Werchter’s European Benchmark

Having won three categories at this year’s Virtual European Festival Awards, it’s hard to see what Live Nation Belgium’s Rock Werchter needs to do to prove it’s a blueprint for how to run a summer outdoor.

One of the three awards it took was for best lineup, and it must be in the hunt for the same gong in 2010. It just announced a bill that includes Green Day, Pearl Jam, Faithless, Rammstein, Muse, Pink, Them Crooked Vultures, The Gaslight Anthem, Jack Johnson, Florence & The Machine, Alice In Chains and 30 Seconds To Mars among the 50-plus acts stretching over four days.

Apart from taking the “best promoter” award himself, festival chief Herman Schueremans also saw Werchter voted the artists’ favourite festival.

“If you treat them like stars, they may play like stars. If you treat them like shit, there’s only one way they’re going to play,” he told Pollstar.

At the Virtual European Festival Awards bash Jan. 13 in Groningen, The Netherlands, he said he hoped the artists didn’t vote for him because he’s paying them too much.

“Setting up Rock Werchter every year is a challenge. We’ll continue to try to give a lot of value including a quality programme, a well-organised event and all at a reasonable price,” Schueremans said regarding the 2010 awards.

The other acts at Rock Werchter July 1-4 include Rise Against, The Ting Tings, Editors, Skunk Anansie, Black Box Revelation and Phoenix.