Veruca Salt • Pukkelpop Festival 

Brussels, Belgium – August 1997

It was the summer of distortion and defiance. In a muddy Belgian field under a cloud-streaked sky, Veruca Salt took the stage at Pukkelpop Festival, and for a brief, blinding moment, time stood still.

At the height of the ‘90s alt-rock explosion, Louise Post and Nina Gordon stood shoulder to shoulder — guitars slung low, harmonies razor-sharp, eyes locked on the crowd with a mix of fire and fearlessness. This wasn’t just a performance. It was a declaration.

With hits like “Seether,” “Volcano Girls,” and “Shutterbug” pounding through the amps, Veruca Salt brought everything that made them essential: crunching guitar riffs, melodic chaos, and a rare chemistry that danced somewhere between rage and beauty. Louise’s gritty growl and Nina’s silvery sweetness collided and complemented in a way that felt both volatile and intimate — a sonic tug-of-war that became their signature.

Pukkelpop ’97 caught the band in their prime — loud, unapologetic, and entirely unfiltered. No auto-tune. No polish. Just sweat, static, and songs that dug deep into the hearts of a generation trying to make sense of angst, love, and the space in between.

This wasn’t just a moment for Veruca Salt — it was our moment too. A reminder that women could roar just as loud, shred just as hard, and own the stage without asking for permission.

Veruca Salt didn’t play the ‘90s — they helped define them.
And for everyone who was there that night in Belgium… it wasn’t just a concert. It was a battle cry in stereo.