At Marktrock (part 1)

When I just met Jan, he was working as crew at Marktrock as he had always done the years before. I remember nightly calls where he was in some backstage area on a university courtyard I believe while I was in Ghent or at work in the Hague. 

The years after he became an expat in Scotland and I lived in Ghent and we've never been to Marktrock anymore.  With the affluence of festival offers in Belgium I never really paid attention to it, even when I moved to Leuven after 2007.  It seemed that Marktrock was in a downhill organisation after the original vzw stopped. 


But this year,  Kat & Lyn Kerkhofs, the daughters of one of the original founders have managed to convince the city, sponsors, the original vzw etc to organize a reunion Marktrock.  And Jan spotted it and announced to me he had tickets.  I was first annoyed as it meant we had to return from the east of Belgium back to Leuven during our vacation time. 

But coming up closer, I was curious and more enthusiast with the line-up, although it was a disappointment that all the greatest names to me were bundled in one big tribute band.  Hmm less stage time in that case. 


Anyway, we were curious and well in time on Friday evening before opening...to go out for dinner :p.  Then we got our weekend's ribbon and walk along the entertainment on the big market and then we were ready to head to the old market. 

We just saw Emma Bale leave the stage so we could position to wait patiently for Milow.  I tend to find his songs quite whiney.  But artists are always better when live, when you can see them perform. (ok no for some artists that's the opposite). But it counted for Milow.  I could appreciate his music, his texts, his reality, the live performance.  I didn't know most of the songs but was happy to sing along "You don't know" and "Aio technology" loudly with everybody.  

Emma Bale returned on stage for 1 duet song with Milow which was quite nice

Ayo technology. with our phones in the air

Then it was time for the headliner of the evening ...Clouseau.  A group that I had consciously avoided all my life. Since their first album when I was 12, I had turned quickly into  someone that didn't want to be linked to all those screaming wild girls of the Clouseau mania in the 90ies.  And then the group went from 5 to 3 to 2, went with the most boring whiney song to Eurovision and Koen had the habit to drag his vowels over multiple counts and I hated it.  

But after 40 years of being at the top I can only admit though that they have an impressive list of hits and tons of experience.  And the crowd was clearly full of anticipation.  


Whereas the boys during Milow had the space to move up and down and move to the sides where they had better view on the stage screens, the market was clearly filling up and they could hardly squeeze back and forth anymore so we told them to stay with us (even though their vision was reduced to zero).  Literally minutes before the concert would start big groups squeezed them through the crowd, literally pushing and stepping on our toes, hand in hand in a long string with lots of sorrys. Grr I didn't feel too sorry for them.  More people tried to push themselves forward and a group of giants stranded in front of us.  Ugh.  

While Clouseau literally started off with a bang that made me excited though I felt squeezed and so did the boys.  I loved that Clouseau clearly felt nostalgic to their discovery here on the market in 87 and their big succes in 89 with so many hits from the start.  Yep I sure feel to sing along with Brandweer etc. 

But we really moved out after 2-3 songs to the side to stand in the door opening of the nearby bar and get some breathing space and a glimpse of the screen. Damn you all last minute squeezers, go get lost.  But at least here the boys were safe as I wasn't comfortable for them (and myself) in the crowd.  We didn't even stand in the first half of the market!  Beertje had enough and was too tired so Jan and him left and I stayed another half hour with Kabouter. Then we had enough.  I'm sure it was a marvellous concert and tons of atmosphere. 

The next day we were well in time as Kabouter (and Beertje) were well excited that Dikke was on the playbill.   Jan and I had no clue until after the scouting camps and so we ensured that we were well in time for the concert. It wasn't too busy yet and we could move forward easily to a good spot in front of the technical booth.  We spotted several classmates on the market ...and then we spotted Jan enjoying his ice-cream on big screen.  Maybe we were supposed to do a kisscam, but it was a cream cam. Just as well. 

Then it was time for Belgian national soccerstar Dries Mertens (who is Kat Kerkhofs husband) to announce Dikke on stage.  Ha nice, first time I see this world famous inhabitant from Leuven in live.  

I really could enjoy the Limburg rapper Dikke with his contageous energy.  And I saw that Kabouter was enjoying it very much too. So cute. 
Oh and now I can just jump around on "Er zit een gat in m'n hand, er zit een gat in m'n hand" as the youth.  I'm totally into the young music scene clearly ;).