Dour Festival 2010 – Day One: Faith No More, Moderat, Simian Mobile Disco (live)

Our Road To Dour 2010 was always meant to be something of a wild an crazy summer adventure and after one of the smoothest rides on a train I have even been on (though the decor left something to the imagination) we got into Belgium. With no map and a city that certainly needed new planner we managed to get on a less attractive train to our final destination, a bus, and after a near death experience we made it to Dour.

We had loads to sort out and a ‘free meal’ to enjoy before heading to our first show:

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Faith No More –  The Last Arena

In the main arena to see legendary 1980′s American rock band currently making good use of the European festival circuit having already played Portugal earlier. There was something that on the surface made the band seem like a mixed collective not really sure what they wanted to do, but by the end, they left you wishing you had done something, anything else.

This might come across like I am just being mean for the sake of it but halfway through their set the guys started to do covers, Easy Like Sunday Morning, Boom Boom Pow – I turned to Mark and shouted ‘It’s not a ringing endorsement that a band as old as they are have run out of material so soon.’ He said ‘He sounded more like a crooner at a karaoke bar than a headlining act.’

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. In their infinite wisdom the guys decided to do a Michael Jackson cover of Ben which was nothing more than an offence to anyone who could hear! This was just bad and if there was a worse word I could use to describe how bad this was I would use it, but alas all I have is bad. Their show seemed nothing more than former heavy weights rockers wanting to reclaim their youth – think Pamela Anderson trying to run down a Californian Beach now – in their day the guys no doubt had some power. Now all they came across like was a bunch of your dads drinking buddies getting up in the pub, to them they sound good, but reality is another beast all together – this certainly was Faith No More.

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Moderat –  Club-Circuit Marquee

Moderat hail from Berlin, and took the stage tonight to a huge number of fans. Their album has gained quite a cult following in the UK, but it’s clear that their effect on the continent is much greater. Their work is hugely diverse, with the main bulk of it from their self-titled album released in 2009, incorporating Electronica, Dubstep and even some vocal work, which fits perfectly.

Tonight’s performance was a big one, and they managed to pack one of the larger dance tents with festival go-ers. Like any electronic act, the sound is a crucial key to getting things right, and things were spot on. Everything was crystal clear, as the bass shattered your chest while the four of them danced about bouncing off one another. Opening with A New Error was a perfect way to kick things off, with the simplistic synth and marching basslines.

To make things even better, an awesome visuals display behind them constantly changed, ranging from simply their name going backwards and forwards, to hugely imaginative videos.
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Simian Mobile Disco (live) – The Last Arena

James Ford and James Shaw started SMD back in 2005, and since then their name as producers and remixers has grown and grown. Their blend of Electro, Minimal Tech and House is particularly popular here in Belgium, and they played to an enthusiastic crowd as the night on The Last Arena drew to a close. The two James’s darted about a huge circular consol of synths, computers and controllers, twiddling and triggering all over the shop. Known for numbers like Hustler with its infectious lyrics and synth lines, this was a huge crowd pleaser of the night.

The light show is what really made their set however, with huge strobes and more dry ice than I think is legal on a stage. One other thing to note about Dour, unlike many if not all UK fests, the music here goes on till 5am, even though bizarrely you can see a house from the main stage, and it’s situated in what looks to be a quarry.

*Pending Re-Edit