Organised under the Sick of Ants collective, the second edition of the alternative event finally returns. Julian Galea – better known as LVX – gives Ramona Depares a sneak preview.
How was the idea for Sickfest! born and who are the people behind it?
The first edition was put together by myself, Daniele Manunta and Joseph Felice – all active on the local music scene. Back in 2012, Sickfest! was born out of the need to showcase the local indie rock scene.
Of course, we had to have a separate area to include our favourite pick of electronic artists as well. Since our first events in 2009, this fusion of rock and electronica has been our music policy consistently throughout all of our events and, perhaps, that’s what unites us as a collective.
This year’s festival is curated by myself; Emerson Vella is our sound guru; Carl Caruana (aka Bleeding Data) is in charge of the visual aspect; while Matthew Cardona (paragraf) is behind the branding and design. We also worked with the support of Alternative Hairdressing, XFM 100.2, Antonios Barber Shop and Guy Lee Tattoo Famlee.
How did you decide to resuscitate the idea after the first edition some years ago?
After the first edition of the festival we had a lot of positive feedback, with over 600 attendees – so, you’d think a second edition the following year should have been a no brainer.
But we all got tied down with different personal ambitions and we never really got round to it. Daniele and I actually put Sick of Ants, the name under which Sickfest! and our other events operate, on hold for some time, to concentrate on booking electronic artists instead.
The usual rock’n’ roll anthems will not go amiss
Last March we decided to put the contacts we’ve established in the electronic scene to good use and book shoegaze/electronic duo The KVB as a treat for my own birthday. This band appealed more to the previous crowd we were catering for with Sick of Ants, so we decided to get the ball rolling again. People actually requested another edition of Sickfest! after seeing us getting involved in Sick Of Ants again, so we felt compelled to deliver.
How would you describe the concept – what makes it different?
We are very finicky with our music policy and won’t just book a band to get the numbers. Each band or artist performing at the festival requires an open mind and mutual respect for contemporary rock and the electronic realm. Basically, if avant-garde alternative rock / electronica is your thing, the festival will be right up your street. And, as our choice of event name may reveal, we like to keep things as fun as possible… the usual rock ‘n’ roll antics never go amiss and crowdsurfing is practically a requirement.
Which acts do you have lined up for this year and how did you go about picking them?
Bark Bark Disco, Fabricka, Robert Farrugia, Naangs, Kill The Action, Bila, The Velts, Clandestines, Beesqueeze, Pyramid Suns and Ferret, which will be debutting during the event.
There was a rigorous selection process and we had to base it on genre relevance and gig proximity to keep things a bit exclusive. We had other bands that we also wanted to include, but not enough time. But hey, perhaps, we will extend the festival to a two-day event next year.
You roped in Clandestines for a one-off reunion – how did you pull this off?
I love these kids! Their debut gig five years ago was at one of our events and they just blew us away. So, when I was selecting the bands I proposed the idea to frontman Daniel Abdilla and he was well up for it. He is currently busy with other projects, but has found time along with the other band members Samuel and Kurt to brush up on their old songs and put together a few new ones as well. We are very excited to have them again.
What made you pick this particular venue?
Beachaven offers a glorious panorama for a daytime event and people can also have a dip in the sea between bands, while listening to our DJs on the terrace. The indoor area boasts one of the most powerful air-conditioning systems I’ve ever basked under, so this makes it an ideal location for a hot summer’s day.
What are your thoughts about the alternative scene in Malta?
It’s a very rich scene for such a small demographic. Bands don’t tend to imitate each other as much as other foreign bands would, and that’s probably one of the pros of having such a small, tightknit scene. The whole DIY recording revolution has meant that people are now recording their own songs, making it easier to put themselves out there for exposure. Migrating to other cities just to make it in the industry has now become irrelevant… just as long as you have something fresh on offer and are a bit tech-savvy.
What makes a good alternative festival in your opinion?
Variety is paramount. Having the right amount of bands, fusing styles and complementing each other throughout the day, is just brilliant. Then, obviously, we are all up for a good laugh, and a little bit of banter goes a long way as well.
What is the biggest challenge in putting Sickfest! together?
The biggest challenge is always going to be putting it all together – literally so. I’m not too keen on setting up the stage and backline for soundcheck or calibrating projections and so forth. It’s going to be a long day on the 14th and, thankfully, I’ve got Emerson and Carl (among others) who will be lending a hand to set up and dismantle the festival.
Would you say that interest in these kind of events is picking up?
Definitely. More people are exposing themselves to contemporary rock music on YouTube, Spotify and even local radio stations such as XFM.
What is next for Sick of Ants?
We are just going to take it a step at a time, but what’s sure is that we won’t be making the same mistake of neglecting this scene after the festival is over. We’ve got some very special foreign acts that we would like to book for a show in Malta, similar to The KVB back in March. So I can confidently say that my next few birthday parties are going to be absolutely awesome!
Sickfest takes place on August 14 at Beachaven, Xemxija. Bands start playing from 4pm onwards. Tickets are available online from shop.trackagescheme.com and from Ġugar in Valletta; Alternative Hairdressing in B’Kara; Antonio’s Barber Shop in Balzan; and Guy Lee Tattoo Familee Malta in Mellieħa.