We, my sister and me, were back around 3:30 in the morning but we woke up at 9 to head again to Rock Werchter for the final day bringing Depeche Mode. Looking back at yesterday: the crowd was good, the weather was fine and the bands great!
It must be said that the line up of last year was a bit more impressive. Though, the youngsters of Arctic Monkeys did a good job shaking the Main Stage awake. We were a bit late for the set because my sister forgot Kelis canceled (thank goodness!) and the Monkeys moved to the Main Stage.
The monkeys were followed by the chiefs. Kaiser Chiefs had a bit more show and more hits to play. You saw the frontman actually was much more used to being on stage and was running and jumping around. They even had stairs with them so they could go higher than the stage.
The interlude this year was the job of The Raconteurs. Between the British rockpop bands, this was the one where we should have gone eating something but we stayed. The Raconteurs, around Jack White, is OK, but didn’t really hit the spot.
Franz Ferdinand, apparently formed in Glasgow (Scotland), were next and visibly it had been going up. Except for the Raconteurs, the line up was in order: Arctic Monkeys to the Kaiser Chiefs and then Franz Ferdinand. It rocked and the crowd was good, the frontman said. Actually, the crowd was so good the clapping above head on the music didn’t had to be asked for: the bands get it for free!
It was long waiting (like years), but finally I could enjoy Placebo live! It just sounds great and the voice just never screams without ending to sound boring. Great gig for just after the sunset. Airing their latest album, they played some hits and went to cover Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’. I’ll never forget the words of Brian Molko, which were repeated a few times: “Hello ladies and gentlemen of the Rock Werchter festival…. We are still the ladies and gentlemen of Placebo.”
dEUS was the headliner of the 4th day and it was a great ‘Welcome back!’ I said to them. The last time I saw them was in the ‘Hallen van Schaarbeek’ where they played their farewell concert. But they are back! It was great! They started with ‘Theme From Turnpike’, played lots of new songs, ‘Via’, ‘Roses’, ‘Little Arithmetics’ and ended with ‘Suds & Soda’. It was fun hearing the good crowd sing the lyrics with, it was great to see them back after almost a decade.
Placebo dEUS. No phun intended!
Overall the 3rd day was going up to reach a pleasing godlike ending (phun intended). dEUS was definitely the best thing that could happen to Rock Werchter so far. Of course Placebo and the other british bands were great, but it’s always good to see a big belgian band heading one of the worlds best festivals.
Let’s head for the 4th day now. It’s going to be hard, because very tired.