It was that time of year again when nearly a quarter of a million people descend on The Hague to attend the largest free music festival in Europe, Parkpop was back!

A fan enjoying the party © Neal McClimon

The weather leading up to the event had people worrying how the day would go, but thankfully the sun decided to show itself at around 2.00pm and tempted the music fans to come and bask in all its glory. The weather certainly brought the best out of people as a wonderful atmosphere enveloped the whole area.

At 1.00pm the two stages were ready to rock and the first bands of the day were the English band The Crookes who were on the Jupiter stage and a local band from The Hague, The Deaf on the Staedion stage: Both of these bands belting out a high energy performance which got the crowd going wild from the off.

Graffiti6 were on next, a band I had never heard of, but as it turned out I knew some of their music. The singer had a great relaxed singing style and had the females in the crowd eating from the palms of his hands.

On stage then came Staff Benda Bilili, this translates as “Look beyond appearances.” They are a band mostly made up of polio sufferers from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are mostly in wheelchairs playing guitars and a tin can! They caught the crowd off guard when they appeared, but soon had them onside with a wonderful set of songs from their home land.

Staff Benda Bilili © Neal McClimon

I went for a walk around the park to soak up what was a great, fun, friendly atmosphere. The ages of people were from new borns in pushchairs to people well into their sixties and above. There were lots of things to do apart from the bands on stage. Entertainment to keep the most active of children amused. The beer flowed freely and it was great to be in the middle of it. I spoke to a few expats who were enjoying the day, all saying what a great event it was and that there was such an air of relaxation around with no sense of trouble brewing like they had seen at other big outdoor events around Europe.

A band from Barcelona called La Pegatina added to the international mix with their take on a classic Spanish sound. The music and the sunny afternoon easily transported your mind to believing you could be sitting on a beach in the Costas. I have to be honest and went with trepidation to see these as I hate this kind of music. The band had me pleasantly surprised with a show full of bounce and character and excitement, way better than I thought they would be.

Go Back to the Zoo were a band I had already seen this year at the Liberation festival. I was looking forward to seeing them again and the show this time around seemed even better than before. This band has a growing reputation throughout Holland and one to keep an eye on for the future.
Tim Knol provided a change in style with a country sound, it was not my kind of music, but it gave a chance for many to sit back, relax and just listen to some music without all the jumping and bouncing around.

The music style changed again and the sound of Reggae could be heard around the Zuiderpark as the great voice of Mojo Morgan played his set. A wonderful performance and a chilled vibe did seem to spread around those watching.

On stage next were The Hague’s favourite local band Di-rect. They really rocked the crowd and their stage energy was great to watch, such power in their performance got even the most inactive people moving to their infectious brand of rock, a real highlight of the day.

Di-rect © Neal McClimon

Memphis Maniacs, the name for me conjured up some kind of Deep South American style of music, but wow I was so wrong. It tuned out that they were really Maniacs by name and Maniacs by nature. They had to be my favourite band of the night. They played so many different types of music, great entertainment, covered many artists from the past to the present day, everybody really loved this show. It was the one set I was hoping would go on for much longer, brilliant! I am not joking, but everybody and I mean everybody was smiling and laughing throughout their amazing set.

Memphis Maniacs © Neal McClimon

Finally just after 8.30pm the headline act came on to the Staedion stage, Jamie Cullum and his brand of jazz. Many had waited the whole day just to see him and listen to his very uniquely distinctive voice, for those fans it made that wait truly worth while. The guy is a class act, very professional and watching him gave you a feeling he bonded with the crowd: A great way to end the Parkpop event for 2011.

As the masses left the park organizers looked happy that all had gone well and to plan. This event seems to grow in stature every single year. This was my third time at Parkpop and again I loved the day there. The Hague certainly knows how to put on a party and this was no exception!

So at the end of the day, what did I think of the whole event? To be honest, I could not fault it at all, the eclectic collection of performers worked brilliantly well, something for everybody. I think many were like me; truly surprised by how some of the bands put over their sound. I don’t think there was one band that didn’t get a rousing reception from the crowd. This for me has been the best Parkpop I have been to so far. If you missed it this time around, next year, keep your diary clear for the next one!

See you all there again next year.

Text & Photos by Neal McClimon
neal@thehagueonline.com
www.itpphotography.com
 

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