Foo Fighting For Pukkelpop

Belgium’s Pukkelpop has enlisted Foo Fighters to help with its three-year battle for financial fitness, following the storm that wrecked last year’s festival.

It wasn’t possible to make an insurance claim to cover the cost of the tragic incident that uprooted trees, leveled two stages, killed five people and injured dozens more, because the disaster was classified as a “force majeure” unavoidable accident.

The organisers’ public liability insurance was so comprehensive it provided cover for any mistakes they themselves might make, but the Hasselt public prosecutor found that they didn’t make any and, therefore, there were no grounds for a claim.

It left the event with the problem of refunding 66,000 ticket-holders and settling with whatever bands and suppliers needed paying.

The ticket-holders are being offered food and drink vouchers for the next three editions of the festival as compensation.

Although the lineup was announced March 27, the festival still hasn’t released details regarding the ticket sale and prices.

Foo Fighters, and particularly frontman Dave Grohl, and Pukkelpop and go back a long way.

In 1995 the band played its first European concert at Pukkelpop, which was also the band’s first festival appearance.
Grohl had already been at the festival as Nirvana’s drummer in 1991. Three years ago, he played Pukkelopop as a member of Them Crooked Vultures.

The other acts helping Pukkelpop get back on its feet Aug. 16-18 include Björk, The Stone Roses, The Black Keys, The Gaslight Anthem, Wilco, Mark Lanegan, and Two Door Cinema Club.