After a weekend of going all out at Defqon.1, your body’s done, your voice is gone, and your soul craves hangover food or a good conversation about it. Luckily, this week’s PLAFONDDIENST episode drops right on time: Maickel and Jayley from Maickels Broodjes join on the bench. They talk about becoming the center of attention in the artist lounge, making their stage debut on Dynamite, and of course: why everyone’s a fan of their sandwiches.
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Anyone who visited the artist lounge at Intents Festival knew one thing for sure: the barbecue smelled great, but the line at Maickels Broodjes was longer. “We were supposed to open at 3 PM,” Maickel says. “But so many people were already waiting that we opened an hour early.” A food truck as the main attraction backstage, not exactly standard, unless you’re Maickels Broodjes.
What started as a way to feed hungry artists behind the scenes has grown into a true phenomenon. And that’s no coincidence. Maickel is a longtime fan of the harder styles. “I started going to parties in 2013, always right at the front of the stage. And now those same artists are lining up at my truck.” Jayley knows the feeling: “I started listening to Angerfist when I was 12, and when I finally turned 18 in 2015, it was on. I still go hard at the uptempo sets and now those guys are coming to us. Last year, Major Conspiracy came by and said, ‘We’re big fans of your sandwiches.’ And I told them, ‘Guys, I’m a fan of YOU.’”
These days, they have a touring schedule that many artists would envy. On Instagram, they literally post it like they’re on a summer tour and honestly, they kind of are. They once dreamed of performing at festivals. And now, in a roundabout way, they’re living that dream, not with decks, but with sandwiches. Their love for music runs deep, even during work. “We wear earplugs all day,” Maickel says. “But then you hear a kick blast through the stage, and we just have to take them out and soak it in. Then I usually have to ask again what the customer actually ordered.”
Maickels Broodjes LIVE on the Dynamite stage
And it didn’t stop there. At Intents, their sandwiches quite literally made it to the stage. The guys from Gezellige Uptempo had a plan in the works for years. Maickel: “We first set up on the artist lounge at Elektrum three years ago. Back then they already said, ‘You have to get that truck on stage someday.’ And a few months ago, they called: ‘We’ve got an idea for the opening act at Dynamite, and you have to be part of it.’”
So they built a mini food truck on the Dynamite stage, where Maickel and Jayley prepped sandwiches live during the opening set. Jayley: “On that mighty Dynamite stage, where I’ve been front row for ten years and now I was on it. I made five sandwiches in five minutes, and the rest of the time I was just vibing. As soon as one was ready, someone would point to a random person and I’d launch it into the crowd. I made two with sauce, after that, I ditched the sauce.”
Maickels Broodjes in the new episode of PLAFONDDIENST – The Hardstyle Podcast
How Maickels Broodjes became the heart of the artist lounge, how they ended up on stage with a mini food truck, and why even headliners are fans of their sandwiches – you’ll hear it all in episode fifteen of PLAFONDDIENST – The Hardstyle Podcast. Listen to the full episode now on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.
Footage via: Maickels Broodjes
