Last month to one and a half has been super busy on the festival front for yours truly. Three multi-day ones, from 3 days up to 6 days. For all of them, I planned to create a video and write a post for you all. A perfect way to get an impression of what is happening around the world on the festival front. Three festivals with three totally different setups. To add some 'memento' element, I'll give you a glimpse into what I encountered from the last till the first of these three.
Starting with: LANDJUWEEL 2022
This festival is a long-time returning one that started back in 1975. It's regarded the oldest festival in our tiny country that resides (mostly) below sea level. The Netherlands for those that didn't get to somewhat cryptic reference 😉 If I remember correctly, the first time I joined was in early 2000. Maybe 2001? or 2002?
Landjuweel: a bit of history
'Landjuweel' is a Dutch word in the English language: Land Jewel. Almost the same in both our languages. Not too strange, the similarities in our languages, since the English and Dutch had many encounters over the last few millenia, from wars to mixed royal houses. For those who are interested in history, Prince Willem the 3rd from the Dutch royal house of Orange was also King of England, Whales and Ireland. Ok, this was about three to four centuries ago, but still 😉
Back in the 17-hundreds, Landjuweel was a competition for amateur poets and performance artists. That's where the name of this festival came from. These days, it's not just about poets and performance artists, but also about music. Music ranges from bands to electronic dance and much in between. These days on a pretty small scale due to the location being partially taken over by container and oil tank fields and companies.
Landjuweel is held in the tiny village Ruigoord. A village that has a special status. Although the big container and oil companies are taking part of the land around Ruigoord, the village itself they can't take over due to its special status. Since the 70s of last century, Ruigoord became one of the very few areas where freedom of mind, activities and actions are the norm. In general terms, Ruigoord is a place where artists and spectators/visitors can freely express themselves without government control.
Anyways, enough about the location...
Recording
The video reflects just a tiny bit of what Landjuweel has to offer. Mostly the music side of things as you noticed when watching. Though I was hoping I would shoot more videos and have more art forms recorded, I simply was too much in the moment. I don't think of anything like taking photographs or shooting videos in such a state. My memory serves as the anchor. Cool for myself, but difficult to bring across to others. Therefore am pretty happy I was able to get some video and still images done 🙃 This year, peeps asked me a few times: "Edje! What are you doing with your phone?" I'm usually the one telling others: "Your phone should stay in your pocket; Your memory serves as the reminder of the festival; No need for photographs and whatnot." I guess I changed after two years without parties 😂
My Experience
Four days this festival lasted. Starting last Thursday and ending sometime in the middle of the night last Sunday on Monday. For four days I joined in. The video may suggest two days, but to be frank and fair: the collection is shot over four days and not necessarily in the order of editing. Though the first and last scenes are indeed what they are, the opening of the festival on day 1 and the (almost) closing of the festival on day 4. The rest is a bit of a mix regarding the timeline.
All in all, I had a great time! Again! The atmosphere created by all the peeps was simply superb. Very laid back and chill. Happy vibes all over. Great food. Super nice art. Not so good music, but okay, Landjuweel is never about music for me. Heard some okay-ish electronic music. There were a few okay-ish bands, but mostly it wasn't the sounds I liked. A festival I experienced with some of my closest friends; Perfect! Connected again with some friends I don't see that often; How nice! A festival that allowed me to make some new friends-for-a-day. The weather was beautiful. Blue sky, Sun high up, Temperatures between 20 (early morning) and 35 degrees (afternoon). Perfect! Well, sometimes a little too warm, but in the shadow it was perfect 😉 Playing outside is so great in such weather conditions. Decorations and all the little display and performance art; Super cool! Most of it is not easy to discover, since they are tucked away in little corners and bushes. That makes everything even more interesting. It's a true adventure, this festival. After the festival was over and done with, I realised I missed out on some of those corners when I saw some of the other photographs of friends. Ah well, whatever, I had a blast and still today have a great feelings about all I did experience last weekend. And that is the most important thing to take home anyways 🙂
Am able to write mucho more, but you may like to see some visuals instead of all those letters, words and sentences. I hope I can give you an impression through the photographs below. Obviously, the video also serves as the necessary and/or wanted visuals. Therefore, if you haven't watched it yet, just press the play button and chill for about 6 minutes.
▶️ 3Speak
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hey @edje how is it all going? Was wondering if you were on discord for a chat about music or want to email us [email protected] be great to connect!
Discord is fine. Do you have a link? 🎶
Cool will DM you bro
Lost (rarely) and found... hmm, the writing spirit of the author of this post? :D
Four days of Landjuweel? Wow, more than I thought. You went every day, it is the best proof that it was a cool festival then. And your post also shows it! Those little funny details, that bring a smile, I imagine being all the time with that curved line going up on my face 🙂
Hahahaha, still laughing at the Really? comment 😂😂😂
but Bicycle where? omg, this one is winning 🤣
Seriously, they were singing that? That was weird - so all perfect 🤣
What is Dutch Acid Family?
The closing - self-made instruments? Yeah, weird and cool at the same time 👌
Thanks for taking out your phone from your pocket here and there and bringing some glimpses of this experience to people here around 🌞
4 days indeed 😇
Glad you liked the little glimpse.
Don't know, didn't had a mirror with me 😂
But your might be right, if there was a 5th day, I may have gotten some unexpected muscle ache in my face 😉
They sang it in the French language, biciclete. Many times actually 😀
The stage. Well, a bit more than the stage, also a group of people. They run it, as far as I know. It's known for its Goa Trance sound. This year I suppose also Goa Trance but at night. I haven't been too late all these days, so I missed that. Acid, I suppose points to the Goa Trance. And the group and peeps on the dance floor is the family.
I don't know either for you, but I was saying for me, that I would have that smile on my face for four days 😂
Yeah, it would produce some muscle ache for sure, but good you were going home and having some rest!
Ah, ok, thanks for the explanation about the acid family :)
And forgot to mention, the lady on the stilts was dancing great (will not try it at home, rest assured :D ) . I also saw a couple with stilts on a recent event (music from the balconies). The guy seemed comfortable but the girl was a bit suffering I think - or it was just my impression.
😂 😂 😂 my bad, but yea, when you would've been at Landjuweel, we would've had at least 2 peeps walking around with a smile 😉
Stilts are not easy, I think. This girl went around with them as if it were her own legs, really cool. They seem to be everywhere, peeps on stilts I mean 😂 😂 😂
Maybe a new trend nowadays? 😁
👠 this was the emoticon that showed up when I searched for 'silts'... this version still looks difficult to me but must be easier the handle than the big ones. On this version I think we can safely say: These are a trend, a trend that already lasts for centuries, well, at least 1 😜
Check out the gifs for stilts 😆 there are many :))
oh, high heels, neither for me it is easy 😂
Are you sure just for one century? Just checked as I wanted to know, and look, it seems that men wore high heels already in the 10th century 😱
sounds like a jol was had by all .... i get your point about the music though....
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Can acid spread through pixels if not...wtf just happened, that vibe was just too good ... who said hippies don´t know how to Parteeee!
I saw LowLands ...I was like nice and then like...this ain't LowLands.....oh the Low Lands Pais bajo I get it....but I would not do Lowlands again, but well this one I am happily going looks like my type of Vibe (I knew it existed, but never got the insights) that is probably what you get moving from Haarlem to Tilburg you miss out on the only good thing the Randstad has to offer. Thanks for making me want to do...eh go.
Lowlands... You've been there this year? I do wonder how today compared with let's say 10 years or 20 years, how Lowlands changed.
Somehow I never made it. Maybe because I think it's too big. But maybe also none of my friends ever talk about Lowlands, let alone they would go.
More nice parties around in NL. Depends much on what you like to take away from a festival. Maybe the best festival that I know, is Wildeburg. Mostly electronic music and age are more usual. Landjuweel the peeps are older on average, which is rare. Totally different is Dekmantel, a festival I will write about in my next post. Different vibes, mucho better music, and some sets gave me goosebumps, something that rarely (never?) happens to me on Landjuweel. But but but, all these can't be compared.
Shouldn´t be compared indeed, and my last Lowlands was before I moved to Spain so that´s like 15 years but I did some big festivals over here when we just moved. Now, I would never do it again unless I was asked to perform.
But those smaller ones, yes it´s no longer the headliners it´s the vibe I am visiting nowadays. Looking out for the other festival posts!
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Wow, let me say to you this words. This festival seems to be pretty cool and at the point, underground. Which, probably makes it more powerful and meaningful to you an to the people who were present there. Great Photos, man. Good work!
This one is less underground than you would expect. At least, I wouldn't classify this one as underground. However, it was for sure a festival that is not too mainstream, and for sure not known by the mainstream. Fortunately 😉 Thanks for your response.
Wow🥰 such a lovely story. Thanks for sharing this @edje
Thanks and you're welcome 🎶
Wow this looks like so much fun! Would love to travel there some day!
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