Dour 2009 begins with confusion, as I’m ferried from one pass pick-up point to another, with nobody really sure what level of access I deserve. Turns out I’m approved for press, so here I am on a gloomy second day of Belgium’s (probably) best, and certainly most eclectic, music festival tapping out news of yesterday’s highlights from the safety of a warm, fully-powered press area. Creature comforts are what I’m all about.
And you’d be too, had you seen the state of the loos upon arrival yesterday.
The first band to make their mark on Dour’s opening hours is Brighton hip-hop-cum-rave crew The Qemists, getting the neatly named La Petite Maison Dans La Prairie stage bouncing at an absurdly early hour – well, it’s half six in the evening, but with so much to come it might as well be six am. Their hold on the throng is impressive, although a straight-faced cover of La Roux’s ‘In For The Kill’ rather weakens their original material, but with a belly full of rumbles and a throat parched from so much wandering-without-direction, I’m all about refuelling.
Meshuggah offer a completely different – i.e., it couldn’t be more different – brand of musical entertainment. The Swedes’ tech-metal is surprisingly nod-along-able, in so much as buried beneath the skill there actually lurks some sizeable hooks, superbly skewed though they are. The synchronised on-stage head-banging from the band’s trio of lank-haired axe-wielders is amusing to watch, but the sonics outweigh the visuals with consummate ease – not for the faint of heart though they are, Meshuggah nevertheless impress greatly, and set the tone for what follows on the Clubcircuit stage.
Which is Isis, recently interviewed on ClashMusic.com (HERE) and finishing off their tour of European festivals, bar one, with a typically stirring set before the Dour hordes. Frontman Aaron Turner looks as if he’s just returned from several weeks lost in the woods, his unruly hair and considerable beard quite the contrast to the clean-shaven individual seen in so many promo shots, but again this is a band best experienced when only sound is focused on. So, I find my eyes closed, my mind entirely consumed by ‘In Fiction’, the LA-based band’s closing number… To say I almost lose my shit is an understatement, and if the band weren’t recording this performance for posterity, they missed a trick, as it’s among the best I’ve seen them. And I’ve seen them a lot.
Santigold has allegedly been a bit difficult since arriving on-site, but her feel-good headline set on the Last Arena stage – ostensibly the main stage, due to its size and open-air vibe – showcases a star still rising, with plenty of bang for however many bucks are necessary to secure her services. The hits, so to speak – ‘L.E.S. Artistes’ being the biggest – are the most wildly received, but the girl born Santi White exhibits range enough to suggest that a second album can’t come soon enough. Not even the first drops of rain can hinder the audience’s enjoyment.
As the heavens do begin to open, I seek refuge in the various tents around the festival – first, Matthew Herbert DJs in the massive Dance Hall; then, it’s over to MSTRKRFT and their buzzy mix of head-rush beats and sweeping swathes of euphoric highs. Joker calls from the Magic Tent, kicking off an early hours flurry of dubstep performers… But it’s not long before the soul’s willing but the body’s anything but, and (perhaps) too many Belgian beers have their way with my energy levels. Time for some serious kip.
Which brings us to this morning, and a Friday line-up that reads like some of my most memorable wet dreams: …Trail of Dead, Sky Larkin, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE OMG, Fuck Buttons, Digitalism, Rusko, Diplo, Mercury Rev, The Dillinger Escape Plan. Me, going to have fun…? Just keep ‘em crossed that I’m able to report back this time tomorrow.
