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bailriggfm · 9 years

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Delta Dollars

I met solo guitarist and singer Sammy Patrick at Jack’s Cannery Bar, a large old pub near the shores of San Francisco Bay. Patrick’s mix of folk, rock, and country traditionals interspersed with original compositions clearly reflected his upbringing in southern Mississippi, where he grew up near Biloxi on the Gulf Coast. Patrick has been in San Francisco for five years now. Unable to make a living as a musician in the South, he and his girlfriend moved to the West Coast. “The money’s a lot better here,” he explained to me. “I get a lot more work and it’s stable pay. I can actually afford to do this for a living out here.” As his sandy voice and guitar riffs echoed through the cavernous, though largely empty, bar, the lack of a crowd on that Sunday evening didn’t bother Patrick… because he gets a guaranteed wage every time he takes the stage here.

Through July and August I travelled across America, listening to live music in bars across the country. Nowhere is the music scene more vibrant, more diverse, and more enamouring than among the three cities of Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans. These cities, forming a triangle that stretches from the Mississippi Delta up the Mississippi River and east to the mountains of Appalachia, have, for a century, been magnets for musicians from across the nation, and the focal point where America’s disparate musical traditions have mixed, mingled, and fused. Contemporary American music owes its existence to this region, and success in Tennessee or New Orleans can have huge implications for an artist’s career. But success is not so easily achieved. The music scene in these three cities is like nothing I have ever witnessed. Whether on Broadway in Nashville, Beale St. in Memphis, or Bourbon St. in New Orleans, an avid listener can find a multitude of bars showcasing dozens of live artists at any given time. For those with a hunger for live performance, this musical triangle is the place to visit. Over six days I saw no fewer than a hundred artists. Some I saw only in passing, a solo act or a small ensemble performing on a street corner, or more often a band I didn’t much fancy leading me to walk out of the bar I had just entered in search of something else instead. For others I lingered, drinking bottle after bottle of domestic beer, absorbing the sounds that defined the region. No doubt there were countless more artists performing that I did not see, in bars across the street or down the street, in bars around the corner, in bars that I just happened to never walk into. Nowhere in the world can you find so large a number of live music venues in such proximity. Both the vibrancy and the scale of these cities’ live music scenes are unusual, especially given that none is a very large metropolis (Nashville and Memphis each have populations of approximately 660,000 while New Orleans is a bit less than 380,000); they are sustained by an unusual economic model.

Not in Nashville

My first stop in this tri-city music tour was Nashville. The sprawling city along the banks of the Cumberland River is the heart and soul of American Country music. To make it in Country, you have to make it in Nashville. Broadway, the main street running through Nashville’s entertainment district springs to life in early afternoon (though don’t go looking for breakfast there – I couldn’t find a place that opened before 11am except for a rundown bar and grill that couldn’t serve me a glass of water because they weren’t connected to the city pipes and drew their water straight from the river). Among the 30 or so bars and nightclubs along the strip, “old” Country crooners, “new” Country singers, contemporary cover bands, and bluegrass ensembles are in abundance. Bars such as Rippy’s, Tootsie’s, and Honky Tonk Central have multiple levels, each showcasing a different artist, artists who it turns out, are competing against each other for custom in the same establishment. Broadway is the most competitive strip in the country and it was here that I was introduced to the concept of play for pay music.

I’ve grown up around professional musicians my whole life, and I’ve always known about the fluctuations in earnings that the life of an artist can bring. But the one thing as a musician that you should be able to count on is that if you play a show, you will get paid for your work at the end of the night. Not in Nashville. The scores of artists picking, strumming, grinding, drumming and belting away on the four dozen or so stages I walked by, the people who are the main draw for this city, luring customers from near and far to the honky tonks, often receive little more than the cost of gas, parking, and maybe, and I mean maybe, a takeaway meal. More well known and established artists might be paid as much as $50 for a four hour set, but newbies often get only $20 for the day (in contrast minimum wage in a normal job in Tennessee is $7.25/hr). Instead, these artists play for tips. Unlike Sammy Patrick, the transplanted Mississippian in California, who received a set wage each time he took to the stage, a wage he gladly admitted was enough to pay the bills, the earnings of these Nashville musicians, and of those in Memphis and New Orleans as I would later discover, rely on the generosity of the audience… they rely on tips.

In every bar I walked into, a giant tip jar sat on the edge of the stage. In larger ensembles, one or two of the band members would occasionally walk around the bar, carrying buckets, asking people for money. The honky tonk players are little more than buskers, separated from the artists on the streets only by the fact that they passed an audition and so got a place on a stage. Of course many of the honky tonks have their windows open so that the sounds of “their” musicians waft into the street, an arrangement that works in the favour of both the publican, trying to draw thirsty customers to the bar, and the musicians, trying to draw avid listeners willing to part with a dollar or two in gratitude for some brief entertainment.

A Budding Career

One afternoon I strolled into Rippy’s towards the upper end of Lower Broadway. The ground floor was a bit crowded, so my traveling companion and I instead climbed the stairs to see what the second floor had to offer. I’m sad to say that the second floor band was thoroughly disappointing. We survived one round of beers, listening to three guys with long blond hair and checkered shirts bantering among themselves, retuning their instruments after each failed joke, and occasionally making a musical noise. The performance was largely forgettable (as was the name of the group, if they had one that is, I can’t remember) and the journey up the stairs largely regrettable. A group of eight was sitting in the corner. Once finished their lunch, they got up and left, leaving the two of us and a middle aged couple as the only remaining members of the audience. We quickly finished our beers and left as well. On my departure, I was not surprised to see that the group’s tip jar appeared rather unhealthy. However, back on the lower level, a couple of seats had opened up at the bar so we decided to stick around, and it was here that I was introduced to a duo known as the Steel Blossoms.

The Steel Blossoms with Paul Sgroi at Rippy’s (Photo: Colin Mang)

Sara Zebley and Hayley Prosser moved down to Nashville from Pennsylvania in September of 2014. Although both girls trained as school teachers, their passion for performance drew them to the Country music capital where they now work full time playing in the local honky tonks. Layering sultry vocals atop guitar riffs and soulful violin passages, these Steel Blossoms offer an enriching Country sound, with a repertoire that ranges from the contemplative to the electrifying. It was not a surprise to me that the Steel Blossoms were doing well in this town. On this afternoon, the duo were joined on stage by Paul Sgroi, a fellow Pennsylvanian singer and guitarist trying to make it in Nashville, who added some deeper vocal harmonies and intricate guitar picking to the Steel Blossoms’ performance. The duo mentioned to me that they regularly bring other artists on stage with them. “When we were just starting to play music, we sang on stage with anyone who would have us and it really was because of that that we found our passion. We want to be those people that show others what it's like to be on stage and play music. We also love it because we get to hear and experience new talent and that's always exciting,” Prosser remarked.

This talented duo landed their first job within a week of arriving in Nashville. Like many artists, they simply went to the open auditions held by bars around town, but in this ultra competitive music mecca, the fact that they got work so soon is a clear indication of their talent and their skill. “We really just auditioned to play at the bars we play at,” they explained to me. “We got the gig and started advertising ourselves and our social media sites to grow a bigger following. We were bounced around a lot between different bars and different floors but as of January 2015 we have a steady gig four days a week.” Of course this is Nashville, and a performer’s source of income is the generosity of the crowd. I asked the Steel Blossoms about the variability that living off tips can bring: “Our tips don't range very much and I think it's because we play on the same stage every week so we have gotten better at entertaining that specific crowd. We are blessed to make enough money off tips that we don't have to have other jobs. We also tour a few times a year and that helps financially as well.”

The Steel Blossoms seem to be living the Nashville dream. With a steady spot four days a week on the ground floor of one of the largest bars on Broadway, they can count on a good crowd and healthy tips. Many other artists though are not so lucky. Towards the end of the night, the band playing at Honky Tonk Central was clearly unhappy with the state of their tip jar. The ensemble, like so many on Broadway, was not a formal band but just a group of local musicians who individually worked the strip, joining up in various combinations, hoping to take home enough on the evening to pay the bills and justify a life spent making music in Nashville. The band was good, playing Country traditionals and contemporary covers that even got me singing along on occasion. The crowd was still a decent size for nearly 2am, and was probably larger earlier on, but the cash was flowing in only one direction that night – into the tills behind the bar. With clearly less than $100 in the tip jar, giving a five-way split of less than $20 a head for a long night’s work, the lead singer, a buxom brown haired soundstress with a raw and earthy voice, called out to the crowd: “There’s still time left, but we’re not playing another song unless y’all start tippin’.” This is the reality of play for pay. For street performers it is a way of life: stand somewhere in public, play some music, and hope the passers-by throw some coin, or better, a crisp bill or two. But Nashville has managed to take this musicians’ business model and capitalise on it, appropriating the efforts of hardworking musicians to sell not only food and drink, but the allure of the city itself. For any music junkie visiting America, Nashville is a must see. Whether you’re a Country music fan or not, the live entertainment this city provides is extraordinary. But it is a success born on the backs of the very musicians it is famous for.

You Can’t Always Make It In Memphis

Memphis, though different in style, was no different in attitude towards performers’ pay. Memphis occupies a unique place in American music. The pinnacle of this musical triangle, Memphis was where the twang of the country music flowing from Nashville in the east met the rhythm and blues coming north up the river from Louisiana and Mississippi giving birth to rock and roll music. Beale Street wasn’t quite as lively as Broadway. The evening crowd was a bit smaller. But the music was more diverse. Walking from bar to bar I heard classic rock, jazz, blues, contemporary pop, soul, and of course, country music, both of the traditional and of the “new” variety. Here I encountered the McDaniel Band, a seven member blues, rock, and R&B ensemble.

Although the group only formed in 2013, several members are Beale Street veterans, having played in Memphis for over twenty years. I spoke with the group’s lead singer Chris McDaniel about making a living in Memphis: “Tips vary from day to day. Sometimes we make enough to pay the bills and sometimes we don't. People seem to think that we are paid salaries but we are not. The 4 or 5 bigger restaurants and clubs pays [sic] a salary but the rest of us work for tips. We [the older members] are "full-time" musicians. The 2 younger members still work other jobs also.” The group has several regular gigs on Beale which McDaniel credits to both their experience and their repertoire: “We got regular slots because we have been around for a long time and we play a variety of music. Some units have been around for years and still only play in Handy Park, which is sort of the starting point to getting gigs on Beale Street.” While I had seen and met a lot of young musicians in Nashville, up and comers like the Steel Blossoms who seem set to stay, as well as others who I’m sure won’t be lasting very long, the Memphis music scene seemed dominated by older more established players, perhaps a sign of the difficulty in sustaining a career in this town living solely on tips, perhaps a sign of the difficulty in just breaking into this market.

A Difference in the Delta

From Memphis I travelled down the Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana, NOLA as the locals call it. Of the three cities, NOLA had by far the biggest and the most diverse music scene. Known as the party capital of the USA, a town where you can even order booze from a drive-thru and drink it as you go (as long as you’re blood alcohol content is under the legal limit mind you), the city’s entertainment district, centered in the western half of the French Quarter and slightly beyond, features a staggering array of live music venues playing just about any type of American genre you can think of. In my three days travelling up and down Bourbon Street, I heard Rock, Contemporary Pop, Metal, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Country, Dance, Swing, and, what I’d really come to hear: Zydeco.

Zydeco is the music of the Cajuns, French speaking inhabitants of southern Louisiana who were forcibly migrated from Eastern Canada in the mid-18th Century. The vibrant and engaging music, usually performed in Cajun-French, often featuring accordion, fiddle, and washboard alongside the more usual guitars, bass, and drums that you’d find in most bands, Zydeco has an energizing and enthralling quality; unfortunately, live Zydeco performances are difficult to find outside of Louisiana. At the Tropical Isle Bayou Club, a small bar that specializes in Cajun music, I spoke with Brandon Miller, lead singer and accordion player for Louisiana Inferno, a Cajun/Swamp Pop four-man ensemble. The group, which includes New Orleans veteran Cranston Clements, is the feature act at the Bayou Club these days (you can watch live streams of shows at the Bayou Club here). Miller, who grew up speaking both French and English, told me about his experiences in New Orleans: “I played with a lot of bands before coming here. Zydeco is the music of Louisiana, but you don’t get the same crowds for it that you get for other music. Tips can be good on weekends, but middle of the week no. But the people that come, this is often new for them, so we do well with CD sales.” I sat in the Bayou Club on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and while the music was good. The crowd was indeed smaller than what I saw at bars nearby; the tip jar… not even half full… However, when it comes to pay, NOLA is somewhat more civilized than the Tennessee taverns. Here the bars typically offer to split their revenues with the musicians. A well known act can earn up to 20% of the bar take, which, on a busy night could mean big bucks. While it isn’t as stable as the fixed wage that Sammy Patrick earns in San Francisco, a good musician who can both drawn in and keep a crowd can do quite well, effectively earning one to two dollars from each drink sold. Of course not everyone buys a drink though, and not everyone sticks around to watch the show. While the musicians here appeared to earn somewhat better than those in Tennessee, it’s still a precarious situation with no guarantee of how much you’ll actually earn on a night.

Bourbon St., New Orleans (Photo: Colin Mang)

While Bourbon Street offers everything a typical “party tourist” in this town could want, I ventured to the East side of the French Quarter. The area is largely residential and somewhat more run down, not as oft frequented, especially at night, compared to the more bustling West side where the bars, shops, and restaurants are more numerous. The atmosphere at the Spotted Cat Music Club was distinctly different from the bars on Bourbon. This was the type of nightclub that you stayed at and listened for an evening, not the kind where transient drinkers passed through, ordering one and then moving on to experience another locale. To hear real NOLA jazz and blues, this is the place to come. Away from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon St.; away from the neon lights, the chaotic sounds of multiple musical genres colliding in the street as their sounds pour out from the bars.

Standing on the stage as I entered the Spotted Cat was a little man in a fedora, glasses sliding down his nose, wisps of grey streaking his moustache. Cloaked in a washboard with tin cans and a call bell, scraping away, and wailing into the microphone in a powerful voice coarsened by age, this was Washboard Chaz, one of the most famous blues musicians in NOLA. Originally from New York, Chaz spent over twenty years in Colorado playing in jazz, blues, and swing bands before moving to New Orleans fifteen years ago. Washboard Chaz is now a legend here. He even appeared in television adverts promoting the city in the mid 2000s. Chaz, who leads two bands, the Washboard Chaz Trio with Ben Maygarden and Roberto Luti and the Tin Men with Alex McMurray and Matt Perrine, and is also a member of two others, the Palmetto Bug Stompers and Washboard Rodeo, is one of the hardest working musicians in the city, playing up to seven days a week. I asked him about his success here in NOLA: “Well, my career [in Colorado] gave me a foot in the door. Plus, I knew a lot of musicians here that I knew from playing with them in Colorado… I think the popularity of my bands is due to the fact that we play music we like and play it well. Also, surround yourself with good cats that push your creative drive.” When I asked him about earnings and making a living in the New Orleans music scene he said “Well, there are so many great musicians in New Orleans, I'm just keeping my head above water. A lot [of nightclubs] do 20% of the take, but all of those, the tip jar is passed. So, with merch sales and a fair amount of gigs available, one can do it. Matter of fact, there's not any other city in the States where one can make a living playing music, mostly, if not all, in town.”

The Washboard Chaz Trio at the Spotted Cat (Photo: Colin Mang)

Talking with New Orleans musicians gave me some relief. My first thought at entering the city bars and seeing the tip jars passed around was “oh no not here too?” But to know that there, the artists that make the city’s culture what it is, though people I’d never heard of before arriving in this sweltering city, and yet people I’d come to appreciate so deeply, unlike their counterparts in Tennessee, got more than just the few dollars that each of us dropped into the bucket gave me some relief. Although I regularly put between one and five dollars into the tip buckets of every band I liked, I observed a lot of patrons who did not. In Tennessee, they were essentially enjoying music for free. Does that mean that they are stealing the performance in the same way that music file-sharers are said by the music industry to “steal” music? I’m not sure that it does. The musicians playing away in the bars in Tennessee give their music as a gift to the audience. They play it, and you can listen to it. You’re under no obligation to give them anything for it. Yet, they have given you a gift, and you should give one in return in the form of a tip. I don’t think the non-tipping patrons were “stealing” the music; I just think they were either ungenerous in their unwillingness to give a gift in return or in many cases simply ignorant of the fact that they should do so. At least in New Orleans, anyone who bought a drink was contributing something to the band anyway, regardless of whether they also tipped.

Someone has to pay for the band on stage and of course that someone is the customer. Whether it’s cover charges or high drinks prices (notably absent from most places in these three cities), the typical business models that generate the cash that bars in other cities and in other countries use to pay the live acts that they’ve brought in comes from the customer’s pockets. But in Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans, that connection between patron and performer is more direct. It’s a relationship that shifts the risks of a bad night from the pub to the performer. And with fierce competition for gigs, it ensures that musicians do everything they can to promote themselves, to promote the clubs that give them a spot, and to put on the best damn show they can every afternoon and/or evening to try to lure crowds, capture crowds, and retain crowds for more than just one song or one drink. These three cities, Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans will take you on a musical journey that you cannot even begin to imagine. The variety, the quality, the energy, and the atmosphere are like nothing you will ever experience anywhere else. I’d recommend any or all of these three cities as a destination to any avid music fan of any 20th century genre. But, bring money!… it’s your tips that keep the music playing.

COLIN MANG

#Nashville #Memphis #Tennessee #New Orleans #Blues #Country #Bluegrass #Zydeco #Music #Steel Blossoms #Chris McDaniel #Louisiana Inferno #Washboard Chaz #Bailrigg FM

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bailriggfm · 9 years

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[Event Review] OFF Festival 2015 – Katowice, Poland, 07-09.08.15

In this wonderful festival season, events like Glastonbury or Parklife invite the biggest names, which feature on radios worldwide. Hipsters and other lovers of alternative music who, perhaps in search of something different, might ask where they could discover such less known, and yet equally talented artists. An ideal event can be found in Poland. The Valley of Three Ponds plays host to a festival, which doesn’t limit itself to one specific genre. This festival has been taking place for 10 editions, inviting both big groups, such as My Bloody Valentine or Mogwai, along with smaller bands before their rise to fame like Iceage and Andy Stott. The festival is also known for its location, a sprawling green parkland. What better way to spend your weekend: cool music, nice weather and all the while surrounded by nature? I was finally about to find out what OFF festival was all about.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Though the festival looked promising, the first thing that struck me was the temperature. It was absolutely OFF the charts (I won’t use festival puns later on, I promise). We were burning up in a 35-degree heat. Fortunately, the organisers provided us with free water and we were able to enjoy the entire weekend, despite the difficult start.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

OFF began with Polish acts, a suitable start considering the festival is known for promoting local alternative bands. The Main Stage was opened by the energetic Olivia Anna Livki. Her show was as colourful as her outfit, and despite the sweltering heat, she fulfilled her role as opening act well, performing most of the songs from her new experimental LP – Strangelivv. Additionally, hits such as Geek and Enter definitely made her concert worth seeing. Later I stayed to see Wilga, whose charming post-rock tunes made the weather easier to cope with.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Golden Teacher were the real blast. The Glaswegian band was loud, psychedelic and we struggled to keep up with the front man’s moves. They were the hottest and funkiest discovery of Friday, I’m definitely going to check out their music; and you should too.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Afterwards, I was struck with Władysław Komendarek’s set on the Trójka Stage. That 66-year-old man felt every single sound he produced, giving me an impression that the show looked better than it sounded. Nevertheless, it was nice to relax on the grass with those strange electronic tunes.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Next up were 2014 Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers who, surprisingly, were put on the smallest stage. This was not the wisest decision considering the interest in the band. After seeing them live, I have no doubts as to why they won the award. The trio’s energy combined with their incredible songs, played mainly from DEAD and White Men Are Black Men Too created an incredible show. Nobody could help but dance to the rhythm, especially to the lyrics, ‘Get up and have a party’. We did exactly what the song told us for the full hour. Alloysious, Hastings and Kayus (who was so into the show, he tore his shirt off) with hits like Shame and Rain or Shine, Trójka Stage was transformed into the hottest party of the festival.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

OFF has a history of inviting great potentials from the post-punk scene including Pulled Apart By Horses and Iceage. This year Artur Rojek picked Ought, very promising group from Montreal who released More Than Any Other Day just last year. They brought the 70s atmosphere to the Experimental Stage with thanks to rough riffs and Tim Darcy’s rugged voice. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable show.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

I was excited for Peaking Lights Acid Test. Unfortunately, Aaron Doyes showed up without Indra Dunis. It was a decent dub set, but it would have definitely felt more complete with Indra’s subtle vocals and her Peaking Lights influences. Without much regret I headed to see the doom metal sensation, Sun O))) who attracted large crowds to the Forest Stage.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Look at the picture below. Now figure out what is going on there. Strange? Odd? What the hell is this? This is exactly how I would summarise Sun O)))’s show. Doom metal is the kind of music you either love or just flat out don’t understand. I belong to the second category, so for me the concert seemed more like torturing guitars as a pose to playing them. Of course, the biggest fans enjoyed this surreal show, which still had its intriguing moments, such as the bands’ hooded costumes, dense steam and the singer’s screams. Nevertheless, while it did look impressive on the Forest Stage at night, I would not call myself a drone metal fan after that experience.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

The strange mood was to be closed by The Residents on the Main Stage. Many people, myself included, were excited to see one of the biggest musical mysteries ever performing at OFF Festival. After all, this is a group that have created an avant-garde history with over sixty albums, while remaining anonymous for 46 years. The stage was beautifully decorated with an optical background and an enormous crystal ball with ‘Shadowland’ cast upon it, promoting the project’s latest release. We were curious about the show, aware it would be a spectacle rather than a regular concert. And so it was; the members came out wearing skull/predator masks and sequin uniforms, mixing essences of both death and beauty. The singer’s theatrical moves along with his extravagant voice created a hypnotising atmosphere, making us feel as if we were trapped within a horror version of Alice in Wonderland. The crystal ball displayed psychedelic acts of people talking about their death or crimes. Music played the role of a soundtrack providing a background to the spectacular theatrical show. Although the show was staged, I was impressed by the Residents’ passion in the name of art. Unfortunately, it was not understood by all, many people left during the show, but it was most certainly appreciated by those who stayed.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

I began the second of the festival with King Khan & The Shrines, whose confidence and charisma made him the real king (or queen?) of the stage. The concert was mix of rock & roll, blues, gold sequins and capes, in other words, it was a mad show. It is worth noting that his supporting group did an excellent job keeping the music diverse with all elements of the band. We had our small Rio Carnival on the Main Stage with hits like Land of the Freak or I Wanna Be A Girl. Telling people to squat, putting a mic in his underwear and saying ‘I wanna make love to you all’ was just a handful of what the concert entailed. It was a lively way to start a day.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

After such a dynamic show, it was time for calm Sun Kill Moon. In a similar fashion to Young Fathers, Mark Kozelek’s project was one of the top bookings of today’s edition. Despite this, he was placed in a small, boiling hot tent which was unable to accommodate all those interested. Unable to fit, people turned to sitting down and relaxing on the grass to the sound of Sun Kill Moon’s music. It was indeed emotional and beautiful despite coming from such a jerk. Why do I call him so? He stole the photographer’s camera and told the rest to ‘Get the f out of here’. So if you ever decide to take a picture of him, don’t, or he’ll keep your equipment as a nice souvenir. However, his rude behaviour was completely forgiven thanks to the emotional impact he had on the audience. You can’t really be angry with someone who performs such wonderful songs as I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love or Carissa. Every single sound carried meaning.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

I rushed to see ILoveMakonnen, the young hip hop talent from Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I didn’t get too experience the whole set, as it clashed with Sun Kill Moon, who actually turned out to be the more popular of the two. When I arrived at the Main Stage, there was only a few people dancing at the front, whereas Trójka Stage was fully packed. Shame, he truly deserved more attention considering how powerful I LOVE MAKONNEN is as an album. Swerve and closing Tuesday were absolutely genius, so for sure I won’t miss him next time. Sadly, the performance ended with the DJ set without ILoveMakonnen. We expected him to re-emerge for an encore which unfortunately didn’t happen.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Since OFF Festival books artists representing all kinds of music, it draws a wide variety of audiences. I found it amusing to observe how quickly the Main Stage crowd changed from hip-hop listeners to head banging rock fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan. I stayed for a few songs before had to leave to catch Future Brown playing elsewhere. I’m so glad that I gave the New Jerseyan band a chance. They were loud, energetic and drove the audience insane. Honestly, 10/10 would head bang again.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Future Brown’s electronic debut was on my ‘must-see live’ list of 2015. Overall I enjoyed the set mainly due to my love of Future Brown. However, the show clearly lacked the original vocals which would have made it far better and a few times it seemed as if the group didn’t really pay attention to their fans. On a number of occasions they appeared to look at their watches, giving the impression they just wanted to be done with us quickly. Although by the end they became more enthusiastic and danced along with additional vigour. All in all, the set finished pretty well.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Next in line were Xiu Xiu with their special performance of the Twin Peaks series. It was a wise decision to place the band on the Forest Stage; they suited the night-time scenery perfectly. Their version was much more experimental, letting experience the original soundtrack from a different perspective. Jamie Stewart was completely reliving the series causing his voice to alternate and break down. The concert reminded me about the performances of Sigur Rós and Apparat, promoting his Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre), by which you were occasionally moved by the beauty of the music, at the same time left wanting to escape the overwhelming atmosphere. When Xiu Xiu finished, I moved to the main closing act of Saturday.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

In today’s world bursting with new artists, it is difficult to win the crowd. What about the old ones? Well, they have won all the crowds already. These groups claim the ‘legendary status’, they have released the songs that become part of the music scene and will forever inspire new artists. An example of that ‘old’ band is definitely Ride, who along with My Bloody Valentine, created a path for shoegaze artists. Their 1990’s debut Nowhere was named one of the greatest albums of the genre, so being able to see such legends reunited after 12 years was a special moment for anyone attending OFF Festival. At 0:15 Andy, Laurence, Mark (of course wearing his hat) and Steve came on the stage, and started a tremendous show with Leave Them All Behind. They didn’t need to run around the stage or encourage people to have a good time. All they had to do was to play the song we had fallen in love with long ago. We were hypnotised by the dreamy vocals and melodic guitars. Ride performed the entire set professionally, saying it was amazing to play again in Poland after 22 years. 22 years. I wasn’t even born then and those guys were already rocking. I was thrilled to be able to see them play together and I let their music take me to another world. Everything made me nostalgic and happy from Leave Them All Behind through splendid Vapour Trail to the closing Chelsea Girl. Do yourself a favour and see them live. It’s an unforgettable experience.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Although Friday and Saturday turned out well, mainly thanks to great acts of Young Fathers and Ride (where I got a bit emotional), it was Sunday that let us experience the real magic of OFF Festival. Personally, I struggled with picking which band to see. Many fantastic artists clashed with one another throughout the day. I started slowly with Steve Gunn, an American singer-songwriter who radiated country vibes. He was a charming person and despite being highly acclaimed by critics like Pitchfork, seemed slightly nervous while trying to break the fourth wall. Overall it was a decent guitar show.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Son Lux gave one of the most emotional acts of the entire festival. Not only did Ryan Lott play us lovely songs, but also poured his soul into the concert, really making us ‘feel’ the music. The singer’s devotion to movement and singing was comparable to Jamie Stewart’s of Xiu Xiu. The crowd was enjoying the concert so much, they clapped along for entire minutes independently of the band. An emotional Lott said that ‘for a moment we were making the music together’. It was another emotional highlight of the festival, though I wish it had all been as energetic as Lost It To Trying, played as the finale.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Algiers were probably the biggest discovery of this year’s edition. They released their debut this June and have already toured with Interpol. Their live performance sounded edgier and heavier when compared to their studio versions. The guys rocked the Forest Stage with their sheer passion. Franklin James Fisher’s voice belongs to my personal favourites of OFF Festival 2015. The way Algiers could sound dark and mysterious before suddenly shifting to happy dance music was something worth seeing. Sadly, not many people saw the show, due to the band performing immediately before the most anticipated act of the festival – Patti Smith.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

It was the time for another legend, who attracted the largest crowd of the entire festival. After the show, I can tell you straight: If you think rock is dead, dare to say it to Patti Smith, and she’ll declare a war on you. Her special performance of Horses that gave her fame allowed everyone to relive the history of rock music. The show wasn’t perfect vocally, but it didn’t matter, because that 68-year-old lady still amazed with her charisma. Who could make people go that insane with the opening line: ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine’? It was just getting better and better with Patti being more and more engaged with the performance, which hit its climax during Land. She also explained the story behind writing Break It Up and dedicated her Elegie to late artists such as Jimmy Hendrix and Amy Winehouse. Her show was not only incredible, but also inspiring, as if she was trying to encourage us to change the world through music. While performing The Who’s cover, she ended the concert saying, ‘You’re the generation that can change the world! And music is our weapon!’. Wise words Patti Smith. We couldn’t agree with you more.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

After Patti Smith, I crawled to the Experimental Stage to see Buffalo Daughter. It was the perfect thing to help me emotionally recover. Those who only associate Japanese music industry with ‘kawaii’ songs better get familiar with this band, and broaden their horizons. If I were to label it, I would call it the coolest act of this edition. The musicians gave a rock show while at the same time making it charming and funky. They struggled with technical difficulties, but it didn’t prevent them from playing their music. It was a perfect beat for dancing and grooving.

Photo: Sheryl Banas

With that we moved onto the main closing act of the event with a current hip-hop sensation. Run the Jewels are everywhere now, which is not surprising, since Run the Jewels 2 was a top album of its genre in 2014. I had hoped Killer Mike and El-P would be as angry and loud as they are on the studio versions. It turned out even better than expected; the guys were aggressive and all over the place in the best way possible. They spiced things up with eye-burning red lights driving the crowd into frenzy. We danced and screamed our lungs out for the band upon their request, especially during Lie, Cheat, Steal. Amazingly, it was one of those shows where people preferred to enjoy the show instead of recording it on their phones (which is shunned by the group). It was the best way imaginable to end the festival with such a bomb. I don’t remember raving that hard since seeing Die Antwoord at Open’er Festival earlier this year. The band also discussed the political issues and the injustice in this world that they and many other artists fight with their music. The only faults I could find with the show were the microphones being slightly too quiet and the gig ending 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. Other than that, fantastic job OFF!

Photo: Sheryl Banas

Three days, four stages and a ton of various artists. That was the 10th edition of OFF Festival. Some might complain that it wasn’t the most spectacular edition in terms of the line-up, but nobody can claim it wasn’t special. After all, we could relive the history with Patti Smith, get nostalgic with Ride and discover new favourite bands like Golden Teacher or Algiers. The festival faced many difficulties in terms of the weather and the attendance, but they pulled it off with such musically diverse artists and an exceptional atmosphere you would struggle to find at any other festival. The best way to summarise this event is that you don’t go there to see anyone particular band, nor go to get wasted. You just go to... OFF festival. That is more than enough to fully enjoy your time.

Sheryl Banas

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