The Sziget Report.

Wow! I'm just glad I'm still a kid... otherwise, there's no way I would've made it seven days and six nights in a tent on this festival island... surely no grown-ups could last. The Sziget is like nothing I've ever experienced before.

First of all, there are people from all over the world, and naturally there are languages from all over the world... so there is true cultural amalgamation. It's not just a bunch of people boasting an 'art and culture fest' because they offer different kinds of foods and have people dressed in ethnic garb... it's a proper melting pot. However, that being said, it wasn't until the very last night of the festival that I met another American.

Europe is well-represented, especially the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UK (and of course, Hungary)... but nobody from the States comes abroad for this festival. And, they should!

There's no way I can give a proper breakdown of the entire festival, but I will try to hit a bunch of the highlights, random thoughts (par for my journal entries), and provide a sneak preview of the three-hundred plus photos I snapped... Perhaps it's best to just comment on some of the photos, and let the story tell itself... though you'll just have to go sometime to get the full effect!

I left Kaposvár with Csaba (Rita's brother) and friend Tamás... First we went to CC's place and I had a chance to meet his wife and two beautiful kids. We had some lunch (and palinka, of course). Naturally, we had to start the party appropriately, as we were heading to Eastern Europe's largest festival. Oh, palinka is a native Hungarian liquor, a fruit-brandy, commonly shot amongst friends... for whatever the occasion. Of course, I wouldn't want to be rude, so I vow to endorse the ever-relevant idiom... when in Hungary... Then, we stopped at Bor's flat in Buda where I tried out his bow... okay, now to the festival!

Without getting into all of the colossal differences of programing, setup, schedule, layout, efficiencies, etc... I should note that once we arrived on the island, there was plenty of (people attempting their best to be) English speakers to help ease the contrast. I exchanged my ticket for a camping bracelet and an officially became an "islander" (as they referred to us) for the week. By the time we got in, got a beer, hit the ATM, got distracted by all sorts of people, places, and things... it was pitch black and I was trying to set my tent up in a practically full camping area. No problem... I threw it up and went to see my first band as a Hungarian resident... German artist, Peaches. She's crazy! Her stage presence was bawdy yet entertaining to say the least. One thing I really dug was on the last tune, all of the members of her band played beams of light as a string instrument... they had these huge green rays coming from the stage that they plucked as one would a harp... pretty freaking cool. And, after Peaches, was punk rock journeymen... Bad Religion. They are just classic and it was cool to finally see them.

I quickly learned that Hungarians like to party late... and I mean late, even by my standards! I love it! This photo was taken at sunrise as people are spilling out of one dance tent into another... this is just my speed. I love that other people think it's natural to be up and feeling full of energy at four, five, six in the morning. And, I'm not just talking about a small group of people at one party tent until the wee hours... I mean mainly everyone at the festival! There were parties happening all over the island until sunrise everyday!

During the days, I spent most of my time chilling out like most people... there wasn't a lot of partying during the days because the debauchery doesn't start until around 23:00. Though there was plenty to do, both in the hot sun and in the cool shade of the tents and villages. From various civil organizations such as the Green Courtyard (environmental protection / fair trade cafeteria) to a Reading Park to the Digital Funfair to the Ability Park (sensory games / wheelchair park) to the Agora (cultural meeting place and symposium) to the WAMP (Hungarian design fair for artists / galleries) to the Hungaricum Village and Wine Garden to the Ambient Tent Garden (teahouse / workshops / experiments) to the Tarot Labyrinth (3D maze of self-exploration) to the Museum Quarter to the Octopus Multi-Art Site (all kinds of workshops and free exploration: monotypes, cyanotypes, painting, creative sewing, stencils, etc) to a Bike Fashion Show to a Sound Workshop (sound experiments and creative instruments) to the Poker Tent to the Theatre and Dance Tent (ridiculous experimental theatre and hilarious embarrassments) to Yoga Villages and Chill Workshops (no shoes allowed, amazing)... even a marriage tent... they've thought of it all! These are just some ways why Sziget is like none other!

Just check this out... people are everywhere playing games and enjoying the sun... and yes, those are giant slides on the hill...

Museum Quarter.





Creative Sewing Workshop.










Chill Area. Click this one... it's worth it! This place was ridiculous. Yes, it really was as cool as this looks...




Sound Workshop.















Art Walk.







Sand Sculpture.














Hungaricum Village. Traditional Hungarian Folk Dancing.





Street Performers.






Seven highlights, musically speaking...

Tony Allen (Nigeria). One of the best performances I saw all week was Tony Allen's set on the World Music Stage Thursday. This dude is the co-creator of Afrobeat, alongside the great Fela Kuti... much respect for the drummer / director for Fela's Africa '70! More recently, he's played with the Good The Bad and The Queen and Charlotte Gainsboug... check out all of these projects!

Gorillaz (UK). This was the biggest sell for me... and it was worth all the hype. Damon Albarn is wizard! I have always dug his work with the Gorillaz, Blur, The Good The Bad & The Queen, etc. but this is his most outstanding production to date. They packed the Party Arena tent to max-capacity and had the place going crazy the entire set. They segued in and out of all the jams... and even out of Dirty Hairy into I Want You Back (Jackson 5)! So rad. So rad.

Oi Va Voi (UK). This experimental band from London is definitely the coolest band I just stumbled upon. I didn't have a plan to check them out, but I'm so glad I did. They've got a unique blend of Eastern European sounds (including Hungarian folk influence), contemporary electronic, with world music. They are Devotchka meets Gogol Bordello meets David Byrne meets Béla Bartók meets Arcade Fire.

La Boum (Germany). Another stumble-upon... I discovered these guys as I was making my way from one island village to another, playing on the walkway. This indie ska band has a big big sound and takes it to the streets. There is simply not enough songs with megaphones in contemporary music today, and these guys all sing through megaphones and have the energy of a well-exercised vizsla!

Hjaltalín (Iceland). I heard a lot about these guys around the festival grounds and had to check 'em out on the Budapest Jazz Club Stage Saturday. They are truly original and totally cool. An indie seven-piece art rock jazz project with a bit 'o grit... I'd call them Sigur Rós meets Pink Floyd meets Jethro Tull (with a bassoon)!

Yeasayer (USA). Experimental creators from Brooklyn, New York... I've been waiting to see these guys for a couple years now and I'm happy to see them at their first ever Hungarian gig. We (the band and myself) were among the only Americans on the island, and so I had to go front-row to support. There really wasn't a lot of people there to see Yeasayer and it's a shame, because they killed it.

Major Lazer (Jamaica). This was the most crowded that I saw any of the performances all week... and it makes sense. Dudes throw a party! Europe goes crazy for a DJ team that can rip the jams all night into the morning, and that's exactly what Major Lazer did. I've never seen anything like it... people were literally ripping tree branches off of trees on the island and marching them into the party tent. It was an invented forest in the middle of the concert-ground... freaking wild.


Random supplements...

I met some really hip people and some kind folks from all around the EU... and somehow I ended up with a VIP pass for the last three days of the festival. I was able to hang by the side of the stage in a VIP terrace for the Iron Maiden show and hit up some other VIP areas too. Iron Maiden was cool, just because they're festival veterans and they can still play to six-digit crowds in Europe... I don't get it, but people go crazy for them. To me, it was like going to see Kiss. It was fun though.

It absolutely down-poured Friday night. The storm was so wicked that they had to postpone all of the performers on all of the stages until the rain let up. In the meantime, people got weird and dove through mud puddles... naturally.

I have always thought (and still think) it's hot when girls wear high-tops with skirts. For some reason this never got popular in the states, despite my encouragement... but someday the girls back west will get it. I dig the style; it's a great look... especially Sk8-His!

I was never a fan of house music or jungle deejays... but perhaps I just never got it. After seeing some of the talent at this festival, I get the appeal and can appreciate the art. I'm still not going to listen to it in my flat when I'm chilling out, but I can dig it in the live party. And, it seems like Europe definitely has the edge on this scene...

Sziget was epic. Check it out for yourself someday; you'll be glad you did.