hurrengoa
festivals, music becomes huge sagardance   An unspecified day in May at about eleven in the morning. Three friends lie asleep in a tent. Well, two actually, the third one is outside, face down in the grass and happily popping z’s in the land of Nod. Seemingly he didn’t have the strength to unzip the tent and climb in when he staggered back from last night’s revelry at eight this morning. The sun’s starting to make itself more than felt. The tent is one of those igloo jobs. It’s unbearably hot within the sticky cloth walls. The heat wakes up the other two, both of them sweating like pigs and with breath that smells like something crawled into their mouths and died. Their brains kick-start themselves and the questions begin to pile up: What time is it? What day is it? Where the fuck are we? At Festimad? Esparrago? Benicasim? EH Zuzenean?
They stagger outside for a breath of fresh air. The first one starts to get glimpses of last night’s (and this morning’s) monumental session. Two gigantic stages, one of the biggest metal bands in the world playing on one, and an even more famous pop foursome from Great Britain on the other. He recalls a hip-hop band’s gig on a smaller stage somewhere and a relaxing chill-out session before hitting the sack. The second of the two hasn’t a clue what went on last night.
Just as well festivals today offer quite comfortable facilities. Nothing like a good shower and a cup of coffee to get your head back into shape. They try to wake the one in the grass up: no joy. They leave him stretched out there, dead to the world.
Thousands have flocked to the festival. The myriad tents make up a colourful and chaotic town. Huge festivals have become one of the most important gathering points for young people over the last few years. It’s not just the music people head along for either: all kinds of people attend in search of new experiences and the special atmosphere only to be found at these kind of bashes. You need go no further than Euskal Herria Zuzenean, held in Arrosa, to find an example of this. Iñaki Etxeleku, a member of the organisers Piztu, explained why these festivals have become so successful: “There are differences between the various festivals on offer, starting right with the line-up. Here in the Basque Country there was no tradition of three-day long music festivals with quality artists from all over the world. The line-up is vital. That’s when you get all these people coming along, pitching their tents and basically spending the following three days having a good time and getting to know a whole bunch a people. The buzz created by all of this is really important. There are, by now, quite a lot of people who are used to moving around the festival scene”.
The Euskal Herria Zuzenean festival is getting bigger by the year. This year’s edition lasts from the 28th of June to the 30th. Noir Desir, Amparanoia and quite a few Basque bands (Selektah Kolektiboa, Kuraia...) are amongst those appearing. The organisers expect around 30,000 to attend this year, a helluva lot more than last year.
The coffee has had the desired effect on our two friends. They have finally realised that it’s Sunday, the closing day of the festival. They still don’t know where they are though, or who on earth is playing tonight! All the same, they decide that it’s time to start preparing their next little outing. Arrosa is a tempting possibility, but they feel that maybe a little trip to Pirineos Sur International Cultures Festival would be a better option health wise. It starts on the 7th of June and runs through to the 3rd of August. A quick get away to venues like the natural auditorium at Lanuza or in Sallent de Gallegora might just be the ticket to Summer survival. Cultures and rhythms- both modern and traditional- from all over the planet are reputedly good for the noggin’, so a good dose of reggae melodies, Balkan traditions, gypsy music, all types of flamenco, Basque trikia, Galician pipes... is certainly in there with the favourites. All of this in the majestic Pyrenees. More names we haven’t mentioned; Faltriquiera, Junkera, Alpha Blondy...
Our friends fall quiet for a moment, it’s as if they could sense that something was missing. A mischievous grin spreads across the first one’s face: “We almost forgot Esparragfo Rock, gobshite!”. Yep, the auld grey matter is certainly not working at the speed of light today, but they can still remember the odd thing or two. Jerez de la Frontera plays host to this weekend festival on the 11th, 12th and the 13th of July. This year’s bash carries on from where last year’s left off: pop, rock, electronic music and flamenco are the stars of this year’s line-up.
The concerts will be held on four different stages and amongst those to be enjoyed are: Extremoduro, Amaral, Sôber, Dover and Bunbury (little else had been confirmed at the time of writing). What’s more, you don’t even have to leave Cadiz to avail of the next choice offering. You can spend the whole shagging summer there if you like! The Serie-Z punk-rock prayer meeting held at Ifeca (Ifeca you too!) in Jerez de la Frontera brings the best of rock ’n’ roll to you. Punk’s not dead! The uncompleted line-up is the following: The Nashville Pussy (animal rights campaigners from the USA), the compulsory Backyard Babes, Señor No from Donostia and the veteran Dictators. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for additions to the line-up.
Back at the ranch our two friends order their second coffee. They bank on the caffeine straightening out their few remaining brain cells, just the same affect that the electronic session had on them in the small hours of the morning. Electronic music. The cold calculated rhythms that pour out of the speakers can really get you smoking at times! Last night really was the business. What can be heard during the summer doesn’t seem any less promising either. Take the Sonar Fest on the 13th, 14th and 15th for example. The International Barcelona Progressive Music and Multimedia Arts Festival has become a major reference point for electronic music in Europe. The Mar Bella Pavilion and The Barcelona Culture Development Centre become melting pots of creation, technology, cinema and art, night and day. They have an unbeatably open line-up this year: Roger Sanchez, Pet Shop Boys, Yo la tengo, Jeff Mills, Wagon Cookin’ , Max Tundra... a great chance to get a glimpse of what has been going on lately on the scene. There are also other options open to fans of electronic vibes. Yep, the desert in Monegros last year. Groove Parade. Our two friends wouldn’t at all mind repeating the experience- (by now back on the beer to the joy of their stomachs). This festival is organised by the good people at Club Florida 135, Fraga. This amazing orgy of electronic music has been going on now for about the last seven years. This year’s edition is to be held on the 20th of July and, as always, all types of tendencies- techno, house, techhouse, breakbeat, electronic pop, drum ‘n’ bass and electro- will be played by the biggest names for your aural pleasure. Some of those appearing are: Stacey Pullen, Richie Hawtin, Derrick May, Francesco Farfa, Fabio, John Acquaviva, Angel Molina, Cristian Varela, Fangoria, Sidonie, Elektropez...
They say that Groove Parade created itself. It was basically the follow up to a session held at Club Florida 135 one night. It has grown immeasurably since those early days and has become a permanent fixture in many fans’ diaries.
Our second friend starts to hail our first friend with stories of battles and adventures from festivals from last year. A right fuckin’ granddad: “I remember...”. “Shut up for a sec there, will you?” replies the first “We haven’t named all the festivals yet”.
Their attention is immediately called to the Mediterranean. Castelló.
Benicàssim. The beach, sun, independent music... the Kingdom of Pop! From the 2nd of August to the 4th. The line-up will have any self respecting pop fan creaming in their pants: Radiohead, Primal Scream, Saint Etienne, The Chemical Brothers, The Cure, Rinôçerôse...
The second one takes a deep breath, the most difficult part is arriving.
It’s time to decide where they’re gonna go. It’s totally impossible to go to all of them, but they can’t decide on any one in particular. Just then it occurs to them to ask their other friend, the third one, the one who was asleep and by now burnt to a crisp, to decide where to go.
Let him decide, he’s had more sleep than us!