year like, Incubus, Metalica, Muse, My Chemical Romance, The Killers, The Arctic Monkeys, Pearl Jam, Marilyn Manson, Keane, and Snow Patrol. This would be an amazing show but it also costs 160 euros... so I stick with Groezrock!

Don't get my wrong, it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to, it just doesn't hold a light up to the other one in terms of fame.

So me and some friends packed up and headed for Middle-Of-Nowhere, Flanders aka Meerhout. When we got there I think I was going to die of shock from seeing so many emo kids, all at once, all together after not seeing them at all for such a long time. There are pretty much zero francophone emo kids.

We got in and I had to pee, and I have to say, I was VERY impressed by the cleaniless of their port-a-potties, even when I had to go later on, they were still clean! Anyway, there were two stages and neither of the first bands on either stage interested me but I went to the one where Senses Fail was going to be playing after that. To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with Senses Fail but they weren't terrible, it's just the voice sounded a little muffled because of the way he holds the mic... oh well.

Next was Saosin and I was sssooo excited for them! I had just gotten the new cd and loved it so I was pumped. They were so good! In one of the slow songs the Belges suprised me by forgetting the classic lighters or more modern cell phones to wave around, but going for the sparklers. The singer hopped into the crowd a lot and I thought that was pretty cool, although I wasnt anywhere near him, there were over 10,000 people there and I wasn't to keen to be in the front middle to die in the mosh pit.

Then was Motion City Soundtrack! They were definitely my favorites. They were one of the best live bands I've ever seen. His voice live is even better than it is on the cd, which says a lot, considering how high it is. Most bands with high voices *cough cough fall out boy cough* really suck live AND what's more, the guy who sang harmony was actually on key (another thing with seeing bands live). They were really witty too and talked to the crowd a lot. I actually took a video during Everything Is Alright and the sound isn't bad but the video isn't great, I was being jostled around a bit and I ran outta batterie in the middle of it, but here's the link anyway if you feel like watching... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVHJ7HTpUEY

Unfortunately for the All-American Rejects I was looking for a friend and didn't actually get to watch them but did get to hear them, that was alright tho, I'd seen them before. New Found Glory finished it, and they were a band that I'd always liked but never loved or anything like that but in preparation for the show I listened to them a little more, realizing I forgot how much I like them but then was a little disappointed at the show. They were pretty good but they just seemed too cliché... and old. They seem to be getting a little old to be playing punk rock. I dunno, maybe it's just me?

So we went over the to camping site and got about 2 hours of sleep with all the crazy partying going on all over the place and took the first bus in the morning. That concert was so great...

So I typed all this then wanted to upload photos then realized that this thing hates me when I type first then upload photos so that will be the next one.

Bisous,
Chelsea

posted by Chelsea @ 3:01 AM