Some of the feedback to our current web survey requested more reviews and articles on the experiences of expats living in the city. Here are the rambling “highs and lows” of one expat at Sziget for the first time.
High – Sneaking in Booze
One bottle shoved in the boxers and another shoved between a strangely shaped toilet roll led to a less than comfortable walk from the train. Sadly, despite all this preparation there was no search – somehow one gate was left open as the security guard had nipped off to the toilet/for a cigarette/to watch a band. Hurray, hard liquor in the festival at ABC prices.
Low – Vietnamese Water Puppet Show
Was this recommended in Funzine? Sadly yes. We apologize for this because, let’s be honest, it was worse than James Blunt in concert. They pulled and pushed their puppets from side-to-side but they weren’t in time, and then they repeated the same action again and again and left a completely full hill of people completely bemused. I am sure this does not count as entertainment anywhere in the world, even in tiny Vietnamese villages where people still gather round on a Friday night to play “let’s put the hoop on the stick,” the Vietnamese are laughing at Sziget! And they made a small fortune selling boat loads of “authentic” headgear! Hats off to them for both.
High – Cheap Beer
At the risk of sounding like a philistine after slagging off “authentic Vietnamese culture” and sneaking in hard booze, we now turn to the beer. 390 HUF for 0.6 liters of beer. Brilliant, shame it was Arany Ászok though, and not something with flavor.
Low – REM
Based on what everyone else said. Only middle-aged people who sit at home on Friday nights talking about mortgage rates and changing the rugs in the hall actually watched this band (we hope); if anyone had even half a working ear then they would have been over at the World Music Stage where at the same time a Mr. Goran Bregović was showing us that old people can still be cool (take note Michael Stipe).
High – Goran Bregovic
Don’t you wish he was your granddad? He, as always, rocked very, very hard. Maybe Sziget organizers will realize that for a headline act, people want something they can dance to (not slit their wrists to). He played all the songs from the films that we like, all of the ones we could jump around to and he played them all with so much style and cool that we could almost forgive him for wearing a white suit.
Low – Anima Sound System
“Legends of the Hungarian music scene,” people said, “pioneers” others ventured. All of them failed to say, however, “suicide-inducing boring dance played by sad old men who jumped around like they are young and cutting edge but convinced no-one.” They won the “Tent Emptying Award” of the festival. “They used to be cool,” people said.
High – The Jewish Cultural Stall
If you wandered past the Jewish cultural stall on Saturday night, then you would have seen a mini-Jewstock in action. Some of the finest skull-capped men in Europe were banging away on old Casio keyboards and singing some god-awful pop songs with so much passion and fun that they made people dance like a tadpole under a magnifying glass on a hot day. Maybe the best band of the festival – they managed to draw a crowd of over 100.
Low – Idiotic Bar Man
Yes, we mean you little smug ugly man from the Mastercard Party Arena. Trying to charge foreigners more for beer than you should… and then refusing to serve them at all… and then trying to stop other members of the bar from serving them… this is not cool at all at an international festival. Learn some manners. Sorry for shouting at you so much, it must be hard being such a small man.
High – Acquaragia Drom
This Italian gypsy band played second to last on Saturday night and had the crowd in such a frenzy, that they were dragged back on stage after the lights were up. They looked completely overwhelmed by the crowd’s reaction, but they shouldn’t have been because they played gypsy music (with an Italian twist) with all the energy and passion that is meant to be played. Winner of the “Previously Undiscovered Gem” of the festival award.
Low – Hungarians
Not enough of them. Maybe organizers should think of making more affordable tickets next year.
High – Hungarians
They know how to party! All the too-cool-for-school Frenchies and the “lets drink 19 beers before we dance” English are pathetic. Meanwhile the Hungarians strut their stuff and waggle their booties like there’s no tomorrow. The rest of Europe salutes Hungary for teaching them how to have a good time…
Ian Cook