10 July 2000

 
On the 8th and 9th of July this year was the 20th anniversary of the Bospop festival. It's about the only festival in the Netherlands where melodic and progressive rock are prominent. It's not a big festival which gives it a cosy atmosphere. What impresses me every year is that the sound from the mainstage is never less than excellent. To celebrate this year they had an extra rock tent in addition to the usual blues tent. Needless to say it was more than a good enough reason for my yearly pilgrimage to Weert.

Day One. This is more for the pop bands and is a combination of minor international and Dutch acts. The rock tent was not open today, a day which attracts a smaller audience than the bigger names on sunday. I arrived in the drizzle at the festival area slightly later than expected. The first band I managed to catch was Kane. This Dutch rock act with a vocal reminiscent of the grunge days have come up the ladder in short tempo, thanks to major radio airplay and rave reviews. They've been doing the festival tour this year, a good way to reach as many people as possible and prove that they're not just good on record. The guys played with enthiousiasm but had difficulty getting the crowd moving. As far as I'm concerned it certainly wasn't their fault and had more to do with the showery weather conditions than anything. After doing their 45 minute set (not unlike what they played at Pinkpop earlier in the year), singer Dinand Woesthoff dropped his mike and left the stage before the final chords of the closing song, a sign that he wasn't happy with the way things had gone. Never mind guys, there was at least one pair of appreciative ears in the audience.

After nosing around the festival market and spending far too much money on CDs, I went back in the direction of the main stage to witness Dilana Smith. This South African born singer has made a couple of dents in the top 100 this year with "Fly me to the Moon" and "Do you Now". Sounding like a harder, rocked-up version of Meredith Brooks, she came skipping onto stage like a naughty schoolgirl, playing on the testosterone fuelled, predominantly male audience. The music was energetic and she handled her raucous vocals with ease. It wasn't long before she was flashing her knickers at us with a couple of high kicks. Whatever it was it did the trick, because the crowd woke up at this point, though it might have been the presence of the cameras that were erected just before the start. Dilana explained that we were privileged enough to feature in the clip for her new single which was going to be shot right here. After warming us up with a couple of numbers and throwing out a few T-shirts, it was time for our act. "Breakfast in Central Park" was one of my favourites and it should make a good single. Funny what a camera can do to people isn't it? We got another go at the end of the set to satisfy the camera men, this one including a couple more crowd shots. Dilana left the stage to wild cheers, winning a few fans and leaving behind a warm crowd for the successors on the bill. For me, she was the best act on the main stage all day.

It was time for me to take a trip to the blues tent. Erm, why is it so small this year? I questioned if they were going to get enough people in, especially on the main day. Still I suppose it can only add to the atmosphere. The last couple of years there's been some pleasant surprises coming from this tent and this year was to be no exception. I came in halfway through Connie Lush, who judging from her accent comes from somewhere in the north of England. Connie brought us the more soulful, gospel side of the blues. Her Etta James cover and "Built for Comfort" went down well with the crowd. Her friendly banter got a few chuckles out of us too. Guitarist John Lewis was the first one at the festival to make me pay attention; lots of feeling with the occasional, tasty, flashy lick. I wish I'd come in earlier now.

Back outside to get something to eat and see what's happening on the main stage. I'm sorry, but Paul Weller just bores me to tears. Claimed as a god by some of the British rock press, the key member of The Jam and The Style Council apparently came out especially this year for the anniversary, which was a nice gesture. Every now and again Paul will come out with a catchy tune and a strong melody, but I don't know what it is - he doesn't touch me inside. I hoped his live performance might correct matters. Alas, it was not to be. Hardly saying a word to the masses, he ran through a set of bland, rather forgetable pop-rock tunes. Even his biggest solo hit "You do something to me" lacked emotion. I gave up and went back to the blues tent.

Drippin' Honey are a combination of fifties style rock and roll and bluesy moods. This tight three piece, featuring ex-Jack of Hearts Kim Snelten on the harmonica (I knew I'd seen him before), came out with some original cross-styled tunes. Guitarist/singer Sander Kooiman looked like he'd been praticing for hours in front of the mirror for those facial expressions during the guitar breaks. Unfortunately they had the worst sound I've ever experienced at the festival. Far too much bass, and it sounded quite definitely to me that the guitar amp had a blown speaker. Shame.

It was time to get back to the main stage for De Dijk, an appropriate band for the bill considering they've also been around for 20 years. It was 45 minutes of greatest hits: "Ik kan het niet", "Mooi, Mooi, Mooi", etc. We were also treated to a couple of new tunes from their forthcoming CD which sounded very promising. De Dijk are one of those bands that most people can appreciate. They have their own style of timeless, solid pop and don't need to follow any current trend. They sounded tonight as good (if not better) than at any time I've seen them, so their year off must have done them some good. Keep it up!

As dusk was falling I heard some serious noise from the blues tent and went to investigate. Carl Verheyen (L.A.) was on stage and it wasn't long before I realised what the commotion was all about. Carl plays boundary stretching blues rock and reminds me of Jeff Healey with a broader scope. Like Jeff, he's a damn good guitar player and that's an understatement. Carl isn't strictly blues in his solo style but brings elements of rock and fusion into his playing as well as being as fast and accurate as any of the modern guitar heroes. Tonight he really pulled out the stops, even missing the occasional note (apologising with an embarrassed smile) but hey, for me that's what playing live is all about. The audience (me included) thoroughly enjoyed the show and were well pleased when he came out for an encore. Carl Verheyen went down as the best act of the day in my book.

Last act on the main stage. It was dark now and the lights bounced of the horns and saxes of the soul and funk that is Tower of Power. "Soul with a capital S!" and everyone knew what we in for. The band sounded tight and well-polished. Perhaps a little too much. I found the solo sections rather restrained and seemed to be lacking the kind of emotion I'd been hearing all day in the blues tent. Maybe I was just tired or maybe I was still high on Carl Verheyen. I decided I'd seen enough for today and retired for the night with a warm glow inside as only music can bring.

Day Two. Today is for the rock/prog/metal fans and includes the big international names on the bill. As predicted by the weather men, it was raining when I arrived at the festival area to the distant soprano sounds of After Forever. This bunch, like their successors on the bill, Within Temptation, manage to mix metal with Sarah Brightman. Of the two I prefered After Forever, with their cleaner, tighter sound and slightly more upbeat songs. As far as I'm concerned The Gathering's Anneke van Giersbergen, although not a soprano, set the pace for this style, possessing a distinctive and powerful voice that characterises the band. Unfortunately, like a lot of the recent metal bands, although the original idea and sound is good, the variety wears off after a couple of numbers and doesn't give me enough incentive to seek out the CD racks.

Meanwhile I made my way to the rock tent to see the opening act there, Arabesque. Combining rich deep female vocals reminiscent of Lee Aaron with the progressive guitar/keyboard lines of Dream Theater, Arabesque brought strong melodic songs that got cheers from the audience from the word go. It's not often a band I've never heard before give me goose bumps, and I'd only just arrived! The first vocalist was soon joined by a second, with a higher range and the two harmonised perfectly. Arabesque get my vote for the best band in the rock tent. Shame they didn't have any CDs for sale, but hopefully I'll get the chance to see them again.

It was time to check out the opening act in the blues tent on this rainy sunday. Surprise surprise, the smaller tent made a great shelter for the people who weren't prepared to brave the elements. I managed to fight my way to the front for the start of the young Yugoslavian born Ana Popovic and her band. After a brief instrumental from the band (love that Hammond), Ana herself appeared on stage and gingerly picked up the salmon strat from its stand. From the way she handled it, I thought it was just going to be some kind of accessory - but she soon proved me wrong. Ana brought swinging rhythm and blues to Bospop with a voice warm enough to melt ice. From the first guitar solo it was obvious this woman had talent. Her tone is smooth and slightly introvert and the style is the bluesy side of Robert Cray with the occasional Stevie Ray Vaughn type lick thrown in. She did some nice lick trading with the excellent ivory tickler too. The crowd were hooked from the start and Ana left the stage with everyone yelling for more, which is good going for an opening act. Considering this was one of their first gigs and they've yet to sign a record contract, this is definitely a band to look out for.

I ventured outside again to the main stage to see Spock's Beard. Hailing from the west coast, Spock's Beard are from the Genesis/Marillion school of progressive rock. Unlike a lot of the nineties prog rock bands that go for the serious, overdramatic approach, these guys play light, cheerful melodies and have the added bonus of all being able to sing. The result is some terrific multi-layered harmonies. They ignored the rain and were very friendly and enthiousiastic towards the crowd, which were still adjusting to the constant, hard drizzle. Although a bit too light for my tastes, what these guys deserve is a top 100 hit to get the general public's attention and maybe gain a wider audience.

Back to the blues tent for Cindy Peress and her band, a dirty blues rock outfit. It was more difficult to get in this time, but I got a good spot a couple of feet from the barrier. It took a couple of numbers before the crowd got warm to them (I suppose Ana was a hard act to follow), but as the set moved on the audience got into the swing of things. Switching from American to Dutch with her crowd communication was a good idea and by the end of the set we were all singing "Baby!" along to the chorus of "Going Away". Halfway through she informed us that she had no CDs for sale. However she had four with her which she threw out into the crowd - one of which I was lucky enough to catch! Recorded over five years, the CD shows a multi-faceted aspect to the band, featuring elements of funk, folk and jazz which were less apparent in her live set. Cindy Peress does the club circuit so catch her if you can.

Back outside I caught some of Anathema's set before heading back to the rock tent for Orange Goblin. Both bands are British metal acts, the former from the Liverpool area and concentrating on the slower, downbeat and somber side of the genre. Luckily the singer's got a good rock vocal, a refreshing change from the "puke-down-drainpipe" variety of most new metal acts of the last decade. Anathema failed to win over the crowd because their long, slow musical passages simply made the rain even more depressing than it already was. Orange Goblin however were a different story. The first chord blasted from the speakers with teeth juddering strength. It was Motorhead meets the Almighty and great British Heavy Metal was back. I thought they'd given up making bands like this - is it the start of a resurgence? It was wall to wall guitars and plenty of "F" words between songs that made a good proportion of the crowd get out their air guitars and bang their heads. After covering Motorhead's "No Class", Orange Goblin could look back at a job well done.

After taking a food break during Rowwen Heze (a Dutch oom-pah-pah band on speed - why didn't we have Kane on today instead?), it was back to the rock tent for Vanden Plas. This is a German formation that a good friend of mine is very keen on, but has never seen live (he'll be pissed off when I tell him). Vanden Plas take the melodic side of Dream Theater and combine it with Firehouse style vocals. Apparently they supported Dream Theater a couple of years ago on their European tour. The frontman had a powerful vocal and a very professional stage presence, that was capable of handling far bigger stages than this one. I found their songs to be a little too much along the same lines to say I would rush out and the buy CD, but they were certainly a great live act.

I had to rush out of the tent before the last number because one of the major reasons I was here was about to hit the stage. Steve Lukather and Edgar Winter had joined forces to do a European tour under the label "The Odd Couple". And at last the rain had stopped! Steve got the biggest cheer as he came on stage, no doubt due to the great marketing a band like Toto can do to one's name. Edgar came on looking like Merlin in a black robe with shining red motif. They opened up with what I think was Los Lobotomy's "Smell Yourself", a good swinging starter to get us all going. Steve played a couple of his own tunes; "Song for Jeff" an instrumental tribute to the late great Toto drummer and "Hate Everything About U", a tribute to his late and apparently rather less great marriage, including some appropriate lyric changes. Then it was Edgar's turn with "Tobacco Road", a rock and roll medley featuring "Johnny B Goode" and "Long Tall Sally" and finally "Shout". The instrumental "The Monster" tied up the proceedings. Unfortunately we didn't get an encore, but I don't know if that was due to time shortage or that we simply didn't shout loud enough. "The Odd Couple" which I thought were a pretty good combination, will be playing at the North Sea Jazz festival in The Hague in a couple of weeks time.

After grabbing a drink and bumping into an acquaintance from the town I live in (yes, it's that small a festival), it was time for one of the other reasons I was here: Steve Vai's mentor and all-round guitar hero, Joe Satriani. This guy is so popular here, he somehow manages to sell his tickets before I get a chance to buy one. So I was very glad of the opportunity to see him at last, after having fallen in love with his music upon hearing "Flying in a Blue Dream" for the first time back in 1990. Joe came on looking like an insect from another planet with his shaven head, wrap-around shades and gleaming chrome Ibanez. He started off with a couple of new tunes I didn't know, presumably from his fresh "Engines of Creation" album before doing his greatest hits bit. The big favourites came out; "Satch Boogie", "Flying in a Blue Dream", "Ice Nine", "Circles", "Summer Song" and "Big Bad Moon". When it threatened to drizzle, Joe gave us "Always with me, Always with you" which sent the rain away for good for the rest of the evening. After "Crystal Planet" and closing things off with "Surfing with the Alien" (try playing some of those snowboarding simulations with this in the background), the show was over. In the meantime I'd been having a whale of a time and was sad to see him go. The set was too short to give Stu Hamm (a solo artist in his own right and one of the best bass players of the moment) a chance to display his talents. Maybe next time when I can see Joe in the intimacy of a concert hall - just save a ticket for me.

Night closed in as the crowd assembled in anticipation of the closing act for Bospop 2000: Dream Theater. I'd heard rumors that they were working on playing their latest concept album, "Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory" in it's entirety on tour - and that's exactly what we got. The story is based around a young man, Nicholas, who undergoes hypnotherapy to search his past and discovers the apparent passion-crime style murder of a young woman named Victoria Page. To add to the atmosphere of the performance, video screens had been set up, mixing live shots of the stage with video effects and fragments depicting the plot as it unfolded. I could imagine that non-DT fans might have found all this presentation and drama a little overwhelming, but what do you expect from the prime prog metal band of our time? James LaBrie's vocals were in excellent form, making it practically impossible to keep up with his soaring highs. Bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci and keyboard wizard Jordan Ruddess were as tight as ever. Master drummer Mike Portnoy was completely hidden by his enormous kit, so the only visible sign of life was the occasional spout of water. Dream Theater thundered through their story, as I got closer to the stage and finally ended up at the barrier by the left hand speaker stack. As the final thought provoking scene faded from the monitors, a resounding cheer went up from the crowd. It had taken almost an hour and a half since they first hit the stage. But there was more! We got treated to "The Mirror" and a medley of tunes covering the "Awake" and "Fading into Infinity" years. Finally it was over, and Bospop 2000 came to an end after Dream Theater had played for close on two hours. James assured us that they'd be back in autumn to do the "rest of the shit" as he put it. I'd got my self a sore throat and an aching neck from the performance which is always a good sign. See you guys in the autumn!

It was time to go and I took a long last look at the stage as the crowd dispersed. With aching back and feet, I made my way through the eerily quiet streets of Weert to the hotel. I hardly noticed the drunkard cyclist who'd been pulled over by the cops, who proceeded merrily on his two-wheeled way after they'd gone. Music was still playing between my ringing ears as I looked back at a memorable weekend. Of the four years I've been visiting Bospop, this was probably the best one I'd seen so far. My only criticism was the reduced size of the blues tent, considering it always draws such a large crowd anyway. But it's the small footprint and reduced size of the audience that makes this such a great festival. I'll be back again next year for what appears to be the last bastion of progressive and melodic rock in the Netherlands: Bospop.