Shaemless during a previous Popronde at Unitas. Photo Unitas. Text Coretta Jongeling
Politie Warnsveld may translate as ‘Warnsveld Police’ but they won’t be handing out fines or enforcing law and order — they prefer chaos. This ska-punk band from Nijmegen, who have previously performed at the major venues Doornroosje and Melkweg, will be at Unitas youth club as part of Popronde.
Popronde is like a touring circus crisscrossing the Netherlands from September to November, with performances in cafes, libraries and shops. The bands selected for each town are always a bit different but what they have in common is that they are not well known. Politie Warnsveld have been around for a while and performed at venues including Melkweg (in Amsterdam) and Doornroosje (in Nijmegen). The band plays poppy ska-punk with ‘super-hard tunes and awesome lyrics’, according to their bio.
Stage committee member Kaelen Koops is pleased the band will be playing at Unitas. ‘They sold out at Doornroosje, which is pretty good for a relatively unknown band.’ There will be three more acts performing at Unitas that evening. ‘Jackie and the Facts play upbeat, energetic dance punk and their singer is amazing. Then we have Inherited, a groove-metal band who have won all the Dutch Metal Battles, which got them a place at Wacken Open Air, Europe’s leading heavy metal festival.’ The final act is a live dance duo, M2K. And if you’re still wide awake then, a Unitas DJ will host an after-party until 4 am.
‘It’s a really diverse line-up, with something for everyone,’ says Koops. ‘We have female-fronted punk, heavy metal and ska, which we don’t often have these days, and a really loud group to finish.’
You can find the entire Popronde programme at popronde.nl. The music is free. ‘You can just wander in and out everywhere. The only restriction is you can’t go back in during a performance. It is always really packed so if you want to see a particular band, don’t be late!’
Popronde, Thursday 30 October from 19:30.
Free, at various venues in the town centre
Tips:
17 October – Wageningen beer festival (beer tasting) – Ceres Society
23 October – Dinner on the Rhine with The Meeting (dinner and live music) – Restaurant de Blaauwe Kamer
6 November – Room service (Student room festival) – Throughout the town
