2013 has been outstanding concert-wise but who would have guessed that 2014 would be even better? Of course that’s what I had hoped but knowing that it wasn’t an easy task I was slightly reticent. But then came The Liberation-Indie Nation (indie-nation.org), a website of indie culture based in Geneva, which sent me to loads of concerts and festivals as a free-lance journalist. This was all I ever dreamed of! Thanks to The Liberation I also had the chance to do my first interviews with artists and bands, needless to say that I had a blast, but let’s look back to what happened in order.
I started off the year by seeing Poliça at Les Docks in Lausanne, it was mine and my sister’s coup de foudre of the previous summer and proved to be amazing once more. Then in February, The Liberation sent me to cover Haim‘s concert at Härterei in Zürich, new venue for me and a great band which I was glad to see once again. On March 23rd I saw Bastille again in Malley, another memorable performance by this great band. Then off with some good old rock n’ roll, dancing all night with The Baseballs at Les Docks on April 30th, an incredible show topped with 77 Bombay Street as a surprise guest. At the end of May I flew to London to see my beloved Arctic Monkeys at Finsbury Park along with Miles Kane, Tame Impala and Royal Blood. I made amazing discoveries and I finally saw The Last Shadow Puppets live as Alex Turner and Miles Kane joined to play “Standing Next To Me”. I had also a taste of a British open air festival, with sunshine and rain, of course.
Once back in Switzerland I started covering the summer festival season for The Liberation-Indie Nation with Caribana Festival in Nyon. A small but really good quality festival featuring big bands like Queens Of The Stone Age and Pixies. There I had the chance to interview, among others, Blood Red Shoes and Kodaline. After Caribana Festival, on June 9th, I headed to Zürich to see Kings Of Leon at Hallenstadion. A beautiful gig despite the fact that the band seemed to be rushed and barely talked to the audience. While I was working at the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, on Saturday 28 June I attended the Nuit des images, a big event organized by the museum. Besides photography and other great activities this event hosted also a double performance by Duck Duck Grey Duck. In the afternoon, they delighted the public with an acoustic set in the gardens and later at night they released all their energy, spreading their colourful notes into the pouring rain.
Kodaline & me after the interview at Caribana Festival, 5 June 2014
At the beginning of July I ventured myself to the huge Roskilde Festival, in Denmark for my very first festival outside Switzerland. It was an amazing experience and luckily I went with a Danish friend who knew it well and enjoyed my time with the locals. There I saw many music icons like The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder. Not to forget the mind-blowing surprise ending with Jack White and his band! Roskilde was immense in every way.
When I made my way back to Switzerland my long festival marathon continued. I went to see The Animen, an amazing Swiss indie-rock band, at the Festival de la Cité, in Lausanne where also Reptile Youth, a Danish rock band was playing. I saw Babyshambles at Montreux Jazz Festival with their unpredictable frontman Pete Doherty. Their opening act Von Pariahs was one of the greatest discoveries of my music summer. The day after, I went back after three years to one of my very favourite festivals in Switzerland: Gurtenfestival in Bern. Being back there was like finding myself at home again, I was familiar with most of the bands as well, I saw Kodaline and Bastian Baker for the second time in a few months. One of the most memorable gigs at Gurtenfestival was that of Franz Ferdinand, as the Scots’ energy was incredibly contagious at the point that the audience started entertaining the band by sitting down and doing the wave. I also saw Family Of The Year and Mighty Oaks which were part of the indie-folk soundtrack of the summer.
Bastian Baker & me after the interview at Caribana Festival, 6 June 2014
A few days break and then The Liberation sent me to cover the six days of concerts at Paléo Festival in Nyon. I’ve been going to Paléo every year since 2008 but this time I had the full experience of it as I could have a glimpse of the backstage as well. I saw 30 Seconds To Mars, The Black Keys, Stromae, Elton John, Cats On Trees and many many many others! I also interviewed Cats On Trees and Polar. On the 9th of August I went for the first time to Heitere Openair in Zofingen, where among others had a fun time seeing The Vad Vuc, an Irish folk band from Ticino, and the brilliant Stromae once more. In the mid of August I went back to Open Air Gampel after 6 (!) years, there I saw an outstanding performance by Mando Diao which I had seen 6 years before in the very same place. Like back then it was memorable! I also made some great discoveries like Hozier and Clean Bandit; and enjoyed some hard rock and metal with Skindred and Volbeat. In Gampel I also had fun interviewing two great Swiss bands: YOKKO and Pegasus. I topped the bill and ended the summer with yet another new festival for me: For Noise Festival in Pully, where I interviewed Siôn Russell Jones and saw Beirut. A great end to an amazing summer of festivals. But I must admit I could barely stand at a concert after this long series of festivals.
On September 6th I headed to Bern for NRJ Air a free (yes free!) event held at the huge Stade de Suisse hosting Kodaline, Jan Oliver, Pegasus and other artists. It was really cool and colourful. From the 19th to the 21st of September I attended the 6th edition of Label Suisse, a free festival entirely dedicated to Swiss music which takes place every two years in the beautiful Lausanne. It’s pretty cool because it’s the city in which I live so the festival is right next door! This year it hosted more than 100 bands across seven venues: D!Club, Le Bourg, Les Docks, Le Romandie, EJMA, Church of St. François and last but not least the open-air stage on the Place Centrale. I saw some new acts like the talented Anna Aaron and danced a lot to the addictive rock n’ roll sound of Mama Rosin. Robin Girod, the singer of the latter band also happens to be the singer of Duck Duck Grey Duck, that I saw earlier in the Summer. Both bands are really cool! I saw The Animen again and I had a blast as usual, they even played some new songs for their next album that I’m really looking forward to!
Jan Oliver & me after the interview @ Caribana Festival, 7 June 2014
After the summer festivals it wasn’t over as I spent the autumn covering concerts for The Liberation, mostly at Les Docks, where, among others I saw The 1975 and The Notwist. On November 11 I ventured myself to yet another new venue, Ebullition in Bulle, where I interviewed and saw Maybeshewill, a mind-blowing post-rock band. Their support band Flood Of Red was also a great discovery! I also had the chance to see the mighty Ben Howard once more, this time at X-Tra Club in Zürich supported by the very talented Jack Garratt. Ben Howard presented his last album I Forget Where We Were and his gig was an absolute treat! I ended the year by seeing a mind-blowing performance by Mighty Oaks at Les Docks and with two tiny but great gigs at La Cave du Bleu Lézard in Lausanne featuring Samaris, Evelinn Trouble and Jordan Klassen. Check them out if you don’t know them yet!
I’m curious to see what awaits me music and concert-wise in 2015… I hope there will be lots of new and old bands, and of course more interviews and concert coverage with The Liberation! Thanks to my newer and older concert buddies who shared with me these great moments, here’s to hope that you’ll be up front with me also in 2015 🙂
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