Roxy fest 2024.
Time tables:
Saturday:
13.30u: shapeshifted
15.00u: Promise Down
16.30u: Like B4
18.00u: Derek and the dirt
19.30u: Breakfast at midnight
21.00u: the guns ‘n roses experience
23.00u: Kissterious
Sunday:
13.30u: Muziekacademie Herentals
15.00u: The Roxy band
16.30u: Little finger
18.30u: The tramplers
20.00u: Mother Mercury
Saturday, June 15. Around noon at the center of a small city called Herentals.
Roxy fest 2024.
It’s that time of the year again. The time in which music takes over the outdoors with bands performing on stages and promoting themselves in the best way possible.
Spring and summer is traditionally the time of year in which Festivals are happening at different places with different styles, different music, different people. All these people do have one thing in common: the love for music and good times.
The small, yet powerful city of Herentals has been a host to one of their kick-off festivals: Roxyfest. Hosted by Mill and Nancy Wuyts, who are the proud owners of the bar and the festival, Roxyfest celebrated its third annual event with a variety of bands from Belgium and even from outside the nation’s borders.
Last year we had the weather gods on our sides, unfortunately that was not the same this year. But a true music fan and festival goer doesn’t fear a bit of water falling from the sky, so the festival was in good company.
Shapeshifted:
To kick off the musical part we had the band; Shapeshifted at the menu.
They are opening the festival with classic rock tunes of their own, to represent their version and style. Due to the weather conditions Shapeshifted therefore has less audience, but that’s not because of their music.
A variety of great songs fired up the audience and all that combined with a marvelous performance made this band a great opener of the 2024 edition. Add a shivering solo in the middle of the show, the one for which they used the silencing part like many blues songs do, created a soothing atmosphere amongst the crowd.
They were the opening act and as it so happens we also got the opportunity to have them over for an interview. Details of their interview will follow soon.
As every show should be, this one also included everything that is needed to make a perfect entrance.
Promise down:
The second band came in like a wrecking ball, and that can easily be taken literally. It’s a heavy band that starts with a banger intro.
Heavy, straightforward and kick ass is what they are all about. Add a bit of dirty lyrics to sweep the crowd up to it and Promise Down has been introduced.
They have the ability to make their show stand out because of many of their performance skills. The singer even crawled up onto one of the side pillars of the stage during a song and while hanging up there he still had the ability to scream out his lyrics, as a true artist can do. Their talent, skills and performance abilities made them who they are and that helps them to stay on the right track to become a successful band in their genre.
Like B4:
As the third act joins the show, people are starting to feel more comfortable with the weather and so it doesn’t take too long before the band is able to get the crowd pumped up for the evening that is coming up.
Like B4 brings old school rock covers, starting with Black Sabbath and deep purple, all the way to Led Zeppelin with a whole lotta love.
Needless to say that the band has been welcomed greatly by the crowd as they bring the perfect songs to turn up the heat and prepare the crowd for all the other acts of the night.
Derek and the dirt:
While the afternoon slowly turns into the evening Derek and the dirt are a perfect way to sooth the crowd while having a snack for dinner with easy listening music. The perfect way to prepare the festival for what is coming up next. They do so in their own gentle way with their own smooth repertoire of songs that definitely has the ability to let you wander off in your own thoughts. They also give you the opportunity to feel free for a moment. As if you’re not even aware of where you are, who you are, or what you’re doing at this moment. Something this band has mastered perfectly for its audience.
Breakfast at midnight:
Breakfast at midnight opens up the evening in style. They are a two headed schizo-rock band from the neighborhood and kick off their set heavy with a powerful song. Their energy is felt by everyone in the crowd and as the evening falls, they give it the perfect vibe to let the audience know that it’s definitely going to be a strong performance.
That feeling then also became reality. Even though they are just with the two of them, they still have the ability to rock out the stage entirely. It sort of feels like they are standing there with a full band behind them.
Add a singer to this band that knows how to pump up the audience and it’s the perfect recipe for a great show. Singer, songwriter and musician, sten Veiths, together with his partner in crime, are able to do that perfectly.
As it so happens we also had the opportunity to do an interview with both artists which will be available on YouTube, as also here on our website soon.
Gnr experience:
Every festival has it, and if they don’t they’re not a real festival: headliners.
Headliner number one of this evening brings us Guns N’ Roses songs. Of course that would’ve been obvious since they are called: GnR experience.
They opened their set with the looney tunes theme and the theme song from the movie: pulp fiction, a combination of two theme songs that will instantly make you feel pumped up.
As they are a Guns N’ Roses tribute band it’s only natural that they are in full outfit of the original band, so their costumes are perfectly suited as if you’re watching the real real Guns N’ Roses.
That is also found in the singer’s voice which is pretty accurate to the voice of the real Axl Rose. But a band is not a band without more members so props to the musicians too, because they perfectly perform the traditional gnr songs and as finisher of their set they brought us paradise city. Well, that’s exactly how the city of Herentals must have felt at that moment.
Kissterious:
If Guns N’ Roses isn’t enough for you, then it was best that you stayed till the very end.
Crazy nights is what KISS is all about and their tribute band: Kissterious did their original performance with verve and honor.
They opened up their set with some of the B-side tracks from KISS. Songs you might haven’t heard yet, but it’s definitely them.
The band is in full costume and have pyrotechnics to enlighten their set. Even tho the weather isn’t great, they have the ability to warm up the crowd.
Seeing them standing at the stage feels like you’re looking at the real thing. One of the best tribute bands from the small region of Benelux. They are from the Netherlands and have travelled all the way to tiny Herentals to perform their set for a small crowd.
They are even doing the same moves and rituals as the real KISS would do. Standing at the front with all three of the members and making the same moves and gestures, having the ability to bring in the smallest of details that the real band does, even breathing fire which the bass player does exactly the same as Gene Simmons does, it’s all there and it’s all perfectly taken over from the original band.
A KISS tribute band in style and the perfect way to finish off the first day of Roxy fest with honor.
Sunday, June 16.
Muziek academie Herentals:
Starting the second day with better weather conditions was something we all needed.
The music academy of Herentals itself has students in music with high potential to become successful musicians.
Young talent straight outta Herentals.
Combining a good voice with talented musicians is a good choice to open day two of Roxy fest.
They brought us songs in their own way that perfectly matched their talents and instruments and that’s a great way to kick off the day.
They even brought a song in honor of the late Yasmine, called: Porselein. A song that is fragile on its own, and due to the fact that the owner of this song has left us in June of 2009, it even became a more important song in the Belgian music industry. The way that this choir brought us the song, left many people feeling a bit fragile for a moment. It’s a perfect example of what music can do to us and why it’s an important part of our culture.
The Roxy band:
This band doesn’t need introduction. Four guys that represent the Roxy perfectly. They play covers that suit the festival.
Opening for them was an accapella choir that plays along with many of the songs further in their set.
With the four of them bringing songs from various genres, they are able to get the crowd excited for the rest of what’s coming up.
For a coverband they did the unexpected: they played a song that the singer of the band wrote himself, called: deep inside. A song that has potential to become a banger.
Little Finger:
Little finger is just the same band as we seen before them with only a small exception: Mill Wuyts as lead vocals.
If you don’t know who Mill is, you’re definitely at the wrong place. He is what the Roxy is all about. The owner of the place, the father figure for many of his customers and a more than worthy act at this stage.
They brought a full show with a variety of great covers that are easy to sing along with. Songs with power. Covers with grace. An acte de présence. After all that’s what the band stands for.
Little Finger, aka Mill Wuyts and the Roxy band, definitely played the roof off.
The tramplers:
While the festival comes closer to its end, The Tramplers are here to help the crowd get pumped up for the festival’s major headliner.
The band itself brings covers, and does that in their own style.
You can say that coverbands are all just the same, but to the eyes and ears of a true music fan that’s a big misunderstanding.
You can bring a cover of a song exactly the same as the original version goes, or you can give a little twist of your own. That is exactly what the Tramplers did and they did that successfully.
A set of the Tramplers is a must see for every music fan. It will definitely exceed your expectations.
Mother Mercury:
A two day festival in the center of Herentals slowly comes to an end at this point of time. What better experience to close a festival weekend than bringing in a show from a band that not only plays songs by the legendary band; Queen, but also perform a show that is true to the original band and their performances.
The songs we all know. The moves we’ve all seen. The music we all love. The voice of a legend. It’s all present in Mother Mercury’s set.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a slow one or a banger, because let’s face it: the variety in songs and genres in the songs made by Queen is extraordinary. Bring these songs back to life with the perfect voice combined with professional music, raw emotion, pure talent and perfect timing and it’s as if you’re listening to the real thing.
With this band playing the roof off during their set it was time to finish Roxy Fest 2024. And with this band we were able to do that in style.
Pictures of the bands on this website are credited to Sven Verboven. Check his instagram page to see more his work by clicking on his name above here. For pictures of the entire festival weekend, check out the facebook page here for the first few.
More pictures will follow soon along with the interviews with some of the artists and bands who have performed at the festival.
A special thanks goes out to all the people who helped make this edition great again in anyway possible!