Pushing boundaries and resetting standards at Noisefest V - “A fucked up music extravaganza”

Little did a layman as myself know what he was in for with this festival. Not having been to one of the previous four editions and unfamiliar with the hardcore subgenre, Noisefest V prooved to be one of the most eye-opening, shocking and confronting musical experiences, even for a guy who sees hundreds of live shows a year.

11 acts were jammed into a quarter day at De Kreun, a venue in Kortrijk, Belgium which is also home to the legendary Sonic City festival every december. No better place than a town where DIY, hardcore and freak culture are currently thriving

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However, there was one artist who is unparalleled when it comes to confrontation: Dave Phillips. An anarchist with a clear stance against speciesism, Phillips makes the audience look at unwatchable images of animal cruelty, combined with statements that are almost impossible to ignore. Phillips may be idealistic, but this anti-cynical performance has a rarely seen effect on consciousness, both political and personal. He may not add a lot to the largely pre-programmed Chris Cunningham-ish show himself, although popping some balloons while walking through the crowd, heavily breathing and yelling ‘ARISE’ into his microphone pretty much paint a clear picture of what this man wants you to do. And fucking hell, is he good at it. If there’s one show that kept me from sleeping afterwards -and there are many candidates for that at an event like Noisefest- it’s his. Bravo for such a performance, bravo for this spirit and daring mindset. May his audiences take over at least a piece of that….

(mp-h, Skyline Reviews)