The Azkena Rock Festival (a.k.a. ARF) is one of the most relevant Spanish rock festivals. It is celebrated in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Álava) organized by Last Tour International. ARF is notorious due to its diverse cartel of groups and for the submerse 'chill' environment of the festival. It is aimed to underground public, escaping commercial mainstream agenda.
In 2006, the festival sold over 44,000 tickets, the most in its history, due to the presence of Pearl Jam. Some other bands included Iggy & The Stooges, Wilco, Alice Cooper, Social Distortion, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Ray Davies, Bad Religion, Sex Pistols, Deep Purple, The Black Crowes, Hanoi Rocks, Fun Lovin Criminals, Kiss, Slash, Imelda May or Bad Brains. In 2011 the festival celebrated the 10th anniversary with the "rocker" topic: Las Vegas.
Editions
2002 edition
The inaugural festival was celebrated in the Azkena Gasteiz and was organized by Muskerra (an organization of the Basque Country). The duration was of three days:12–14 September 2002.
| September 12 | September 13 | September 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Backyard Babies | Supersuckers | Mudhoney |
| The Revolvers | The Bellrays | Five Horse Johnson |
| Sex Museum | Racing Slabs | Diamond Dogs |
| Federation X | Bonzos |
2003 edition
The second edition of the festival was the big jump it needed to become as good as it was planned to be. Three new things made the festival a great rock place where people could enjoy very different things always with this rock music. The first one was that took plaze in Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz. The best point of that year was that there were two different stages and all the concerts took place one after other with little gap between performances. The Stooges were chosen as the headline act that year. In total 12,000 fans attended to the little city of Vitoria so they could enjoy the Azkena Rock Festival. This made money and they used that for the next editions.
| September 12 | September 13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| Fireballs Of Freedom | The Dictators | ||
| Iggy & The Stooges | Ray Davies | ||
| Cracker | The Hellacopters | ||
| The Cramps | Steve Earle & The Dukes | ||
| The Jayhawks | Teenage Fanclub | ||
| Ben Vaughn | Hermano | ||
| Jason Ringenberg & The Nashville Allstars | The Jeevas | ||
| La Secta | Cherry Valence | ||
| Zein? | Jet Lag | ||
| Paniks | Petti & Etxeko Utza | ||
2004 edition
This was the most accidented[ check spelling] edition in the history of the festival. Some names were known in May 2004 that were: Urge Overkill, Redd Kross, The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, Turbonegro, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Josh Rouse Band, Hoodoo Gurus. In the most important or the heads was the group from NY, DKT/MC which were the heads of the first edition in Spain. In late June it was confirmed the rest groups which were: Velvet Revolver, [1] Bide Ertzean, Five Horse Johnson, Jonny Kaplan & The Lazy Stars, Mark Lanegan Band, Matthew Sweet, The Mooney Suzuki which finally did not attend.
On 12 July it was said on the radio that the New York Dolls were coming and this made the festival even more attractive. This was confirmed in the news and newspapers. The festival took place over four days rather than the previous two. The first day was 9 September, with performances by the New York Dolls, Five Horse Johnson and Urge Overkill.
| September 9 | September 10 | September 11 | September 12 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpa Mondosonoro | Stage San Miguel | Stage Azkena | Stage San Miguel | Stage Azkena | Carpa Mondosonoro |
| New York Dolls | Radio Birdman | Turbonegro | Roger McGuinn | ||
| Five Horse Johnson | DKT/MC5 | Flamin' Groovies | Mike Farris | ||
| Urge Overkill | Ryan Adams | Violent Femmes | Walter Salas Humara | ||
| Fun Lovin' Criminals | Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies | ||||
| Mark Lanegan | The Wildhearts | ||||
| Urge Overkill | Matthew Sweet | ||||
| Josh Rouse | Obligaciones | ||||
| Mother Superior | Backyard Babies | ||||
| Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart | The Silos | ||||
| Bide Ertzean | Jonny Kaplan & The Lazy Stars | ||||
| Kuraia | |||||
2005 edition
| September 1 | September 2 | September 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena | Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena | Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena |
| Wilco | The Dwarves | Monster Magnet | |||
| The Steepwater Band | Deep Purple | Queens of the Stone Age | |||
| Los Deltonos | Social Distortion | The Pogues | |||
| The Soulbreaker Company | Wilco | Bad Religion | |||
| Gov't Mule | Television | ||||
| Drive-By Truckers | Beasts of Bourbon | ||||
| Masters of Reality | Juliette & The Licks | ||||
| Rose Hill Drive | Electric Six | ||||
| Towers of London | Brant Bjork & The Bros | ||||
| Split 77 | Hash | ||||
2006 edition
| August 31 | September 1 | September 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena | Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena | Stage Heineken | Stage Azkena |
| The Misfits | New York Dolls | Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator | |||
| Iggy & The Stooges | Buckcherry | Pearl Jam | |||
| Green On Red | Redd Kross | My Morning Jacket | |||
| The Waterboys | Big Star | Wolfmother | |||
| Young Fresh Fellows | Eagles of Death Metal | Supagroup | |||
| Guarro | Gang of Four | The Nomads | |||
| Sharon Stoner | The Bottle Rockets | Kim Salmon & The Surrealists | |||
| Marah | Berri Txarrak | ||||
| Uzzhuaia | Kriston | ||||
2007 edition
| August 31 | September 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| StageHeineken | Carpa Rock Heineken | Stage Heineken | Carpa Rock Heineken |
| Heavy Trash | The Answer | ||
| Tool | DKT/MC5 | ||
| Diamond Dogs & The Silver Cats Horns | Hoodoo Gurus | ||
| Roky Erickson & The Explosives | The Mooney Suzuki | ||
| Giant Sand | The Cynics | ||
| Brant Bjork & The Bross | Quique González y la Aristocracia del Barrio | ||
| Two Gallants | Super 400 | ||
| Josele Santiago | Clawfinger | ||
| Los Coronas | Sexty Sexers | ||
| Las Furias | Hoey & The Mussels | ||
This year was considered to be a transition year because of the many rumors of the abolishment of the festival. But finally 40,000 people attended over the three days duration. It was not until summer that it was decided that the headline act was Tool. It was not as successful as it was supposed it was going to be.
2008 edition
This year was again rumored that the Azkena was lost because the bad organization of the festival and also because of the constant changes they made with the choices. But this year the Ayuntamiento of Vitoria-Gastiz made an effort and paid €500,000 so it would last three days. The first groups were known before the local government had given approval to do the Azkena for these days. The headliner was Dinosaur Jr. and that was the reason why many people attended this year.
| September 4 | September 5 | September 6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| The Lemonheads | The Quireboys | The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion | |||
| Marky Ramone | Blind Melon | Los Lobos | |||
| The BossHoss | Sex Pistols | Dinosaur Jr. | |||
| Radio Moscow | Ray Davies | The Jayhawks | |||
| Hayseed Dixie | Danko Jones | The Gutter Twins | |||
| Yawning Man | The Sonics | Duff McKagan's Loaded | |||
| Lagartija Nick | Blue Cheer | Orange Goblin | |||
| Hanoi Rocks | John Cale & Band | ||||
| Truly | Sex Museum | ||||
| Animal Alpha | Baby Woodrose | ||||
| Sorkun | The Royal Cream | ||||
| Viaje a 800 | Las Culebras | ||||
2009 edition
In 2009 the Azkena Rock again gaining strength with one of his best posters in years thanks to the introduction of big-name legends like The Black Crowes or Alice Cooper. The performance of the band of brothers Robinson was one of the most anticipated and did not disappoint, giving a real lesson in excellence. Electric Eel Shock were perhaps the only band that could have followed such a show and close the main stage in outstanding fashion. Alice Cooper's concert was full of old tricks and classic, leaving a big smile on her fans old and new.
| May 14 | May 15 | May 16 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| Hardcore Superstar | Electric Eel Shock | The Toy Dolls | |||
| Juliette & The New Romantics | The Zombies | TSOOL | |||
| The Breeders | The Black Crowes | Alice Cooper | |||
| The Freaks | Soul Asylum | Fun Lovin Criminals | |||
| White Denim | El Paperboy Reed | Mike Farris & TRRR | |||
| Burning | Bad Brains | Molly Hatchet | |||
| The Inspector Cluzo | Dr Dog | Woven Hand | |||
| Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents | The Fabulous Thunderbirds | The New Christs | |||
| Howlin Rain | Jonny Kaplan and The Lazy Stars | ||||
| Elliot Blood | Dan Auerbach | ||||
| Jon Ulecia & Cantina Bizarro | Reverend Parker | ||||
2010 edition
| June 24 | June 25 | June 26 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 'Alex Chilton' | Stage 'Doug Fieger' | Stage 'Alex Chilton' | Stage 'Doug Fieger' | Stage 'Alex Chilton' | Stage 'Doug Fieger' |
| The Black Lips | Kiss | Imperial State Electric | Bad Religion | Toilet Boys | |
| Airbourne | Slash featuring Myles Kennedy | The Damned | The Hives | NRQB | |
| Gov't Mule | Imelda May | Teddy Thompson | Chris Isaak | The Cubical | |
| The Hold Steady | Dan Baird & Homemade Sin | El Vez | Bob Dylan | Maggot Brain | |
| Kitty, Daisy & Lewis | The Hot Dogs | Robert Gordon & The Gang They Couldn't Hang | Audience | ||
| The Jim Jones Revue | '77 | The Russian Roulettes | |||
| The Legendary Shack Shackers | |||||
| Baskery | |||||
| Bronze | |||||
2011 edition
| June 23 | June 24 | June 25 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Burke Stage | Solomon Burke Stage | Ben Keith Stage | Monster Stage | Solomon Burke Stage | Ben Keith Stage | Monster Stage |
| Ozzy Osbourne | Queens of the Stone Age | Clutch | This Drama | Danzig | Bright Eyes | Arizona Baby |
| Kyuss Lives! | Primus | Bad Brains | Rival Sons | Paul Weller | Band of Horses | The Whybirds |
| Rob Zombie | Cheap Trick | Atom Rhumba | Dirty York | Brian Setzer' Rockabilly Riot | New Bomb Turks | The Knocknouts |
| The Cult | Reverendo Horton Heat | Blue Rodeo | Gregg Allman | |||
| Black Country Communion | The Riff Truckers | The Aves Brothers | ||||
| EELS | Juke Box Racket | |||||
| Bizardunak | ||||||
2012 edition
| June 14 | June 15 | June 16 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levon Helm Stage | Robin Gibb Stage | Levon Helm Stage | Adam Yauch Stage | Robin Gibb Stage | Levon Helm Stage | Adam Yauch Stage | Robin Gibb Stage |
| Dropkick Muphys | Steel Panther | Ozzy Osbourne & Friends | Danko Jones | Drick Brave & The Blackbeats | The Darkness | Brian Jonestown Massacre | Triggerfinger |
| Pentagram | Graveyard | The Mars Volta | Black Label Society | Luger | My Morning Jacket | Hank 3 | Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires |
| Status Quo | Porco Bravo | Rich Robinson Band | Gun | Gallows | Lynyrd Skynyrd | M. Ward | The Union |
| Twisted Sister | Israel Nash Gripka | Lisabö | Willis Drumoond | The Screaming Tribesmen | Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls | North Mississippi Alistars Duo | Ben Kweller |
| Blue Öyster Cult | Maha's Miracle Tonic | The Amazing | Lee Fields & The Expressions | ||||
| Si Craunston | Pontus Snibb 3 | Sallie Ford & The Sounds Outside | |||||
2013 edition
| June 28 | June 29 |
|---|---|
|
The Black Crowes
Alberta Cross The Sheepdogs Horisont The Socks Quaoar |
The Gaslight Anthem
Rocket from the Crypt Walking Papers JJ Grey & Mofro Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Troubled Horse |
2014 edition
| Concerts | |
| June 20 | June 21 |
|---|---|
|
Scorpions
Seasick Steve Unida Turbowolf Marah Hudson Taylor Monster Truck Bombus 13 Left to Die Attikus Finch Bourbon The Midnight Travellers Vucaque |
Blondie
Deap Vally Kadavar Royal Thunder The Temperance Movement Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado Niño y Pistola Arenna Bluenaticos |
2015 edition
| Concerts | |
| June 19 | June 20 |
|---|---|
|
ZZ Top
Television performing Marquee Moon D-Generation Black Mountain The Dubrovniks JD McPherson The Last Internationale Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires Nico Duportal and His Rhytim Dudes Sven Hammond Mad Martin Trio Highlights |
Mastodon
Cracker Reigning Sound John Paul Keith Powersolo The Outside Hours Black Horde |
2016 edition
| June 17 | June 18 |
|---|---|
|
Danzig
Gutterdämmerung feat. Henry Rollins Jared James Nichols Luke Winslow-King The London Souls The Sex Organs Los Brazos The Flying Scarecrow |
The Who
Radio Birdman The Scientist Marky Ramone's blitzkrieg 40 years of punk The Vintage Caravan Raveneye Cobra The Milkyway Express Sumisión City Blues |
2017 edition
| Concerts | |
| June 23 | June 24 |
|---|---|
|
John Fogerty
Graveyard Hellsingland Underground The Meteors The Shelters Tygers of the Pang Tang The Godfathers Crank County Daredevils The Soulbreaker Company Fetixe Los Mambo Jambo King Automatic The Cyborgs Vurro Shakin' Brothers Reyes Torío Billie & the Kids |
Chris Isaak
Union Carbide Productions Thunder Bloodlights Inglorious Psycotica Pat Capocci Buck & Evans SCR Wyoming & Los Insolventes Bob Log III Pelo Mono The Devils Lost Angeles Bob Cosby |
| Trashville | |
| June 23 | June 24 |
| King Automatic
The Cyborgs Vurro Shakin' Brothers Reyes Torío Documental Rocknrollers Lucha Extrema. Sin Indulto y Sin Empate Dj Mr.Howard The Old Fox & The Hen The Bears |
Bob Log III
Pelo Mono The Devils Lost Angeles DJs Bob Cosby DJs Proyección documental Rocknrollers Lucha Extrema Sin Indulto y Sin Empate Pat Briggs (Psychotica) DJs |
References
- ^ Velvet Revolver, finalmente, no actuaron. Cf. crónica de Rockdelux.
- ^ a b c d "Alice Cooper". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
