Meerhout in Belgium has a total population of 9,578. But for two days every May, that quadruples in size as Groezrock festival rolls into town, bringing with it the best in punk and hardcore. Here are 10 bands you can’t miss on May 2…
WHO: Teenage Bottlerocket WHERE: Monster Energy Stage WHEN: Sat May 2 / 15:05-15:45 WHY: They sound like the snotty little siblings of the Ramones. Wyoming weirdoes Teenage Bottlerocket have been knocking around for over 10 years now, touring the world with everyone from NOFX (they’re also signed to Fat Mike’s record label) to the Descendents; entertaining all those they meet along the way with their pop-punks odes to heavy metal, head banging, skateboarding, Top Gun, comic books, chicks, and other equally amusing topics. With a ton of quirky lyrics and enough hooks up their sleeves to catch Jaws, they’re the perfect band to kick off your second day at Groezrock. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: Skate Or Die
**WHO: **Turbowolf **WHERE: **Impericon Stage **WHEN: Sat May 2 / **15:45-16:25 **WHY: **They’re the black sheep of the bill. The beauty of Turbowolf’s multi-genre mash-up of sounds is they can sit comfortably alongside indie, metal, hard rock and punk bands alike, and never seem out of place. It’d be interesting to see if any Agnostic Front fans make there way over to the Impericon Stage before their beloved band headline the tent later that night, and find out what they make of the Bristol band’s psychedelic collage of noise. But if hardcore truly is all about acceptance and unity, we have no doubt the Wolf will be embraced with open arms – their live show’s as explosive as a briefcase of C4 after all. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **Read And Write
**WHO: **Ducking Punches **WHERE: **Macbeth/Blackstar Stage WHEN: Sat May 2 / 16:55-17:25 **WHY: **Dan Allen is more than just ‘the new Frank Turner’. Whilst he may have been Frank Turner’s guitar tech, and filled in for him on acoustic guitar at shows across Europe, Dan Allen is a troubadour in his own right - and a songwriter of notable talent. Backed by his own band, featuring members of other prominent Norwich-based folk-punk acts (Bad Ideas, Manbearpig and Darkened Dials), Ducking Punches play foot stomping, fist pumping, heartfelt anthems that exude the true essence and spirit of punk. It’s prime time festival material. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **_Big Brown Pills From Lynn _
**WHO: **The Loved Ones **WHERE: **Monster Energy Stage **WHEN: **Sat May 2 / 17:20-18:05 **WHY: **They’re back after a five-year hiatus! Dave Hause’s solo career has gone from strength to strength after he first began going it alone on Chuck Ragan’s acoustic folk Revival Tour back in 2009. But it was only a matter of time before he got the old Philadelphian band back together. Whether or not this will lead to any extended tours or new material, only time will tell, but in the meantime get down and welcome back the blue-collared boys in the manner their upfront, honest punk rock warrants. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **_The Bridge _
**WHO: **Raised Fist **WHERE: **Impericon Stage **WHEN: **Sat May 2 / 18:05-18:50 WHY: Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller described them as “one of the world’s three most progressive hardcore bands”. We don’t know who the other two are, but never mind. If it’s good enough for Lou Koller, it’s good enough for us. The Norrbotten five-piece are certainly one of Sweden’s longest-running, most successful hardcore bands. Their Iron Maiden-inspired dual lead guitars matched with the hip-hop influenced approach of vocalist Alexander ‘Alle’ Hagman mark them out from many of their contemporaries too, and their highly-politicised, energetic attack is undeniable in the live setting. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **_Friends And Traitors _
**WHO: **Good Riddance **WHERE: **Monster Energy Stage **WHEN: **Sat May 2 / 18:35-19:25 **WHY: **They’ve been away for eight years, and now they’re bloody well back too. Of all the bands that Fat Mike signed to Fat Wreck Chords back in the ‘90s, Good Riddance’s politically-driven punk rock ranked amongst the best. They mixed the Californian skate punk pioneered by Bad Religion, The Adolescents and TSOL with the East Coast hardcore of Sick Of It All and the Cro-Mags to create something unique. And they managed to shift a ton of records whilst staying true to the underground and standing up for what they believed in; backing up their songs and words with hard actions. They’re both humble students and noble leaders of the scene, and with the new record Peace In Our Time and the previous seven stellar releases to draw from, you can bet your bottom Euro their set at Groezrock will be a festival highlight. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **_One For The Braves _
WHO: OFF! WHERE: Back To Basics Stage WHEN: Sat May 2 / 20:30-21:10 WHY: Keith Morris is the Godfather of LA punk. At the age of 21, he formed Black Flag with guitarist Greg Ginn, before leaving one iconic punk band to start another: Circle Jerks. Those contributions to the genre would’ve been enough to secure his place in the history books, but Morris is far from done. In 2010, he debuted his latest project Off! – featuring members of Burning Brides, Rocket From The Crypt and Red Kross –and they’ve been steadily touring and releasing records ever since. WATCH OUT FOR: Upside Down
**WHO: **The Mighty Mighty Bosstones WHERE: Monster Energy Stage WHEN: Sat May 2 / 21:15-22:15 **WHY: **Everyone loves a bit of ska-core, and these guys practically invented it. Back in the mid-‘90s ska punk was all the rage. But the Bosstones preceded the ‘third wave ska revival’ by over a decade. Formed in 1983, the Boston boys forged their own path, creating a sub-genre of the original 2-tone movement that blended traditional Jamaican ska with elements of punk rock and hardcore to create a form of music commonly referred to as ska-core. And what makes them extra special is their unbridled love for rock ‘n’ roll and metal, which also feeds into the mix and makes for a highly infectious collection of songs, skilfully brought to life by the gravelly blues vocals of the inimitable Dicky Barrett. **WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: **_The Impression That I Get _
**WHO: **Millencollin **WHERE: **Monster Energy Stage **WHEN: **Sat May 2 / 22:45-23:45 **WHY: They’re the Pennybridge Pioneers. Towards the end of the ‘90s the So-Cal punk rock sound had kind of ran it’s course, but these Örebro pioneers breathed new life into the genre. Their fourth studio album – produced by Epitaph label boss and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz – merged punk with indie and alternative rock in their own distinctly Scandinavian way to create a record that meant as much to one generation of punk kids as the likes of Dookie and Smash had to the generation before. And now, like so many bands from the ‘90s, Millencolin are back with a new album and ready to reaffirm their position alongside so many of the punk rock greats gracing the bill at Groezrock. Cool story Örebro, indeed! WATCH OUT FOR: **_No Cigar _
**WHO: **Refused **WHERE: **Monster Energy Stage **WHEN: **Sat May 2 / 00:15-01:30 **WHY: **The Shape Of Punk To Come dragged punk into the 21st century. How many bands and records can three chords give the world, before the genre becomes stagnant and stale? Thankfully, punk is so much more than just a genre. It’s a lifestyle; characterised by non-conformity, freedom, honesty, integrity, liberal politics and fresh ideas. And Refused embodied all of these qualities. They originally broke up back in 1998, just a few months after they released one of the greatest punk rock records ever made. For a while they were destined to become the punk rock Picasso, drastically unappreciated and undervalued in their own lifetime, but thankfully their posthumous fame has not stopped growing and the influence of The Shape Of Punk To Come continues to be heard in new bands’ sounds. Then in 2012, Refused reformed for some shows, which led to one of the most talked about reunions in recent years. The post-hardcore pioneers recently released Elektra – their first new material for the first time in 17 years – and they’ve announced a new album, Freedom, is on the way. We don’t know what we’re more excited about hearing them play live – the old stuff or the new stuff – and there are very few bands that come out of retirement that we can say that about. But then Refused were never your average band. Skål! **WATCH OUT FOR: **_New Noise _
Here’s our pick of the 10 bands playing at Groezrock on May 1…
