It was first staged two years ago and, despite the original intention not quite being that of putting on a music festival, it somehow ended up as such.
“The idea at the time,” admits founder and organiser Nick Morales, “was to actually book some gigs for Italian band Aim, one of which was to be at Zion in Marsascala.”
With the help of Keith Decelis (from Bass Culture) that particular date morphed into an all-day, six-band event – Rock The South – that drew quite a crowd.
“We were very pleased with the response, so I thought of staging a second edition the following year.”
Morales, who plays in several local bands himself, admits he likes to think big and thought to expand the 2013 edition into a two-day event featuring 16 live acts.
Once again, the attendance was overwhelming; a clear show of support by the public that this festival was offering something that wasn’t available elsewhere on the island.
Possibly one of the most significant characteristics about Rock The South is its refusal to confine itself to just one genre. The two editions to date have featured a variety of music styles, all of them with a rather alternative element at their core.
“Well, you could say that its roots are largely rock-orientated,” Morales remarks, “but having said that, we have had an interesting selection of bands playing different kinds of guitar music.”
Indeed they have, but as he points out, the 2014 edition will see that variety branch out even further.
“This year, we’ve added another day to make it a full weekend event, and after the positive response to Sempliċiment tat-Triq’s performance last year, we’ve also brought in more hip hop.”
The first night will, in fact, have one of the festival’s two stages dedicated to hip hop acts, as well as a Battle of the MCs. “Maltese hip hop has been gaining ground in recent years, so apart from the live acts, we felt it would also be a good idea to offer a platform for budding rappers to come forward.”
Possibly one of the most significant characteristics about Rock the South is its refusal to confine itself to just one genre
The winner gets to record a track for free at Foreface Studios; anyone interested should send an e-mail to rockthesouthmalta@gmail.com by Friday.
Hip hop aside, the festival will also feature folk, ska, dub, punk and indie music, collectively underlining the event’s pronounced inclination towards alternative music.
Further to the several genres on offer, Rock The South 2014 is possibly the biggest festival of its kind to ever be staged in Malta, with some 30 confirmed acts to date. Surely, this must cause a logistical headache?
“Not really,” Morales promptly replies. “It’s really a matter of getting the ball rolling, and once the bands start to come on board, then they all pitch in and do their bit.”
He does add that occasionally one still has to nudge the odd band or artist to meet their deadlines, “but being the event co-ordinator it’s my job to keep it all together, I suppose”.
Other than the local acts, this year sees the participation of at least seven acts that are flying in for the festival.
Besides this being the longest edition of the festival, this year the organisers have also upped the ante in the number of featured foreign acts, namely DJ Brozer from France, garage punk trio Cut and guitarist Anna Mancini from Italy, and Norwegian singer-songwriter Nordgarden.
The other three acts are actually Maltese artists who are based abroad: Dana McKeon and Canvas Wall in London and Troffa Ħamra y Los Mechones in Spain.
“Following last November’s successful Malta Takes London concert in King’s Cross, I was eager to have Canvas Wall and Dana perform at Rock The South,” Morales continues.
“As for Troffa Ħamra, when we got in touch, we realised that the band has released a new album, so it made sense to launch it during the festival.”
Local act Dripht, one of the bands Morales is a member of, will also be launching its latest EP at Rock The South.
“We’ve been meaning to launch it for the past year, but we kept postponing the date because of other more pressing commitments. Now I can safely confirm this time it is happening,” he laughs.
Punk band R.A.S. will also be launching something new during the festival; not a CD just yet, but the debut performance from the new line-up, now featuring Selene on vocals and Ġenżora Riot on bass.
The festival will also feature the debut performance from new band The Cosmic Erotic, the new project from some very familiar faces on the local scene.
“We also have one more band to announce as part of the Sunday line-up, but it’s a surprise. This will be their first live performance so we’re keeping it under wraps until the very last minute.”
Rock The South 2014 will be held at Zion Reggae Bar, Marsascala, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
www.facebook.com/rockthesouthmt
Rock The South 2014 line-up
April 11
Cut, Sempliċiment tat-Triq, The Violent Violets, Catcake, DJ Brozer, Chapter Zero & DJ Lockstock, Dana Mckeon, Rumbull, Squad 16, Battle of the MCs
April 12
Bass Culture Crew, Dripht, R.A.S, Brodu, Troffa Ħamra y los Mechones, Anna Mancini, Fellowfish, The New Victorians
April 13
Nordgarden, Divine Sinners, Milk Mi, Elevator Muzic, Canvas Wall, Jane Doe, The Cosmic Erotic, Joe Roscoe, No Snow/No Alps, Skimmed, Errormantics, The Velts