The 17 favorite performances of LGW17, as chosen by you in our visitors survey

Friday Dec 22nd 2017
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Every year in our visitors survey right after the festival, we ask you what your favorite performance of the festival. Below are your 17 choices of Le Guess Who? 2017. We're pleased to also share the recordings of Protomartyr and Mary Margaret O'Hara's full performances - more recordings will be published in the new year. Keep an eye out on this site, or our Soundcloud for that. Happy holidays!

1. Mount Eerie

"But there he was, standing at the front of the massive church, guitar in hand. “Death is real/ Someone’s there and then they’re not/ And it’s not for singing about/ It’s not for making into art,” Elverum sang, his eyes clear, resting slowly on the floor, the ceiling, the guitar strings, an empty patch of air. Song after song, the man behind Mount Eerie put some sense of form to the absolute chaos and terror of loss, a feeling of logic that could fall apart at any moment just like his life had." - Consequence of Sound

2. Perfume Genius


"Strolling offstage while his band completed the outro to “Queen”, and with no encore following, Perfume Genius transcended from indie star to proper pop star with the simple act of leaving the crowd wanting more. A perfect sacramental moment, the crescendo this weekend needed, deserved, and got." - The Line of Best Fit

3. Protomartyr

Stream the band's full performance at the festival:

4. James Holden

Watch our video portrait, in collaboration with de Volkskrant:

"James Holden and The Animal Spirits... such a humble performer who brought a light and warmth to the stage. A great band performance that really showed the sophistication of the Ronda venue. I had no expectation of the show, even though I have listened to the album off and on. I was really impressed by the collaborative force of the show." - quote from our visitors survey 

5. Thurston Moore

Watch our video portrait of Han Bennink, featuring Thurston Moore (made in collaboration with de Volkskrant):

6. Pharoah Sanders

"Whether leading the crowd in a chant-along repetition of “The Power of God” or getting everyone going with a few low-bending dance moves — or even just nodding slowly from his chair — Sanders had the massive venue levitating into an ethereal connection with a higher power." - Consequence of Sound

7. John Maus

"The undisputed highlight for many, though, came in the form of master of the lo-fi synth sounds John Maus. After a lengthy set-up, he saunters on stage and immediately transforms into a world-class performer. Shaking, headbanding and whacking himself through his set of thought-provoking electro-pop. From the laid back Through The Skies For You to the upbeat Teenage Witch, it’s impossible to take your eyes off the stage and keep your body still." - Long Live Vinyl

8. Jenny Hval

Read our interview with Jenny Hval, on the 3 records she'd be on the hunt for at the largest record fair in the world, which took place during the festival. 

9. Tune-Yards

Read our interview with Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus, on the 3 records she'd be on the hunt for at the largest record fair in the world, which took place during the festival. 

10. Ben Frost

11. Aldous Harding

"Drawing mostly from her latest album, Party, Harding – sipping on a can of Red Bull throughout – delivers a flawless set while staring into the soul of anyone (us included) who dare look her in the eyes. It’s equal parts uncomfortable and exhilarating, and as her unique vocal washes over us, in the chilly yet magnificent hall, we feel at ease. Perfection." - The Skinny

12. Mary Margaret O'Hara

Stream Mary Margaret O'Hara's full performance at Le Guess Who? 2017:

"Another cult hero Mary Margaret O’Hara, played perhaps the set of the weekend in the Grote Zaal. (…) her stutters and squeals into the mic were interrupted with moments of soaring beauty. Accompanied by the free and loose playing of cellist Peggy Lee and multi-instrumentalist Aidan Closs, who flitted from drums to guitar to piano, O’Hara was also joined by her brother Marcus who seated behind her with a mic’d up a balloon. It was an utterly bizarre set." - The Independent

13. Sun Kil Moon

"It was one of the more talked about sets of the weekend, eliciting wonder and exhaustion from those who had been there in equal measure." - Stereogum

14. Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

Watch a session with the Bulgarian women's choir, recorded by VPRO Vrije Geluiden at Utrecht's Pandhof; the monastery garden of the iconic Dom church:

15. Metz

"The whole show was one big mosh pit with the most crowd surfing I’ve seen at Le Guess Who. It was impossible not to be drawn to the giant pit that encompassed the whole venue. After 60 minutes my legs were broken, my body was bruised and my shirt was drenched in sweat. My body is still recuperating, but holy fuck it was worth it." - Clocksound

16. Moon Duo

"Moon Duo’s brand of trance-inducing, scorched-earth psychedelia was a perfect match for a club gig bathed in lights and traditional psychedelic visuals." - Stereogum

17. Grouper

"Grouper’s blissful, personal take on ambient music is a perfect fit for the lofty walls of Domkerk on Thursday night, a cathedral in the centre of Utrecht. Accompanied by projections from Paul Clipson, it’s a spellbinding performance where old meets new, and the natural world meets urban life, as sound fills the space, reverberating over and into itself." - The 405

Photo credits:
Mount Eerie, Pharoah Sanders & Grouper: Tim van Veen
Perfume Genius, Protomartyr & Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares: Ben Houdijk
James Holden, Jenny Hval & Mary Margaret O'Hara: Sara Amroussi-Gilissen
Ben Frost, Aldous Harding & Moon Duo: Juri Hiensch
Thurston Moore Group, John Maus, Tune-Yards & Metz: Jelmer de Haas
Sun Kil Moon: Erik Luyten

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