Do you remember those times, when you were little and you kept improvising tents in your bedroom? Using blankets and umbrellas and what not? Well, years have passed, I grew up, bought myself a real tent and went abroad with it (after sleeping one night in it, in my own bedroom, for the sake of the good old days). So yeah, I set up my tent in my own bedroom before embarking on this wonderful journey. Because it really was a wonderful journey, despite the downside of mixing work with travel.
Sziget Fesztival 2013 and its Island of Freedom was an experience which I’ll forever remember as a milestone, professionally and personally wise. Six days, on my own, in an international environment. My very first international experience. Ha ha, great place to start such a thing.
I’m not quite the bullet type of writer, but I’d rather keep most of these memories to myself because they are truly special and since I’m a very selfish human being, I don’t want to share them with anybody, haha. So I’ll briefly state the goodies and not so goodies from a photographer’s/journalist’s point of view (also):
- having daily deadlines prevents you from actually enjoying the shows if you want to cover as many of them as possible (there are literally dozens of shows every day, all of them at the same time)
- you’ll pass through almost one week of junk food and few hours of sleep, haha
- failing to get a pass for your favorite bands can be a major mood breaker (it happens when there is more than one publication representing your home country; it depends on how large the publication you are working for is)
- there are literally dozens of shows every day!
- people are really friendly, thus making friends will be the last thing to worry about
- international environment, which is awesome
- dozens of bands from around the world (for eg., these are the ones I saw: Alex Clare, Bat for Lashes, Chase & Status, Flogging Molly, Hoffmaestro, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Skunk Anansie, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Bad Religion, Psycho Mutants, Regina Spektor, Ska-P, Wax Tailor, !!!, Blur, Mystery Jets, Peter Bjorn & John, Seeed, Woodkid, Editors, Enter Shikari, Mika (bleah, hate that guy), Parov Stelar, Stoned – 100% Rolling Stones, Franz Ferdinand, Katy B, Les Tambours du Bronx, The Cribs, Zaz and David Guetta) and there were plenty more, haha
- international cuisine, ferris wheel, sling seats, beach, bungee-jumping, circus acts, street theater and lots of booze
- the logistic is amazing (from food boutiques to safe deposits, charge-up spots, toilets and showers)
- stages, tents, pubs and arenas with a large variety of music genres
- the island never sleeps
And that’s what I can remember right now. I took a lot of photographs, didn’t have time to make a selection of my favorite ones, but I saved some time to choose a couple for my soon to be exhibition (I hope). So, here they are:
Sziget Eye. The 60+ meter Ferris Wheel.
From Sziget, with love. (in front of the main stage)
Soap bubble guy
Before I die… wall
Color party in front of the main stage
two happy chicks
untitled – my favorite shot
main stage and surroundings
street theater
our beloved country’s flag
ending show with David Guetta
some sort of pillow fight in A 38 tent
*not a single fuck given* chick
And this is just a glimpse of it, not taking into consideration the concert photos. So yeah, it was pretty awesome. Self pat on the back, ‘Good job, dude, good job’.
Băiatul din IR 1732 