Roadburn 2012: The Creature Stirs – Part 1

It was pretty intimidating to start working on Roadburn 2012. Why? This year’s festival went down as the best Roadburn ever. Bands, audience and press alike raved about the music and the vibe at Roadburn 2011. Bands spurred each other to deliver fantastic, highly acclaimed performances. Socially speaking, it was one big party. The unique camaraderie between everyone involved turned the 2011 edition into something to remember for a lifetime. Suddenly, it was no longer a rumor. Roadburn’s reputation as one of the world’s best and most laidback festivals to be experienced was confirmed.

The attention focused on Roadburn in the media – and by that I mean everything from print and broadcast media to the blogosphere, social networks and beyond — reached new heights, too. I have been overwhelmed by the countless glowing reviews, the radio shows, and all of the blogging, tweeting and inspiring forum discussions about the 2011 edition of the festival. To me, it felt like this was the year that the sum of Roadburn became greater than its parts.

This isn’t about organizing a festival anymore. Roadburn has become a home away from home for all of us — bands, fans and organizers alike. I have never experienced this as strongly as I did this year. Walking around the 013 venue or among the bars and restaurants around the corner, the Roadburn experience became something palpable. A living, breathing creature.

Roadburn is about making friends and sharing a love for psychedelic, avant-garde, doom and all sorts of other variations on far out sonic pleasures that push the boundaries of music. And in some cases film, art and literature, too.

How could this be so intimidating?

Roadburn 2012 is already rumbling. The living, breathing creature is stirring. Going over all of the various wish lists makes me nervous. Petrified. The typical loop tape inside my head goes something like this: “How can we top this year’s amazing line-up?” “Will it be possible to get all the bands that we have in mind?” “What does everyone want Roadburn 2012 to be?” “Is it even possible to continue Roadburn as it is?” “Can we make the Roadburn experience second to none?”

This is my reality, something I face everyday while working on the 2012 edition. It can be kind of intimidating for me, which I have been assured is natural. Still, I can’t help but get anxious from time to time. I sincerely want Roadburn 2102 to be as good as our previous festivals.

The music biz has changed dramatically since we started out. Even the underground has changed. In 2012 it will be even harder for underground bands to tour, and we simply don’t have the financial means to back tours or to help a dozen bands fly in just for the festival. I see so many suggestions for great cult bands that we can’t get to Roadburn and it really breaks my heart. I want to see them, too!

It’s also impossible to get some of the more well-established bands mentioned. Either they are way too big for Roadburn or they won’t be on tour next spring, or it just isn’t possible to get them involved.

The budget side is always a challenge. The new 13% tax increase on concert tickets here in the Netherlands is another harsh reality to face as it will affect ticket prices for us, too.

Roadburn isn’t a sponsored or corporate event; it’s a break-even festival and all tickets need to be sold. We will go to great lengths to help bands get to Roadburn within the power of our budget. We have to tell more bands and bookers nowadays that there isn’t a pot of gold stashed away. We’re all into this together, and we have to make it work together. It’s give and take from both sides.

I am happy to report that the line-up for Roadburn 2012 is starting to shape up very nicely. We have the headliner for the first night of the festival (Thursday, 12 April) lined up. We also have the overall festival headliner. And the curator! Not to mention several amazing bands. We will start announcing the first bands at the end of August or early September once the final details have been ironed out. Please bear with us; it will definitely be worth the wait.

Roadburn 2012 will include first timers as well as bands that have graced our stages before. Having witnessed their incredible shows during previous editions we couldn’t resist asking them back. The line-up will be nicely balanced. There will be various bands on tour during Roadburn season that will not be appearing at the festival; that’s just how it goes as we strive to keep blazing our unique artistic trail. In the end, Roadburn 2012 will be as amazing as ever before.

Welcome home!

Walter on behalf of Jurgen, the 013 venue and Roadburn.
(Thanks to Leslie Hadlock)

Tags: Roadburn, Roadburn 2012, Roadburn Festival, Roadburn Festival 2012

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 at 1:01 pm and is filed under 2011, Festival News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.