Hey Wyatt. A Belgian guy here who's been visiting Graspop since 2007. Graspop is a great festival, although it has one downer which has become more apparent with each passing year: food and drinks have become very expensive on the festival grounds over the past few years. You do get your money's worth if you know where to go, but it is important if you consider a trip to quaint little Dessel. ;) Also: your pronunciation of Belgian names (Jupiler and Mol) were quite good. ;) Give yourself a pat on the shoulder.
I have to agree, the pronunciation was very good for a "dumb" American (your words, not mine 😉). Love this festival, been going there since 2004 but it helps when you've got friends living nearby. Unfortunately, like my fellow Belgian says, the last couple of years the prices have gone up like crazy and it's getting more expensive each year. Still, the best thing about GMM is the great vibe among the festival IMO. Cool thing is that a couple of years ago, some of my friends decided to go for 1 day to see what the festival is like and they always return for the entire weekend each year ever since. Once you've visited GMM, it's just too much fun to stay away.
Graspop is a must for an experience, not a single doubt there. The unfortunate fact is that prices will not go down, only up from here on. This is a fact for ever other festival out there...
I missed this festival and I lived close to Belgium. 2011, I was in Afghanistan back then. My Army base was in west Germany only 26 miles from French border. I returned July 2011 from Afghanistan. Traveled to WOA and Brutal Assault by train. 🤘🇩🇪 🇨🇿
Went to GMM for the first time this year and I loved it!! Never has anything felt more right than being there. The music, the sense of beloning, … For the fist time in my life I felt like I found my place in the world: standing in the crowed headbanging to my favorite bands together with other metalheads. Everyone was super nice and I felt safe. (I’m a 17 year old girl who doesn’t even weight 50kg so I was a bit scared of dying in a moshpit or under someone crowed surfing 🙃). I crowed surfed for the fist time, cool experience. I accidentally found myself in a big moshpit where I got to touch Remington for Palaye Royale, 100% my favorite moment. I already liked metal music, but GMM made me fall in love with it all over again! ❤️
Love your report about GMM. It's just like you tell it. A big festival that doesn't feel big. And the little things you say like the random yelling of "SLAYER" at the campsite immediately put a smile on my face and threw me back there. Thank you 🙂 My GF went for her first time last year and immediately fell in love with the festival and wants to go every year now. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Hopefully you come to Graspop, as I am a dumb Puertorican living in Belgium having a blast with all these bands and festivals in this side of the world. Btw, love your videos! You prepared me for the high's and low's for all these big festivals!
A small correction, the lake side cabins have a shuttle bus that goes to and from the festival site. its about a 45 minute ride, and there are more than enough shuttles that will take care of you so no need to use cabs/public transit for it.
Great video! It would be very interesting to hear about festivals in the US, from your previous video I assume it is different - but it would be nice to hear about some examples :D
I've been going for 8 years now, just love Graspop! You are absolutely right, it is a big festival but it feels very manageable, not crowded and people are fun and friendly. Year after year I find some absolutely gems, bands I've never heard before, and become a fan. Great selection of styles as well from mainstream to extreme and everything in between. Kadavar, a German psychedelic rock band I've seen twice at Graspop, the first time they played a small stage, no one really knew them. I got hooked up straight away, great music. Now they are a proper touring band, headliners for festivals, and I am so happy to see this. Anytime I see them it reminds me of Graspop. The crowd is great as well, you have people in their 70s, 80s coming even with wheelchairs, and you have families with very small kids, and everyone has fun. Ah, can't wait to be back to the those holy grounds!
Awesome video, Graspop is my favourite festival and this year will be my 6th time going. I love this years line up. Both the bungalow parks have free shuttle busses going from there to the festival the entire day bytheway. There are also hotel rooms there with the same deal. Allthough all accomodation options get sold out fairly quickly.
Hi dude. Nice video. I'm a Belgian metalhead and I agree with pretty much everything you said. It's a great festival with strong line-up every year. But the best thing there is that you never feel overwhelmed by the crowd. And that's what I like the most in GMM. You don't have to go one hour before a set to experience it the right way. The festival ground is big but it doesn't feel that big. It will be my fourth time this year with a group of friend. Can't wait to be there. Hope you finally choose to come back this year and enjoy it again. I would love to see a recap video if you make one🤘
The most far point of the regular camping to the main stage (this year) was about 15 minutes walk, NOT a hour like you're saying... There were some years in the past that had this effect of a hour from your tent to the main stage, true. Been going since 2007.
going to graspop from 1997 only missed 2 edition from then, it's just one of the best organised festivals in the world and i have been to many, and this years edition was muddy too especialy on fryday, the other days the mud was gone , they really did their best to clear it, greetings from belgium
Belgian here, obviously my go to festival. What I also really like about the line ups is that GMM is not afraid to bring some bands that are not totally metal in there, for a nice change of pace. I've seen carpenter brut, perturbator and pendulum during the last editions, which is closer to dark electro ish music, but that's a neat change of pace during 4 days of metal.
Since 2006 i was only missing the editions of 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and last year, realy one of my favorite festivals and not only because its realy close by for me (The Netherlands), but more of the line up, especialy outside the mainstages.
thanks, i used your videos to headsup my friends as some is their first time graspop this summer. my own stories only inform so much. looking forward to go again myself, as youve said the lineup is killer again
I live 20km from there and I love going there. I prefer it over Rock am Ring and other big festivals. It is big and still small somehow. Great to hear that it's even famous across the ocean!
Yes... It's my favorite festival. It has it al, it's not to big and usually nice weather, great lineups, with lot's of bands coming back every year. Campsite is great, but if you are somewhat older like myself (nearly fifty) , the offered luxury campsites are a go to. Or just get to know a local and camp out at their place with an camper or caravan and use a bicycle (with free parking) to get to the festival. Funfact, there used to be a punkrock festival in the next town named "Groezrock" which was about 7miles or 13 km away so the locals are used to invasions of music enthausiasts...
I have to warn you for one thing. I also saw the video of Wacken and I CAN tell you: we share the same climate. Yes it can hot and sweaty all weekend here with temperatures far above 30 degrees Celcius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Sometimes we also have better temperatures. Around 25 degrees Celcius. BUT WE ALSO SOMETIMES HAVE SHITTY WEATHER JUST LIKE WACKEN! But Graspop is amazing, I go every year living in Belgium. The distance from Wacken to Dessel is around 700 km I think which is like I think apprrox. from the north of California to the middle of California. One more pro tip for those staying in those parks in Mol and Lommel: you say they have to watch out for the last trains, but Graspop also organizes shuttles to these parks :).
hey man don't worry about the pronunciations, it was actually pretty good, and if not we usually have a good laugh about it. When I was still in school we had a European exchange project and there where 2 Norwegian teachers who wanted to go from Brussels to Geel bye train. And when they ordered their tickets it sounded something like "2 tickets to jail please". Man I wish I was there to see the receptionists face 🤣🤣
Really great video, love your stuff! Something that would be really interesting to see is your take on Sweden Rock Festival, which is in my hometown of Sölvesborg. Quite an interesting experience to grow up in one of these middle-of-nowhere-festival towns, I could probably write an essay or two about that. Anyway, being a metal fan myself, there is nothing better than having this festival a 15 min drive from my parents' house, and everyone I know absolutely loves the thing. I am also a freelance photographer and have been able to shoot there, which makes the experience even better. Anyway, I hope you can make something fun with this information, and I wish you a great day.
i went to graspop as a little kid (10 years old) from '03 untill '14 but to be honest with you GMM went downhill from '07, but me being me i dont really like big festivals I never enjoyed wacken just give me the small ass festivals somewhere off in the middle of nowhere , so if youre looking for a small festival DOKKEM Open air MATE fokking great. you have an amazing channel and i do envy you for 70000 tons of steel the only one i need to go to before i die , Keep up the great sheit you create over here much thanks from a new fan
I don't know if it still is this way but when i was in highschool going to this festival you could use your festival ticket to get free public transit with the train or bus which is tought was quite cool (i'm from Belgium btw and have been going since i was Eleven years old) and stil love going Every year
Graspop was mine and my brothers second ever live music experiance coming from the UK. My god was the lineup great and something about european festivals that i love is priper set times for bands lower down the bill. Most bands getting at least 45 minites even early on the day with duel main stages really made it special. Many years of download festival my favourite bands play for 25 minutes amd that just isnt good enough for me as it kay be my only chance that year to see some bands.
4:10 Are you sure that's correct? I went to Graspop for the first time this year and the campground was really close to the festival, even from the outskirts I don't think you ever have to walk more than 20 minutes. Did they move the campground this year?
Went to GMM in 2003, and didn't have a camping ticket, we asked a chap working there if there was a place we could camp, and he let the 4 of us camp in his garden, made us breakfast, and drank with us while we were there! 🤘
As a Belgian teenager Graspop sucked major ass for the simple reason that it is always during final exam period!! xD So never got to go much back then. Luckily now i live about 15m away from Dessel, not gona bother camping even, ill just go sleep in my own bed :D
Graspop has been my festival for 11 years now. Unfortunately with a heavy heart me and my fiancee have decided not to go for the first time in 11 years because the line up is kinda the same as always 😂 I need some new bands. Love Sabaton tho, saw them live for the first time in 2007 😂
I've been going to graspop almost every year since 2003 almost never missing it. But this will be my first year I will purposely miss it. For me they are focussing too much on the "mainstream" these days. I've found that the other "big" Belgian metal festival Alcatraz is much more too my taste these days. Both in music and atmosphere
@@wyattsmetal if you like the theme helfest has but are annoyed by the gigantic festival check it out its small and cool it also has a uniqe stage "la morgue ' where only belgiun bands play
🤟🏻🤟🏻 67 and still going strong. Only 85 days left to my 14th edition.
Hey Wyatt. A Belgian guy here who's been visiting Graspop since 2007. Graspop is a great festival, although it has one downer which has become more apparent with each passing year: food and drinks have become very expensive on the festival grounds over the past few years. You do get your money's worth if you know where to go, but it is important if you consider a trip to quaint little Dessel. ;)
Also: your pronunciation of Belgian names (Jupiler and Mol) were quite good. ;) Give yourself a pat on the shoulder.
Wow I'm surprised with myself!
I have to agree, the pronunciation was very good for a "dumb" American (your words, not mine 😉).
Love this festival, been going there since 2004 but it helps when you've got friends living nearby. Unfortunately, like my fellow Belgian says, the last couple of years the prices have gone up like crazy and it's getting more expensive each year. Still, the best thing about GMM is the great vibe among the festival IMO.
Cool thing is that a couple of years ago, some of my friends decided to go for 1 day to see what the festival is like and they always return for the entire weekend each year ever since. Once you've visited GMM, it's just too much fun to stay away.
Graspop is a must for an experience, not a single doubt there. The unfortunate fact is that prices will not go down, only up from here on. This is a fact for ever other festival out there...
There's also a 'smaller' metal festival in Kortrijk called 'Alcatraz'. You should check this one out too.
I missed this festival and I lived close to Belgium. 2011, I was in Afghanistan back then. My Army base was in west Germany only 26 miles from French border. I returned July 2011 from Afghanistan. Traveled to WOA and Brutal Assault by train. 🤘🇩🇪 🇨🇿
Went to GMM for the first time this year and I loved it!!
Never has anything felt more right than being there. The music, the sense of beloning, … For the fist time in my life I felt like I found my place in the world: standing in the crowed headbanging to my favorite bands together with other metalheads. Everyone was super nice and I felt safe. (I’m a 17 year old girl who doesn’t even weight 50kg so I was a bit scared of dying in a moshpit or under someone crowed surfing 🙃).
I crowed surfed for the fist time, cool experience. I accidentally found myself in a big moshpit where I got to touch Remington for Palaye Royale, 100% my favorite moment.
I already liked metal music, but GMM made me fall in love with it all over again! ❤️
Love your report about GMM. It's just like you tell it. A big festival that doesn't feel big. And the little things you say like the random yelling of "SLAYER" at the campsite immediately put a smile on my face and threw me back there. Thank you 🙂 My GF went for her first time last year and immediately fell in love with the festival and wants to go every year now. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
GMM is one of my favo festivals. Keep up the good work.
Hopefully you come to Graspop, as I am a dumb Puertorican living in Belgium having a blast with all these bands and festivals in this side of the world. Btw, love your videos! You prepared me for the high's and low's for all these big festivals!
Watching this brought back so many great memories of last summer
Graspop is great, I'm going for the 11th time this year and it never disappoints.
I'm going this year for the first time. Coming all the way from Colombia ready to lose my mind.
Hell yea!
It was awesome! The only drawback is that it coincides with Hell Fest.
Got tickets for this year as my first metal festival ever.
A small correction, the lake side cabins have a shuttle bus that goes to and from the festival site. its about a 45 minute ride, and there are more than enough shuttles that will take care of you so no need to use cabs/public transit for it.
Great video! It would be very interesting to hear about festivals in the US, from your previous video I assume it is different - but it would be nice to hear about some examples :D
Great idea!
Will be my first time going there. Can't wait!
I've been going for 8 years now, just love Graspop! You are absolutely right, it is a big festival but it feels very manageable, not crowded and people are fun and friendly. Year after year I find some absolutely gems, bands I've never heard before, and become a fan. Great selection of styles as well from mainstream to extreme and everything in between. Kadavar, a German psychedelic rock band I've seen twice at Graspop, the first time they played a small stage, no one really knew them. I got hooked up straight away, great music. Now they are a proper touring band, headliners for festivals, and I am so happy to see this. Anytime I see them it reminds me of Graspop. The crowd is great as well, you have people in their 70s, 80s coming even with wheelchairs, and you have families with very small kids, and everyone has fun. Ah, can't wait to be back to the those holy grounds!
Awesome video, Graspop is my favourite festival and this year will be my 6th time going. I love this years line up. Both the bungalow parks have free shuttle busses going from there to the festival the entire day bytheway. There are also hotel rooms there with the same deal. Allthough all accomodation options get sold out fairly quickly.
Hi dude. Nice video. I'm a Belgian metalhead and I agree with pretty much everything you said. It's a great festival with strong line-up every year. But the best thing there is that you never feel overwhelmed by the crowd. And that's what I like the most in GMM. You don't have to go one hour before a set to experience it the right way. The festival ground is big but it doesn't feel that big. It will be my fourth time this year with a group of friend. Can't wait to be there. Hope you finally choose to come back this year and enjoy it again. I would love to see a recap video if you make one🤘
The most far point of the regular camping to the main stage (this year) was about 15 minutes walk, NOT a hour like you're saying...
There were some years in the past that had this effect of a hour from your tent to the main stage, true.
Been going since 2007.
Great vid man! had no idea of the Sabaton history in Graspop.
going to graspop from 1997 only missed 2 edition from then, it's just one of the best organised festivals in the world and i have been to many, and this years edition was muddy too especialy on fryday, the other days the mud was gone , they really did their best to clear it, greetings from belgium
Great video dude, if you decide to go this year, I’ll be there with my friends, would be awesome to meet up for a beer or 10 💪🏻
We will be there this year thank you für this Infos:)
Belgian here, obviously my go to festival. What I also really like about the line ups is that GMM is not afraid to bring some bands that are not totally metal in there, for a nice change of pace. I've seen carpenter brut, perturbator and pendulum during the last editions, which is closer to dark electro ish music, but that's a neat change of pace during 4 days of metal.
Since 2006 i was only missing the editions of 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and last year, realy one of my favorite festivals and not only because its realy close by for me (The Netherlands), but more of the line up, especialy outside the mainstages.
"Motley Crue's backing tracks" 🤣🤣
Also amazing festival, can't wait to go back this year :D
I know. 😂
thanks, i used your videos to headsup my friends as some is their first time graspop this summer. my own stories only inform so much. looking forward to go again myself, as youve said the lineup is killer again
American, your pronunciation is great!😀🙏🤘
I live 20km from there and I love going there. I prefer it over Rock am Ring and other big festivals. It is big and still small somehow.
Great to hear that it's even famous across the ocean!
Yes... It's my favorite festival. It has it al, it's not to big and usually nice weather, great lineups, with lot's of bands coming back every year. Campsite is great, but if you are somewhat older like myself (nearly fifty) , the offered luxury campsites are a go to. Or just get to know a local and camp out at their place with an camper or caravan and use a bicycle (with free parking) to get to the festival.
Funfact, there used to be a punkrock festival in the next town named "Groezrock" which was about 7miles or 13 km away so the locals are used to invasions of music enthausiasts...
The shuttles are great i got one in my town i never expected it i live in a shitty small town its great
I have to warn you for one thing. I also saw the video of Wacken and I CAN tell you: we share the same climate. Yes it can hot and sweaty all weekend here with temperatures far above 30 degrees Celcius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Sometimes we also have better temperatures. Around 25 degrees Celcius. BUT WE ALSO SOMETIMES HAVE SHITTY WEATHER JUST LIKE WACKEN! But Graspop is amazing, I go every year living in Belgium.
The distance from Wacken to Dessel is around 700 km I think which is like I think apprrox. from the north of California to the middle of California.
One more pro tip for those staying in those parks in Mol and Lommel: you say they have to watch out for the last trains, but Graspop also organizes shuttles to these parks :).
Metal days is one of my favorite festivals around can you talk about that one next video
Definitely coming soon!
Love Graspop
hey man don't worry about the pronunciations, it was actually pretty good, and if not we usually have a good laugh about it. When I was still in school we had a European exchange project and there where 2 Norwegian teachers who wanted to go from Brussels to Geel bye train. And when they ordered their tickets it sounded something like "2 tickets to jail please". Man I wish I was there to see the receptionists face 🤣🤣
So happy to see Sabaton rise up the marquee. The nicest guys in metal.
Really great video, love your stuff!
Something that would be really interesting to see is your take on Sweden Rock Festival, which is in my hometown of Sölvesborg. Quite an interesting experience to grow up in one of these middle-of-nowhere-festival towns, I could probably write an essay or two about that. Anyway, being a metal fan myself, there is nothing better than having this festival a 15 min drive from my parents' house, and everyone I know absolutely loves the thing. I am also a freelance photographer and have been able to shoot there, which makes the experience even better.
Anyway, I hope you can make something fun with this information, and I wish you a great day.
i went to graspop as a little kid (10 years old) from '03 untill '14 but to be honest with you GMM went downhill from '07, but me being me i dont really like big festivals I never enjoyed wacken just give me the small ass festivals somewhere off in the middle of nowhere , so if youre looking for a small festival DOKKEM Open air MATE fokking great.
you have an amazing channel and i do envy you for 70000 tons of steel the only one i need to go to before i die ,
Keep up the great sheit you create over here
much thanks from a new fan
I don't know if it still is this way but when i was in highschool going to this festival you could use your festival ticket to get free public transit with the train or bus which is tought was quite cool (i'm from Belgium btw and have been going since i was Eleven years old) and stil love going Every year
it's not free anymore but you do get a discount of 50% for the train ride
Graspop was mine and my brothers second ever live music experiance coming from the UK. My god was the lineup great and something about european festivals that i love is priper set times for bands lower down the bill.
Most bands getting at least 45 minites even early on the day with duel main stages really made it special. Many years of download festival my favourite bands play for 25 minutes amd that just isnt good enough for me as it kay be my only chance that year to see some bands.
4:10 Are you sure that's correct? I went to Graspop for the first time this year and the campground was really close to the festival, even from the outskirts I don't think you ever have to walk more than 20 minutes. Did they move the campground this year?
Great video, Keep it up!
My favorite festival this will be my 3 time at there
Nice!
Went to GMM in 2003, and didn't have a camping ticket, we asked a chap working there if there was a place we could camp, and he let the 4 of us camp in his garden, made us breakfast, and drank with us while we were there! 🤘
camping is free when you have a ticket for the festival, i never had to pay for the camping ,going there from 1997
As a Belgian teenager Graspop sucked major ass for the simple reason that it is always during final exam period!! xD So never got to go much back then. Luckily now i live about 15m away from Dessel, not gona bother camping even, ill just go sleep in my own bed :D
would love to see you cover bloodstock
First time. See you guys there!
Graspop has been my festival for 11 years now. Unfortunately with a heavy heart me and my fiancee have decided not to go for the first time in 11 years because the line up is kinda the same as always 😂 I need some new bands. Love Sabaton tho, saw them live for the first time in 2007 😂
SLAAAYYEEERRR
Ive rented house by the lake and free buses came every half hour to bus people to the festival for free
Great to know thank you!
been to Graspop many times but have to say I prefer Alcatraz. way more chill
I gotta check out Alcatraz!
I've been going to graspop almost every year since 2003 almost never missing it. But this will be my first year I will purposely miss it. For me they are focussing too much on the "mainstream" these days. I've found that the other "big" Belgian metal festival Alcatraz is much more too my taste these days. Both in music and atmosphere
I still gotta check out Alcatraz festival but it looks great
@@wyattsmetal if you like the theme helfest has but are annoyed by the gigantic festival check it out its small and cool it also has a uniqe stage "la morgue ' where only belgiun bands play
it was my first metal festival, and it will be my last
Who here goes to hellfest and graspop the same year?
2022 i missed many Things. Organisation was Bad and many Things didnt work