The discovery of bands and artists that leave me awestruck after their set is one of my favourite things about live music. Whether it’s at a festival like Brakrock, or just a random artist that got recommended to me, I like to go in blind and don’t check them beforehand. (I’ll tell you more about the full process of planning my festival in the 6th and final part of this series.) I am really bad at discovering music myself, but I am luckily surrounded by a bunch of people who’ll always steer me the right way.
I’ve already covered 2024 in part two of this series. The 2025 edition brought me so many new favourites that I needed to make a careful selection and break it up in two posts. So here we go for my new finds of the first day of Brakrock 2025!
THE REAL MCKENZIES
I had often heard the name, but had never really checked them out. Rocking up to the River stage, I spot kilts and bagpipes and I am already all in! Something was up with the sound, there was a lot of feedback from the mic and it either went too loud or too silent. (Very not in Brakrock tradition, the sound is usually impeccable. I blame the bagpipes, I can imagine working around them is difficult, even for the best sound engineers.)
But feedback be damned, I am still relishing in this energetic set and the way they throw themselves fully at the crowd. And I am not alone in this, even though it’s only 6pm, there’s already a lot of drunken clumsy crowdsurfing all around! The Real McKenzies’ Celtic inspired sound is incredibly danceable and I feel the bass positively surge through my body.
After the show I note that either the sound improved drastically during the set, or I got gradually more drunk (on the music and/or beer, make of it what you will), so all’s well that ends well. Next time I can see them playing, they will definitely be on the list with an asterix, for ‘must see’, by their name! Extra points for the super sweet singer Paul, who graciously indulged my request for a selfie! ❤
DUNE RATS
When I read Dune Rats’ bio on the website, my attention was immediately sparked by their nationality. The Aussies already brought us so much good music, but two of my most beloved punk bands Amyl and The Sniffers and The Chats especially.
And boy was I right in my assumption that all Aussie punk is LIT. If Amyl and The Sniffers & The Chats had a love child, I would imagine they sound like this. So lucky I got to see them up close and personal at the Lake stage. I am pretty sure they’ll be headlining soon enough, these dudes are going places!
They are LOUD and ROWDY, much like the audience in front of them. The stage can barely contain such raw and chaotic energy. It is one of possibly two shows where I regretted not bringing my earplugs. But hey, at least the tinnitus will bring back nice memories!
They’re SO good, that I am listing them as the best find of 2025 already, only three performances into Brakrock 2025. (They are sharing that top spot with a band you’ll discover in the next episode, so stay tuned!)
GINO’S EYEBALL
I had been waiting to see Gino’s Eyeball for AGES. Their last show had been in 2017 and I only learned about that one afterwards. To say that I was STOKED to see them is an understatement. And as I get to the Lake stage, I see that I am not the only one who had been waiting for this one! Excitedly, I wiggle my way through the crowd. My notebook reveals what awaited me there, the lack of readability gives you an idea how hard pressed I was in the heaving mass of happy bystanders.
So yes. MAYHEM. Bloody marvellous, memory making mayhem. In my own words “I might die here, but ok.” I can’t really make out much more from my scribbles, which is most definitely a sign I was having ALL THE FUN!
And I leave you with this! You can catch singer Tom (who is also part of my precious All Star Wedding Band this year with NØFX, a NOFX tribute band (duh), on Saturday at 7.30pm at the Ruin stage. Since I missed their set last year, I will most definitely not make that mistake this time around.
Up next: Day two with Popes of Chilitown, The Anti-Queens and a twofer with Make War and their singer José.
Brakrock – Kasteel ter Elst – Duffel – August 3rd 2024 & 8th 2026
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