GALLERY: 20.4.25 Roadburn – Day 4 @ 013, Tilburg

June 19, 2025

Roadburn 2025 took place from April 17th to 20th at the legendary 013 club in Tilburg, Netherlands, continuing its legacy as a hub for boundary-breaking heavy music.

As always, the last day of the festival has a bit of a bittersweet feeling, knowing that there is so much yet to see, but also that the festival is coming to an end, and it barely felt like it was just the night before when it all started. Also, as always, our Sunday began with a relatively quick lunch – a “tosti” to be precise – and a visit to V39 for the traditional Q&A with the festival’s beloved artistic director Walter Hoeijmakers, hosted as always by Becky Laverty.

This year, the discussion, and the questions of course, revolved more or less around similar topics than in the last edition, considering the mounting financial pressure on all directions hitting organizers, bands, and audience alike. Of course, that reflects on the ticket sales, and there is very little wiggle room when even the different funding sources are not enough. One nice initiative that was mentioned was the collaboration with an association to bring people who couldn’t otherwise afford to be here to take part in the festival (I cannot unfortunately remember the name at the moment). There was, of cours,e some conversation about the various secret shows, including the fact that THOU (who were partly represented in the room) would – obviously – be one of the bands performing later today, and about the queues especially in relation to the last-minute arrangements with the renovation works at the Koepelhal. Commissioned projects and triennial residency were also part of the topics that came up, and we must say that it is always such a pleasure to be able to hear about all sorts of things Roadburn directly from Walter with such honesty and candor. It certainly is part of why there is such a positive sense of community around the festival.

Without much of a hurry, we headed then to The Terminal for VUUR & ZIJDE playing their debut record “Boezem.” Featuring members of GREY AURA, SILVER KNIFE, LASTER, TERZIJ DE HORDE, among others, the Dutch combo certainly has a strong connection to the festival, and brought together their respective influences into something original, displaying also a softer side of their music, as the name of the band (“fire and silk”) properly represents this contrast. It was a very good way to ease into this final day of Roadburn, and the atmosphere was quite relaxed compared to earlier in the weekend. We even spotted some kids in the first row!

Heading towards the Next Stage, we failed again to grab an ice cream due to the long queue, so we dived directly in for our second INSECT ARK show within about a month, following their performance in March in Helsinki. The trio composed of Dana Schechter (SWANS, bass guitar and vocals), Tim Wyskida (KHANATE, drums) and Lynn Wright (lap steel and electric guitar) filled the hall quite easily, and repaid the audience with their doom-y, dark and haunting experimental set, centered on their latest “Raw Blood Singing”. The frontwoman directed this intense show with oozing personality and charisma, and the delivery was at least as good as when we saw them a few weeks prior, if not even better.

There were now a bunch of different options: the flamenco-infused performance of FRONTE ABIERTO on the main stage of 013, ENDON at The Terminal, an OUST secret show… but we opted for making our way to the Hall of Fame to see at least part of PENELOPE TRAPPES‘ show (before heading back to the Next Stage for the Gira/Hahn gig). The Australian artist entered the stage wearing an intricate headgear complementing her pitch black outfit, which in turn was fitting of the atmosphere she set up with her ethereal yet minimalistic music. Performing as a trio, with cello and synths augmenting this intriguing soundscape, the performance made missing out on the beginning of the MICHAEL GIRA & KRISTOF HAHN duo (SWANS) gig absolutely worthwhile.

We later heard that there has been a rough start to that show, where Michael Gira didn’t appear to be in the best mood – or rather seemed to be quite irritated, mostly at Hahn we were told – which explains why the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat tense by the time we managed to squeeze ourselves in. Probably not the kind of thing anyone wants to see, performers and crowd alike, and there was some kind of apology on social media on the following day about the “crummy show”. Since we couldn’t make it anymore for MIDWIFE‘s third gig of the weekend, we walked to the nearby Main Stage for a quick look at SUMAC which today was back to perform “The Healer” – in all its four tracks – the slow, menacing heaviness of this opus reverberating through the ribcages of the fans filling the venue. Of course it would have been fun to see the show as a whole but time was of the essence, and so after the first song – or about 25 minutes – with a calculated move (as we were headed ultimately to the skate park) we tried our luck in the Hall of Fame, which felt packed like never before in the weekend (at least for us) when CINDER WELL was performing. Amelia Baker’s take on folk music came in stark contrast to what we witnessed just moments ago, but was also a welcome, far more chilled moment. Despite the big, big crowd cramming the place. The light and breezy music united with the beautiful vocals made for a really pleasant setting, the kind you could just close your eyes and drift away with, along with the music. Uplifting. Among the audience, we also spotted Patrick Walker and his partner, definitely not by chance, as this seems definitely the kind of stuff he would be digging.

From here we headed straight to the Skatepark for BOMBSTRAP, which proved to be quite the entertaining show, of the kind you really wouldn’t expect, especially since we didn’t know anything about the band beforehand, except from the brief description in the announcement of the secret show. Hailing from Rotterdam (and Manchester), the band delivered some energetic “terror punk,” with their own take on hardcore, full of rage and, well, lots of weirdness. The vocalist covered in bandages and wearing a crown made of what looked like pillboxes and long screws, was screaming in the audience’s face, while some started a small moshpit and other were body-surfing throughout the show. It’s really fun to get to see these weird underground bands from the Netherlands, and it’s great that Roadburn provides a platform for these sort of shows as well (funnily enough we would see the same band at Willemsfest less than a week later, another pretty cool event where one can witness several interesting acts from the local/national scene).

Eventually, we had to go back to The Terminal as BIG BRAVE was going to showcase their latest effort, “A Chaos of Flowers.” Seeing these guys live never gets boring, even though they have been around plenty at the festival over the last few years. It’s always been a truly immersive experience, and it was no less engaging this time. At this point, it was also the moment for us to sit down, recover some energy, and get some food in our stomachs, before heading towards the conclusion of the festival.

Having missed BO NINGEN in their previous appearance, as well as yesterday’s secret show, and with literally everyone saying how great they are live, we had to see it for ourselves. Performing for the special occasion, their 2012 record “Line The Wall,” the psychedelic and extremely dynamic act brought a wind of enthusiasm that reinvigorated everyone, making them jump and dance around at the sound of their music. Groovy and fuzzy, they completely conquered the main hall of 013 with their contagious, electrifying energy, sweeping away for a while any feelings of being tired, back pain, or that lingering sadness that normally begins to seep through in the final hours of the festival (and takes you in the following days, “festival blues” someone called it. No time for that yet, as there was still a lot of fun to be had!

In between this and the next couple of shows in our plans, there was the most-awaited secret show combo of the festival: UNIFORM and THOU back-to-back performances. However, we decided to keep sticking to our original plan for now, as there were a few things we did not want to miss for anything in the world.

We managed to get to the Next Stage one last time to see what all the fuss is about PONTE DEL DIAVOLO, as the band has been on everyone’s lips since their debut record came out. Following in the footsteps of their fellow Italians, MESSA, is, in a way, refreshing to see more Italian bands receiving international acclaim. Part of the appeal might also be in the mix between songs in English and in Italian, as well as the theatrical show put on by the vocalist Erba del Diavolo. Their show ended with their cover of NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS “The Weeping Song,” joined on stage by Davide Straccione (SHORES OF NULL‘s vocalist).

The temptation to go see VMO, a.k.a. VIOLENT MAGIC ORCHESTRA, with their blend of techno and black metal was strong, but being able to secure a good spot to see the first-ever live show of GOTT was much stronger. After being forced to cancel their appearance at Roadburn in 2022, this was one of the bands we were most eagerly looking forward to see, if anything just to hear once again the fantastic voice of the brilliant Farida Lemouchi live, after so many years passed since THE DEVIL’S BLOOD untimely demise, and – for us at least – with in between only a guest appearance during WATAIN’s anniversary show in Uppsala, Sweden, a couple of years ago. Of course, GOTT is not the same as TDB, nothing will ever be, and even musically they are two different beasts, but nonetheless it was with great pleasure that we spent some 45 minutes listening to this heavy rock ensemble debuting in their hometown. It felt both new and nostalgic, bringing back memories of awesomeness from a band that could only be defined like a shooting star that vanished as fast as it was burning bright, and this new project in collaboration with members of SOULBURN, SEVERE TORTURE, GGU:II, and RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON. The whole audience was taken by the melodies and that unmistakable voice, and hopefully we will be able to see more of this band in the future, given that MOLASSES is no more (we just can’t get enough of Farida).

Zero regrets for missing POTHAMUS completely, with the idea we will eventually see these guys again somewhere else, next in our plans was HAUNTED PLASMA, at their third live show ever, the first outside of Finland (and we are proud to have witnessed them all so far). Even without the participation of Mat McNerney at the vocals, the band has proven to be quite mesmerizing in their shows both here and a month earlier in Helsinki, with the talented Ringa Manner fully taking over the singer duties. Putting the crowd on a psychedelic trance with their music and dystopian lyrics, this felt so right at this moment that we considered our Roadburn concluded. It was just the perfect ending of a great weekend and it just seemed wrong to keep going after that (without offense for MONG TONG closing on the Next Stage). Towards the end of the set, when a large part of the people in the crowd were bouncing to the Finns’ music, the band was joined on stage by Ikon, the other guitarist/keyboardist from ORANSSI PAZUZU, adding an extra layer to the soundscape that filled 013.

At this point, it was time to start hugging goodbye to the several friends around, and cut ourselves some slack, chilling with some beer and good company. It’s strange how we didn’t really feel that tired after 5 days of gigs, almost wanting to keep going until we ran out of batteries. But then again, the following day we had an extra gig in Utrecht to keep the flame alive, so that just had to do.
We can’t stress enough how good it feels to be here at this festival every time, and how we then look forward to the next edition from the very day after the festival ends. Sure that the organizers will do their best to provide once again that level of excellence that brought together this great community of people from all over the world.

It’s the community that feeds the success of this festival, with everyone feeling included and an active part of it, which we believe is absolutely great. The formula of the post-covid years so far has proven to be working nicely and by staying ahead of the time and trying to offer always something fresh, as well as keeping an eye out on the possible ground-breaking, genre-redefining act and on the underground, both local and international, it feels like so far Roadburn has gotten a new lease on life, something that many other festivals struggling with the current state of the world could not say, given that still some events had to pull the plug even here in The Netherlands, where there seems to be a still a strong drive for culture and music. It’s just so good to see everyone working in the same direction and helping each other to realize something as beautiful as this festival, and they have our unbridled support.

Final trivia and notes:

This year’s festival beer – again in collaboration with Uiltje – was aptly named “Secret Show,” and once again was quite alright for being a music festival beer.
The system with pins and deposit was kind of confusing at first, but then again, we normally default to donating the deposit for charity, so not really an issue in the end. Saw some people who were collecting all the different designs from the various pins
If you want to have a fully cashless event, cashless payments should be possible for its duration. Not the first year that wifi issues have given troubles in that regard
Tilburg is probably not given enough credit compared to many other Dutch cities, as it seems to be quite underrated, but it has a great music scene and a vibrant cultural and artistic one. Not to mention some great cafés and restaurants, and of course, music venues.
The guy playing the accordion in the railway tunnel should get a spot at the festival, at least this year. He was also given a festival T-shirt, it seems!
If there is one thing we didn’t like during the weekend, not of course from everyone, is how some people from the audience were being vocal about complaining about “the photographers.” We assure you it’s not like we just hang around for fun with the purpose of annoying other people, or “being in the way,” we are simply trying to do our jobs, and to deliver quality images that not only help to promote the festival and the bands, but also helps the audience to relive those great moments and capture the atmosphere of the event. This said, the majority of people are not like that, and are usually very respectful, kind, understanding or even friendly, but more than once this year – both in person and on the festival’s social media channels – we couldn’t help but notice people complaining basically “because there are photographers,” and that’s not okay. An example was somebody mentioning that there were “X number of photographers in front of a secret show.” We love one of the responses: “Imagine having a job to do. Wild.”