In the Netherlands, May 5th is the day the German occupation from WWII ended. This year, that means that we celebrate 80 years of freedom. What better way to celebrate freedom than with live music?
Attending one of the freedom festivals, specifically Bevrijdingsfestival Wageningen, was a memorable experience. The event began with the prime minister igniting the flame of freedom, accompanied by the prime minister of Poland. This was in honour of all the Polish soldiers who helped in the fight for freedom for the Netherlands. Ofcourse, there was a sentiment of sadness regarding the war in Ukraine. Both ministers emphasised in their speeches how important it is to stay in solidarity.
What was to be expected, not everyone was happy with this image of international freedom and happiness that was projected. Some protesters felt like our prime minister isn’t handling politics well, regarding the war in Gaza. A smoke bomb was thrown on stage, and people held out red cards in the audience. Luckily, things didn’t escalate from there.
The ceremony was followed by an incredible line-up of Dutch artists, and first to enter the stage was none other than the hottest band of the Netherlands themselves: Rondé. As ambassadors of freedom, they knew how to celebrate freedom. Every time they enter a stage, they bring so much fun and joy with them. Especially the drummer, Sharon Zarr, seems to have the time of his life. Facial expressions like that are impossible to fake. It was clear that almost the entire front row of the festival were fans who came here for Rondé and Rondé only. For one fan in particular, this was their 100th Rondé show. If that isn’t a sign of dedication, I don’t know what is.
The crowd sang their hearts out to their hits, ‘Bright Eyes’, ‘Love Myself’ and ‘Undecided’. Rondé performed their newest single ‘How do I feel’, and even though it’s been out for just a few days, fans sang along to all the lyrics. They ended their set with ‘Hard To Say Goodbye’. Shortly after, you could hear the noise of a helicopter. If you were to look up, you could see Rondé flying above Wageningen, as they went on to their next show in Utrecht. What a spectacular way to move between festivals!
One of the most enjoyable parts of festivals is discovering new artists. The full line-up is rarely familiar, and there are often hidden gems waiting to be found. This was the case with the next artists entering the stage: Michael Ekow & May. The amount of energy Michael Ekow brings on stage with him is unmatched. Right when they start one of his funkiest songs, the sun starts to appear from behind the clouds. As if to set the perfect ambience for this set. It’s not just Michael Ekow & May on stage, they brought out their DJ as well.
Annabel has come to the party, and her sentiment is very contagious. Aside from creating an all-around party, Michael also tells the audience a little bit about himself. About how he went to Berlin, to discover who he is and who he wants to be. He wrote some songs about it and came back as what we see on this very stage. Despite some empty spaces in the crowd after Rondé’s set, Michael knew exactly how to keep the remaining audience entertained. Judging by the expressions on the faces nearby, not a single person seemed to regret the decision to stay.
Next up is Zoe Tauran. There first appeared a video on the screens, where Tauran introduced herself. She also told us about the fact that earlier in the day, she had gone to visit her grandparents’ grave. Her grandparents were Moluccan, and Tauran is proud of her heritage. Tauran has a discography full of collaborations. For example, ‘Alles op Gevoel’, which she performed. Unfortunately, there was no surprise guest. She also performed her newest hit ‘Status Ingewikkeld’. During this specific song, I was standing with my back towards the crowd when I suddenly got hit in the head. When I turned around, the thing that hit me turned out to be a gigantic beach ball. It wasn’t the only one. Everywhere you looked, enormous beach balls were jumping all over the crowd. The sight was quite funny, but the event was less practical. Some balls were thrown on stage, and there was security running through the pit to try and keep those balls at bay.
Tauran herself was also surprised and got a little distracted while performing. I think the idea of some sort of balloons to throw in the crowd was good, except these beach balls were way too big and heavy and were too much of a distraction from the performance. Later in her set, Tauran noticed a young fan holding up a sign that read ‘I made you something’. She was curious and she decided to let the young fan on stage. The boy then showed her a picture of a collage he had made for her. It was a shame he did not have a physical copy of the collage, but he was having the time of his life on that stage.
After an incredible set from Zoe Tauran, it was time for the next act to take it to the main stage. None other than the band De Baron. This was another act I had not heard before. I was pleasantly surprised by the scene before me. It felt as if I was in a theatre, watching a play. Besides the obvious fact that the members of De Baron were playing their music, there was so much happening on that stage that it was not only entertaining for our ears, but also our eyes.
The lead singer and saxophonist, Pascal van Hulst, seemed to tell a story with his facial expressions only. The different members of the band were also constantly interacting with each other. Some even changed their instruments throughout the performance. I have seen Van Hulst play at least three different instruments in one act. There also seemed to be some choreography going on, where the band members were standing in a neat row, playing their instruments and coordinating their movements and directions. This was an unforgettable performance, the audience will think back on with a smile.
The stage was once more graced by a new performer. This time we got to enjoy the act from JOASH. JOASH is this year’s winner of the Songs For Freedom contest in Gelderland. He landed this performance on the mainstage with his win. JOASH appears to be the epitome of a classic singer-songwriter. He sang his songs while effortlessly playing his guitar. He performed his new song ‘Common Sense’ and told us his new EP will be out soon. He seemed to be having the best time with his bandmates, and so was the crowd.
After JOASH’s performance, the crowd slowly started to get bigger. And bigger. Because next up was the newest Dutch pop-princes, Roxy Dekker. Roxy Dekker went from a few hits to selling out her very own headline shows in Amsterdam. She also brought out her debut album, which has been a huge success. It was to be expected that there would be a lot of Roxy Dekker fans in attendance for this performance. Dekker guided us through her set in the form of a dialogue between her and her DJ. She told us how she associates a different feeling with each of her songs. She told the audience that at that moment, she was feeling good. She was feeling free. She was even feeling a little… casual. To which her DJ responded with a simple question: “Do you also feel a little sexual?” And this was how she introduced her massive hit ‘Casual’. The crowds sang along, word by word.
Dekker was the only artist to walk the front stage and to stay at the front for most of her performance. This created the feeling that she was trying to reach the crowd and her fans. Dekker saves the best for last and closes her set with a remix of ‘Sugar Daddy’. Dekker truly set the tone for a massive party with her performance.
The attendees of Bevrijdingsfestival Wageningen sure did celebrate their freedom. They were treated to some of the Netherlands’ best performers. They sang their hearts out and danced until their feet were sore. I have discovered some very interesting artists. I hope by reading this, you will have the urge to look these artists up and give them a listen. And keep in mind how lucky we are to be able to live in a place where we can enjoy live music. All photos can be found here.
