The fifteenth Booch! festival in the city of Heerlen will again have an adventurous and international line-up. Saturday August 11th and Sunday August 12th you can enjoy a variety of popmusic styles, dubstep next to hardcore, indie next to world music. Acts are flying in from Sweden and the United States or on raft from Rotterdam and by foot from Heerlen.

The freely accessible Booch! festival in Heerlen certainly has an international line-up in 2012. Acts are coming from Sweden (rock-hit Royal Republic), the United States (indie hipsters Oberhofer from New York), France (Balkan party La Caravane Passe) and several acts from the UK (a.o. dubstep-dj Swindle, hardcore band Your Demise and indie-dance by Middleman) and Belgium (the beautiful SX and funky keyboardmastermind Pomrad).

The students in Heerlen chose Yellow Claw as one of their favorite acts to play Booch! This Dutch act has a huge Youtube hit with the song Krokobil (ft. Mr. Polska), almost two million views in one month since its release. Yellow Claw’s sound can best be described as an uppercut of House, Electro, Hiphop and Dubstep. Rotterdam Wave-act Rats On Rafts and pop fivesome Only Seven Left  have received airplay on national radio as 3FM Serious Talents and are also on the festival line-up.

The festival focus for this year is also on the own region of South-Limburg with lots of talented acts developing and gaining fame through competitions. Mary Shade (finalist Nu Of Nooit), Småland (finalist Kunstbende and Popsport) and Stone Magnet (winner Exit Live prijs) will play shows. The line-up is still under development and new names will be announced the coming days.

The first fourteen names on Booch! 2012 are:
Saturday August 11th: Yellow Claw (Golden tip “Boochschappenlijst”, NL), Swindle ft. G Double (UK), Middleman (UK), Pomrad (BE), Mary Shade (NL), Småland (NL)
Sunday August 12th: Royal Republic (SWE), Oberhofer (USA), Your Demise (UK), La Caravane Passe (FR), Only Seven Left (NL), SX(BE), Rats On Rafts (NL), Stone Magnet (NL)

Pre-listen on Spotify:

Royal Republic – Tommy-Gun

Oberhofer – Away Frm U

SX – Black Video

Yellow Claw – Krokobil

Booch! will take on in 2011 on two stages at the Pancratiusplein Zuid in Heerlen. The festivals’ mission is to turn the positive energy of Heerlen’ youth into future music with an exclamation mark.

On Friday 12 August, Parkstad Limburg Theatres, ParkCity Live, NIEUWE NOR and the restaurants from the Pancratiusplein area will present an additional festival day with a concert exclusive to Limburg by ex-Krezip singer, Jacqueline Govaert.

Sebastian Sturm rocked last years rain-beleaguered edition. This year sees the reggae artists’ return to open on Saturday 13 August on the main stage. This evening will be ruled entirely by dance-worth electronic music. In addition to British acts The Kleptones (mash-up), Jazzsteppa (dubstep with jazz influences) and Dutch electro-act Palmbomen, the tropical dance crew Bomb Diggy Crew and The BeatBastardz will provide dance beats from 20:00 onwards.

Destine is set to draw the crowds on Sunday. The Netherlands also has something to offer in the super-young afro-beat Jungle By Night. Pete Philly has been pegged to close this Heerlen-based pop festival. The former front man on Pete Philly & Perquisite will let Heerlen be the first to take a sneaky peak at his newest creation, his debut album ‘One’. An official European first for the Booch! festival .

Admission is free for the entire weekend.