lupo-de-mare
Gesperrt
Sixth EXIT festival held in Serbia
10/07/2006
For four days, the otherwise tranquil Petrovaradin fortress was home to bands, DJs, and more than 100,000 sleep-deprived young people.
By Jelena Tusup for Southeast European Times in Novi Sad -- 10/07/06
The EXIT festival opened last week in Novi Sad. [Davor Konjikusic]
The "State of EXIT" -- the youngest and smallest nation in the Balkans -- opened its gates to more than 100,000 young people for the sixth time Thursday (6 July). For four days, the city of Novi Sad and the otherwise tranquil Petrovaradin fortress were living a completely different life, one of bands, DJs, youth and no sleep.
With 600 artists and more than 35,000 visitors on opening night, it is clear that after six years the festival has managed not only to sustain a high level of interest but to become one of the biggest parties in Europe.
It has something for everyone, including headliners like Franz Ferdinand, Morrissey, Cult, the Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol and HIM, not to mention world-famous DJs like Dave Clarke, Jeff Mills and Derrick May.
The two biggest stages, Main Stage and Dance Arena, were crowded until the sun rose above the Danube. Dedicated fans also took up positions on the Metal Hammer, Blues and Reggae, and Fusion stages. The latter, hosting mainly performers from the Balkans, was the third most popular.
There, former Yugoslav connections were stronger than they are outside the festival. In general, the most popular singers and bands were from Croatia, and the most visited and successful ones were Darko Rundek, Let 3 and Massimo Savic.
At daylight, the fun continued around the famous EXIT camp and the nearby riverbank. Armed with tonnes of water, bathing suits and sunglasses, people danced around the beach stage all day long. When they got tired, they looked for shelter in the shade of large trees and slept on the ground. At night, it was back to Petrovaradin for more fun, music and friendship.
Foreigners who came to the festival say they were thrilled with the relaxed and friendly approach of Serbian young people. Though the exact figures are not yet available, early impressions suggest there were many Britons (more than 2,000), Germans and Dutch, as well as visitors from remote places such as Australia. But at EXIT, it's not about being a foreigner or a Serb. This is a "state" with no boundaries.
Certainly the festival is known for its social context. It is an NGO-friendly event and welcomes organisations that promote the "Exit philosophy" and issues such as anti-racism, anti-xenophobia, the push for visa-free travel, and free movement of peoples. This year, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn paid a visit, gaining a chance to see what many consider "Serbia's most beautiful side".
Serbs, meanwhile, got a chance to see Rehn's more easygoing side. He played in a football match at the EXIT camp, and lost to the home team, 3-0.
In addition to Rehn, Serbian President Boris Tadic, Novi Sad Mayor Maja Gojkovic and Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic were on hand.
Of the featured bands, one of the most popular was Franz Ferdinand. They ruled the fortress on the first night, with more than 20,000 fans cheering their every move. The band is named for the Austrian prince who was shot in Sarajevo in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip, sparking World War I.
Among the many anecdotes from this year's festival, one of the most memorable concerns the legendary Smiths ex-singer, Morrissey, who blanked out on some of his own lyrics during his show on the second day. The crowd, though, hadn't forgotten them.
"Finally someone knows the words of my songs!" Morrissey shouted. "The EXIT audience is for real!"
http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/07/10/feature-02
10/07/2006
For four days, the otherwise tranquil Petrovaradin fortress was home to bands, DJs, and more than 100,000 sleep-deprived young people.
By Jelena Tusup for Southeast European Times in Novi Sad -- 10/07/06
The EXIT festival opened last week in Novi Sad. [Davor Konjikusic]
The "State of EXIT" -- the youngest and smallest nation in the Balkans -- opened its gates to more than 100,000 young people for the sixth time Thursday (6 July). For four days, the city of Novi Sad and the otherwise tranquil Petrovaradin fortress were living a completely different life, one of bands, DJs, youth and no sleep.
With 600 artists and more than 35,000 visitors on opening night, it is clear that after six years the festival has managed not only to sustain a high level of interest but to become one of the biggest parties in Europe.
It has something for everyone, including headliners like Franz Ferdinand, Morrissey, Cult, the Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol and HIM, not to mention world-famous DJs like Dave Clarke, Jeff Mills and Derrick May.
The two biggest stages, Main Stage and Dance Arena, were crowded until the sun rose above the Danube. Dedicated fans also took up positions on the Metal Hammer, Blues and Reggae, and Fusion stages. The latter, hosting mainly performers from the Balkans, was the third most popular.
There, former Yugoslav connections were stronger than they are outside the festival. In general, the most popular singers and bands were from Croatia, and the most visited and successful ones were Darko Rundek, Let 3 and Massimo Savic.
At daylight, the fun continued around the famous EXIT camp and the nearby riverbank. Armed with tonnes of water, bathing suits and sunglasses, people danced around the beach stage all day long. When they got tired, they looked for shelter in the shade of large trees and slept on the ground. At night, it was back to Petrovaradin for more fun, music and friendship.
Foreigners who came to the festival say they were thrilled with the relaxed and friendly approach of Serbian young people. Though the exact figures are not yet available, early impressions suggest there were many Britons (more than 2,000), Germans and Dutch, as well as visitors from remote places such as Australia. But at EXIT, it's not about being a foreigner or a Serb. This is a "state" with no boundaries.
Certainly the festival is known for its social context. It is an NGO-friendly event and welcomes organisations that promote the "Exit philosophy" and issues such as anti-racism, anti-xenophobia, the push for visa-free travel, and free movement of peoples. This year, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn paid a visit, gaining a chance to see what many consider "Serbia's most beautiful side".
Serbs, meanwhile, got a chance to see Rehn's more easygoing side. He played in a football match at the EXIT camp, and lost to the home team, 3-0.
In addition to Rehn, Serbian President Boris Tadic, Novi Sad Mayor Maja Gojkovic and Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic were on hand.
Of the featured bands, one of the most popular was Franz Ferdinand. They ruled the fortress on the first night, with more than 20,000 fans cheering their every move. The band is named for the Austrian prince who was shot in Sarajevo in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip, sparking World War I.
Among the many anecdotes from this year's festival, one of the most memorable concerns the legendary Smiths ex-singer, Morrissey, who blanked out on some of his own lyrics during his show on the second day. The crowd, though, hadn't forgotten them.
"Finally someone knows the words of my songs!" Morrissey shouted. "The EXIT audience is for real!"
http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/07/10/feature-02
