© Ivo Goossens
After a packed day one, day two promised to be no less busy. With Fred again.. perhaps the most contemporary headliner was programmed at the end of the day. But before that, we were presented with a lot of goodies. Once again, the poster was filled with artists from very diverse genres. This time, the sun was there from the start to the end. Just like yesterday, we saw a huge number of artists at work. We saw the entire show of some, and only a small part of others.
We were surprised by Popup Choir at the Alpha who provided us with a choice karaoke show where everyone sang along loudly. Bar Italia charmed us, but Soft Play provided a punk party a little further in the India that caught our attention. We also just heard Artemas close his set with the Tiktok hit “i like the way you kiss me” that caused quite a stir in the Heineken. You understand us, we were once again short of eyes and ears in Biddinghuizen.
Did you know that Lowlands also has a whole science area? We learned about quantum physics and why the wombat has square droppings. To spice up your sex life, you could go to Ohlalalaantje for workshops about sex. Nearby there was also the whole art department with visual art and paintings. The time when festivals only had music on the program is long gone, it turned out. You couldn’t think of anything that crazy, but Lowlands had it on offer.
Arooj Aftab @ India
© CPU – Leni Sonck (archive)
For those who wanted to start day two calmly, Pakistani artist Arooj Aftab was the ideal choice. The India filled up steadily from the moment she started. With her minimalistic mix of jazz and traditional Pakistani music, she proved to be the ideal opener for those present. Her big breakthrough came with Vulture Princefor which she won a Grammy in 2022. However, she chose to mainly draw from her latest album Night Reign. She promised not to make it too sad, but in her own experience, all music revolves around sad things. No matter how subdued her performance was, every time a solo was played by one of the artists, there was always a loud applause. And so Arooj Aftab turned out to be the right choice to start the day calmly.
Spinvis @ Bravo
© CPU – Marvin Anthony (archief)
There are hip-hoppers who are quick and creative with words and then there is Spinvis. The word artist was allowed to get to work early at 1 p.m. in the Bravo. But it was immediately clear that the Dutchman was playing a home match. The queues extended all the way outside the tent. For the occasion he had filled the stage with mannequins and animated videos played on the screens for every song. Nowhere did music and art mix as intensely as during Spinvis. And this brought people together, because when we looked around us, young and old stood around us. His enigmatic words surfed on a wave of guitars, strings and drums. Sometimes a little more intense, sometimes a little more subdued, but always sincere. Spinvis brought wisdom disguised as poetry. Wisdom that was timeless and knew no age limit.
The Streets @ Heineken
© CPU – Jan Van Hecke (archive)
The Streets have been around for a while in the music world. So we can safely say that frontman Mike Skinner knows the tricks of the trade inside and out. After a brief introduction, he was already in the audience during the second song “Turn The Page”. During the next hour, he would prove himself as a real crowd pleaser. The task he set himself for the day? Perform a song outside the tent. A trick that he successfully completed, albeit with some hesitation. But Skinner also charmed us musically. Where “Let’s Push Things Forward” remains flat on the record, it was given an extra flair at Lowlands. Skinner kept pulling out all the tricks and everyone at the Heineken quickly joined in; hands going up and down, jumping and waving their arms back and forth. The Streets seem to have started their second youth this summer, after successful performances at Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop. Their set was expertly finished with classics “Dry Your Eyes” and “Blinded by the Lights”. This just goes to show that even deep into a career, you can still stay fresh and relevant.
Sugababes @ Alpha
© CPU – Nathan Dobbelaere (archive)
At the beginning of the millennium, Sugababes were stringing together radio hits. At that time, it was not yet customary for pop acts to perform at festivals. Almost twenty years later, pop bands are the rule rather than the exception, so the three ladies decided to make up for their losses. They made the Alpha dance with a series of hits. Where hits like “Hole in the Head” and “Red Dress” used to sound very tame and polished, they now got an extra solid edge, performed with a live band. Classic rock already existed, now you can add Sugababes to the list of classic pop. Young and old sang along to all the hits at the top of their lungs. And the most famous ones like “Round Round” and “About You Now” were saved for the end. Sugababes has stood the test of time well, which is not something we can say about all pop acts from the early noughties.
Soulwax @ Bravo
© CPU – Jan Van Hecke (archive)
‘Hello Netherlands! We are Belgians.’ That was all Stephan Dewaele had to say to get the party started at the Bravo. With a futuristic line-up where they still play with three drummers, Soulwax quickly set the pace. “Missing Wires” smoothly transitioned into “It Is Always Binary”. The electro rock kicked in and quickly ignited the Bravo. The beats kept flowing and before we knew it, we were almost drowning in a sea of rhythms. Fortunately, the brothers always kept their eyes on the horizon and with “Miserable Girl” they set foot on solid ground again. “E-Talking” smoothly transitioned into “NY Excuse” and once again the Bravo was transformed into a dance temple.
Inhaler @ Alpha
© CPU – Chris Stessens (archive)
Inhaler shot into the sky like a comet with “My Honest Face”. The debut single and the song that followed were the kind of indie rock that is just radio-friendly enough to break through to the mainstream. But it remains a fine line to stay relevant to the general public. This was also evident at the Alpha that was barely half full. Visually, the picture was right; Elijah Hewson as poster boy frontman, a simple backdrop and videos on the screens in black and white. Yet the songs always seemed to fall on the wrong side of that line. “When It Breaks” lacked the necessary energy, which made it seem a bit bland. Yet Inhaler recovered towards the end. Unfortunately, by the time the closing song “My Honest Face” was up, most of the audience had already left for other places. In our opinion, Inhaler would have been much better suited to the Heineken.
Sampha @ Bravo
© CPU – Kris Kellens (archive)
When you can list Drake, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar on your resume of collaborations, we know you have something to offer. And Sampha has something to offer. With his soulful voice, he combines electronics with R&B and soul. Many curious people showed up at Bravo who wanted to see him in person. They noticed that the sound was set a bit on the sharp side in the beginning. The set went in a wave motion; soft and intense were alternated. Musically, there was plenty of experimentation with all kinds of sounds. Sometimes he reaped success, sometimes he got a bit lost in his own maze, like with “Spirit 2.0”. However, Sampha’s real strength came to the fore when he threw all the ballast overboard and brought “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” in its purest form.
ROMY @ India
© CPU – Jan Van Hecke (archive)
When The XX is in hibernation, Romy and Jamie like to go out separately. And they both like to color outside the lines. In Romy’s case, she does this together with a DJ. The India was quite full and her smile quickly betrayed that she was really looking forward to it. “Weightless” made the floor shake and “Lifetime” added to that. She immediately saw that it was good and the set would only go crescendo. Especially when she pulled “Angels” by The XX out of the drawer. Anyone who thought we had reached the peak had better think again. “Always Forever” made the temperature rise a few degrees. The lights all went out on “Lights Out”, only to illuminate them with mobile phone light. Romy proved once again that she doesn’t need Jamie, although we would also like to see them together again.
Fred again.. @ Alpha
Anyone who didn’t leave for the Alpha in time was wasted trying to secure a good spot for Fred again.. . It remains impressive and yet also a bit mysterious, that the Briton has made it to headliner at the biggest festivals in Europe in a relatively short period. Fred Gibson, as he goes through life every day, came on stage in a hoodie. As if he was just going to work and in a sense he was, because that was what the concept was all about Actual Lifewhich he started in 2020, around. And as with many people, the morning in the weekend is the day where everything can start a little slower. That’s how he started his set. The intro lasted forever and during the first half hour there was no real pace in the set. At “adore u” everything seemed to explode, but even then it remained modest.
It was only with “Rumble” that he really set the place on fire for the first time. Why we don’t know, but after that he let the whole build-up collapse again. That the man is extremely talented is beyond doubt. Armed only with a drum pad and a piano he does the most brilliant things. But to remain captivating for an hour and a half is just a bit too much for Fred again.. . Luckily Romy from The xx was still around to sing along to “Angie (i’ve been lost)”. The finale seemed to have started, certainly when “Marea (we’ve lost dancing)” followed and everyone started dancing. The somewhat longer build-ups were finally allowed to make way for a series of beats. “Billie (loving arms)” brought a loving end to the evening of day two. After an hour and a half we still can’t explain why Fred again.. made it to headliner so quickly, but at times he entertained us heartily.
