As my remark on the current lack of noise scene, or noise live action in Belgium on the live reports thread has sparked somewhat of a discussion with local legends and foreign observers alike, maybe it is not misplaced to start a seperate topic. Even if the those involved have nothing more to add, this topic can still serve as a summary of some of the main points and perhaps even as a platform to improve the situation. Plus there are a few things I would like to comment on myself :)
Firstly it was noted by veteran artist and experienced organizer Dries that it is, and always has been difficult to organize noise live shows in Belgium.
Quote from: Dries on May 28, 2026, 10:53:53 AMIt is certainly quiet in Belgium regarding noise shows. There are no more noise shows in Belgium, and it has always been difficult to organize them. Over the years, I tried to do something in Kortrijk, which I managed to do (booking a fest for some years, booking great acts such as The Rita-with Gordon & Charlie M, BLJ, Pedestrian Deposit and so on), but that is over now too. For example, I wanted to organize Dead Door Unit. I asked five months in advance, but the two venues here in town that I worked with had full schedules or weren't interested.
He also noted that Belgium does have a good 'academic' (subsidised) sound art scene, regrettably this scene is quite seperated from the more 'underground', raw, diy noise scene:
Quote from: Dries on May 28, 2026, 10:53:53 AMboth go hand in hand and share the same foundation. Music Concrete, minimal, harsh, drone and so on starts all from the love of sound and in a way, it is silly that it gets divided/separate from each other
Duncan posits that maybe 'hyper genrefication' is to blame here. Maybe the broader bracket of 'experimental music' should be more united, as organizing shows and so on is already difficult enough on its own. In Flanders we say 'samen sterk'.
But I guess the question here is, what divides the underground and the academic scenes in the first place? Dries points to the academic approach's insistence on 'seriousness', even 'beauty' as opposed to the more 'relativized' underground ethos, perhaps a bit more tongue in cheek, serious but 'in its own way'. In the end I think there will always be a seperation between the two, as it isn't just about the sound but also about a difference in attitude and image, not to mention this attitude also influences the sound. Nonetheless there will always be valuable artists or organizers with a foot in both worlds, so to speak.
The Broadcast festival by the well-kown venue Ancienne Belgique was also mentioned, this kind of festival and line up inhibits a special inbetween, between underground, mainstream and academic, what I like to call alternative. I don't think this is super relevant for the discussion, as I don't think the target audience of these festivals is very receptive of harsher kinds of experimental music. I did attend last year because I recieved a free ticket, maybe I would've even gone to the Neubauten show this year, if it wasn't so damn overprized! Literally more than a festival day ticket, just to see Neubauten.
Anyway something I would also like to bring up: I feel like the 'underground' scene in Belgium is mainly dominated by metal. A problem I have with metalheads is that a great deal of them are not very adventurous with their music taste so to speak. Now I know this is a grave generalization, as many people on this forum (including myself!) are also very much into metal and I have also met 'metalheads' with whom I could talk about any kind of genre. However some months ago I saw a live show with a band called Prayer Position from the US as a support, I had never heard of this band but it was an amazing mixture of metal, punk and noise. I was just thinking this kind of crossover could never happen in Belgium as those three 'scenes' are way too seperated from eachother. It seems the situation is different in the US for example. I think if metalheads would show more interest in noise/experimental/industrial music, it would very much help put the latter on the map. Therefore it is great to see Absolute Key on the line up of Pankraker festival!
Anyway I could be completely missing the mark here.
I guess I'd also just like to ask a broad, somewhat pointless question, why is noise not so popular in Belgium, whereas its direct neighbours, chiefly Germany, The UK and The Netherlands have active noise scenes? It is just contingency? The small size of the country? Something imbedded in our culture?
Lastly let me sum up some events and organizers that were mentioned and are currently keeping noise (and sound art) in Belgium afloat:
- Kraak: https://kraak.net/
- Rites of Noise (Antwerp)
- Q-O2: academic sound art, experimental music: https://www.q-o2.be/
- Knotwilg festival: https://knotwilgrecords.be/
There is obviously more, but I can't really come up with everything, not to mention the occasional noise/industrial show in the usual underground venues, so feel free to complete the list further. Also note how these organisations are all based in Flanders or Brussels (which is geographical also situated in Flanders), what goes on in the post-industrial wasteland that is Wallonia? I'm occasionally seeing interesting things happen in the Charleroi venue Rockerill, not noise but more punk, but is there potential here? I would certainly be inspired to make noise if I grew up in a junkyard...
Anyhow, I am not only curious to what other Belgians might add to the discussion, but also outsider perspectives are very welcome! We can definitely learn from eachother.