Stromae brings a special performance during Sziget

Also during the third day of Sziget there were quite a few acts on the bill, including The Techno Marching Band MEUTE, the Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital, the Belgian singer Stromae, the English rapper slowthai and – one of the biggest names of the festival – Justin Bieber.

MEUTE

This Friday the Main Stage was opened by a very special act. MEUTE is described as “The Techno Marching Band”. They certainly lived up to this name. The band’s eleven members took to the stage in their iconic red coats. For people who have never heard of the band before, it might have been a strange sight to see such a crowd. But once the music started, the crowd quickly gathered. With their hand-made techno beats and playful brass instruments, no DJ was needed. Soon a large crowd had gathered at the Main Stage. Both at the very front of the audience and very far from the stage, people danced like at any other EDM party. After a number of confetti cannons and a few words from one of the band members further on, the set was over. After playing incessantly for an hour, most will not soon forget this special band.

The Murder Capital

Meanwhile, another gig had started in the Freedome. The Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital was here. They started their set with a relatively small audience. While the band members walked onto the stage, there was already a lot of cheering. The people in the audience were clearly in the mood for a little more punk at the festival. When the singer, James McGovern, also came forward moments later, there were even louder whoops. With a cigarette between his lips, he took a few more puffs before starting the first song. Then the singer jumped into the audience a few songs later. The left side burst and began to push to get as close to McGovern as possible. Slowly but surely the tent filled up a bit, the rougher music attracted the people. After some moshpits arose, McGovern decided to stage dive and was literally worshipped. In the end, the band played for over an hour. For enthusiasts, this was definitely a show not to be missed. With their loud guitars and politically tinged lyrics, they conquered the Freedome.

Stromae

One of the biggest shows of the evening kicked off on the Main Stage. The Belgian singer Stromae stood in front of an overcrowded festival site. The show started even before Stromae took the stage, with an animated film showing a version of Stromae himself. During the whole performance, several of these videos came along, which was a very nice addition to the set. While his band members played in some kind of booths on stage, the singer started working on his first songs. The second song, “Fils de joie,” had microphones placed on stage, making it seem like Stromae was giving a press conference. Later, during “Tous les mêmes”, the singer was surprised that the audience sang along so loudly. ‘You are singing French, right?’ When he started the songs “Mauvaise journée” and “Bonne journée” a chair came on stage. As he sat down and started to sing, the chair began to roll across the entire stage. Moments later, a robot dog came on stage. This dog came to dance for a while and brought Stromae his coat. This was the jacket from the “Papaoutai” music video. When he put on the jacket, the music started playing right away. He finished his set with his hit single “Alors on danse”. All in all, this was a very special performance. All the futuristic elements really put on a show. It also felt very special because of the separate dance steps and expressive facial expressions of the singer.

slow thai

slowthai had already started on the Freedome stage. This rapper from England had taken all the energy with him. The audience was wild before the show actually started, and it just got more and more. When the artist came on stage it was really unbearable. The crowd jumped and screamed as if their lives depended on it. And not only was the audience incredibly energetic, slowthai himself really went wild as well. With his crazy and special dances he really made a show of it. There were also many fans from England, many from Northampton, his home town. He gave these fans some extra attention by giving them a shout-out. With all the energy that went into this performance, he really was the big surprise of the evening. With a packed tent and a wild crowd, it didn’t matter that Stromae was busy on the stage next door. For the real fans, the choice was made quickly.

Justin Bieber

Then began the show for which some had been waiting for the Main Stage as early as seven in the morning. Even before Justin Bieber started his set, the whole area was packed. The people stood up to the Ferris wheel and beyond, between the tents on the campsite. This was of course to be expected, as this was one of the biggest names of the entire festival. Probably many people had bought their day tickets, especially for today, because such a crowd had not been seen before this week. When the star came on stage, the screams could probably be heard from across Budapest. During his set, he had a number of dancers who performed their choreography full of energy. Bieber played a mix of all his hits over the years. Especially a number of songs from his latest album, but also songs like “Baby” and “Boyfriend”. These are the songs he used to break through. That’s why these were extra special, everyone recognized them. The audience sang along for the entire set. Since the site was so full, there was quite a volume. All in all, a very entertaining set, whether you were a fan or not.