Pinkpop 2015 – Six Must-See Acts

With little under a month to go until the 2015 edition of Pinkpop Festival, time is slowly ticking as the organization hurriedly adds the final names to the line-up. The likes of Muse, Foo Fighters and Robbie Williams are all headlining, with further appearances set from returning legends Faith No More, anthemic rockers Elbow and folk rock troubadour Frank Turner. Below, we’ve listed our six most hotly anticipated sets for Pinkpop 2015. Read on to find out who they are.

MUSE (Friday 12 June, Main Stage)
Friday headliners Muse are on the verge of releasing their seventh studio album Drones, with comeback singles Psycho and Dead Inside already giving fans a taster of things to come. Frontman Matt Bellamy recently declared that Drones is their “best album ever”, which is an extremely bold claim to make when your back catalogue includes the absurd, sprawling odyssey that is Origin of Symmetry, as well as the career-defining behemoth Absolution. Muse haven’t appeared at Pinkpop since they headlined in 2007, having released three further records by the time they take to the stage on Friday, 12 June. Expect the set to lean towards Muse’s heavier side, with recent intimate shows all having pulled rarities such as The Groove, Muscle Museum and Uno out of the bag. If there’s one set you don’t want to miss in Landgraaf this June, it’s going to be Muse.
Matt Mahurin, the artist who designed the artwork for Drones, recently wrote a column for All Things Loud. Read it here.

PEACE (Sunday 14 June, Stage 4)
Indie rockers Peace are no stranger to massive crowds, having recently erupted at home in the United Kingdom. Over on Dutch shores, however, Peace are still getting used to playing for a couple of hundred people at a time. Despite this, though, the Harrison Kossier-fronted quartet are slowly gaining momentum thanks to their well-received sophomore record Happy People. Its sun-soaked indie encompasses everything that the summer is about – fun, fun, and more fun. Expect Stage 4, where the band will be taking to the stage in June, to be absolutely packed as Peace start to cement their name in the indie rock hall of fame.

FAITH NO MORE (Friday 12 June, 3fm Stage)
Faith No More
have been gone for a long time, that’s for sure. Next week will see Mike Patton and co. release their first album in 16 years, the stunning Sol Invictus. Featuring the borderline aggressive Superhero and brooding Motherfucker, the record looks set to be one of the best released this year. Their set at Pinkpop, a mid-afternoon slot on the 3fm Stage, may be a rather low billing for a band who usually headline festivals, yet that won’t stop the quintet from pulling everything out of the bag in front of a packed field.

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS (Sunday 14 June, Main Stage)
Folk rock troubadour Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls are an unstoppable force, touring so often that it seems like they never stop. This summer is no different, as Turner and co. will yet again take on another set of festivals. This will be his first appearance in Landgraaf, opening the main stage on the final day of the festival. Although you wouldn’t expect Turner to draw a large crowd of die-hards, do expect him to convert plenty of people thanks to his powerful folk rock, which is flecked with hints of punk.

FOO FIGHTERS (Sunday 14 June, Main Stage)
Sunday headliners Foo Fighters need no introduction. Frontman Dave Grohl, “one of the nicest men in rock”, is a true born frontman who can carry a whole crowd in the palm of his hands by the click of a finger. Last year, the band released Sonic Highways, a record which featured eight songs recorded in eight different American cities with a rich musical history. The accompanying tour has so far seen the Foo’s play in South Africa and South America, with Europe next in the firing line. An arena tour has already been announced before the festival run
has even begun, with all the dates selling out in extremely quick succession. The Foo’s are closing the festival, so expect their anthems to ring out far and wide across the Megaland festival terrain in Landgraaf.

TWIN ATLANTIC (Saturday 13 June, Stage 4)
Scottish four-piece Twin Atlantic are no stranger to Holland, having seen their single Heart & Soul become a mainstay on Dutch radio stations. Its catchy alt-rock moments are exactly what make Twin Atlantic a band worth seeing live, with frontman Sam McTrusty possessing one of the best live voices around right now. Their Pinkpop set will take place on Stage 4, although this is definitely far too small for the popular quartet, who have by far surpassed this level. This will hopefully play in their favour, though, as the tent will be suitably packed by the time the band takes to the stage.

Pinkpop 2015 will also feature appearances from Elbow, George Ezra, Robbie Williams, Pharrell, Eagles of Death Metal and many more acts. For more information, head to www.pinkpop.nl