Skrillex Launches Belsonic

Wednesday 15th August saw the first night of the 10 day musical extravaganza that is Belsonic and we at PastieBap were very excited to be seeing Skrillex for the third time.

Arriving at 6.30pm, the time that Dillon Francis started, we thought that we’d miss most of the queues, and that Custom House Square would be full to bursting with dub-step fans. Yet, as we walked towards the Square, the queue was around the block – people of all ages snaked their way around the Albert Clock, swigging on vodka and goldschläger (my personal drink of choice, but since when did drinking cinnamon schnapps become cool?). Perhaps a result of the on and off torrential rain throughout the day, which undoubtedly would have delayed a few people’s plans.

After a brief frisk search we were allowed into Custom House Square and were confronted with Belsonic’s trademark domed stage, which would later make a striking silhouette as the sun set. On-site facilities included a bar, which sold Absolut cocktails alongside the usual suspects, a sweetie van, and a fancy philly cheesesteak slash chippy van. Not bad, Belsonic, not bad at all.

Around 7pm the Square was about a quarter full - with the hard-core fans pushed all the way up to the front, and the more laid-back music-lovers strewn around the middle. The resulting view from the back was merely a sea of arms as Dillon Francis got the crowd onside.

Next up was Kill The Noise, who kept the crowd going until Knife Party got underway. Then, just as the dusk set in, a timer counted down and at around 9.30pm the skies darkened, the lights went up and Skrillex came at us with everything he’s got.  If you thought that Knife Party was well received, that was nothing compared to the reception that Sonny Moore and his space ship-esque stage got. You could feel the bass in your toes as Skrillex played his hour and a half long set, complete with lasers, smoke and even some fire. On more than one occasion, the heavens opened, but everyone was either to absorbed in the music, or simply too drunk to care. In the end the rain just added to the drama of the music and it certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.

For such a tiny human-being, Skrillex dominated the massive Belsonic stage with ease, however he did have a little help from two screens on either side of the stage, which displayed an array of images from videos for the songs to lyrics, and even at one point an Irish flag (suffice to say, a near riot ensued, with the crowd boo-ing heavily until the image was removed from the screen). Rookie mistake when you’re in Northern Ireland Skrilly.

There was something for everyone, and highlights were Bangarang, Ruffneck and even a few old favourites: Rock 'n' Roll and my Name Is Skrillex. It was also nice to hear a few nods to Dub's Jamaican roots with a few reggae tunes mixed in.

As a 19-year old, I felt either extremely old or extremely young to be at this concert, with the typical clientele seeming to be either 15 – 17 or 25 – 30, but saying this everyone who attended got into the festival atmosphere and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Skrillex gave it stacks and with a cigarette in hand, he certainly opened this years Belsonic with a bang. We look forward to seeing what the rest of Belsonic will bring. 

The line-up looks a little like this:

By Laura Caldwell