With Canada's population density and short summers, it's no surprise that music festivals in Canada cannot generate the crowd and present the same quality of artists that can be done in Europe. We have a lot of heart in Canada and festivals back home are equally about the festival community as they are the music. However, I am taking advantage of my year abroad to attend the Urban Art Forms festival - the entire set list of this festival is equivalent to every drum and bass DJ coming to Calgary in the next 3 years.
All in attendance: Jason and Kristen
The festival is held this year next to the Schwarzlsee Lake in Graz, Austria's second biggest city after Vienna. It is such a luxury to board a night train and then take a short 15 minute bus ride to the festival ground. Good tunes and good dancing started on that night train from Zurich to Graz and did not stop until the ride home. No need to drive 10+ hours like back home - festivals are all rail/bus accessible!
Jason and I waited in the hot and humid line up to get in after arriving to the site. The most apparent difference between this festival and the festivals I have been to back home is the lack of people in outrageous costumes. But what this festival lacks in costumes, it makes up in alcohol consumption.
All shady spots by the lake were already taken by the time Jason and I arrived inside. We managed to find 4 French guys from Bordeaux and became good friends, good neighbours and most importantly, good dancing partners.
Festivals are usually held in the boonies in Canada so it felt really crazy to be able to take a 10 minute bus into town for shopping and supplies. Common to all German speaking countries, water here at the festival was more expensive than beer.
Highlights include:
- Blistering hot days spent snoozing by the lake
- Working plumbing bathrooms and free showers
- Incredible line up of artist
- Hospitality stage
- Yelling HELGA throughout the festival
- Chilling out by the Beach Stage
- Sunrise at the Minimal Stage
- Knowing enough German to make good acquaintances and enough French to make friends
- Jason and I surviving on a diet of olives, pickles and energy drinks
- Pushing through the Drum and Bass stage which was indoors and an excruciating +45°C
- Insane Austrian heat
Graz is incredibly ornate but this is no surprise since ornate buildings seem to be the Austrian way. We walked up to the Schlossberg - a castle with a great city view. Graz also has a lot of unique contemporary architecture including its Kunsthaus and Mur River Wooden Bridge.
Feeling pretty dazed, Jason and I decided to kill time by watching a movie. Choosing a simple movie is key when watching it dubbed in a language that you only sort of know. We chose The Amazing Spiderman which was the perfect level of understanding for A2 German. They also have crazy North American soda pop sizes too.
And then it was a long night train ride until arriving in Zurich on Monday morning and then setting off to work.
