In two weeks Rob Kemps, aka Snollebollekes, will be organizing his own Total Loss festival for the second time. Kemps will receive more than 150 colleagues on seven different stages on September 9 and 10. “Here comes the mainstage, that’s where I’ll be most of the time.” It is still completely empty, only the Kemps dressing room is ready on the Aquabest site. “That’s where it goes too.”
For Rob Kemps it is a home game. “I literally live three blocks behind here and I used to always have my children’s parties here. This place is nostalgic.” The idea for his own festival arose during his first concert in the Gelredome. “There we noticed that our act is perfect for a mass audience. Only on such an evening do we have to cram it into three hours. How nice is a festival together with other party artists.”
At the Total Loss festival site, we presented the festival director, singer and presenter with a number of dilemmas.
Total Loss festival or Gelredome concerts?
“Of course I now choose the festival. But this is choosing between your father and your mother or between a leg or an arm off. Of course I now choose the festival, that’s why we are here. I do not rule out that if you come in March I ask this question again and choose the Gelredome.”
Festival visitor or artist at a festival?
“Really an artist. I like visiting a festival, but I am someone who stands in the same spot at the bar all evening in the smallest mirror tent. I am not the best festival visitor, nor the best artist. But I am a better artist than visitor.”
Party music or a French chanson?
“I find that such a difficult one… I listen to a French chanson every day, party music every week. Yes, no, uhm… In the end, maybe party music. Let me put it this way, because I have to be able to talk straight to myself: I listened to André van Duin, Corry Konings and Arie Ribbens as a child, not to forget. Then I choose party music.”
Festival director, singer or presenter?
“Singer, I would say. But I prefer to call it artist, party artist. That remains the best thing to do. Whether you are standing in front of 40 people on a terrace or for 30,000 at a festival: if everyone participates and you immediately get a reaction, that’s the best thing there is. If you make a program, maybe a million people watch it, but then you only get a reaction afterwards.”
And festival director? “Oh, I’ll do that on the side. That’s a side job. I’m involved with the artists and stages. But I outsource the routing, security and toilet groups.”
Non stop vol d’r op or ‘Sorry for the inconvenience’?
“Sorry for the inconvenience, because I come from Best and I don’t want to have any bullshit. It will of course be fast here later, but we will stick to the limits. We are not like Rammstein, that we have a permit for more.”
Beer or a coke?
“Beer! Festival technically I think it’s nice to drink a beer. I’m not saying you can’t walk a polonaise with a cola, but it’s more difficult. Nice in the sun, beer with it. It improves the atmosphere as long as we take it inside keep the limits.”
Brabant or Gelderland?
“Brabant of course. That’s an easy one. I’m from Best, I’m from here. It would be strange if I chose Gelderland, even though my biggest concerts are there. If I had to choose between the Gelredome or the Philips Stadium I would choose the Gelredome.”
View the first edition of the Total Loss festival here