Posted: Thu. May 4, 2023 5:33 AM
Article protagonist: Azkena Rock Festival 2023 Theme: Rock Music Style: Rock News source: MB Neave Start date: 2023-06-15. End date: 2023-06-17.
A tremendously attractive appointment for rock lovers, with Iggy Pop, Rancid, El Drogas, Incubus or The Pretenders among many others. The mythical festival that has been held in Vitoria-Gasteiz since 2002, returns once more this year. Focused more than anything on rock'n'roll, punk or hard rock, figures such as Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, New York Dolls, Juliette Lewis, Iggy & The Stooges, Pearl Jam or The Who, among many others.
The ARF will take place at the Mendizabala venue in the capital of Alava, on June 15, 16 and 17, 2023 , and will feature Iggy Pop , Rancid , The Pretenders , Lucinda Williams and Incubus as headliners.
In addition, the ARF has a room within the festival where the line between audience and stage is blurred and the rawest live performances are performed with bands dedicated to the cause of rock and roll, that is Trashville . Garage, surf, rockabilly, sweat and decibels are part of Trashville's DNA, which grows a little more each year and arrives with the most powerful programming in its history.
There we will see the legend and benchmark of rock 'n' roll Billy Childish , who will be seconded by The Kaisers , a mythical band from the 90s that is difficult to see live, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band , the Danish Hola Ghost or the phenomenon Steel Beans , among many others, and more to come…
These are the confirmed groups per day:
Thursday June 15
RANCID, THE DRUGS (BARRICADE – 40º) – STEVE EARLE – LIHER – LYDIA LUNCH RETROVIRUS – MONSTER MAGNET – OS MUTANTES
Trashville: THE KAISERS – NESTTER DONUTS…
Rancid remain one of the most influential punk rock bands for over a quarter of a century. His music confronts political and social issues, while balancing personal stories of love, loss, and heartbreak with attitude. The Californians will hit the ARF 23 stage with Trouble Maker, their ninth studio album.
El Drogas comes with the repertoire of Barricada, the urban rock band that he himself founded 40 years ago. The man from Pamplona will step on the Azkena Rock stage to do a great review of his long career.
Lydia Lunch Retrovirus , one of the most interesting sound mixes that fuses art rock, punk and psychedelia, led by the iconic agitator of no wave and counterculture from the late 70s to the present day.
The American stoner rock band Monster Magnet will delight the public from Azkenero with their high voltage sound, where they make a perfect mix of hard rock aggressiveness and psychedelia.
Os Mutantes is a Brazilian band formed in 1966 linked to the Tropicalia movement, which combines national rhythms with other musical genres such as psychedelia and pop-rock. Considered one of the pioneers of rock in their country, they will make all fans of the most experimental rock'n'roll enjoy themselves at the festival.
Friday June 16
THE PRETENDERS – INCUBUS – BONES OF MINERVA – CALEXICO – CORDOVAS – EARTHLESS – THE GUAPOS – GWAR – MATCHBOX – PASADENA – S8NT ELEKTRIC – THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES – THE UNDERTONES
Trashville: HOLA GHOST – THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND –LOS TIKI PHANTOMS…
The Pretenders , a true legend of British rock led by the charismatic Chrissie Hynde joins the bill, in what will be their only concert in Spain in 2023.
The alternative rock band formed in the early 90's Incubus will be present on Friday.
Bones of Minerva is an alternative metal band from Madrid born in 2013. During their career they have released two studio albums, Blue Mountains (2017) and Embers (2022), with a powerful and heartbreaking sound thanks to Blue's impressive voice. With influences ranging from Tool to Gojira, they won't leave anyone indifferent.
The most extreme face of rock and metal comes from the hand of Gwar . Easily identifiable thanks to their clothing and their visual proposal, inspired by science fiction, the group has been the subject of controversy since the beginning of their musical career due to their lyrics, their performances and their appearance.
S8nt Elektric is a promising hard rock band from Los Angeles where all kinds of influences fit, from the most classic rock to disco music. The formation counts among its members London Hudson on drums, son of Slash from G'n'R.
Saturday June 17
IGGY POP – LUCINDA WILLIAMS – ALTER BRIDGE – THE BEVIS FROND – BRIGADE LOCO – EZPALAK – JIM JONES ALL STARS – LUCERO – MELVINS – THE NUDE PARTY – ANA POPOVIC – AMANDA SHIRES – NAT SIMONS & CHERIE CURRIE
Trashville: WILD BILLY CHILDISH & CTMF – KING SALAMI AND THE CUMBERLAND THREE – STEEL BEANS…
The indisputable flagship of punk Iggy Pop , for whom presentations are too many, will return to the Azkena stage after passing in 2003 and 2004 with The Stooges. Headlining this year's bill, he will take a look back at his entire career. And it is that an artist of this caliber could not miss the ARF.
The long-awaited return of the great composer and performer Lucinda Williams , who finally returns to Europe after her health problems, is another unmissable event. With roots in country and blues music and an immeasurable talent for writing lyrics and melodies, she has always had great support from specialized critics, as well as Grammy Awards.
The alternative metal and hard rock band Alter Bridge will stop by Mendizabala. With a trajectory of almost two decades, the American group continues unstoppable with the release of their seventh studio album, Pawns & Kings, released in October 2022 to acclaim from the specialized press.
Ezpalak has managed to position itself as a benchmark for alternative Basque music in recent years, being recognized by major media outlets and demonstrating its power live on the set of Los Conciertos de Radio 3 or at festivals such as Bilbao BBK Live. The people from Gipuzkoa will come to present Hortz aina Hots, an album full of powerful riffs and punk streaks, always with a melodic character.
The Melvins are one of the most influential and innovative bands in the grunge movement. Presenting their latest release, Bad Mood Rising, they will shake the audience with their great riffs and terrifying voices.
Nat Simons & Cherie Currie . Natalia García Poza, artistically known as Nat Simons, is considered the Joan Jett or Suzi Quatro homeland. That said, it's not surprising that she has teamed up with former The Runaways Cherie Currie to deliver an impressive show in Mendizabala in 2023.
The general sale of tickets is available from October 28 and the prices are:
Normal voucher for the 3 days: 155 euros + expenses. Bonuses for days from 50 euros. Voucher + Welcome pack (20th anniversary): €175 + expenses. This pack includes a book with stories of the
protagonists who have passed through the festival in the last 20 years, a t-shirt, a poster and a
tote bag deluxe. You can pick it up at the info point inside the enclosure.
Gaztea Bonus : €100 + expenses. Only for ages between 15 and 23 years by presentation of ID.
Access for children under 14 years of age will be free, as in previous editions, a measure with which the festival wants to encourage the attendance of families.
In addition, camping will be available for 4 nights. For more information about tickets: https://www.azkenarockfestival.com/es/tickets-festival/
More information about Azkena Rock Festival 2023 on its Facebook and on its official website .
This article was originally published in La Factoría del Ritmo Number 26 (section: ).
