adminCatch up on some sleep, because it’s time for an entire weekend without any. Yes, we’re already heading towards the end of May and that means it’s Sniester time! This free festival managed to become legendary right after its first edition last year and that’s why this year’s expectations run sky high. The area around the Grote Markt and the Paard van Troje, will be the ultimate musical and cultural epicentre of The Hague. It’s been said some guests entered the festival zone last year on Friday and didn’t leave until Sunday night. That actually sounds plausible, since Sniester has the resources to entertain and feed you for three days straight. Rockstone Sessions understands it might be a bit difficult to find your way through this sea of amusement and therefore we’d like to give you some guidance. Below we highlight two artists for each festival day that you just cannot miss.
Friday
Brother Dege (De Beuk) + Lydia Loveless (De Beuk)
The first show on Sniester that we absolutely recommend seeing is Brother Dege. This musician from Louisiana (US) will without a doubt kick off your weekend the way you deserve it. The mixture of blues, folk and punk music has even caught the attention of Quentin Tarantino, as he made one of his songs the soundtrack of Django Unchained. Nevertheless Brother Dege’s music isn’t yet as famous as it should be and that’s why he has been described as one of the best-kept secrets in the Deep South. Therefore, it’s extra special that he will be playing for you in De Beuk. The show starts at six o’clock and lasts for about an hour. Check out the clip below and you’ll know what we mean.
The Friday night program of De Beuk is just perfect for lovers of American Roots music. Just half an hour after Brother Dege ends his show, Lydia Loveless takes over the stage. Being only 24 years old, she already built quite a reputation with her Rock/Country/Folk music. Both Rolling Stone and Spin magazine named her an “artist you need to see” and Rockstone agrees. Last year the musician from Ohio released her third album and she’s only getting better. Being compared with well-respected artists like Lucinda Williams, this might be your last chance to see her playing in such an intimate setting without having to buy an expensive ticket. The video below will get you in the mood already.
Saturday
Taymir (Paard, big hall) + Gaspard Royant (De Beuk)
After having enjoyed two American shows it is time for some local music. Taymir might be the best band from The Hague at the moment and therefore it’s no surprise they’ll be rocking at Sniester as well. Of course the biggest stage in town is reserved for these kids, who’ve gained a lot of festival experience during the last couple of years, even internationally. They were already proclaimed “the sound of 2014” and they keep playing accordingly this year. So make sure you’re back at Sniester at half past nine, in order to enjoy their authentic pop songs in the “60’s beat” tradition. Click on the clip below to get an impression of the band that has been compared with classics like The Strokes and The Arctic Monkeys.
From The Hague to the small French town of Haute Savoie, yes Sniester manages to get artists from all over the world. Gaspard Royant has the ability to take the listener back to the fifties and sixties. Whether it’s the stage setting or the way he and his band members are dressed, every detail just matches with the old school doo-wop and garage ‘n roll he plays. The French singer songwriter released multiple EP’s, singles and one compilation album called 10 Hits Wonder. All of these received excellent critics, but his true strengths are the live performances. We assume you never had the chance to see a live show of Roy Orbinson, but seeing Gaspard Royant at De Beuk this Saturday will be an experience quite alike. The video displayed below will take you back in time a couple decades already.
Sunday
Yellow Grass (De Beuk) + My Baby (De Beuk)
The last day of Sniester is a bit less extensive as the first two, with ‘only’ three stages. Though, the program is fantastic again. We recommend going to De Beuk at one. Over there it is time for some good Dutch music, played by Yellow Grass. It’s no coincidence the band from Amsterdam is performing at the early Sunday afternoon, because their lovely and chilled sound matches perfectly with this particular part of the week. It will be exactly what you need after two heavy Sniester nights full of rock music and alcohol. The three band members play mixture of Folk and Americana, which has similarities with bands like Crosby Stills & Nash, Ryan Adams, Ben Howard and Venice. Imagine sitting at the bar, enjoying a nice cup of coffee and listening to the wonderful tunes of Yellow Grass. Exactly, that sounds good! The video below is of a session they once played with Rockstone and shows it is appropriate to compare them with big names like the ones above.
We do understand that you might feel broken, tired and hungover after a three-day festival and therefore we suggest going to My Baby right after Yellow Grass. This show is going to be a crazy party! They are also from Amsterdam and you’ll be glad Sniester got them to come to The Hague. It is really difficult to pigeonhole their genre, but genres like dub, indie, funk and trance are definitely appropriate. It just comes down to very good music, a great show and a bar full of bouncing people. My Baby released their second studio album only a couple months ago and again they succeeded in surprising everyone, including their fans. We are absolutely sure you’ll be positively surprised too, since their live shows in particular are legendary. A term that has been used often in describing the first edition of Sniester as well. Therefore we consider My Baby an absolute must-see at this festival. A legendary show at a legendary festival. Check out the clip below and you can’t wait!