Shows you really couldn’t miss on Day 2 of Sziget
Goldband, Goldband, Goldband: as a Dutchman, there was only one show you really couldn’t miss on Day 2 of Sziget. Of course, that didn’t mean there was nothing else to experience on a day that started a bit rainy but cleared up completely as the first acts began to play. We’ll take you through Halsey, Azahriah, néomí, Nova Twins, and Goldband performances.
On the Main Stage, it was mostly about Halsey for international fans, but for the local audience, Hungarian singer-songwriter Azahriah had the honour of performing on Sziget’s main stage. He also brought many other Hungarian artists onto the stage, and although undoubtedly not everyone could follow his lyrics, he delivered a highly immersive show with a mix of uptempo tracks and emotional songs.
But first, let’s focus on the Dutch corner, as fellow countrywoman néomí took the stage at The Buzz. She was named a great talent last year, and the Netherlands sent her to Sziget this year. The Buzz is intended for emerging talent, and over the past years, artists like Froukje, Eefje de Visser, and Prins S. & De Geit have performed there. néomí released her debut album ‘Somebody’s daughter’ earlier this year, and the very personal folk music of the singer certainly found its way to the Sziget audience, who listened to her breathlessly.
Breathless listening was not the case on the Revolut Stage, where Nova Twins were scheduled before Goldband. Amy Love (vocals and guitar) and Georgia South (bass guitar) guarantee excellent guitar work and mix rock and rap with pop and punk. Although they opened the stage, it quickly filled up, and it wasn’t long before the audience was swaying and jumping along to the music of the British duo.
Back to Halsey, the headliner of Day 2. She recently confirmed that she is seriously ill and that she is lucky to be alive. Although she has released new music, it had been a while since Halsey performed on such a big stage. This was evident, as the field was already full of the singer’s fans early on.
Halsey opened her set with the powerful song ‘Nightmare’, setting the tone for the evening. Her set was a mix of energetic and emotional songs, so one moment the crowd was going wild, and the next, they were watching and listening to what Halsey had to say. The biggest hits, including ‘Without Me’ and ‘Him & I’, were certainly sung along to by the masses.
Not every Sziget-goer might be familiar with Halsey’s story, but in the end, it’s about the feeling that she sings, and that certainly came across. She is, as mentioned, actively working on releasing new music, with ‘Lucky’ being her latest single. Additionally, she also gave previews of new, untitled work, showing that she is excited to get back to it.
Day two of Sziget 2024 had been marked in the Dutch visitors’ calendars for some time. Goldband played their first festival show of 2024 on the Revolut Stage. While the Hague-based band was seen on almost all stages in previous years, their tour schedule is much lighter this year: after Sziget, Pukkelpop, and Lowlands, the festival season will already be over.
‘Milo, Bo, and Kareltje’ more than lived up to their reputation. For just over an hour, it felt like we were not in Budapest, but in Biddinghuizen for an unparalleled party. Unlike Joost Klein, Goldband didn’t engage in English conversations with the audience. Goldband was simply Goldband. That meant you sometimes saw one of the band members right in the middle of the crowd, it was often complete chaos on stage, and it was wild both on and in front of the stage.
Goldband released ‘Samen Tegen Elkaar’ earlier this year and played a mix of proven festival hits (‘Noodgeval’, ‘Ja Ja Nee Nee’, ‘Dit Is Voor Jou’, ‘Mijn Stad’) and new work (‘You & Me’, ‘Sex’, ‘Vuur & Vlam’, ‘Hou Het Simpel’) that also worked very well live. It was an old-fashioned evening of ‘Samen Met Elkaar’. ‘Samen Tegen Elkaar’ slowly but surely turned into ‘Samen Met Elkaar’, with dancing crowds extending far outside the tent of the Revolut Stage.
You haven’t been to Sziget if you only make a round of the big stages. The island is all about atmosphere and experience and exploring the corners of the massive site. That means you might suddenly be blown away by a full brass band, find hordes of people dancing around a trumpeter, or come across an improvised DJ booth where everyone goes wild on the hardest beats.
On the third day of Sziget 2024, the Brits will take over the Main Stage. Stormzy is scheduled to perform at 19:15, and two hours later, it’s time to pull out your parka for Liam Gallagher’s show. Additionally, many are looking forward to Teezo Touchdown’s performance, kicking off at 10:45 PM on the Revolut Stage.
Photos (c) Marjolein van Veldhuizen
