Saturday 8th of July 2017. The sun is shining, people are out wearing shorts, eating ice cream and waving their fans. What an incredible day to be at to DEDICATED Outdoor!
Walking around the festival ground gave us great smiles. People were definitely enjoying themselves. The vibe across the grounds and among the people was really enjoyable. It felt as if we were at a local neighbour party. Very diverse crowd, but still with that feeling of companionship. Everyone was ready to go crazy and enjoy the party. Just how we like it!
First we walked into Area 2. Area 2 was in a tent. At the back of the tent you found the DJ booth with some coloured screens behind it, but visually nothing appealing. Quite a small tent so at times it could get really crowded in there. On the other hand the smaller tent gave you the feeling of being closer to the DJ. This, to me, was great. Also, the vibe in Area 2 was amazing! Which you’ll read more about later on.
Of course we also paid a visit to the mainstage. This stage had that industrial look that we are used to seeing at DEDICATED Outdoor. Nothing to crazy design wise. The sound at the mainstage was great! What they might miss in stage design they make up on sound. The visuals on the LED screens were pretty cool. Especially when the sun started to come down, these visuals really stood out. We’ve been at several sets on the mainstage as well as Area 2. So we’ll give you an impression of some of the sets we’ve visited during this day.
We started our day with a set by Outsiders. This was a good warm-up for the day. The set wasn’t as special, but got our motors running so to say. We were ready to take on the rest of the day! During his set he dropped his new track with Darkraver: ‘Vaderland’ ft. Jebroer. The crowd loved it! It really stood out to me that there were quite some people in the audience that already could sing along to most of the lyrics! This was one of highlights of his set for sure.
Time for a bathroom break! There were enough toilets around with water fountains and disinfection soap to wash up. Something I haven’t seen before is that at the entrance of the toilets they have the possibility to get some toilet paper. Which I thought was great. No more looking for Dixies that actually have toilet paper. Just get some before you go into one. Plus, for the people that work there it’s so much easier to keep track of, so you’ll always have some around.
Off to the mainstage. The guys up there were having so much fun! Bass Chaserz sure love what they’re doing. It’s great to watch them work their magic. The fun they have really comes across. Together with their well-balanced set it was a great way to really set the party mood. With highlights of their sets being: ‘Renegades’, ‘In Control’ & their brand-new track ‘The Only Way Is Up’!
The first B2B we witnessed was Warface vs Killshot. Throwing some great tunes. Insane kicks and awesome energy. They really set the bar. Dropping some awesome tracks, like the crowd favourites ‘FTP’ and ‘New World Order’. These guys really got us to that higher energy level.
We needed to regain some strength so we headed over to the food court. In the food court you had the possibility to get some fruits, sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, or snacks. For a festival this size, that looked sufficient enough. On the other side of the food court you also had a poffertjes stand (a Dutch treat which you can best describe as small puffy pancakes)! And across the festival ground you would be able to find several ice cream stands.
With food in hand we walked around looking for a spot to kick our feet up. Looking around you’ll find some pick nick tables and these great chill areas that were made out of pallets and mattresses. It was a perfect way to regain some energy and finish our food. And if you felt a bit hot during this lovely day, you could take of your shoes and step into the water! A lovely beachy feel and a great way to cool down.
We went back to Area 2 for Paul Elstak’s set and the place was packed! These people were ready to go crazy! We saw several human towers, festival flags and poles everywhere, polonaises, people climbing on each other and on the tent. Such a great vibe, it was one big party!
His set contained the Paul Elstak classics such as ‘Luv You More’, but of course also his newest hits with Jebroer and Dr Phunk ‘Engeltje’ and ‘Kind van de Duivel’. Everyone was singing and shouting along to all of these tracks. One thing is clear, this man knows how to throw a party. After that crazy ride, we went on to see Sub Sonik. His album ‘Strike One’ is filled with some awesome tracks, so we looked forward to seeing him live. As the set progresses I didn’t feel swept away by it like I’d hoped to. Apart from his album tracks, he also played his hits ‘Sandstorm’ and ‘Born 2 Kill’. He ended it all with the remix of Dione’s ‘Pain Till I Die’. All in all, still a great and enjoyable set!
The best set at the mainstage was for sure the B2B from Regain vs D-Sturb vs Insidious. Damn, these guys know what they’re doing. The set started off without D-Sturb, who would join in later. But man, it started off great. The kicks and screeches surrounding us were great and everybody seemed to gain energy from this set. ‘Celebration’ the official DEDICATED Outdoor 2017 anthem by Regain, ‘Warchief’, ‘Stop the Menace’ & ‘For the Streets’ are some examples of the tracks we heard that night. We ended this day with some crazy kicks during a 30 minute Regain LIVE surprise act! Just what you need at the closing. Amazing!
Overall DEDICATED Outdoor has thrown a great party! Great line-up, amazing vibe, lovely people and lots of craziness. This is one we’ll have to visit again next year. Especially considering the ticket price is just under €30,-(!).