If the poster says “(Live)” after your name, you’re actually 1-0 down. Pinkpop has a strained relationship with Business Out of the Box anyway. They are usually planned after the main work, so that guitar enthusiasts can already shelter towards the house or at camp. But the “tropical house” itself has to work at these temperatures. And the program brochure promises the necessary surprises, so who knows, the lost frequencies may deserve their prominent place in the tent …

This Belgian export product is close to the top 100 streaming artists, with hits like Are You With Me, fast on its way to a billion streams. Since then, Lost Frequencies has recorded five Top 10 hits in the Netherlands, most recently Where Are You Now with Calum Scott. 28-year-old Felix de Lat usually works with a tried-and-tested combination: take a fanatical singer-songwriter, utter some near-life wisdom, and put a cool beat under it. He’s a regular playlist on most dead radio stations, although his songs are so generic that you won’t even notice them when you come over.

De Laet is the loft room type in a very colorful blouse with a keyboard (yes, keytar) for a lively feel. If you’re lucky, you’ll occasionally see that he plays with one finger. For the sake of format, bring in a drummer and singer, even though almost everything is on tape: music recognition software Shazam only broadcasts titles during its “live” show – if it’s really live, it never works. De Laet limited himself to practicing his one-day public engagement cycle: “Let’s do this to the people.” For a native of Brussels, it is at least remarkable that he does not try a word Dutch.

We just got the cliched bingo card. Check “make some noise”. ‘Hands up high’? Check. Confetti wisps? Check. sat down? Check. Flamethrowers? Check. Pure effect aims at the greatest common denominator. The really vulgar guy does everything in his power to distract from the “music”.

the moment
You feel the blessing when it finally stops. The Musical Poison Cup is completely empty, as the last song is Sun Is Shining with memorable lyrics “Glory Glory, Hallelujah”. Oh my gosh, the missing frequencies really take a shot at their lowest point in Pinkpop’s 51-year history. Yes, he’s so glad he can play “(live)” again after three years, but with an act like that, the pandemic isn’t so bad after all.