Interview Hans Maes: “It’s refreshing next to all the guitar violence”

This year, Groezrock also has an Acoustic Stage on the festival! Some of the bands/acts that are playing are Yellowcard, Jonah Matranga, Face Tomorrow and Dave Hause. Next to that, North Empire Bookings has organised an Acoustic Punk Meeting on the camping on the day before (27 April). Enough reason for us to talk to Hans Maes, the big boss of Groezrock.

North Empire Bookings has organised the Acoustic Punk Meeting on the camping for the second time. You seem to have no problem with such iniatives.
“No, I don’t! In contrary, we very much support things like that. They make the camping very vivid, very lively. They help creating the typical Groezrock feeling. If we can, we’re surely gonna take a look!”

And now, you have an Acoustic Stage on the festival as well. Did North Empire Bookings inspire you?
“Actually, we’ve had the idea for quite a while, but we didn’t really have the possibility to set up a fourth stage. We’ve experimented with Dashboard Confessional last year. That turned out great, it’s nice to have something refreshing next to all the guitar violence. After Eastpak left as partner, we suddenly had a space open where the Chaos tent was. Those two things combined made us set up the Acoustic Stage.”

Was it easy to get bands/acts to play acoustic on the festival?
“More and more artists go solo when they’re not on the road with the whole band, just to be doing something different. In that way, the Acoustic Stage is also a great opportunity for whole bands to do something else for once. I do have to say that The Revival Tour has had a great deal in putting acoustic music in the picture and gaining popularity.”

So we can expect the Acoustic Stage to appear next year as well?
“I don’t know. We’ll have to evaluate this year’s response first, so we’ll know after this edition of Groezrock. I will be there to watch some acts play, but I can’t see everything ofcourse. There is so much to see…

By Ian Schram

Line-up Groezrock Acoustic Stage:
Saturday 28 April:
12:00 – 12:40 I Am The Avalanche t.b.a.
13:30 – 14:10 Bouncing Souls
15:00 – 15:40 Yellowcard
16:30 – 17:10 Vienna
18:00 – 18:40 Hostage Calm
19:30 – 20:10 Face Tomorrow
21:00 – 21:40 Garrett Klahn

Sunday 29 April:
12:00 – 12:40 Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds)
13:30 – 14:10 Anti-Flag
15:00 – 15:40 Jonah Matranga
16:30 – 17:10 Mike Herrera (MxPx)
18:00 – 18:40 Dave Hause (The Loved Ones)
19:30 – 20:10 Tommy Gabel (Against Me!)
21:00 – 21:40 Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music)