One of the most respected strictly-Hardcore festivals of today once again opened their gates on Saturday, the 15^th of April. Hardcore fanatics from all corners crawled out of their dens to attend another edition of Hardshock Festival, held at the idyllic Almere Strand. Well, Hardcore Fanatics, plus me. For the first time in ‘Stijn de Kleuver history,’ this Hardstyle lover took a leap of faith alongside his closest buddies friends and attended a 100% Hardcore festival…

Mid-April is always a tricky time for festivals. as the weather in the Netherlands can be highly treacherous in this period. Although the stormy wind made the day quite chilly, the sun now and then won its battle with the clouds. Moreover, Hardshock took the needed precautions to keep its audience warm and comfy. With six indoor stages – only the mainstage was outdoor – there was plenty of shelter to keep the party going at times the weather turned bad. Moreover, a massive bonfire was lit in the evening, which reminded me of images I’ve seen at the notorious ‘Burning Man Festival’. Gratefully, many ravers sought comfort amongst the warmth of this massive fire. It was lovely to see that the festival organisation looked after its visitors with such initiatives.

Saving the best for last, me and my friends decided to first take a brief look at all the other stages before settling ourselves at the main. The first stage on our journey was the ‘Frequency’ stage.  Although the stage provided the needed shelter from the stormy weather, another force made its entrance. The tempo of the kicks blew us away. Although we are not used to this frequency, the energy it generated caught our wings and before we realized we watched both sets of ‘Ysiss vs Tharoza’ and ‘A-Kriv vs Deterrent Man’. For the untrained ear, this kind of Hard Dance can often sound like shallow noise, but the energy that was created at that moment I completely understood why people fall for this kind of music. It just demands every cell in your body to party.

 

Freeing ourselves from the addictive tentacles of the ‘Frequency,’ we wandered from ‘Hertz’ to ‘Radiation’, before arriving at the ‘Wired’ stage. Hosted by ‘Hardcore Italia’ the DJs at this stage sounded a bit more familiar to us. ‘Tommyknocker’ provided a massive set and followed by ‘Art of Fighters’ the party was on at this stage. For “Hardstyle pussies” like us, this stage provided the perfect mix between recognisable melodies and hardcore kicks. Music-wise, it’s safe to say that we enjoyed this stage the most.

Before going to the ‘Voltage’ and ‘Recharge’ stages we took some time to enjoy the sun that was breaking free from the obscuration of the clouds. Finding a lovely spot in the sand of Almere Strand, we were astonished by the overall devotion exhibited by the audience. There was hardly anyone without Hardshock merchandise; the training jacket seemed to be purchased quite eagerly.

Another thing that amazed us was the type of people at the festival. It often seemed like we’d just emerged into a freak show of the ’20s – piercings, colored lenses, crazy haircuts and gigantic tattoos were all over the place. But none of this made the atmosphere macabre – instead, it was totally the opposite. The atmosphere was lovely and we mingled with a bunch of lovely people. It never ceases to surprise me that the most aggressive music attracts the kindest of people.

And there we were… on the mainstage. The sun was already setting and it started to shimmer. It was quite chilly at the main without the shelter of an indoor tent. However, like king penguins people moved closely to each other, creating a fortress of warmth. Together was the devastating sound system – that, like the wind, totally blew our ears off. This combination provided enough warmth to keep the party going.

However, with the positive comes the negative and I must make a point of critique regarding the mainstage. For me, the design of the mainstage didn’t leave me (or my accompanying comrades) in a state of awe. We expected more, but maybe we’re just spoiled.

The end-show was a well-deserved closing of Hardshock 2017. Despite needing to adjust to the speed of the kicks, every component of the festival fell along. The stages, the music, the atmosphere – all of these contributed to the conviction that we do not want to miss next year’s edition. Hardcore lover or not, Hardshock is the perfect way to open your outdoor festival season!