We have two particularly welcome additions to the Rock Werchter bill for 2014. Jack Johnson will appear on Friday. And The Black Keys are confirmed for Saturday. They join Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Major Lazer, Metallica, Pixies, Placebo, Skrillex and Triggerfinger, all announced for Rock Werchter 2014 last week.
Enter ‘surf’, ‘guitar’ and ‘do-it-yourself’ to Google and you get Jack Johnson. He starts his career in the footsteps of his father, Jeff, a surfing legend in Hawaii. A serious accident — 150 stitches and a few lost teeth — render a sporting career impossible. His guitar becomes his new surfboard. JP Plunier, who discovered Ben Harper, heard a demo and set Johnson on his way. With his fourth album ‘Sleep Through The Static’ (2008), the singer-songwriter goes worldwide. The album is produced using solar energy and is released on his own, highly artist friendly Bushfire Records. That typifies Johnson completely. He uses the positive effects of his success to support the causes he believes in. The “surfing soft rock superstar” is currently touring the world with ‘From Here To Now To You’ (2013), yet another treat of styles and moods. Third time in the country, second time at Rock Werchter! The American magazine Rolling Stone has called The Black Keys a “supercharged stomp machine”. Singer / guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have developed supersonic powers. These powers have taken them from obscure concerts in empty factory buildings in their hometown of Akron to the world’s biggest stages. Things went even better when they upped the pace of their sewer blues by adding soul and grooves. The albums ‘Brothers’ (2010) and ‘El Camino’ (2011) blasted The Black Keys to out-and-out headliners. They do need two extras to make it sound at its best live, but this was an easy sacrifice. At the recent Grammy Awards, the duo took home Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album. That’s the Lottery, the Keno and the Euro Millions rolled into one. Now the Black Keys are back at Werchter for the second time. It’s just a matter of waiting till Saturday 5 July.
Rock Werchter 2014 will be taking place from Thursday 3 July to Sunday 6 July. Over four days on the Festival grounds in Werchter (Belgium), you will be able to see music’s finest on three stages: Main Stage, KluB C and The Barn. At Rock Werchter we firmly believe in bringing together a mix of different genres, and that’s proved very popular. Last year’s four-day festival attracted some 140,000 (individual) festival-goers from far and wide and was completely sold out in advance. Rock Werchter is an international hit and has been awarded multiple prizes. In March of this year Rock Werchter won the prestigious ILMC Arthur Award for ‘Best Festival’ for the 5th time.
