Hans Verbeke

In the 80s, West Flanders unexpectedly becomes the epicenter of the European metal scene. In concert hall Maecke – Blyde in Poperinge, better known as the notorious ‘concrete bunker’, the fire of a musical revolution ignites at the end of the 70s. Here and nowhere else did the early metal scene set foot on land in Europe. What starts with a fax to the management of AC/DC grows into a swirling chapter in music history. Hard rock cafes shoot out of the ground like mushrooms, bikers make concert halls unsafe, and in village party halls, bands like Metallica and KISS play on stages propped up by beer crates. The very first Metal festival in Europe, Heavy Sound Festival, becomes a phenomenon – until a group of German fans digs up a skeleton in a local graveyard. Hans Verbeke, co-author of Heavy Sounds in the West (B&L), brings this wild past back to life. Expect photos, strong stories, and a dive into a time when West Flanders was briefly the beating heart of the Metal world.