BEST KEPT SECRET: The Definitive Top 30

Don’t we all just absolutely love a list? Because here at All Things Loud we live for the self-validation which putting together a list gives us. To round off our coverage of another fantastic Best Kept Secret, we’ve analysed all of our notes in order to present you with the 30 best performances which graced the stage in Hilvarenbeek this weekend. It wasn’t easy, but we managed. Each selection features an excerpt from our initial review of that particular artist’s performance.

30 NANA ADJOA

Dutch artist Nana Adjoa took on Stage THREE in the meantime, and it was her introverted indie pop which served as the perfect accompaniment to the simmering heat festivalgoers had encountered. Her music is sickly sweet on record, but live it carries with itself a sense of brooding intimacy which draws the listener in like a moth to a flame. Dutch artists can sometimes become overshadowed at festivals like Best Kept Secret due to visitors being no more than a stone’s throw away from their next set, but Adjoa faced little difficulty in ensuring that all eyes were on her in a packed THREE. Jack Parker

Nana Adjoa. (c) Jack Parker
Nana Adjoa. (c) Jack Parker

29 RODRIGUEZ

Michigan singer-songwriter Rodriguez followed on Stage ONE, serving as the most charming and nostalgic set of the weekend. At 75 years of age, Sixto Rodriguez is still going strong despite slowly but surely going blind due to his glaucoma. Taking to the stage with a handler and three Panama hats, Rodriguez took his seat and started tuning his guitar. “It’s gotta be in tune, y’all” he murmured towards to the patient crowd, with one voice loudly responding: “we’ll wait!” to much applause. Once Rodriguez kicked off his set on a solo acoustic cover of Elton John’s Your Song, it became clear pretty quick that the following hour would be an exercise in folk-laden nostalgia. Six covers appeared during the famous Sugarman’s performance, including a full-band take on The Doors’ Light My Fire and Bob Luman’s Let’s Think About Livin’. Both formed out an important part of a show which, if anything, proved that age really is just a number. Legends with the same career trajectory as Rodriguez don’t come around very often, making it all the more special when they get up to something. Jack Parker

Rodriguez. (c) Jack Parker
Rodriguez. (c) Jack Parker

28 REX ORANGE COUNTY

Rex Orange County is by far the most intriguing bedroom producer of 2018, something which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when you consider the fact that it was modern day rap hero Tyler, the Creator who discovered him and give Alex O’Connor (his real name) the big break he had long deserved. The two since became more than just mentor and mentee, instead forming a friendship which became transposed in O’Connor’s impactful indie pop. During his set on Stage THREE in front of a full tent, Rex Orange County (which, live, comprises of O’Connor, a bassist and a drummer) proved that he was most definitely worth the hype as he treated the crowd to cuts from recent record Apricot Princess. Setting the bar high early on meant that O’Connor had a lot to prove, but he most definitely managed. Set highlight Loving is Easy is an incredibly slick slice of pure indie pop, and it’s one of the best songs you’ll hear in Hilvarenbeek this weekend from an artist who has a great future ahead. Jack Parker

Rex Orange County. (c) Jack Parker
Rex Orange County. (c) Jack Parker

27 TYLER, THE CREATOR

We all know Tyler, the Creator from his manic project Odd Future, but those days seem to be long behind him when you take the introverted sonic direction of last year’s Flower Boy into account. It’s an album which has allowed the rapper to grow into his own and form a fresh reputation for himself which is worlds away from the bad boy image he had in Odd Future. Set opener Where This Flower Blooms featured a pre-recorded Frank Ocean blaring through Stage ONE’s PA, although this is as good as it got in terms of special guests. The bulk of the set saw Tyler onstage by himself with a DJ to the side, placing himself firmly in the spotlight as he ensured that all eyes were on him. And it worked, because Tyler, the Creator’s live shows are best when they’re all about him, sans distraction. Jack Parker

Tyler, the Creator (c) Jack Parker
Tyler, the Creator (c) Jack Parker

26 UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson is a man of many talents, and on his project’s new album Sex & Food he takes a bigger step into the world of fuzzy funk than ever before. Whether it be on the luminous Hunnybee on smooth Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays, Nielson never fails to impress. He kicked off his band’s plant-shrouded set by taking an extended walk through the crowd during the ethereal Ffunny Friends, only returning once he’d explored every single inch of the packed Stage TWO. It was from this point onwards that the set really came to life, slowly but surely picking up in pace and intensity after what felt like a lethargic start. Finale Can’t Keep Checking My Phone served as the highlight, something which isn’t too surprising when you consider exactly how fantastic that song just is. It may not have been the band’s best performance in recent memory, but it packed just enough punch to leave an imprint on your mind. Jack Parker

Unknown Mortal Orchestra. (c) Jack Parker
Unknown Mortal Orchestra. (c) Jack Parker

25 ANGUS & JULIA STONE

Aussie sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone brought the sun to Stage ONE, kicking off main stage proceedings with soothing cuts from new album Snow. It’s an interesting choice of album title for a duo whose home country is devoid of such weather conditions, but perhaps it indicates comfort in stepping out of their comfort zones. Clutching at straws here, of course, but what can be said of their set is that it was everything Hilvarenbeek needed: breezy melodies, slick harmonies and enough sunshine to last a lifetime. Jack Parker

Angus & Julia Stone. (c) Jack Parker
Angus & Julia Stone. (c) Jack Parker

24 …AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD

Texan rockers …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s set featured tracks from their critically acclaimed 2002 album Source Tags & Codes, played in order from start to finish. Though many years have passed since then, it’s the album which broke the band with every one that’s come since compared to it. It’s a pleasure getting the rare chance to hear tracks like Baudelaire and Relative Ways live, but unfortunately the set was plagued with sound issues from start to finish. Whether it’s broken guitar strings or no sound coming from the bass amp, there wasn’t one minute of the set where a roadie wasn’t running around looking panicked. Despite this, the band soldiered on, and closed out with a couple of tracks from their 1999 album Madonna. The crowd went wild during closer A Perfect Teenhood with the audience shouting “fuck you” back at bassist Autry Fulbright II in a moment of mutual intensity. Steven Morgan

23 GUS DAPPERTON

New York City’s latest hip kid, Gus Dapperton, kicked off proceedings on Stage THREE with an impressive strand of sickly sweet indie pop laced with jangly guitars. Dapperton – real name Brendan Rice – is a quirky character, something his personality emphasises had is image not already done that for you. Together with his live band (which features his sister on keys – “woo hoo“, as Rice adds), Dapperton treated THREE to a promising set which had all the hallmarks of a big name in the making: catchy melodies, smooth vocals and an overarching sense of unbridled joy which not many acts bring to the game these days. Jack Parker

Gus Dapperton. (c) Jack Parker
Gus Dapperton. (c) Jack Parker

22 NILÜFER YANYA

If it was the Stone siblings who brought the summer to Hilvarenbeek, then it was most definitely Nilüfer Yanya who got rid of them with her intricately constructed bedroom pop. Yanya is a vocal powerhouse who weaves intimacy and bombast with utmost care and compassion, culminating in songs which stick within the confines of your mind for hours on end. She turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the day, much like you’d expect from someone with so much hype surrounding them. Jack Parker

Nilüfer Yanya. (c) Jack Parker
Nilüfer Yanya. (c) Jack Parker

21 TOM GRENNAN

Over on Stage ONE, rising star and birthday boy Tom Grennan took one a relatively full sandy field as he demonstrated the inner workings of his soulful and raspy voice. Grennan’s music is typecast ‘lad’, something which makes sense in the long run when you consider the fact that his music has become a staple of Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage this past season. Found What I’ve Been Looking For has thus become a bona fide festival anthem, one which packs enough punch to get a whole field chanting along. Best Kept Secret was the Bedford boy’s first proper Dutch festival, and when you take this into account you could strongly suggest that it was a success. Jack Parker

Tom Grennan. (c) Jack Parker
Tom Grennan. (c) Jack Parker

20 ALTIN GÜN

Over on Stage FIVE, it was Dutch/Turkish collective Altin Gün who proved to be the surprise of the day, pulling off a blinding set in front of a packed tent as they treated the crowd to cuts from their brooding debut album, On. Later this month we will be presenting you with a detailed insight into the impact of Turkish music on international pop culture, something for which we sat down with Altin Gün to discuss in greater detail. Jack Parker

Altin Gün (c) Jack Parker
Altin Gün (c) Jack Parker

19 OMNI

Atlanta, GA’s Omni kicked off the day on the elusive Stage FIVE, which finds itself compacted into a dark, sweaty corner of the festival site. The grim, faux-industrial surroundings of this stage ultimately lent themselves extremely well to the band’s jangly post-punk, which flitters between bedroom garage jams and bombastic, pulsating riffs and melodies. On new album Multi-task, the band manage to produce a sound which borders on a sense of frenetic reckless abandon, something which comes to life in their live show and which resonated with the full crowd. Jack Parker

Omni. (c) Jack Parker
Omni. (c) Jack Parker

18 THE DISTRICTS

Philadelphia indie folkers The Districts proved to be the first real standout performance of the day, packing a weekend’s worth of emotional intensity into a set just short of an hour. Set opener If Before I Wake might not be your typical festival anthem, but it most definitely comes close. Its makeshift chorus is an absolute powerhouse, and it set the bar incredibly high for the rest of the show. It drew heavily from new album Popular Manipulations, which served as a definite favourite in critics circles the world over. One glimpse of a Districts live show should serve as enough proof for this, too. Jack Parker

The Districts. (c) Jack Parker
The Districts. (c) Jack Parker

17 WAVVES

One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly WAVVES. Clashing with The National was no mistake, as this isn’t music to quietly contemplate – this is music to bounce around the place to. They got King Of The Beach out early to get the crowd riled up and barely dropped the pace throughout from there. The front of Stage THREE was a bouncing mess of limbs and crowdsurfers as the audience got into it instantly. Frontman Nathan Williams had to ask the crowd to be careful as there was no security to catch them. In reply a pair of crutches were thrust into the air letting them know it was going to be alright. At one point, Williams found a wallet on stage and somehow managed to find the owner and return it despite having no idea how to pronounce their name. “Van der…” was the only coherent part. The atmosphere just seemed to get crazier as the set progressed, and by the time Williams introduced “a song we wrote for Grand Theft Auto V” the entire place was moving. The band seemed visibly pleased with the set by the end, and as the last notes rang out, most of the audience bum rushed the Casbah stage to check out Dune Rats, leaving the slow ones (me) behind and unable to get in. Steven Morgan

16 LET’S EAT GRANDMA

There’s no-one out there quite like Let’s Eat Grandma. The teenage duo create a multi-layered brand of art pop that’s both unapologetically positive and refreshingly original. After a drum-led intro, the pair took to the stage to launch straight into their incredible new track Hot Pink. With SOPHIE on production duties, there’s a lot of buzz around the second album due from this pair, with their styles so complimentary. Live, the new tracks sound massive, and the pair know how to put on a great show. Switching instruments with ease and interjecting the music with moments of mutual handclaps, choreographed moves, or Jenny Hollingworth running through the audience for a dance. There’s a barely contained excitement in everything they do that’s contagious when you watch them on stage. This is music without pretence, and with their full control over the entire instrumentation of their output, they have created a distinct sound which became clear on their 2016 debut I, Gemini. On the strength of this performance, don’t be surprised if their follow-up is the one that breaks them through. Steven Morgan

15 HINDS

Where Gang of Youths had slight difficulty in fully entrancing the crowd, it seemed like Spanish quartet Hinds had absolutely no trouble at all. Taking to the stage enthusiastically dancing to The Prodigy’s Stand Up, Carlotta Cosials and co. managed to express pure and boundless joy for the duration of their set, one which relied heavily on new album I Don’t Run. It’s their second exercise in slick garage pop, with set opener Chili Town raising the bar for what followed: an hour of exciting, raw and imperfectly perfect slacker rock. Jack Parker

Hinds. (c) Jack Parker
Hinds. (c) Jack Parker

14 MOGWAI

The one thing you can rely on with a Mogwai set is that it will be loud. The post-rock pioneers should come with a warning that earplugs aren’t an option for their live shows: they’re necessary. At the point where opening track Mogwai Fear Satan kicks back in, I felt the moisture on my eyeballs instantly evaporate, the wall of guitars physically rattling my skeleton in an immensely pleasurable way. The lighting was low as the band played a selection of tracks from their ever expanding back catalogue. Towards the back a couple of guys started a loud conversation with each other, and this distraction annoyed another audience member so much that he stormed off to stand elsewhere. It made me realise that there’s a reason they need to be so loud after all. Steven Morgan

13 KHRUANGBIN

Both visually and musically, Khruangbin don’t come across as the kind of band who you’d associate with the state of Texas. Surprisingly enough, though, that’s where the funky trio hail from. The band have slowly but surely crept up from within the undergrowth (in part thanks to Bonobo’s Late Night Tales), becoming a ferocious live force to be reckoned with in the process. This is something which is largely down to their enchanting live performances, which include shredding solos, synchronised dance moves and a setlist packed with noteworthy moments. Infectious Thai funk and surf rock are the main attractions here, although it was a medley of pop culture hits which really struck a chord with the crowd. Towards the end of their set, the trio mashed together some of the 20th century’s most recognisable melodies, including Warren G’s Regulate, Dr. Dre’s The Next Episode and Kool & the Gang’s Summer Madness. It was a moment which solidified Khruangbin’s status as spectacular live band, something which they only further hammered home on memorable curtain call People Everywhere (Still Alive). Don’t sleep on this band. Jack Parker

Khruangbin. (c) Jack Parker
Khruangbin. (c) Jack Parker

12 THE NATIONAL

The National have never quite garnered the same level of popularity in The Netherlands as they’ve enjoyed elsewhere, and to some they were a relative surprise choice as headliners for the Saturday. Their bookish charm may not appeal to all, but there’s no arguing that they are amazing at what they do, and opener Nobody Else Will Be There was the perfect way to prove that. Frontman Matt Berninger has gone from strength to strength as a performer, commanding the crowd’s attention as he physically accentuates every word coming from his sultry voice. His words are often auto-biographical, yet the band have found a way to communicate the intensely personal to arena sized audiences. It’s clear that the audience were with the band though, with an audience-sung rendition of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks showing just how many people care about what they do. Steven Morgan

The National. (c) Jack Parker
The National. (c) Jack Parker

11 FUTURE ISLANDS

Future Islands never fail to be entertaining, though while their breezy electropop and Samuel T. Herring’s crooning voice may hit the right spots on record, it’s on stage that they truly excel. Herring’s stage presence is mesmerising as he punches the air, pounds his chest and accentuates every word with a devastating intensity. His journey through the emotions is so extreme, that after playing Spirit he even starts crying and it’s hard to tell why or if he’s being sincere. Top it all off with sudden and unexpected death metal growls and you’ve got one of the most unique frontmen out there. Though the crowd bobs happily along to tracks from 2017’s The Far Field, it’s those from their 2014 breakthrough Singles that get the biggest reactions. The moment that the opening synth notes of Seasons (Waiting On You) start, the entire crowd erupts with joy. Steven Morgan

Future Islands. (c) Jack Parker
Future Islands. (c) Jack Parker

10 SLOWDIVE

There are two ways of cooling down from a Wolf Alice show: a) take a dip like Rowsell herself did, or b) space out to the dreamy sounds of Slowdive. The seminal English shoegaze outfit treated a packed TWO to songs from their most recent self-titled effort, which served as a true return to form for a band who had been gone for far too long. The older cuts from albums like Souvlaki Space Station may have been most anticipated, but it was newer track Star Roving which proved to be the ultimate highlight. Jack Parker

Slowdive. (c) Jack Parker
Slowdive. (c) Jack Parker

9 SPOON

Some bands are so effortlessly cool that it makes you take a look at yourself and wonder why you can’t be that way. Spoonare one of them. As the afternoon sun lit up the Stage ONE, Britt Daniel et al brought the Texan chic to Best Kept Secret. It’s telling for a band that have been around for so long that they can play a setlist which draws mostly from their latest two albums and still have the crowd eating from the palms of their hands. This is not a band looking into the past, as they’re still putting out material strong enough to match it. Tracks like Inside Out sounded as though they’d been specifically written for that moment, with the big grin across Jim Eno’s face feeling rightly deserved. Since shifting towards more electronic elements, it’s freed Daniel up to take more of a presence as the true frontman. Whether he’s lying across the stage, or playfully dancing down front, he looks comfortable in this role, and nothing phases him. When a confetti bomb went off down the front early on, he gave a shout out to the little boy who fired it. Only The Underdog and Way We Get By received a play from their earlier material, with slight adjustments made to to fit into their new sound. Spoon’s show was was one of those sets which you’d never have wanted to end. Steven Morgan

Spoon. (c) Jack Parker
Spoon. (c) Jack Parker

8 VINCE STAPLES

It was when I arrived at Stage TWO for Vince Staples and heard him powering through new single Get The Fuck Off My Dick that I knew this was what I’d been craving. Armed with nothing but a microphone in front of a wall of video screens, there was no lighting on the man himself, leaving him as a silhouette prowling in front of the scenes behind him. His music instils a sense of paranoia which is amplified by this stage setup. The bass was suitably intense in volume as his breakthrough classics Norf Norf and Blue Suede got the crowd moving. The screens themselves seemed to show an assortment of footage, sometimes innocuous, sometimes unsettling, but constantly changing without context or explanation. Vince has fast moved from exciting new artist to hip-hop powerhouse over the course of four years, three albums and an EP. On the strength of this performance, he’s still got a lot left to say. Steven Morgan

Vince Staples. (c) Jack Parker
Vince Staples. (c) Jack Parker

7 SUPERORGANISM 

We all love a good hype band, right? This year, London-via-the-world’s Superorganism are truly the heirs to this throne as they treat packed crowds across the globe to their infectious indie pop. There are plenty of superlatives which you could use to describe the septet’s feel-good neon-infused live show, but in short it’s just a whole lot of intricately co-ordinated fun. Set opener It’s All Good introduced the band in the best way possible, utilising pompous vocals from the group’s trio of quirky backing singers. Together with some bleeps, bloops and the unenthusiastic-yet-captivating frontwoman Orono, Superorganism were able to prove that the word hype is far more than just a few streaming hits and a short shelf-life. Superorganism are the kind of band who will be here for years to come, taking on popular culture and fusing it with their already-infectious music. Set closer Something For Your M.I.N.D. was the undoubted highlight of the show, but then again it is an absolute banger after all. If you haven’t taken notice of Superorganism yet, then now is the time to change that. Jack Parker

Superorganism. (c) Jack Parker
Superorganism. (c) Jack Parker

6 FATHER JOHN MISTY

Over on Stage ONE, folk troubadour Father John Misty made his fifth appearance on Dutch soil since May 2016 (there are two more shows due in November), and it’s this relentless touring schedule which has ensured that Josh Tillman will never become a forgotten figure. He’s never shied away from being a divisive figure, but it’s on new record God’s Favourite Customer where we really come to understand the toll that the last decade has taken on Tillman’s (formerly eroding) mental state. He seems to be on the up now, and during his set at Best Kept Secret we saw a man refreshed and back at the top of his game (last year’s set at Down the Rabbit Hole was average at best). Early double-whammy Total Entertainment Forever and Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All showcased Tillman’s incredibly powerful vocal range, taking a dig at Taylor Swift on the former just before the latter injected some beautiful grandiosity into the set. His show peaked on the brilliant Pure Comedy, before The Ideal Husband brought everything to a clattering end. Tillman’s had his ups and downs, but it looks like those days are well and truly over as he powers on forward with an incredibly strong new album to boot. Jack Parker

Father John Misty. (c) Jack Parker
Father John Misty. (c) Jack Parker

5 DEERHUNTER

The prolific Bradford Cox has been relatively quiet the last couple of years, so with a tour only album, some live dates and news of a proper follow up to 2015’s Fading FrontierDeerhunter fans have had their fears relaxed. Though Cox has a reputation as a wildly unpredictable frontman, once playing an hour long cover of The Knacks’ My Sharona after someone in the crowd requested it, this set was a relatively subdued one. It was a crowd pleasing setlist with tracks like Revival played early on and though some may miss the wilder tendencies, their back catalogue is so strong it doesn’t need anything more. Steven Morgan

4 WOLF ALICE

Wolf Alice are a band who like to kick things off with a bang, so when technical troubles on Stage ONE gave them a false start, they were understandably frustrated as they left the stage for roadies to work it out. It was the right decision to make, as the English four-piece exploded into their set for take two with next level intensity. Their set was a relentless barrage of high energy punk-fuelled rock that managed to get your pulse raising even if the sun had other ideas on how you should be spending your afternoon. Songs like Don’t Delete The Kisses and Yuk Foo sounded amazing blaring out of the ONE sound system, while bassist Theo Ellis looked visibly pleased whenever he caught someone singing along. It all got too much for frontwoman Ellie Rowsell by the end, as she finished the set by running from the stage, through the audience and straight into the lake for a swim. Steven Morgan

Wolf Alice. (c) Jack Parker
Wolf Alice. (c) Jack Parker

3 MATTIEL

Over on Stage FIVE, Georgia’s Mattiel rocketed through a short-but-sweet set filled to the brim with über-catchy rock and roll, making her one of the highlights of the day. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, you could say that this was unanimous on all fronts. Mattiel Brown’s voice is one to be reckoned with, as is her onstage energy. The band around her are extremely tight, with a special mention reserved for drummer Jordan Manley, whose expression of energy knows absolutely no bounds. Set highlight Count Your Blessings received a rapturous applause from the packed tent, and quite rightly so as Mattiel made for one of the weekend’s most enthralling sets thus far. Jack Parker

Mattiel. (c) Jack Parker
Mattiel. (c) Jack Parker

2 ARCTIC MONKEYS

It was abundantly clear from the t-shirts of many who the biggest draw of the Friday was, and that was Sheffield rockers-cum-crooners Arctic Monkeys. With their latest album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casinohaving upset many who just want to hear the band rock out, there’s a weight of expectation for a festival headline slot which they’re experienced enough to be acutely aware of. Their approach is to almost sandwich the new songs between the rockers of the past with the exception of opener Four Out Of Fivetesting the waters. It’s clearly not enough for some, who look relatively bored during the new songs in comparison to the reactions to tracks like Do I Wanna KnowI Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor or Brianstorm, but Arctic Monkeys have always been a far more accomplished and interesting act than the other generic-indie bands they get lumped in with. The sound for their set was one of the best I’ve ever heard at a festival, the aesthetic of their outfits and lighting reflecting the smoothness of it all. It sets the expectation from the start. The band finished up with old favourites Do I Wanna Know?, The View From The Afternoon and R U Mine?, which serve as great reminders of how the band became so successful in the first place, but this new direction suggests to me that the band aren’t ready to settle and still have some surprises left in them. Steven Morgan

Arctic Monkeys. (c) Jack Parker
Arctic Monkeys. (c) Jack Parker

1 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

There are some bands who are just made to headline festivals, even if it took a brief sabbatical for most people to realise that. We’re obviously talking about LCD Soundsystem, the New York project which oozes so much class and grandeur that every move James Murphy makes seems like an act of god. It thus shouldn’t come as a surprise that the band are a perfect fit for Best Kept Secret’s Sunday night headline slot, because if there’s anyone who should bring this festival to an end then it’s them. Taking to a glitterball-clad stage-cum-recording studio, the Brooklyn octet instantly lapped up the crowd’s neverending applause by kicking straight in to the memorable You Wanted a Hit. It was the first indicator of LCD Soundsystem’s ability to keep the crowd in the palm of their hands, something which they did for the duration of their two hours on Best Kept Secret’s Stage ONE. New album american dream featured heavily, with its standouts call the police, tonite and how do you sleep? serving as three of the sets most exciting moments, even if it did turn out to be the old hits which everyone had been eagerly awaiting. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House made for an early burst of thrilling energy, with the pulsating Someone Great and a cover of Chic’s I Want Your Love also standing out. A four-song found itself divided into two coherent halves, the first featuring new tracks – the brooding oh baby and brash emotional haircut – and the latter closing the night out on two all-round classics: Dance Yrself Clean and All My Friends. As All My Friends’ punchy emotional intensity reached its peak, you could feel a palpable sense of euphoric energy emit from the 20,000 strong crowd, and at that moment in time there was little else which felt anything near as stunning all weekend. LCD Soundsystem headline festivals in ways which other bands can only dream of, because their live shows are more than just an energetic representation of the music: they’re a collective gathering of like-minded individuals all celebrating the power of music to the soundtrack of a band who know nothing else but to be powerful from start to finish. Not even the absence of New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down could put a dampener on the show, as it was perfect in every sense of the word. “Where are your friends tonight?” asks Murphy on All My Friends. Well, James, they’re all around you, me and everyone else. And that’s all because of LCD Soundsystem’s unifying music. The picturesque surroundings of Stage ONE couldn’t have been more fitting to end the festival at, once again solidifying the fact that Best Kept Secret is the best festival Holland has to offer.

LCD Soundsystem. (c) Jack Parker
LCD Soundsystem. (c) Jack Parker

Best Kept Secret will return from 7 to 9 June 2019. Early bird tickets go on sale tomorrow (12 June) at 12pm, and you can get yours here