What is the idea behind Sinfest?

The idea is to create a three day, open-air festival that would appeal to both the local scene as well as the foreign markets. Malta has a lot of potential and I strongly believe that it should be marketed as part of the festival experience.

When did preparations start and what made you pick this particular venue?

Preparations have been going on for about two to three years. However, things kicked off in full just over a year ago, with promotion abroad as well as locally. The venue was chosen because of its picturesque history, as well as a courtyard which is big enough to house the big stage we have planned.

Who is performing, and what made you pick these particular bands?

There is a long list of bands that are performing, from new local sensations Grotium and HunderPrest, to the already known Bound to Prevail and Animamortua, all the way to the veterans Thy Legion and Martyrium.

If the festivals are done right, they will help the scene grow

Additionally, there is a whole list of foreign bands spanning from Chile, Greece, N. Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, UK and even Russia. The highlights of the festival would definitely be the headliners: the horror metal masters Carach Angren, the German Thrash band Necronomicon and the legendary Hecate Enthroned.

In not so recent years, people have become much more selective when it comes to which sub-genres they listen to or attend. The bands have been carefully selected to span a wide range of metal sub-genres, from Heavy to Symphonic, to the more extreme like Death, Black and Thrash. The festival is set up to be as varied as possible, so that it attracts visitors of different tastes.

Hecate Enthroned

Metal is a very niche area in Malta – do you think there is enough of a following?

You’re right, the scene is small and that brings about another set of problems, mainly how much the festival can afford to spend on big names based on the ticket sales. Without funding, a local festival can never afford bands like Metallica or Rammstein. But, in recent years, the scene has witnessed a big boost in big names coming to our island, mainly due to the organisers risking more. The local scene, albeit small, has a lot of passion and interacts very well with the performers. It’s not the first time that a band had words of praise for the local crowd.

Would you consider making this a regular event?

That was the plan from the start. Doing a festival like this for just one time is not feasible and, despite it being the first edition, we already had a lot of interest both locally and abroad.

What are the biggest challenges in making this festival a reality?

Definitely the technical logistics and costs. It being held in the open-air gives rise to a whole new level of difficulties, ranging from building a big, professional tailor-made stage to the most basic, electricity and backup. The costs involved are also enormous, but we are determined to give the public a show they won’t forget so easily.

Festivals are becoming more common in Malta nowadays. Would you say this helps the scene, or does it get saturated?

Honestly, if the festivals are done right, they will help the scene grow and I personally think many organisers are doing one hell of a job. The problems start cropping up when they’re too close to each other, or an organiser messes it up. If the dates are too close people will, of course, be selective on which to attend. There’s also the fact that it’s not just about getting the big names.

Those big names are used to certain conditions and standards. If those standards are not met, they will talk to their agents (which represent more bands) thus making it harder for other promoters/festivals to get bands from these agents. Quality will always win over quantity in my books.

SinFest Metal Festival takes place on May 4 at Corradino Old Military Prison, Paola. Tickets are available from www.showshappening.com.

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