The thing is that you can never please every person. This was the 40th anniversary of Pinkpop, Europe’s oldest festival and it takes place in my hometown, Landgraaf. It was the 8th time that I was there and I have many good memories when it comes to Pinkpop.

I was thrilled when I heard who was coming to Pinkpop, but I have heard people complaining too. And that is what I mean you can’t please everyone, especially not when you are talking about a group of 70 000 people.

What do you expect of course you don’t know and like all 40 bands! What did you expect that is impossible. I heard ‘older’ people complain that the festival was different then in the earlier days … dôh you are talking about 40 years ago! That the festival was more programmed towards young people … well hey they used to be the younger people once … the bands that where present at Pinkpop where a mixture of older bands and newer bands.

If you only want to exclusively see the bands from the seventies and eighties you should probably go to ‘Pinkpop Classics’. Really you can’t expect that a festival is programmed towards your liking and that nothing changes in 40 years.

Let’s be realistic here and look at the festival as it was. I think Pinkpop is still a festival which attracts people of all ages and they have fun all together. The weather was all on our side, the sun was shining we saw some great performances what more can we ask for? I had a blast I can’t put it any other way! I would be lying if I claimed anything else.

Okay, I am getting off my soapbox now and let you continue on with my review from Pinkpop the way I saw it. Here is what I liked or disliked;

Pinkpop 2009 Saturday

May 30th 2009

When I first arrived at Pinkpop right before it started I walk straight towards the tent stage to see the first performance. The ‘Noisettes‘, and damn did they open the show it was awesome. The Pinkpop kick off couldn’t have been better, they got the party started. The singer really has a lot of action, jumping around and dancing.

And the drummer well at the end of the set he pushed have of his drum kit off the drum stage. There was a lot of action, great songs and a great atmosphere in the tent. I think that a lot of people where impressed by the show they gave away it really was that good. This is really a band to keep your eyes on. I think that we will hear a lot more from them. I really like the song ‘Don’t upset the rhythm’. Coincidentally I heard a song today on the radio a new single which sounded really good as well though it did remind me a little bit of Amy Winehouse but that is okay cause I like her music a lot too if only she could stop the whole drinking and drugs thing that is less desirable.

After the Noisettes we and everyone else probably went to the main stage to see Chris Cornell. I have to say that I am not really familiar with his music and I only knew one song but it is a song which I really like. Which is the song ‘Part of me’, it is one of those songs which get stuck in your head and you can’t get the tune out. I saw it on MTV a couple of times, but I somehow never saw the name of the artist well it turns out that it was Chris Cornell and though that name rings a bell somewhere I still have no idea who he is.

Upon looking him up I found out that he was in Soundgarden which is a band that I am familiar with but don’t really know any details about either. I always think that it is hard to really say something about a performance when you don’t really know the music or the artist. This performance didn’t really do all that much to me mostly because as I said I don’t know the music. It wasn’t bad at all it just wasn’t special either.

One colleagues, a music lover like me, also went to Pinkpop and there was one band which he really recommended to me. You have, like I, probably never heard of it but since I usually like the kind of music he likes I followed his recommendation and went to see ‘Me first and the Gimme Gimmes‘.

If you ever have the chance to see them live and you don’t mind punk music check them out. Really honestly, check them out they are hilarious. The members of the band are originally members of other bands who started this as a fun project. The band members are from bands such as NOFX, Lagwagon and Foo Fighters. They never had the desire to release any cd’s but a couple of years later they have. They only make use of covers, usually from well known songs and turn it into punkversions, they use songs like ‘Don’t let the sun go down on me’ (from Elton John), ‘You’ve got a friend’ (from Carole King).

On stage they wear matching outfits and make fun of everything. For instance with each song they did they mentioned how good they are in fact they are better than all the original bands. And they couldn’t stop talking about the silly pink hats which you can buy at Pinkpop to support Amnesty International. It was so funny! Really if you ever have the chance, and you want to have a good laugh!

‘The Killers‘ also performed on Pinkpop Saturday, I really was looking forward to seeing them live on stage and with me I guess a lot of other people. They are really popular right at this moment in the Netherlands and I was kind of hoping that they would be at Pinkpop but you never know it they can manage too book them or not. The Killers rocked they where so cool! I loved it, what can I say they really did show what they can do on stage and it worked. It was a really good warm up to Bruce Springsteen later that same evening. The singer of The Killers even did a one song together with Bruce Springsteen & the E street band. And well what is there to say about Bruce. I mean they reallty don’t call him ‘The Boss’ for nothing. He is awesome!

Pinkpop 2009 had some beautiful sunsets, this was during the Bruce Springsteen concert on Saturday.

Bruce and the E street band where on stage close to three hours. And when fans in the audience held up cardboard plates with names of songs he actually collected them and performed a couple of the songs. At the very end of the set he did ‘Dancing in the dark’. As you might know in the original clip, Bruce pulls a girl onto the stage who he dances with, this girl (coincidentally or not) is ‘Friends’ actress Courtney Cox Arquette. A girl in the audience was holding up a cardboard plate with the text ‘Dutch Courtney Cox’, with the help of a security guy she was pulled onto the stage and he danced with her. He really interacted with the audience and it was cool to see a man, a legend like this on the stage.

Sunday I was a little late but since I had no idea who the first two bands where I didn’t really mind. I wanted to see Milow and I was early for that performance.

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and everyone was relaxed and in a good mood siting on the grass watching the stage or the screen when Milow started with his set. I like his music, and who doesn’t know that 50 Cent cover ‘Ayo Technology’.

Maria Mena, if you know me then you also know that I love this woman. Her writing style is something I really admire. I like the way she uses certain descriptions in her song, like for instance ‘Bottle up your smile and pour it in a cup. I’ll be on my way once I sobered up’. I don’t know, lyrics to me are important sometimes even more important then the song.

And Maria Mena is one of those people who I really admire for her creativity and talent. And I was fortunate enough to tell her that myself. I had to wait in line for a while but it was worth it. I have an autographed cd and the chance to tell her that I like her music. That autographed cd cover is so going on my wall right underneath Beth Hart’s autographed cd cover from ‘Leave the light on’.

Some people might find it silly but I like to be able to do that. Her music touches me in my core and that is something. It’s the same with Beth Hart’s music. And the autograph on the cd will be a constant reminder of that moment especially since I choose to frame them and put them on the wall.

Depeche Mode was supposed to be one of the headliners, they would be the closer on Sunday night. But due to an illness they had to cancel, and with only a couple of days left before the festival they had to come up with a replacement act. The first band that came to my mind was Krezip. It would be perfect they have been at Pinkpop 5 times over the last 11 years. And since they where going to stop at the end of June it couldn’t be more perfect if you ask me. Besides that they are Dutch so it would be easier to get them on such short notice.

But the organization claimed that they wanted to have a foreign band and a lot of names where said in rumors. Amongst them I heard U2 ( which would have been great but I always thought that it would be wishful thinking ), The Prodigy, Oasis, Greenday I heard them all. But on such short notice I never really expected them to get any of them. And until Saturday morning there was no word of who would replace Depeche Mode. That was until I checked the internet that morning with mere hours to spare they announced that Krezip would be performing in the time slot that was supposed to be for Placebo. And Placebo would take Depeche Mode’s closer time slot. A good idea as far as I am concerned.

I saw Krezip this past November at what was supposedly their last show in Limburg. Well I always hoped that they as a surprise would be added to Pinkpop. So I was a little bit disappointed when they initially weren’t. At the same time I was glad that I was able to see them once more before they quite as a band. But then on Pinkpop Saturday when it was announced that Krezip would be there I was overjoyed. This would be the last concert before the final two concerts. It was so good to hear all of their songs from the past one more time live.

I would have loved to see Depeche Mode, but since that was not an option I think that they did well with adding Krezip to the festival and pushing Placebo backwards. I mean they where really entertaining. I have to admit that I am not all that familiar with their music but while i was listening to the music I found out that I knew more songs then I thought I did.

Pinkpop 2009 – Monday

June 1st 2009

Katy Perry is one of those artists that brighten up a festival like Pinkpop. Every year they have an act like this. Something fun! SOMETHING which you shouldn’t take too serious. Geesh people lighten up! Katy Perry had the stage filled with all kinds of attributes from a huge bubblegum pink name sign to a huge cat with eyes that light up. Or plastic straweberries and of course a cherry chapstick. She might vocally not be the best damn singer but it sure was really entertaining and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like her music. Cause I do!

The Ting Tings, if there was one thing I was impressed with even more then I expected before Pinkpop it must be the Ting Tings. Damn they rocked, they surely had the whole tent going. Jan Smeets should have put them on the main stage! Really they where that good. I loved it!

If you ever have the chance to see them. Do it! One thing though bring your hearing protection you will need it!!! I have never been so happy to have them with me, I really needed them the music was damn loud but sooooo good!

The last band to perform at Pinkpop was Snowpatrol, I think that they are a great band and they did a good performance. But I didn’t expect them to be the closers of the festival, I was quite surprised by the choice. Not that it was a bad choice or anything but are they really that popular? I had no idea to be honest. I like the music so no complains from me, just surprised.

The only downside was the rain that fell on the last evening right after Katy Perry’s performance, we walked out of the tent when the sky opened. But what would Pinkpop be without a good rain fall. Pinkpop is known for it and since we almost had three sunshiny days our last day was graced with one massive raincloud! And when I say massive I mean massive it only took 5 minutes before it was done but it was 5 minutes of heavy rain. It was right after Katy Perry when everyone was trying to get out of the tent. So while the people at the back of the line where trying to get out of the tent the people outside wanted to get into the tent to find a dry place to hide from the rain.

But hey! If you visit you know that it will most likely rain, and since we had sunshine right afterwards the wet clothes dried pretty quickly. So most people forgot about the rain pretty quickly.