In May 2001 the Vort’n Vis crew had to abandon the space at the Kiekenmarkt 7 that they had as their home-base since 1989. The headquartes were relocated to the Sint-Jacobsstraat 3). In 1999 & 2000 the annual fest had already moved to the ‘Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord’ (Municipal Acadamy for Music and Drama) located d’Hondstraat 59 (a walk of some 500 m from the Kiekenmarkt). In 2001 things were happening at the ‘Jeugdstadion’ (Youth Stadium) at the Leopold III laan 16 (on the outskirts of town). The event was announced as ‘2001: A Hardcore Odyssey’ or ‘Vort’n Vis HC Fest’. In my view, over the years it had grown out of proportion… The national press even gave attention to it…
Here’s what ‘De Standaard’ (one of the biggest Belgian newspapers) wrote about it: >>The well-known Hardcore-festival, an organisation of the not-for-profit association De Vort’n Vis, starts at 1 p.m. In that scene this the festival is known as the biggest underground hardcore-festival in Europe. The foreign interest is massive. The camping at the youth-stadium is completely crowded with tents, motors and hardcore-fans. No surprise because the hardcore-festival is happening in the immediate vicinity. In this way the organisers want to minimise noise in the city-centre. This afternoon the bands performing are Good Clean Fun, Caliban, Unconquered, E-150, Endstand, Severance & Retaliate. Tomorrow, saturday: Children of Fall, Circle, Liar, Man vs Humanity, Juliette & Reproach op. Sunday (a.o.) Maximum Penalty, Leiah, Manifesto Jukebox, Concrete, Bloodsport & Kingpin. The festival-site measures 2.700 square metres and has 2 tents for food and beverages. A ticket for a day costs 600 Belgian franks, for the weekend 1.200 Belgian franks.<<
The poster lists the following bands… Some bands cancelled, others were added or switched…
2001-08-17: Good Clean Fun (USA), Caliban (Ger), Unconquered (USA), E-150 (Spa), Children of Fall (Swe), Endstand (Fin), Course Of Action (Bel), The Deal (Bel), Deadbolt (Nl), Severance (Bel), From The Dying Sky (Ita), Retaliate (Bel)
2001-08-18: Catharsis (US), Liar (Bel), Circle (Bel), Stack (Ger), New End Original (USA), Man vs Humanity (Ger); Venerea (Swe), Posession (Spa), The Oath (Nl+USA), Comrades (Ita), Juliette (Pol), Reproach (Bel)
2001-08-19: Maximum Penalty (USA), Facedown (Bel), Leiah (Swe), PN (Bel), Manifesto Jukebox (Fin); Burden (Can), Reliance (Bel), Concrete (Ita), Die My Demon (Bel), Newborn (Hun), Kingpin (Bel)
‘Man vs Humanity’ didn’t play because they called it a day a few days before they were supposed to perform… Also ‘Comrades’ didn’t come.
In the Vort’n Vis guestbook there’s contributions of Brian ‘Catharsis’, ‘Empathy’ (Bel; not on the poster), Gold Standard Laboratories (San Diego, California; ‘The Locust’s label), New Winds (Por), ‘Newborn’ (Hun), PN (Bel), ‘Stack’ (Ger), ‘Striker’ (Bel; played unanncounced), ‘The Locust’ (USA), ‘The Oath’ (Nl+USA), ‘Reliance’ (Bel), ‘Caliban’ (Ger), ‘E-150’ (Spa), ‘Endstand’ (Fin), ‘Good Clean Fun’ (USA), ‘Retaliate’ (Bel), ‘Severance’ (Bel), ‘Unconquered’ (USA), ‘Firestone’ (Bel; played unanncounced), ‘Circle’ (Bel), ‘Cornflames’ (Bel), ‘Liar’ (Bel), ‘Reproach’ (Bel), ‘Bloodsport’ (Nl), ‘Concrete’ (Ita), ‘Kingpin’ (Bel), ‘Leiah’ (Swe), ‘Manifesto Jukebox’ (Fin)
There’s also a video of ‘Length Of Time’ at this fest online…
More on the actual concerts will follow…
We never played the Ieperfest after the 90s. Our van broke down in 2000 touring with ‘Abstain’ [2000-07-16], that was the last time we were supposed to play the V.V. We were on the bill but we didn’t go. I don’t remember what happened exactly.
Paolo Petralia, ‘Comrades’ vocalist
The ‘98 fest was the first time I visited. I thought my band ‘Blue Water Boy’ [vegan straight-edge band from Switzerland] played in 2001 but I checked with our drummer and it was (a bit) after that…
Chrisitan Unsinn
I attended the 2001 HC fest in Ieper. ‘The Locust’ and ‘Catharsis’ where headliners. There was a water-balloon riot during the ‘Catharsis’ show.
Lars Berndt Jensen, ‘Jaded’
Vort'n Vis in the 90s 