{"id":32777,"date":"2025-06-08T15:18:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T13:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/?p=32777"},"modified":"2025-06-08T15:35:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T13:35:28","slug":"festival-report-stardumb-25-day-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/08\/festival-report-stardumb-25-day-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Festival report || Stardumb 25 (Day 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nHas it really been 25 years of Stardumb Records? What a run this label has had since its start in 2000! While several legendary Rotterdam venues that staged Stardumb shows (Waterfront! De Vlerk!) have long since disappeared, the label stuck around and became a constant presence\u2014or should I say lifeline\u2014in the pop punk scene. Cherished not just in Rotterdam but beloved globally, Stardumb’s reputation rivals Lookout! Records. They never had their Green Day moment, but they proved durable, run with heart and integrity by head honcho Stefan Tijs. In recent years he’s expanded the sonic landscape of the roster without straying too far from the blueprint. Dare I say the label has released some of its finest material in the past five years?<\/p>\n

To mark the occasion, the label set up a celebratory festival featuring many of the fine bands and artists who’ve released music on Stardumb over the years. I immediately bought a ticket upon announcement\u2014partly for nostalgic reasons (remember how much fun those Stardumb Rumbles of the ’00s were?), but also because the lineup was stellar, including old favorites, reunion shows, and contemporary acts I’m a huge fan of but haven’t seen live yet (The Speedways! Local Drags!).<\/p>\n

This past Friday and Saturday I attended the sold-out festival, and honestly, I had a blast\u2014and I wasn’t the only one. With ticket buyers from 15 countries, Kepi called it a “Rock’n’roll Summit,” which is exactly what it turned out to be. This festival reminded me how much fun it is to experience catchy rock’n’roll in a sold-out venue with likeminded souls, how the energy between band and audience can build off each other. Loads of smiles and singalongs at this fest! Here are my thoughts and experiences from the weekend.<\/p>\n


\nDay 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong>Always feels good to be back in Rotterdam! Met up with my non-blogging brother Jan, got our wristbands, and picked up a cool guidebook with info, timetable, and artwork from Ox and Merel of Lone Wolf. We are right on time to see Sonic Dolls<\/strong> (one of the first German punk rock bands Stefan Stardumb fell for) open the festival on the main stage in Rotown\u2014like Stardumb itself, a constant presence in Rotterdam’s underground music scene.<\/p>\n

Introduced swiftly by Jerry Hormone after a slightly confusing audio sample from the band (I later learned it was an A.I. generated podcast-ish discussion concerning the band’s lyrics), Sonic Dolls delivered a fast old-school pop punk fest. For a band playing only occasionally, this was a fun start. Not the youngest act (probably the oldest), but their energy level was impressive. They tried to cram 30 years of being a band into one set, aided by their tight and impatient drummer whose “1,2,3,4’s” showed zero patience for pausing. They set the fest off on the right foot.<\/p>\n