Finally, festivals are back! Graspop, Jera On Air, Ieperfest, Alcatraz, Lokerse Feesten, Rock Werchter… many more, including Brakrock on 5 and 6 August! Many bands are booked so we make you a list of 10 bands you can’t miss!
A WILHELM SCREAM
We have the feeling they are here still forever. But not. Only 20 years! A Wilhelm Scream is often on tour, especially in Europe. They had the habit to play at our lovely Groezrock (they were at the last edition in 2019), now they have to find another home in Belgium. If you haven’t seen them yet, what are you waiting for? If you already saw them, you know you had a great and will go watch them again! Then see you all on the Wood Stage at 8pm the first day!
Songs to listen to: The King Is Dead, Boat Borders, I Wipe My Ass (…), The Horse.
BELVEDERE
Want your dose of skate punk, then you get what you need with Belvedere! This Canadian quatuor made a strong debut about 20 years ago with the release of “Fast Fowards Eats The Tape” and made their name known in the punk-rock scene. Their mix of skate punk, pop-punk and technical riffs make their music special and different than many bands sounding the same in the punk scene.
Songs to listen to: Hairline, Closed Doors, Three’s A Crowd, Brandy Wine.
COMEBACK KID
We saw them at Jera On Air this weekend and we were a bit frustrated because the sound was not really good. So we’re looking forward to see them again at Brakrock early August. But even without that, we always put Comeback Kid on our bucketlist for every festivals they’re booked as they always provide a sick show and we always enjoy singing along on the classics like the legendary Wake The Dead. You should do the same!
Songs to listen to: Wake The Dead, Heavy Steps, Wasted Arrows, Do Yourself A Favor.
EVERGREEN TERRACE
Did you know that Josh from Stick To Your Guns played in Evergreen Terrace before? No? Well, now you know. That was for the history part. Now, speaking of the music part, Evergreen Terrace is a band that maybe never got the success they deserve but they’re still around doing their best on stage. And they still have some great classics you should (re-)discover!
Songs to listen to: Chaney Can’t Quit (…), Mad World, Dead Horses, Wolfbiker.
F.O.D.
This name reminds you Green Day? Not a surprise. They started the band in 2008 as Green Day‘s cover band to play in full the album Dookie from which their band comes from (F.O.D. meaning Fuck Off and Die). But they’ve started then to create their own music with some great success playing some of the biggest festivals in punk-rock music like Groezrock (R.I.P.), Punk Rock Holidays and even some shows in Canada. Don’t miss one of the best punk-rock bands from Belgium on the best punk-rock festival in Belgium!
Songs to listen to: Crew You, 41, Carry On, Random Thoughts On Saturday.
ROTZAK
If you read our lines, you know Rotzak are one of our favorite Belgian bands right now but it’s for a reason: their music is interesting and they always sound great live. Like we say: “support your locals”. That’s what we do and we encourage you to do! We saw them a few days ago at Jera On Air and they made Belgium proud. So be there early to support them at Brakrock 2022!
Songs to listen to: Time Bomb, The Big Leap, All Icarus, Sassy Frass.
SICK OF IT ALL
We already mentioned the band on our list of 10 bands you can’t miss at Alcatraz Festival but they really deserve it! Even more than 40 years since their debut, Sick Of It All are still so powerful on stage en provide you a show with tons of classics you don’t wanna miss. Not a surprise if the Brakrock booked them as headliners for this edition!
Songs to listen to: Step Down, Inner Vision, Built To Last, Scratch The Surface.
THE LAST GANG
Coming from Los Angeles, this quarter punk-rock band released their sophomore album “Noise Noise Noise” on Fat Wreck Chords, which is not a small thing! You’ll find some vibes of The Clash, Against Me! or NOFX. But just a bit of all of them to make the sound of The Last Gang. Her singer Brenna Red said: “Just pick apart the art and put it inside of your own life.”. That’s definitely what we/you are doing!
Songs to listen to: Noise Noise Noise, Blood Drunk, Gimme Action, Shameless.
THE VENOMOUS PINKS
At a festival, there’re not only the headliners, they’re also the small bands you discover. You can discover them at their show at a festival or you can discover them before the festival when you analyzed the timetable. We’re in the second situation for The Venomous Pinks. This trio from Arizona will open the Wood Stage the second day. If you’re fan of Bikini Kill and TSOL, you’ll definitely like it!
Songs to listen to: Broken Hearts Club, Mercy, Doubles Arrow Down, Apothecary Ailment.
Obviously, this list is based on our preferences and is not the perfect list. We try to mention some bands we’re sure you won’t be disappointed about. We would love to know your list: let us know in the comment section on our different social networks!
