Succes for Kings of Leon and Bastille at Sziget

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

The heat was unbearable on this warm second day of Sziget The sun was brightly in the morning. Later, fortunately, some clouds drifted in, which made it seem to cool down a bit. Fortunately, when the wind started to pick up a bit, the worst heat seemed far away. Due to the persistent drought in Hungary lately, the entire festival site was, unfortunately, all dust. Due to the wind, this dust also remained in the air, so real dust clouds hung over the island.

At three o’clock on one of the smaller stages of the festival, the band The Big Ska Swindle from Italy played. Despite the fact that this was a broad daylight performance and a relatively small stage, they really managed to throw a party. They played nice ska songs, which made everyone dance. On Sziget, it doesn’t seem to matter how big or small the artist is, whatever time of day it is, everything is turned into a party.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Alice Merton

The singer from Germany opened the evening on the Main Stage. With a set of five quarters of an hour, she had enough time to play a lot of songs, without getting bored. With her up-tempo pop, she managed to get the crowd jumping and dancing. Although the area around the main stage started off fairly quiet, it slowly filled up. Merton’s songs were very catchy and apparently attracted a lot of people to come and watch. The singer also got the audience to sing along with most of her choruses. With the catchy melodies and repetitive lyrics, she got everyone there. Especially on the song “Same Team” from her latest album “S.I.D.E.S.”, the whole audience screamed ‘I just can’t, I just can’t!’ As a closing, she played her mega-hit “No Roots” where the dancing of the audience really erupted.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

GIRLI

Between two sets on the Main Stage, another artist was performing in the Freedome. The singer started in front of an almost empty tent, but that didn’t last long. After Alice Merton was finished, the place immediately filled up. Full of energy and spirit, she played her fifteen-minute set. With her up-tempo songs, she brought a little edge to the festival.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Bastille

After Alice Merton had finished her set, there was a special event on the main stage. This was a speech by the Dutch activist and journalist Aynouk Tan about ‘The Importance of Acceptance’. After a short break, the music program continued. Bastille came on stage and it was immediately clear that this was going to be one big party. All of Sziget had gathered for the Main Stage and the atmosphere was good. The band’s lead singer, Dan Smith, appeared in a thick sweater, with both a body warmer and a thick winter coat. Although the choice for this outfit was not completely understandable, the singer did not seem to be bothered by it. After every song that was played, a layer came off, so he ended up only wearing a shirt. By singing songs from a lounger on stage, Smith gave a very relaxed impression.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

The audience, on the other hand, was full of energy. Because of the many hits that the band has scored over the years, everyone knew almost only the lyrics. There was plenty of singing, dancing and jumping. During the song “Happier”, which the band released together with Marshmello, Smith jumped off the stage. It walked past the audience in front of the stage and handed out many high fives. During one of the last songs of the evening, the band Alice Merton also took the stage to sing a song. With perhaps their most famous song, “Pompeii”, the band closed their set. They played a mix of their big hits and some new songs. These will appear on their upcoming album.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Kings of Leon

Between the sets of Bastille and Kings of Leon, there was a considerably smaller crowd on the main stage. Nearly everyone standing by Bastille had decided to leave. Instead, there was a completely different audience. The people who came to see Kings of Leon seemed a little older, a little tougher and a little more rock. Although the band themselves didn’t really put on a show and the whole set stayed in place, this didn’t stop the people from going crazy. Halfway through the set, they played the two biggest hits from their repertoire; “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody”. The set was a good mix of old and new songs. There was something for everyone to enjoy. As the very last song, they played “Manhattan” from their “Only by the Night” album from 2008.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Froukje

At eleven o’clock the set that every Dutchman had been waiting for Sziget started. Froukje was on the Europe stage. Her set was specially scheduled for this time so that there would be no overlap with other major performances. It was expected that it would be very busy. And nothing could be further from the truth. Upon arrival at the stage, it was immediately clear that this was where all the Dutch could be found. Not only were there many Dutch flags, but the audience was also on average half a meter longer than in other sets. With the sold-out shows all over the Netherlands and the large amount of Dutch people who came to Sziget this year, this was only logical.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Froukje managed to excite the audience with her alternative pop songs. Everyone danced and sang their lungs out. Songs like “Onbezonnen” and “Zonder Gezicht” were sung word for word despite the fast rhythm. As the last song of the evening, she played her hit “Ik Wil Dansen”. This was probably the song everyone had been waiting for as everyone jumped into the air. Although the set only lasted fifty minutes, it was unforgettable.

Photo (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

Photos (c) Wyona Latupeirissa

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