Roskilde Festival 2004, day 1 (in English)

My first day at the Roskilde Festival:

Always be wary of bands who claim to be “inspired by Sonic Youth”. The opening act at the Odeon Stage, Blonde Redhead had some original beats and ethereal melodies. But only in the last song as the guitar noise kicked in, did they show their full potential.

The Dropkick Murphys turned Arena stage into a singalong party with their Irish pub-folk-punk, complete with kilted bagpiper. No great musical innovation, but good fun!

As expected, the highlight of the first day was Brooklyn-based TV on the Radio. I honestly don’t know who to describe this band and their sound. A constant noise rock undercurrent, sharp funky grooves and unusually elaborate melodies add up to a mixture like nothing I’ve ever heard. Also, their set started at a level of intensity that other bands would need a whole night to build up to. Check these guys out, if you ever get the chance!

And another thing: Roskilde’s programme notes are usually spot on, but once in a while they’re misleading: From the description, Ricochets sounded like another 60es retro garage band (yawn!), but in reality they played a tight set of emotional rock’n’roll in a minor key. Also, they know how to write a song (which, I believe, goes againt the agenda of current retro garage bands).

Audio Bullys, on the other hand, didn’t hold my attention with their British working-class rap over somewhat too simplistic beats. The crowd seemed to like them, but when I struggled to distinguish one song from next, I left.

By the way, this month’s theme at soundvenue.com is festivals. So of course yours truly contributed with an article about Berlin’s Love Parade (article in Danish).