Once again, it’s that time of the year when Roadburn is approaching, and thousands of festivalgoers are frantically starting to look into the final arrangements to visit Tilburg, as well as wait for the full day-by-day schedule to plan their own personal journey through the myriad of bands performing in an overlapping fashion across multiple stages. It’s a hell of a job for the organizers to get things to click, and so is it for the most hardcore fans to figure out exactly where to be at what time. Then there are those who take a more chilled and relaxed approach, of course, and do not stress nearly as much about it.
Regardless to which group one belongs to, there will be plenty to see for everyone when they will arrive in Tilburg between April 16th-19th for the festival – if not joining already on the previous night at The Spark, the official warm-up gig, featuring this year the first ever European show by CRIPPLING ALCOHOLISM, combined with BAD BREEDING performing “Contempt” in full, and THE BIRD EXPERIENCE in an extended line-up version (CRIPPLING ALCOHOLISM will double down for at least a second show on Thursday).
Pushing further on the boundaries of experimentation and innovative sound, there will be something for all tastes from metal to drone, jazz (with the performances at the Paradox), noise, ambient, electronic, psychedelic rock, punk, hip-hop, you name it.
There will be some must-see shows:
CULT OF LUNA with their two career-defining sets, spanning early and late material. BORIS, appearing in multiple and special shows. PRIMITIVE MAN, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, SLOW CRUSH, and UNSANE will all feature special sets as well, without forgetting INTER ARMA, much beloved by roadburners, who will play for the first time – and as a one-off occasion – their 2014 record “The Cavern.”
If that wasn’t enough to tickle your brain, OATHBREAKER will make a comeback following an 8-year-long hiatus, and will play “Rheia” in full, marking this year the 10th anniversary of its release. Other bands to keep an eye on will be for sure KRALLICE – a long time coming after many years away from the continent, and also Artist in Residence for this year, along with AGRICULTURE playing their new “The Spiritual Sound” live, and NOTHING, who will present a special set based on their latest opus “a short story of decay.”
Another awaited Artist in Residence for this year will be ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE, revisiting their career in three shows, looking at their past, present, and future, and featuring the return of vocalist Cotton Casino in their ranks after more than 20 years (we expect some secret shows or at least other collaborations throughout the weekend out of these guys).
Let’s not forget Lane Shi and her OTAY:ONII, continuing the path begun last year with the first triennial residency in the history of Roadburn. This time, she will present “Moonstruck Old Tales,” a commissioned project reimagining Chinese folk lullabies, in a theatrical performance complete with a full supporting band. We are very excited to see this project come to life!
KIM HOORWEG will have another commissioned work and one of the centerpieces of this year’s edition in a unique performance entitled “I Hope This Hurts,” in collaboration with TEARDRINKER. Without forgetting also that WIEGEDOOD will be back for a special collaboration with the BL!NDMAN collective, pushing further into experimental drone territory.
Among emerging bands, Irish artist RÓIS is one of those we are really curious about, having the blessing of their colleagues from LANKUM, and the same goes for PROSTITUTE with their blend of post-punk, including Middle Eastern melodies, electronic beats, and noise rock vibes.
A few other names to check out between lesser-known and/or boundary-pushing artists that come to mind at the moment of writing: AYA, BILLY WOODS, MARUJA, ELUCID, YELLOW EYES, BOSSE-DE-NAGE, SANAM, PORTRAYAL OF GUILT, LILI REFRAIN, LATHE OF HEAVEN, ALL MEN UNTO ME, SIEM REAP, SIR RICHARD BISHOP. As one can see, the chances of getting bored are pretty much zero!
From the visual side, Groningen-based artist Douwe Dijkstra will shape the visual tapestry of this year’s Roadburn with a triptych exploring the past, present, and future of the festival.
There should be once again – or at least we pretty much came to expect it – plenty of extra “side quests” for the most adventurous roadburners included in the “offroad” programme that accompanied the festival in the last couple of editions, if not, at least there will for sure be the traditional discussion panels – everyone wants to hear Walter’s thoughts towards the end of the weekend – and exhibitions surrounding the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
Roadburn’s strengths, its strong sense of community, of connection between music enthusiasts and like-minded people, and the desire to push boundaries and experiment all the time, are what ultimately contributes the success of this festival. Every year, the chance to indulge in something new, share experiences with familiar and new people, and engage in unique shows and beautiful live experiences is what makes it worthwhile to be there in the moment. Once again, we cannot wait to be part of this transformative and eye-opening experience along with countless fellow enthusiasts.
Looking forward to seeing many of you join us in Tilburg in a month’s time!
