Touring Romania
Published on
Story by
Doru Francescu
The Rolling Stones, The Prodigy, Alice Cooper, Marylin Manson, Reammon, Pink, Muse, The Pussycat Dolls, Shakira...No, it’s not my blog’s playlist, but these are just few of the bands that have been touring our country this glorious year of 2007 and by doing so, they’ve added Romania on the map and on the touring agenda of other famous musicians.
Although most of the concerts and festivals were held in the capital, other important cities hosted concerts and gathered thousand of people, Romanians and foreigners, having different tastes for music genres.
For making a better impression that I’m not babbling around and about, here is a shortlist of our singing visitors.
Bucharest has been blessed this year with most of them. It hosted 2 huge festivals and several concerts. The Coke Live Festival held on an Island of fun, named Lacul Morii, gathered bands like The Prodigy, Incubus, The Rasmus, The Cult, Il Nino, Macy Gray, The Pussycat Dolls and some Romanian groups - Iris, Zob, EMIL, Coma. The main-stage measured over 300mp, the sound editing system reached 300.000W, with excess of ultra-bass requested by The Prodigy. All the technique, with the multiple lights and projectors, gigantic screens and sky-roses were all designed after the model of the famous European festival Roskilde.
A week after, between 29 June – 1st of July, followed B’Estival, three mad days full of unlimited fun and a shows, when more then 20 world-known artists came on stage, mesmerizing over 50.000 people. It has been really interesting to see rockers and rappers, children, youth and grown ups hanging together. I’m only going to mention (with excuses for all the other forgotten performers) Kasabian, Reammon, Pink, Faithless, Morcheeba, Wu Tang Clan, Hooverphonic, Yonderboy, Gabriel Rios, Alice Cooper and Marylin Manson – the last two made an onstage duet in premier...world premier that is!
The Rolling Stones must have been the summer’s attraction. On July 17th , the scene from the national stadium Lia Manoliu, the largest stadium in Romania, has been compared with a 5 floor building– a 60 m length opening, a depth of 17 m and 21 m height, weighting 200 tones and assembled by a group of 300 persons.
A hypnotic concert was given by Muse a few weeks ago, on October 8th in front of 10.000 alternative rock lovers. The Muse show was just like on MTV – explosive, powerful, with live and animated projections, graphic effects, colons of smoke and huge balloons filled with confetti.
Bucharest also humped and jumped and singed on Pet Shop Boys, Tori Amos, Tarkan and RBD.
Sibiu, the lovely medieval city in the heart of Transilvania, was this year at his 2nd edition of the Art Mania Festival when, during three days, rock icons gave their best show ever: Within Temptation, Anathema, Haggard, The Gathering, Tarot, My Dying Bride.
Targul Mures held the 5th Peninsula Festival, known as the little “brother” of the well known Sziget Festival. Translated in numbers, the festival had 4 big stages, a budget of 700.000 E, over 100 musical productions, about 200 non-musical productions, an almost impeccable organising, and more important, international bands: Theatre of Tragedy, Kosheen, Gogol Bordello, The Exploted, Locomotiv GT, Booze Brothers, but also many Romanian bands – Cargo, Directia 5, OCS, Phoenix, Zdob si Zdub.
It is a shame if, as a rock lover, you could not be in Vama Veche – a near the sea location – were Stufstock, at its 5th edition brought, during 4 days in august, bands with an international impact: Toy Dolls (GB), The Dandy Warhols, Defunkt (SUA), Last Hope (Bg), Sunshine (Ch), Klimt 1918 (It), Farfarello (Ger), our basarabian neighbours: Zdob si Zdub, ExNN, Trigon. Also, we had witness some new sounds, like indie rock, the post-punk and the new wave brought by The Mood, The Amsterdams, The Mushroom Story, Vive La Noiz.
Timisoara hosted the Latino rhythms of Shakira, who saw no impediment in obtaining the visa for Romania and performing in front of the fans who have been waiting her since ever.
Yet, the concerts season is far from over because we are expecting in October Deep Purple, The Chemical Brothers, Beyonce and in December Tiesto.
I’m counting down the days until next year’s festivals and concerts. And, since we began making a habit out of festivals and concerts, I hope I’ll be seeing you there, living through music!