InEffectHardcore.com - Groezrock 2014

Madball photo and graphics by: Bas Spierings

GROEZROCK FESTIVAL

Meerhout, Belgium May 2nd and 3rd, 2014

Photos by: Bas Spierings & Aga Hairesis. Review written by: Tim Edwards

The Groezrock Fest held each year over in Belgium is an absolute monster that now accommodates over 40,000 visitors to their 2 day fest that is held every year during the last weekend in April. This year the lineup was pretty stacked and our In Effect Europe homies… Bas Spierings, Aga Hairesis, and Tim Edwards were there bouncing from stage to stage taking in all this beast had to offer. Here is what they took in…

http://www.groezrock.be

WISDOM IN CHAINS (Photo by: Bas Spierings)

The Impericon Stage, one of several at Groezrock, Belgium's established punk and hardcore festival, was only at half capacity for the arrival of Wisdom In Chains, who were worthy of a spot higher up the bill on the first day.

Nevertheless Mad Joe and the boys showed why they have become one of the most respected and loved bands in hardcore - melodic, fists in the air tunes with sing-a-longs galore.

Bringing the curtain down on the Rebellion Tour they formed a successful part of with Biohazard and Madball, Wisdom blasted through an energetic set which contained the usual rabble rousing ditties – “Fighting In The Streets”, “Cap City”, “Peace To My Family” and new track “When We Were Young”. “Chasing The Dragon” brought the house down - it would have been so much more fun if it wasn't for the goddamn barrier.

KIDS INSANE (Photo by: Bas Spierings)

Israel's Kids Insane were one of several bands voted for by fans to play the small but perfectly formed Macbeth stage and boy did they live up to expectations. Championed by In Effect Hardcore a few years back the Tel Aviv quartet started their set with around 50 people watching. That had quadrupled and then some by the time they had downed their instruments. Think of a youthful Comeback Kid piggybacking Good Clean Fun. Read that 2013 interview by clicking on their photo.

TERROR (Photo by: Bas Spierings)

Seasoned pros Terror did what Terror do - pummel you with sledgehammer riffs, breakneck speed and more shout-a-longs than an angst-ridden nursery rhymes book. Scott Vogel does what Scott Vogel does - energy, crowd engagement and fun.

MADBALL (Photo by: Aga Hairesis)

Madball just didn't do it for me when I caught them the night before in Germany and sadly it was the same again at Groezrock.

I love NYHC and have adored Freddy and the boys for a long time but I just feel they lack a bit of punch on the bigger stages with just Mitts as the sole guitarist. The sound bounced around the tent and out, unlike the sweaty pits Madball shows are made for. Despite my grievances the band still put on an energetic performance full of the usual tracks and a couple of new ones from the impending new album "Hardcore Lives". "DNA" is standard Madball but "Doc Marten Stomp", with its street-punk vibes and welcome change in vocal variation is certain to be part of the band's set in the immediate future. I just wish they could transfer their sound on disc to the big stage.

H2O (Photo by: Aga Hairesis)

Despite starting the set out of tune H20 wasted little time in transforming the tent into something resembling a kids party for adults atop a bouncy castle. Pandemonium usually ensues when the New Yorker's belt out so many infectious songs and here was no different. The icing on the cake was hearing "What Happened?" with Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba present to recite his cameo, not to mention a rare airing of "Memory Lane".

Another icon from the NYHC scene closed the first day with Walter Schreifels and Quicksand showing that class is forever. Mesmeric, soulful and harmonious, Quicksand don't need to record anything new because their small back catalogue contains plenty of perfectly-crafted songs. "Fazer", "Dine Alone" and "Thorn In My Side" are amongst them whilst the band's Smiths cover of "How Soon Is Now?" remains a cornerstone of their set.

CRO-MAGS (Photo by: Aga Hairesis)

There was very little of interest to me on the second day of Groezrock so I had to kill plenty of time until the Cro-Mags entered stage left to the strains of "A Clockwork Orange". Opening with "World Peace" John Joseph and his comrades were soon slaloming between keen -sometimes overkeen - stage divers as the floodgates opened. Not even a painful leg injury to bassist Craig Ahead could smother their energy as they blasted through a typically face-shredding set.

JUDGE (Photo by: Aga Hairesis)

Judge, on the other hand, were a bit of a let down for me. I was looking forward to seeing them not because it was another NYHC legend to tick off the list but because they contained half of one of my all time favourites CIV - Charlie on guitar and drummer Sammy (is there a NYHC band he hasn't played in at some stage?!). “Take Me Away” sounded immense, as did “Bringing It Down”, but the rest of it all seemed a bit, I dunno, labored and lacking in conviction.

Some of you reading this might be wondering why I am including The Offspring in this round-up. Well, it is because the festival headliners decided to play their classic “Smash” album in its entirety, celebrating two decades since its release. As classic punk rock albums go it is, quite rightly, considered as one of the best in our lifetime, so I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy some nostalgia. For all their undoubted wealth Dexter and Noodles insist on bearing the hallmarks of the punk ethos - loud hair and louder attitude. The crowd response to each song was deafening, whilst the band's response was humbling. They gave it to us baby...

MODERN LIFE IS WAR (Photo by: Aga Hairesis)