Subbacultcha Down The Rabbit Hole 2015 Special Issue

Down The Rabbit Hole Special Edition. 2015

Downbbit a The Role H ews, ervi es int info, d u l c n I amme progr dule and sche al map festiv

Patti Smith, Rhye, Goat, Happyness, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Down the rabbit hole 26—28 june 2015 Damien Rice / Iggy Pop / The War On Drugs Patti Smith and her Band perform Horses Róisín Murphy / Leftfield / FKA twigs / Alabama Shakes The Cat Empire / Ryan Adams / Flying Lotus Seasick Steve / Damian Jr. Gong Marley Oscar and the Wolf / Blaudzun / Andrew Bird Max Richter / Goat / Death From Above 1979 The Gaslamp Killer Experience / Che Sudaka / Rhye Motorpsycho / Jungle by Night / Ghostpoet Omar Souleyman / Clark / Songhoy Blues / Other Lives Rangleklods / Benjamin Booker / Young Fathers Glass Animals / King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Roosbeef / zZz / Natalie Prass / Børns / Janne Schra Hunee & Thomas Martojo / Jameszoo / Orkesta Mendoza CC Smugglers / Bomba Estéreo / Misun / Stu Larsen JD McPherson / GANZ / Happyness / Dolomite Minor Meridian Brothers / more to come...

Xxx

downtherabbithole.nl

Subbacultcha Magazine

Down The Rabbit Hole Special Edition 2015

Forget cute and fluffy, this year’s tumble Down The Rabbit Hole is no mean feat. With the likes of Iggy Pop, Patti Smith and Goat lurking just below the surface, and ravenous newcomers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Happyness lying in wait, you’ll be lucky if you come out the other side, let alone in one piece. To soften the blows and help navigate your drop, we’ve put together this handbook full of detailed directions. See it as us shining a little light on what’s up ahead so that you at least land on your feet.

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Colophon Subbacultcha Magazine: Da Costakade 150, 1053 XC Amsterdam, the Netherlands www.subbacultcha.nl. magazine@subbacultcha.nl Editor: Phil van der Krogt

Advertising: Agata Bar (agata@subbacultcha.nl)

Copy editor: Megan Roberts

Distribution: Patrick van der Klugt (distro@subbacultcha.nl)

Design: Marina Henao Partnerships: Loes Verputten Printing: Drukkerij Gewa, Arendonk, Belgium

Contributors: Koen van Bommel, Sander van Dalsum, Kazuma Eekman, Jan de Geus, Marc van der Holst, Phil van der Krogt, Lucie Mcgough, Lonneke van der Palen, Ane Lopez, Derek Robertson, Isolde Woudstra and Suzanna Zak Distribution: Adrienne van den Berg, Marlon Damhuis, Bashar Dawoody, Femke Dijkhuis, Gisella Hagenaars, Laura Hupperetz, Maija Jussila, Ilias Karakasidis, Jan van der Kleijn, Niels Koster, Olga Leonhard, Crys Leung, Roxy Merrell, Marlotte Nugteren, Romee van Oers, Zsuzsa Nagy-SĂ ndor, Giorgio Oliveri, Bart Schiffer, Sandra Zegarra Patow, Jessie West, and Mila West

Hopelessly devoted to music and art 4

Content

Happyness page 14

Rhye page 20

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard page 26

A Glorious Summer page 32

Goat page 36 Foreword 09 What to Bring 11 Festival Map 40

Music Programme 42 Side Programme 55 Practical Information 61

Cover image by Lonneke van der Palen

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Uli K & Kamixlo Bright Entity Mathieu serruys

A letter from the rabbit hole Dear reader, Down The Rabbit Hole returns to the Groene Heuvels in Beuningen for its second edition from 26 to 28 June 2015. Three days and nights of kicking it back, taking in the sweet here and now of that blissful forest by the lake, far away from the everyday life on-the-go-go-gadget-go.

Tumble and twirl into a world of fresh, classic, psycho, happy, loud, honest and essential music, beautifully framed by peaceful woods and a mesmerising lake. Explore, discover, rinse and repeat; fire pits, secret parties and bubbling kitchens await. This Subbacultcha x Down The Rabbit Hole magazine fills you in on why all-time heroes Damien Rice, Iggy Pop and Patti Smith are absolute must-sees and gives you the lowdown on hot up-and-comers like FKA twigs, Happyness and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, all destined for world domination after their shows in Beuningen. Get a first look at what’s up at the Idyllische Veldje and what’s going down at the Vuige Veld.

And Wilde Haren is back too: less of a secret this time around, but cut out for greater glory in an even more special spot.

Check downtherabbithole.nl for more, and be sure to check back regularly for the latest confirmations and updates.

See you in the Green Hills!

Enjoy!

Down The Rabbit Hole team

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What to Bring Ten things you will desperately crave while you’re falling down a hole There are black holes, wormholes and rabbit holes. Actually, there are probably a lot more holes, but that’s not the point. The idea here is that these holes are meant to be fallen into. Because the only way you will ever find something unique and extraordinary is when you let go, dive head first into the unknown and let yourself be surprised by what happens next. Wherever you end up, these are the things you will surely need most.

1. Your BFF

2. A camera

Make sure you bring your most adventurous friend on this magical trip down the hole. You don’t want to be stuck with someone who complains about the lack of space or someone who’s afraid of the dark.

You know the rules: pics or it didn’t happen. Who’s going to believe all the crazy adventures you had when you don’t have any proof?

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What to Bring. Continued 3. Formal attire

5. John Rambo

Simple. The one person who’s going to help you out of difficult situations, wherever in the universe you may find yourself.

Since it’s completely uncertain where you’ll end up, you might want to bring something fancy to wear. Just in case you end up in another universe where it’s your wedding day, every day.

6. Sunglasses

4. A juicer

When falling down either a wormhole or a black hole, you’ll find yourself floating around in space. Technically, there’s isn’t any weather out there, but at least the sun shines all the time and it’s never overcast.

Science is divided over whether or not falling is a good way to lose weight.

You know what makes you look slim and desirable? Freshly squeezed juice.

Lots of it.

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Down The Rabbit Hole 7. A comfy chair

9. Wine in a box

Suppose the hole you’re falling into turns out to be a black hole. You should realise that you’re never, ever getting out of it again, and time moves reaaaally slow. You’re basically trapped for ever, and for ever takes even longer than usual. Trust us: you should make this as comfortable as possible.

What’s the only thing that can salvage a horrible vacation? Getting drunk. To be more precise: getting completely shitface drunk. Wine in a box assures you’ll be too inebriated to care about anything bad that might happen while you’re inside the hole, and all on a budget.

10. Pogo stick

8. Snacks

How long will you be falling? No one really knows. It might be seconds, it might be hours. Either way, the trip will become a lot more relaxed if you bring some snacks.

Falling down a hole can be a lot of fun, but eventually you’ll want to get out again. This is where the pogo stick will come in handy. When you reach the bottom, you’ll simply bounce right back up!

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Happyness Interview by Koen van Bommel Photos shot by Isolde Woudstra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Interview Benji Compston, guitar player and vocalist of London trio Happyness, is an exceptionally cheerful and charming guy, even for someone from a group named after a pleasureable state of mind – and even after being asked a dozen nonsensical questions. We spoke to him about various kinds of holes, starting with the obvious rabbit variety and gradually moving on to more advanced subjects like wormholes and the sheer limitless void in the centre of a bagel Benji, have you ever been to Daresbury?

Have I ever been where? No, I have not. I think me asking, ‘Where?’ probably shows I haven’t been.

It’s the birthplace of Lewis Carroll.

Okay, great! That’s appropriate to the festival, I guess.

Coincidentally, there’s also a particle accelerator in Daresbury. So my question is: given the choice, would you rather go down a rabbit hole or enter a wormhole?

That’s a very good question. I’m reading a book about wormholes at the moment, by a physicist called Kip Thorne. It’s also about the theories behind the movie Interstellar. I think I’d rather go down a rabbit hole, though. The process of going through a wormhole might be slightly impractical given our touring schedule.

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Happyness. Continued What would you hope to find on the other side?

Probably not a badger. I have no interest in badgers at the moment. They’re becoming a bit of a threat to my dog. But what I’d hope to find on the other side would be world peace.

Isn’t that implied by the absence of badgers?

Yeah, those are probably two mutually exclusive things.

So about holes in general. What’s your favourite kind?

The space in a bagel, probably. I like a bagel with salt beef, cream cheese and a pickle. And badger meat, of course.

One thing that separates humans from other animals is that we rarely live in holes. Why is that?

Probably because we enjoy sunlight, perhaps? Air-conditioning units are slightly more practical above ground. But I do think some of my friends would probably tell you that my first apartment when I moved to London was in fact somewhat of a hole.

If you had to live in an actual hole, what would it look like?

It would probably look like the basement in the film Barbarella, where the rebels keep all their stuff. With the kind of laundry chute that people slide down. Have you seen that movie?

I can’t say I have.

Watch it, and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Well, can’t you just describe the basement a bit?

The film is a kind of erotic sci-fi adventure, and the basement is beneath this kind of city that floats on a psychedelic swamp made of some abstract energy.

If there was a black hole nearby, could I tempt you to jump into it?

Well, I think if I was in the position of being near a black hole, I’d probably be in a lot of trouble anyway, so yeah, why not?

Have you heard about the multiverse theory?

I haven’t; tell me what that is.

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‘If I was in the position of being near a black hole, I’d probably be in a lot of trouble’

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Happyness. Continued Well, it’s basically a feature of infinity. There are an infinite amount of universes, so there are also universes that are the same as ours, but with some changes.

Ah, yeah, I have heard about that – I just didn’t know that’s what it was called.

Isn’t it frustrating to think there’s a universe out there in which you’re filthy rich?

Yeah, that is frustrating.

But isn’t it also comforting to know there’s another universe in which you have elbows instead of knees?

That’s terrible. But wait, there’s multiple dimensions? Or just one?

There’s a lot of dimensions.

So there could be hundreds of you…

Millions. With four-dimensional elbows.

Oh...

If you had to live in another dimension, where everything was different from ours except for one thing, what would you want that thing to be?

Coriander. It’s a beautiful thing.

I think it’s been genetically decided that it tastes like soap to me.

You know there’s a reason for that, right? Supposedly, certain people are genetically programmed so that coriander tastes like dishwasher soap. I read that somewhere. Johnny from the band used to hate coriander, and I started slipping it into our food, to try and persuade him to like it, which he now does.

So what does it taste like to you?

Kind of like what parsley Happyness play the Fuzzy Lop at 14.30 on Saturday, 27 June. was trying to be.

They’ll be back to play a Subbacultcha show at De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam on 18 September.

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Interview Although the ethereal R&B of Rhye often simulates an out-of-body experience, we never expected to have a conversation about the occult with lead singer, Milosh.

What started as an analysis of that fantasy

Rhye Interview by Sander van Dalsum Photos shot by Suzanna Zak in Los Angeles, USA

novel called Alice in Wonderland quickly escalated to uncanny themes such as UFOs and mind control. There’s even some of that to be found in their music, apparently…

‘I want to make music that’s legitimate, and involves things from my life that are absolutely real’

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Rhye. Continued Hey Milosh! What’s your take on Alice in Wonderland? Did she take drugs or was it all just some fantasy?

In a lot of ways I actually think it’s a reference to occult practices. I don’t think it’s just, like, a hippy chick experimenting with drugs going into another world. It’s much more mystical – although it does deal with hallucinogens. It’s about the world revealing its inner secrets of how everything functions. Do you know what Enochian magic is?

I’ve heard of it, but can’t recall the details.

Basically, in the Bible there’s this person called Enoch. Apparently he was abducted by the angels and taken to this land where he learned this language that the angels speak, the Enochian language.

A lot of individuals interested in the occult use this language to converse with angels and demons when they’re conjured. I think Alice in Wonderland kind of touches on that. It deals with aspects like our ego and how it relates to other entities, how it influences other dimensions or other worlds.

Have you ever had an other-wordly experience like that yourself?

Yes, but I can’t go too far into that for this interview. That would be a conversation of a couple of hours.

None that are short and snappy?

Do you believe in aliens?

Of course!

My wife and I have seen four different UFOs in California. Two of them were actually last weekend when we played in the desert. We played a show for Robot Heart, which is a big camp at Burning Man, where they mix hi-tech with music. We were out there the night before we played, looking at the sky. Those things just didn’t look like stars.

Is mankind ready for its first contact with aliens?

There’s a bunch of different types of extraterrestrials that we’ve

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‘If you put stuff like a god in a modern context, it’s actually an alien encounter’

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Rhye. Continued already contacted, actually. If you read Christian literature like the Bible with a different view, you might even see that they’re talking about alien abductions. Like, if angels and demons were actually aliens, you start to see that there’s a lot of evidence of contact. If you put stuff like a god in a modern context, it’s actually an alien encounter.

I have to say, I honestly didn’t expect to have this conversation with you. Do these kinds of themes return in your music?

A lot of people think my songs are love songs or break-up songs – and a lot of them are. But I do many other things in music and I’m interested in lots of other stuff in life. I try to put things in songs that are not one-sided, and there’s a lot of meaning to things. On one of my first albums, there’s this song called ‘Make Me Feel’, and I recorded it in a different tuning. There’s this tuning called A442 that does different things to your psychology and your body. Your bones, your muscles, everything has resonate frequencies – everything in life does. It can work on a subconscious level – I want people to have a cathartic or magical experience.

You’re saying you could control someone’s mind with music?

I don’t think I can do that in the same way Walt Disney did, but yeah. If you look at every Disney film that was ever put out during his lifetime, the opening scenes have the death of a mother and a traumatised child. I would argue Walt Disney creates trauma in little children because they’re not able to disassociate what’s happening in a film and what’s happening in their lives. That makes them highly susceptible to mind control. But that’s not what I’m trying to do. I want to make music that’s legitimate, and involves things from my life that are absolutely real. Not like Miley Cyrus coming in like a wrecking ball, but about things that are relatable. My music is designed Rhye plays the Hotot at 14.45 on Saturfor beautiful experiences. day, 27 June.

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Interview by Sander van Dalsum Photos shot by Lucie McGough in Melbourne, Australia

Interview If it was up to Melbourne seven-piece King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, we wouldn’t even utter the word psychedelic.

Instead we’d just leave it at weird. Sure their fuzzy phase guitars, pillaging drums and hazy vocals will knock you off feet, leaving you in a daze for days, but you won’t need magic mushrooms or a tab of acid to trip out on the gang’s kaleidoscopic visuals and heady rock. We called up one of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s two drummers, Eric Moore, to talk about what it’s like to be pigeonholed, childhood dreams and fantasy flicks Down the Rabbit Hole is obviously a reference to Alice in Wonderland. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard almost sounds like a character from that book…

Yeah, for sure! The book has lots of weird animals, like that walrus thing, ha-ha. So I can see how we would fit in.

Are you into fantasy at all?

I think so! I haven’t watched or read a lot of that stuff since I was, like, five years old. But do you know The Dark Crystal? It’s that spooky film with those puppets by Jim Henson. That one kind of stuck with

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Continued ‘We’re far too driven to waste away our days’ me because I thought it was really scary. I did see The Wizard of Oz as an adult, and it was just as creepy as when I was young. Those munchkins are just really bizarre.

How big was your imagination when you were a kid? Did you pretend to be a Ninja Turtle like me?

I loved that! I was more of a regular ninja, not necessarily a turtle. I grew up in Australia, about four hours away from Melbourne, in a small country town in the bush. We had to make our own fun. I was mainly day-dreaming, making up scenarios with my mates, fishing and swimming in the local river. My grandparents live on farms, so we’d go out there and ride motorbikes. There wasn’t much to do, and as I grew older I started playing music.

Are you bummed out you didn’t become a ninja in the end?

Not really, but I guess there’s still time! I never had many career dreams when I was young. I was simple and realistic, ha-ha. All I knew was music and I never knew that would lead to being in a band, but it happened kind of naturally. I guess I got lucky!

By the looks of your album covers, I’d say you still have a rich fantasy life…

A lot of that stuff is from Jason Galea, our visual director. He listens to the music and comes up with a concept of how he visualises it. The worlds and the monsters that he creates come from his own thoughts about what’s being said in the music.

Have you ever thought of putting out a film yourself? Like the creepy equivalent of Yellow Submarine?

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Continued Yes, actually! The other day Stu sent me this crazy massive plotline of a film he wants to somehow make. It’s set 3,000 years in the future on a far-away planet. Jason would be directing it and our music would be in it.

The music Gizzard makes is pretty psychedelic. Is that based on your experiences?

That’s a tough question. We never intended to be psychedelic; it just comes across that way. I think it’s just us experimenting with music, trying to take it as far as we can. We still don’t consider ourselves a psychedelic band just because we push things as weird and different as possible. Some people pigeonhole psychedelic music into a genre or a sound; as long as you have phase guitars and trippy visuals you qualify. For us, it can be anything, any style that’s exploring new territory.

So no running into the woods and eating shrooms for you guys?

Exactly! We never did anything like that, but we do come across as that to some people. It’s kind of frustrating because we get put away as being a druggy band. Journalists use it as a way to describe music, but at the end of the day it has nothing to do with it. We’re far too driven to waste our days doing that stuff.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard play the Fuzzy Lop at 18.30 on Sunday, 28 June.

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Down The Rabbit Hole. Short Story

By Marc van der Holst. Illustration by Ane Lopez

A Glorious Summer Resident wordsmith and time-travelling impressionist Marc van der Holst recounts a fictitious and surreal tale of a childhood spent inside Patti Smith’s iconic ‘Gloria’ I spent the summer of 1975 inside Patti Smith’s ‘Gloria’ (that’s G-L-O-RI-A). I was just a baby at the time, but the rent was cheap and I needed a place to stay. It had once belonged to Van Morrison, but by 1974 the place had been squatted by Patti, who at the time was still just a kid herself – albeit a kid busy recording what would turn out to be one of the greatest debut albums of all time, Horses. She probably didn’t mind me hanging out there. Maybe she never even noticed me. She had more important matters on her brilliant mind than some stupid baby.

I gotta say, I liked what she did to the place. I happened to be quite familiar with its Van Morrison-era incarnation, my dad having played his Them records to death before I was even born. They – Them – were a UK rhythm and blues band from the Sixties featuring Van Morrison on vocals. They’d drawn up the original blueprint of ‘Gloria’, before Van Morrison went on to conjure up sonic meditation monasteries like Astral Weeks (in which I spent half of the Naughties,

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A Glorious Summer. Continued but that’s another story). They’d done an outstanding job, but you couldn’t help but feel that its primitive, primordially male, bare-bone structure could do with a feminine touch. Enter Patti Smith. First thing she does is smear ‘JESUS DIED FOR SOMEBODY’S SINS BUT NOT MINE’ all over the entrance hall.

I mean, it really opened up the place. What used to be this small space suitable for sitting around waiting for this Gloria girl to drop by, was turned into a sprawling suite where anything could happen, anything was allowed and anyone could show up, at any time. Not just Gloria, though she was still a regular, but also Marie, Ruth…

The Ramones playing next door. Around midnight we’d open up the windows and listen to the big clock tower go ding-dong-ding-dongding-dong. Robert Mapplethorpe came by and took Patti’s picture. It ended up on the cover of Horses. You could tell these kids were growing up fast, headed for the big time. I was headed for kindergarten.

After Horses, which would be a major influence on rock music in general and the NYC punk scene in particular, Patti would go on to record the raw Radio Ethiopia, followed by the more accessible Easter, featuring another personal favourite, ‘Because The Night’, the greatest song ever for at least three minutes in 1978. Many more would follow, as well as several books of poetry and a National Book Award-winning memoir. ‘Gloria’, however, endures. It has a place in my heart that I still revisit from time to time. Comin’ through the door, crawlin’ up the stairs, waltzin’ through the hall. G-L-O-R-I-A.

Patti Smith and her Band perform Horses at Teddy Widder at 21.30 on Friday, 26 June.

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Crate Digging With...

By Koen van Bommel. Illustration by Kazuma Eekman

Goat We asked Krita a few strange questions about albums by other bands A water spirit has decided you are to be sacrificed. What music would you want to hear during the ritual?

I would like to hear Alf Robertson and the song ‘Emily’s Foto’. It’s the song we normally play in our village when we sacrifice stuff.

What album do you listen to when there’s a solar eclipse?

Mitt Land by Alf Robertson.

You’ll understand why if you ever listen to this album when there’s a solar eclipse. Far out.

What was the first song you ever played on an instrument?

Hmm... I think it was ‘Hundar & Ungar Och Hembryggt Äppelvin’

by Alf Robertson. I played it on a djembe. This was the first song that really blew my mind when I was three years old. I still take out my djembe and play it when the sun goes down sometimes.

What do you think is the most

annoying sound in the world? And the most pleasing?

The most annoying sound in the world is when my seven youngest kids are dissatisfied at the same time. The most pleasing is Alf Robertson’s voice.

What about colours? What’s your favourite colour and what does it symbolise?

Bleached yellow, about the same tone as Alf Robertson’s pullover on the cover of Det Kommer Från Hjärtat.

What’s your favourite MP3?

‘Soldaten Och Kortleken’ by Alf Robertson.

CDs and vinyl are round; a cassette is rectangular. What shape is an MP3?

A circle with three edges.

Goat play the Fuzzy Lop at 21.25 on Saturday, 27 June.

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100% HALAL EN VICE PRESENTEREN

VANAF 25 JUNI IN DE BIOSCOOP www.prinsdefilm.nl /prinsdefilm

@prinsdefilm

@prinsdefilm

Festival Programme Including map, schedule and side programme Those Foreign Kids: 01 September

Those Foreign Kids: 01 September

Festival Guide. continued Friday

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Music Programme Friday, 26 June Blaudzun 14.30–15.30 // Hotot Dutch singer-songwriter Johannes Sigmond has had a somewhat peripatetic career; drifting in and out of various bands and guises before finally going solo with up-tempo, alt-rock songs – think a Eurocentric Arcade Fire – that have given him four stunning albums, chart success and a loyal, worldwide following.

for nothing has he found a home on Warp Records. But he doesn’t just ‘press play’; live, Clark is one of the most accomplished, dizzying laptop musicians around.

Bomba Estéreo 23.00–00.00 // Fuzzy Lop Ay caramba! It’s hard to describe exactly what Bomba Estéreo do, but one thing’s for sure: any party they soundtrack will be far from boring.

Incorporating elements of cumbia, dance, electro and dubstep, it’s a blast of technicolour beats and vocals that’s sure to get you moving.

Damien Rice 22.45–00.00 // Hotot You’ll no doubt know Rice from the breathy, swooning magnificence of ‘The Blower’s Daughter’, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover the reasons that his soft, Irish lilt and bittersweet take on contemporary folk have won him millions of fans and plenty of critical acclaim.

CC Smugglers 16.30–17.25 // Vuurplaats The humble banjo has been much maligned in recent years, but there are bands who manage to make it a virtue and avoid barn dance ’n’ hoedown clichés. Bands like UK buskers CC Smugglers, who bring a good-time vibe to their swing, blues and jazzthemed rag-time tunes.

Death From Above 1979 16.25–17.25 // Hotot Hold on to your hats: Death From Above 1979 are back! A thundering, rock’n’roll juggernaut, the drums’n’bass, thrash’n’bang duo have risen Phoenix-like from the ashes of what many thought was a terminal hiatus to once again blast away the ennui and melt our brains.

Clark (Live) 21.15–22.15 // Fuzzy Lop UK native Chris Clark deals in tense, claustrophobic electronica, full of texture and hypnotic ticks and pops; not

Flying Lotus 19.30–20.30 // Teddy Widder The title of ‘Descent Into Madness’, a

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Festival Guide. Continued Friday Omar Souleyman 00.15–01.05 // Fuzzy Lop Omar Souleyman is a true original.

Famed for his performances at weddings and social gatherings, his calling card is dabke, a style of folk-dance built around intricate instrumental leads, passionate singing and pounding, trance-inducing rhythms. Designed to make you move, its charms are impossible to resist.

song from Steven Ellison’s latest LP, perfectly encapsulates the feeling of trying to unpick all the influences he blends together in a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and emotions; free jazz, hip hop and avant-garde experimentalism are swirled into a masterful, melodic whole.

Orkesta Mendoza 19.15–20.15 // Fuzzy Lop ‘Mambo’, a musical form and dance style that originated in Cuba, actually means ‘conversation with the Gods’ in the old slave language of Kikongo, and Arizona’s Sergio Mendoza certainly sounds like he’s conferring with a higher power when he and his band lock into their ‘indie-mambo’ party stride.

Hunee & Thomas Martojo 01.05–END // Fuzzy Lop Like the original Odd Couple, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, sometimes opposites attract; so it is with Berlin resident Hun Choi and Dutch DJ Thomas Martojo. Blending classic Chicago and Detroit house and techno with old-school disco and soul jams, it all just works. And beautifully so, too.

Oscar and the Wolf 18.30–19.30 // Hotot Not many people think of sultry, seductive electro-glam pop when they think of Belgium, but Oscar and the Wolf have been confounding expectations since their formation in 2010.

Deeply sensual, their songs slowly coil around your brain, rendering you helpless to their quiet grooves.

Misun 14.30–15.20 // Fuzzy Lop If music as bright and cheerful as a sunbeam is your thing, then I’d spend some time with Misun. The band themselves have termed what they do ‘aquawave’, a neat description for their soulful, summery vocals mixed with glistening electro-pop and soft, jaunty grooves.

Patti Smith and Her Band Perform Horses 21.30–22.45 // Teddy Widder A totemic milestone in alternative American culture, Horses remains one of the most significant and influential albums ever recorded, and this will

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Music Programme. 26 June Friday be a unique opportunity to see Smith – poet laureate for the punk generation and a feminist icon – perform her magnum opus in its entirety.

Songhoy Blues are four young, talented guys from Mali who hoped that music could be their salvation. Traditional African rhythms and straightup Delta blues provide the backbone of their music, which is as catchy as it is colourful.

Rangleklods 17.30–18.30 // Fuzzy Lop One part gothic rock, one part electro-noir, a whole load of processed beats and yearning vocals; there’s a lot going on in the music of Danish duo Rangleklods. The best way to enjoy it is just to immerse yourself totally and let the digital rhythms wash over your brain.

zZz 17.25–18.25 // Teddy Widder A friend recently remarked that zZz was his favourite Dutch band, and it’s easy to understand why; sounding like Ian Curtis fronting the lovechild of Depeche Mode and Duran Duran, Björn Ottenheim and Daan Schinkel crank out dark dance-rock fit for Satan’s own discotheque.

Friday SIDE PROGRAMME Idyllische veldje Los Conejos Bravos, Speakers Corner, Haren Majesteit, Driving Decks

Ryan Adams 20.30–21.30 // Hotot When he’s not been busy leaving abusive messages on journalists’ voicemails, Ryan Adams has crafted some of the 21st century’s finest, bittersweet, country-folk songs – think ‘Bourbon-on-your-cornflakes’ sad – while Heartbreaker, his debut LP, remains one of the greatest odes to sadness and despair ever committed to record.

Walvisbios 16.00–19.30 // The Weird and the Wonderful 19.30–21.00 // What We Do in the Shadows 21.30–23.10 // The Signal 23.30–01.00 // The Trip

Songhoy Blues 15.30–16.30 // Teddy Widder Thrust together in times of civil unrest,

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Music Programme Saturday, 27 June Alabama Shakes 18.30–19.30 // Hotot From bar-room cover band to supporting Jack White and performing at the White House; the raggedy, garagesoul roots rock of Alabama Shakes has won many ardent fans over three short years. And in singer Brittany Howard’s gale-force delivery, they possess one of music’s most powerful, and distinctive, voices.

Max Palmier to pen it. For as Dolomite Minor, their tunes are just heavy; riffs as thick as sludge and drums that batter resistance into submission.

FKA twigs 21.45–22.45 // Teddy Widder Few artists have managed to blur genres or straddle so many creative disciplines as successfully as British performer Tahliah Barnett, and yet her music retains a deep mystery.

With a keen eye for the theatrical and the dramatic, this is sure to one of the best sets you’ll witness all year.

Benjamin Booker 16.00–16.45 // Fuzzy Lop They say no one can play slide guitar like Blind Willie Johnson, but Benjamin Booker is doing his best to prove otherwise. His raw brand of boogie, soul and the blues is bright and frenzied, topped with a gruff, baritone growl that suggests a life being lived to the full.

Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley 16.30–17.30 // Hotot The fate of celebrity offspring is often not great; witness the trials and tribulations of Sean Lennon. But Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley strides confidently in his father’s footsteps and has carved out a deserving reputation as an artist giving reggae and dub a modern, urban edge.

GANZ 01.45–END // Fuzzy Lop Spanish producer GANZ is rightly lauded as a rising star. Crafting clubfriendly dance music and electronica, his songs have an incessant, foottapping quality without toppling over into full-blown EDM banger territory, a subtle appeal for those who favour smarts over bombast.

Dolomite Minor 17.50–18.35 // Fuzzy Lop If the Prince of Darkness ever needs some entrance music, he could do worse than ask Joe Grimshaw and

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Music Programme. 27 June Saturday Glass Animals 15.30–16.30 // Teddy Widder Intelligence is not often noted – or praised – when it comes to music, but it’s clear that Oxford four-piece Glass Animals are very clever boys indeed.

Inventive, ethereal indie – quirk-pop – that borrows heavily from R&B and electronica is their calling card, music that soothes and flows in equal measure.

and filled with wry insights and clever asides.

Iggy Pop 22.45–00.00 // Hotot Still going strong, and still going shirtless, at the ripe old age of 68, Iggy Pop – the man credited with inventing stage diving – is a true punk legend who has brought his unique brand of passion and chaos to the stage for six decades straight.

Jameszoo 23.45–00.45 // Fuzzy Lop There’s a magpie quality to the music of Jameszoo, a producer and DJ hailing from Den Bosch; nothing is considered too avant-garde or strange to be included in his beguiling mixes and compilations. The result is some of the most inventive, interesting electronica coming out of Europe.

Goat 21.25–22.25 // Fuzzy Lop ‘Experimental fusion’ may sound like a chemistry experiment, but it neatly sums up masked Swedish rockers Goat. Hailing from a town with a history of voodoo worship, this band of sonic warriors is as inventive as it is daring, and one of the most unique acts you’re ever likely to see.

Janne Schra 16.30–17.30 // Vuurplaats Dutch singer Janneke Schadinova may have made her name with her band Room Eleven, but it’s since striking out on her own that she’s really found her voice; a mix of bright pop, big-band jazz and folk have cemented her burgeoning reputation as a songwriter.

Happyness 14.30–15.15 // Fuzzy Lop Like a lazy summer afternoon, London trio Happyness slather their songs in just the right amount of wistful haze to stay charming and bright. And as with all good slacker-rock, their songs are a low-key joy, gently bustling along

JD McPherson 13.45–14.45 // Teddy Widder JD McPherson is a singer indebted to the past; specifically, a simpler era when rockabilly and rhythm & blues ruled the airwaves. But his music is no simple Americana throwback; he adds

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Music Programme. 27 June Saturday a fresh twist and plenty of personality to the spirit of Little Richard and James Brown.

Cat Empire have been spreading their jazz-, ska- and Latin-infused music around the world for over 12 years, including performances at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and David Letterman’s Late Show.

Meridian Brothers 19.30–20.30 // Fuzzy Lop If you thought spooky, other-worldly atmospheres and red-hot salsa had yet to be combined in a musical genre, then you’d be mistaken, for Colombian group Meridian Brothers have done exactly that. So effective is this mix that, at times, you don’t know whether to dance or reach for the Ouija board.

The Gaslamp Killer Experience 17.30–18.30 // Teddy Widder How to describe The Gaslamp Killer Experience? Well, it’s no surprise that he’s found a home on Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label; it chimes perfectly with William Benjamin Bensussen’s taste for alternative hip hop imbued with a heavy sense of psych and theatricality.

Rhye 14.45–15.45 // Hotot Downtempo, glacial R&B is now somewhat ubiquitous, but mysterious duo Rhye – singer Michael Milosh and instrumentalist Robin Hannibal – was one of the pioneers. Leading with their music – seductively smooth slow-jams that positively ooze sex – they wanted the songs to speak for themselves.

Mission accomplished, then.

Saturday SIDE PROGRAMME Idyllische veldje 10.00–14.30 // Yoga Los Conejos Bravos, Speakers corner, Haren Majesteit, Driving Decks

Róisín Murphy 20.30–21.40 // Hotot Drawing on electro, disco and classic pop, Irish singer-songwriter Roisin Murphy has always pushed musical boundaries, first with her band Moloko, then as a solo act. Her latest album, Mi Senti, is no exception, featuring classic Italo-disco hits from the Eighties and sung entirely in Italian.

Walvisbios 16.00–19.30 // The Weird and the Wonderful 19.30–20.45 // La planète sauvage 21.05–22.55 // Lost River

The Cat Empire 19.30–20.30 // Teddy Widder Another band to help you move those dancing feet, veteran Australians The

23.15–01.00 // Altered States

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Music Programme Sunday, 28 June Andrew Bird 15.45–16.45 // Hotot You may think Andrew Bird is just another wistful American singer-songwriter, but you’d be wrong; trained in the Suzuki method on violin from the age of four, his first band was called Squirrel Nut Zippers. All of which serves to elevate him above the bland and the ordinary.

erate as an internal monologue to the hopes and fears of a generation, while his dark, glitch-heavy soundscapes provide a snapshot of urban grit and decay.

Børns 12.00–12.45 // Fuzzy Lop Michigan native Garrett Borns may live in a tree-house, but he’s no acoustic-strumming hippy. With an angelic voice that cuts through the music like a laser beam, his high-tempo mix of glam, folk and electro-pop is as refreshing as it is uplifting, perfect for a summer afternoon.

Jungle By Night 13.45–14.45 // Hotot ‘The possibilities are endless’: so say Jungle By Night, a nine-piece instrumental group from Amsterdam who mix Afrobeat, jazz, hip hop and funk.

They so impressed in a few, prominent support slots that they’ve since been invited to play pretty much every major European festival as the essential party band.

Che Sudaka 17.45–18.45 // Hotot Originally formed by illegal Argentinian and Colombian immigrants in Barcelona in the early 2000s, Che Sudaka have carved out a niche as a ‘punk reggae party band’ playing mestizaje music. Collaborations with their hero, Manu Chao, show just how far they’ve come from humble beginnings.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 18.30–19.30 // Fuzzy Lop Two drummers, three guitarists and a harmonica player. A ridiculous name.

Songs that sound just filthy, dripping with fuzz, reverb and psychedelic overtones. And they’re Australian.

What should be utter chaos is, instead, a trip of the highest order that slaps any doubters into submission.

Ghostpoet 16.45–17.45 // Fuzzy Lop UK native Obaro Ejimiwe is often classified as a rapper, but that does his art a massive disservice. As Ghostpoet, his brittle, uneasy rhymes op-

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Music Programme. 28 June Sunday Leftfield 20.45–21.45 // Teddy Widder One of the most significant acts of the UK electronic scene in the Nineties, it’s hard to imagine what the genre would sound like without their influence. Pioneers of progressive house and guest vocalists, their blend of dub, breakbeat and techno on 1995’s Leftism marked them out as true geniuses.

Max Richter 12.45–13.45 // Teddy Widder Max Richter may be a classically trained pianist and one of the finest neo-classical composers, but his work is influenced just as much by punk and modern electronic music. Whether recomposing Vivaldi or lending his haunting, atmospheric soundscapes to film and TV, his music stands apart as being truly special.

Motorpsycho 20.30–22.00 // Fuzzy Lop Motorpsycho sounds like the name given to a denim- and leather-clad leader of an outlaw biker gang. But what they are is a Norwegian fourpiece that blends prog-rock, free jazz and metal into a beguiling but footstomping array of catchy, inventive songs.

Natalie Prass 13.30–14.15 // Fuzzy Lop Sometimes, the old-fashioned way is just better, a sentiment Natalie Prass would surely agree with. Having fallen in with retro revivalist Matthew E White’s Spacebomb collective, Prass

crafted a slow-burning soul classic full of loving brass, soaring strings and the type of lush orchestration that’s all too rare.

Other Lives 14.45–15.45 // Teddy Widder Belgian label PIAS have a good eye for talent, and in American indie-rockers Other Lives have unearthed another diamond. There’s a hint of Radiohead – who they’ve toured with – to some of their haunting melodies and jittery beats, but they douse it all in liberal quantities of Americana.

Roosbeef 18.45–19.45 // Teddy Widder There’s a dark heart to Rooseef’s melodic pop, and more than a hint of melancholy. Built around the talents of singer-songwriter Roos Rebergen and the tinkling of piano, songs ebb and flow and gently swell; five acclaimed albums are testament to their songwriting skills.

Music Programme. 28 June Sunday Seasick Steve 19.45–20.45 // Hotot Steven Wold may still look like a hobo, but he’s anything but. Despite a colourful past that saw him hopping freight trains and busking in Paris and Norway, he’s had a long and distinguished career as a producer and performer playing stripped-down blues and Americana boogie rock.

Young Fathers 15.00–16.00 // Fuzzy Lop 2014 was Scottish trio Young Fathers’ year. Winning the Mercury Music Prize for Dead alongside rising critical acclaim, their dizzying blend of musical styles and singular vision to be utterly original has cemented their reputation as one of the most inventive, vital acts in the world today.

Stu Larsen 15.45–16.45 // Vuurplaats Australian singer and guitarist Stu Larsen is a true wandering troubadour; leaving behind his home, normality and security for several years, he’s travelled the globe, gigging where and when he can, and making achingly gorgeous, heartfelt ballads about life, love and everything in between.

sunday SIDE PROGRAMME Idyllische veldje 10.00–14.30 // Yoga Los Conejos Bravos, Speakers corner, Haren Majesteit, Driving Decks Walvisbios 16.00–19.30 // The Weird and the Wonderful

The War on Drugs 21.45–23.00 // Hotot Eighties electro-pop has had its moment in the sun. Taking its place is the soft sheen of alt-country rock Americana anthems, recalling hazy summer days and long, highway drives. The War On Drugs currently do them better than anyone else.

19.00–20.35 // Asphalt Watches 20.55–23.00 // The Congress 23.20–01.00 // Barbarella

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Side Programme To help you tumble further Down the Rabbit Hole, the festival organisers have put together a spectacular side programme full of spontaneous reverie

Het Idylische Veldje

‘Conejos Bravos’ and the Driving Decks in its midst. In other words: relaxed, climate-neutral vibes to soothe the creative soul.

De Vuurplaats Down The Rabbit Hole festival would not be complete without its raging fire pit. While you may expect to catch your breath and huddle for a little evening warmth – perhaps even cop a cuddle – be warned: before you know it, you’ll be in the midst of a sudden fireside ritual.

Led by Gebroeders Harteveld & Fretz, Milena Haverkamp and Charlie & The Bukowski’s, you’ll be exposed to cabaret, plays, a spontaneous reading or poem, musicians bursting into song; it’s all possible. The likes of Stu Larsen, the CC Smugglers and Janna Schra are already slated for their own blazing sets. So embrace the light and romp around the fire. There’s no rest for the wicked here.

Last year’s lush woodland paradise thick with craft, creativity and all the finer things in life returns to Down The Rabbit Hole, transformed at its very core. Standing at the heart of this year’s Idylische Veldje (Idyllic Field) is a tall drink of water like no other, the greenest festival tent in the land. Ten metres tall and replete with sustainable larchwood and the whizz of whirling power generators turned by storm umbrellas, the new and improved La Tramontana keeps a watchful eye over the yoga, the rope-walking, the welding

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Side programme 120 optreDens 7 Dagen gratis entree

18 -x- 24 juli 2015

the growlers | hiatus kaiyote unknown mortal orchestra the Deaf | intergalactic lovers kovacs | pitto | the ex | clap! clap! the soft moon | la femme | stuff. anton newcombe & tess parks oscar | solstafir | the mysterons my baby | soak | ben miller banD anD so i watch you from afar tijuana panthers | Dollkraut anD many more

valkhofpark nijmegen

www.valkhoffestival.nl

near Houffalize

festival in the ardennes woods

PAUW • MISTER AND MISSISSIPPI • CHAMPS zZz • TUBELIGHT • STEVE GUNN ...AND MANY MORE tickets & info

WWW.LA-TRUITE-MAGIQUE.COM

ONTWERP: ESTHER KETELAARS

Belgium

Side Programme Het Vuige Veld

more. On the Walvisbios bill throughout the weekend are classics and cult favourites like Vampire reality drama What We Do in the Shadows, Ryan Gosling and sci-fi epic Barbarella.

Driving Decks The Driving Decks are back. Bouncing around the festival terrain, these mobile sound systems set up shop for a spontaneous party wherever they please. During the day and throughout the night, you can expect one of these wheeled stages to hit the breaks right next to your tent.

Hypnotised by the lure of sizzling meat and wafting diesel fumes, Het Vuige Veld will make any rugged, beer-guzzling, carnivorous punk weak at the knees. Amidst a decor of rusty, beat-up junk and the statuesque Cornucopia! is a treacherous landscape of barbeque, micro-brew and vintage vinyl, home to the meanest of the festival DJs. The Postpunk Delivery, Dicke Rock Block, Sticky Stoner and Township Trip crews will serve up a shitload of psychedelia, punk, garage, hillbilly, zydeco, surf, ska, reggae, beat and northern soul until the wee hours of the morn.

Wilde Haren

Walvisbios We’re not really sure where the whales come into this one, but we can confirm that there’ll be a full-bodied programme of cinematic delights on display that’ll leave you wide-eyed and hankering for

Only those of you brave enough to tumble down to the very depths of last

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Side Programme Het Blauwe Uur

year’s Rabbit Hole would have stumbled upon its mysterious woodland party.

Helmed by Noah’s Ark, the likes of Jiggy Djé, FS Green, Murda and Dokter Moon all made their mark. This year’s Wilde Haren will be a little easier to find, but its line-up remains a closely guarded secret, to be revealed only to those who dare.

As the sun sets and each day draws to a close, the blissful forest by the lake descends into a world of darkness and a tribe of light artists known as Het Blauwe Uur transform the place into their very own mystical twilight zone, free from the conventions of time and space.

Kuili Kuili

Watershipdown

Remember summers as a kid when your parents took you and your siblings and your friends to the beach, handed you a few toy shovels and told you to dig a hole? Then one of you proceeded to climb into said hole, only to be covered up by the others? No? Well, its about time you learned. Down The Rabbit Hole boasts its own beach replete with a hole-digging zone and hole-digging instructors. For the true adventurers among you, try digging when you’ve got a NondeSjuSjo cocktail in your hand, or a few more swimming around in your head.

While most will likely be three sheets to the wind before noon and others knee deep in some hole on the beach, those of you with a sturdy pair of sea legs are advised to make your way down to Watershipdown and follow in the footsteps of the great Dutch explorers who came before you. Build your own raft or grab yourself a paddle boat, and set sail for the other side.

Rabbit Royal Deluxe It wouldn’t be a music festival if it didn’t have it’s own flagship store. Drop by the Rabbit Royaledeluxe for all manner of exclusive DTRH-gear, including hand-

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Side Programme crafted, one-of-a-kind creations by Los Conejos Bravos, gsus-powered DTRH shirts and other festival garb. Only wear prints made by yours truly? Don’t fret: there’s even an in-house silkscreen press courtesy of Loenatix.

paper and rumour mill. No stone will be left unturned by this xeroxed one-sheet, a daily round-up of the latest anecdotes, live reviews, festival photos and lastminute updates. Share what you will, but remember: if you don’t own your own story, someone else will.

De Grote Vuurwerkshow

Tower of Bouwer

If you’re of a particularly scientific mould, you’ll know that the Big Bang created life and us and everything we know. It even created this rabbit hole.

And so, the good people at DTRH have seen fit to treat us to a majestic re-creation every single festival day. Not set in one of those massive particle accelerators, but above ground, with loud noises and pretty colours. A triggerhappy few will even be allowed to join in the fun by signing up at the Vuurwerkloket. What that Vuurwerkloket is and when all of this will happen remains a mystery, even to us – but we’re pretty sure you’ll hear it, and see it.

Down the Rabbit Hole is well and truly a haven for your wildest dreams. Shipbuilding, hole-digging and newspapering not enough? Try your hand at architecture and construction. Over at the Tower of Bouwer you can erect your own mighty skyline over the course of a single weekend. Burj Khalifa be damned: this could be your Wonder of the World.

Het Gat Live out your inner Rupert Murdoch fantasies and spin your own outlandish tabloid tales at Het Gat (The Hole), Down The Rabbit Hole’s resident news-

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Festival Guide. continued Sunday

FILLIN’ & CHILLIN’ @ KPN Music State Tank bij op één van de 300 OPLAADPUNTEN. Check de festival playlist in de SPOTIFY BAR, geniet van FREE WIFI en maak je vrienden gek met de view in onze 180 SELFIE BOOTH. Check musicstate.nl

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Practical Information A few tips and tricks to help you tumble down the rabbit hole DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

to purchase a supplementary Camper Camping ticket. Those travelling by car will need to purchase a regular parking ticket.

26–28 July 2015 De Groene Heuvels – Beuningen www.downtherabbithole.nl

RABBIT RESORT

Opening Times

If camping doesn’t suite you, build your weekend nest in the luxurious Rabbit Resort. Visit tickets.campsolutions.nl/ dtrh for more information

Parking Lot: Thursday 12.00–Monday 14.00 Camping Grounds: Thursday 16.00–Monday 12.00

PROGRAMME CHANGES

Festival Grounds: Friday 12.00–04.00; Saturday and Sunday 10.00–04.00

Timetable and programme times listed in the magazine may be subject to change. Please check the website for any updates.

Ticket Office: Thursday 12.00–23.00; Friday 11.00–23.00; Saturday 11.00-18.00; closed on Sunday

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Be sure to check www.downtherabbithole.nl before you depart for all practical information, directions, house rules and possible programme updates.

TICKETS Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.nl A festival ticket comprising three festival days, shuttle bus ride and camping spot costs €125 (excluding service costs) There will be no day tickets for sale.

Group Tickets: Purchase 12 tickets for the price of 10!

If you intend to come with a camper, caravan or tent trailer, you will need

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Hopelessly Devoted to Music and Art Become a Subbacultcha member and see all these shows for â‚Ź8 a month. Go to subbacultcha.nl to find out more.

Upcoming Subbacultcha events

TOPS + Moon King

Tijuana Panthers + Jerry Paper

03 June — OT301, Amsterdam

17 July — De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

The Soft Moon

05 June — Melkweg, Amsterdam

Mdou Moctar

08 June — De Player, Rotterdam

Liturgy + Circuit des Yeux 15 June — OCCII, Amsterdam

17 June — Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Amsterdam

Jaakko Eino Kalevi

18 June — OT301, Amsterdam

10 July — De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

08 August — 019, Ghent

Jimmy Whispers 14 August — De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

Iceage

­16 August — Melkweg, Amsterdam

Drinks

Jenny Hval

The Holydrug Couple

#Wastelands15

02 September — OT301, Amsterdam

Juan Wauters

11 September — De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

Happyness

­ 8 September — De Nieuwe Anita, 1 Amsterdam

Lust For Youth

25 September — De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam

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