Budapest not Bucureşti...or...

From the eternally fascinating series: Stuff one finds on the Körút

Sziget Minus Seven

                                                           Friday,  23:30, A38 Stage

Sziget always had a great love for all things French, from macarons to, erm, mudcakes. It sometimes seems that the main reason why most French people choose Sziget is to be able to carelessly run around, scantily dressed, covered in thick layers of mud from head to toe. Then scare the bejesus out of more formal minded Sziget dwellers with LE HUGS. That night when I almost rolled off a muddy hill swept away by an incessant stream of French Yann Tiersen fans sliding down in elation will forever be etched in my mind as le absolute Ziget horreur. Mind you, even during the dustiest Szigets there is a mud pool in the French area. (A Ziget miracle?!) This being said, I should expect Woodkid fans to be slighlty more on the sophisticated side, just like Monsieur Woodkid himself. For God’s sake, the man inspired a Dior collection. Is there still le hope in zis world? We shall see.

Sziget Minus Eight

                                                     Saturday, 17:45, Main Stage

Missed out on the Editors the first time around for reasons beyond my control (unlike MGMT, I missed them because, uhm, well, I have no idea what I was doing while they were playing, but I assume I was on a spritzer terrace, or something). So good to know they're back, with a new album, which got some mixed reviews, but I did enjoy it nevertheless and I look forward to hearing it live. 

Photographer's OCD

I might have taken this exact shot before, maybe several times. So did everybody else, judging by the amount of people with photographic devices ranging from phones to i-pads (will once slap someone over the had with one of those when they're blocking my shot) I had to dodge yesterday on the bridge. But sunsets, especially over the Danube, are like poison. Can't help them. Thank God I'm more restrained with sunrises, for the mere reason that I'm in bed most of the time when they happen.

Space Invaders

Madách Square Budapest

Sziget Minus Nine

                                     
                                                        Wednesday,  23:30,  A38 Stage
              

                                                                        

A38 at midnight can be a tad harsh on your system after a full day of festival madness, but given that this will be only Wednesday, it might just work out. It's a slot that gave me the amazing White Lies, so complain I shall not. This year's Sziget is a bit poorer than last year when it comes to British delights, which makes Bat for Lashes even more unmissable. 

Morning on Paulay Ede street

Someone's negatives and family album lay scattered on Paulay Ede street on a hot Friday morning

Cannot help but wonder how they got there, and why

Hungaroring Weekend

Hungaroring is traditionally one of the hottest circuits of the year- not necessarily in a racing sense, since it's notoriously difficult for overtakes, but the weather in late July- early August tends to be as scorching as it ever gets in Budapest. Maybe that's why Kimi can't go past second. Though he could simply think of it as  90 minutes in a sauna. 

A sauna it is for most of the spectators too, and a hot loud hell for those who can't afford the costlier seats above the paddocks. Getting there is one thing, but returning in the evening is a task for the greatest masters of survival. So, to sum it up, you queue in the morning for the bus, you trample over vast fields of wild vegetation and the occasional horse manure, you enter a cauldron of hot air, go deaf for several hours and arrive at the brink of insanity when you really can't tell Kimi and Grosjean apart after lap five. Then look for a spot of shade (moderately possible) and good beer (out of the question). And at the end you check your smartphone (or if you're a technological Neanderthal as myself, text your friends) to find out who won cause the loudspeaker is killed off by the demented cry of the arriving cars.

If you think this sounds like visiting a circle in Dante's hell, I can confirm you are correct. So, you wonder, is it worth it? Oh yes, every damn excruciatingly hot, stinky and loud second of it.

Sziget Minus Ten

                                              Thursday, 21:30, World Music Stage

He's going up against Biffy Clyro on the Main Stage- they would be an interesting experiment, especially since their Hungarian/Eastern European following is basically non-existent, so hopefully the Brits will drink just enough spritzers to allow them to show up for the concert. However, Rachid Taha is a Sziget classic, for who can forget an Arab man clambering around in a rather, erm, illumintated state and belting out the kind of songs that will make any decent festival crowd sway with delight. 

Szigets of (Not So Old): 2012 Part 2

Senseless Sziget classic: being chased by two giant sized pigeons

 .

               No Sziget without a bride and her beer. Mr Kusturica below approves                       

Emir Kusturica feeling quite at home on Sziget. He'll be back this year too.   

                                           
  

 Being comfortable during the afternoon concerts saves your energies for later

                                                         

So later you can dance

                

   Taking Sziget very seriously indeed.

He still has unfinished monkey business. The Stone Roses

Wild Beasts

     The XX feeling quite out of place in the daylight. But then mercifully darkness came.

          

Food, Glorious Sziget Food

-the king and queen of all Sziget food: the hot dog cooked on lava stones. Sadly missing from last year’s offerings, lost half a day wandering around aimlessly in a state of growing despair looking for an elusive stand. Alas, to no avail. For whom it may concern: the „American” hot dog with that measly sprinkling of grilled onions and the anemic pickles just does not live up to the standard. The real deal has a giant sausage prepared on the above mentioned stones and several juicy garnishings to choose from, which enables the creation of a food monster that will leave a trail of destruction, ketchup stains and discarded cabbage leaves in it’s wake.

-the classics: corn on the cob, of course and lángos. There used to be an oily trap right next to the main stage which could set your whole day on a greasy orbit of unhealthy food and beer to wash it down with.

-the foreigner honey trap: kürtös kalács, marketed occasionally as chimney cake. Guaranteed to save your life if an act is so bad your blood sugar levels drop. Trust us, it can happen.

-the legend: back in the day, when the Sziget dinosaurs were young and restless, there used to be an infamous Krishna tent, known mainly for two things: the incessant hum of Krishna Krishna Hare Krishna being belted over varying genres of music and free food. A bit uncooked yes, weird spices and all, queing with strangers in different states of festival „hygiene”, but freeeee. Don’t ask me about the taste though, I’d rather not remember.

-burger of the beast: yes indeed, for some years Sziget’s been having it’s very own McDonalds restaurant. Strategically placed close to the party tent to cater for those coming exclusively to check the latest trendy DJ and to be shunned by pretty much everybody else.But since we are one big loving family, no one shall be left unattended to.

-drink yourself happy: due to its sponsorship deals Sziget always has a rather strict list of available beverages: THE soda family, THE beer and THE energy drink. This might mean joy to some, sorrow to others, but such complaints are compensated for with the cocktails (served by the bucket), the ubiquitous Sziget spritzers and fény. Hungary’s very own claim to fame in the contest for the most mind boggling concoctions known to man, fény (light) was invented on hot summer nights by Balaton, and is basically fruit juice (raspberry and elderflower are the usual suspects) blown into orbit with sparkling vodka.

-the international section: another strategic placement, for the past few years it was parked right behind the main stage area, so even those who’ve wandered in for the headliner can find it without much trouble.Usually you can trip into at least a Mexican, an Indian, a Serbian and a...Transylvanian stand ( we will politely glide over the fact that Transylvania isn’t really a country, but oh well) and if the meat with meat and a bit more of greasy meat might be somewhat hard on your stomach, the pálinka bar is safely tucked into a corner eagerly awaiting to help your digestion over some rough patches.

-and the, if you feel particularly wild, a touch of delicious...well...testicle stew.

Sziget Stuff to be Excited About This Year: Franz Ferdinand

They are back after a longish hiatus with one of those songs of theirs, which, pun intended, will take you out. To the festival to see them again. And who knows, maybe Alex will feel inspired and write some sound bites about Budapest too this time around.

Alex Kapranos- Sound bites from Around the World

Let's Welcome Back One of the Good Ones:Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

There are bands that never grow old, just better. And each new album is a new joy. And each new concert sends shivers of excitement up your spine. There she goes, my beautiful world.

Sziget Stuff to be Excited About This Year (and a bit of a Sziget Romance): Enter Shikari

You know him: your mate who comes to Sziget then promptly disappears into some odd little tent to check out a suspicious act with a suspicious name then return raving that he's found the Holy Grail. He does that every year and you keep telling yourself that one day you should join him, but never do. Then a hole shows up in your schedule (oh noes, the sworn enemy of all Germanic minded festival goers) and you say why the hell not. After all, NME did write about them. And NME was very very right to write about them, for Enter Shikari are as fun as they are intense and I can't think of any other odd little tent I'd be in than the one they'll be playing this year. Like, uhm, the Main Stage.

                                        

Sziget Stuff to be Excited About This Year: Empire of the Sun

They have THE summer song of the year (bar that almost obnoxious one from Daft Punk, who are obnoxiously not playing it live.Which is very French. And obnoxious of them.) And actually this one is by far the most festivally. It kind of has the sound of that sunny afternoon when your biggest trouble in the world is balancing your beer so you don't spill it on a randomly sleeping Dutchman and deciding which weirdly named band to check out in some tent you might or might not be able to locate. I say go for the Australians!

Szigets of (Really Not So) Old: 2012 Part 1

Decked out in lights

Anna Calvi

                                                     Before I die...50 more Szigets :)

                                                                              dEUS

                                                   
                                                                       Friendly Fires

                                                                   Glasvegas

Navigating Sziget is not always easy business. One has to come prepared.

   Maximo Park

                                                                           Placebo

                                           

Romanian Party with Blue Nipple Boy

                                            

                                                    At the end of the long hard Sziget day

Sziget Stuff to be Excited About This Year: The Wheel

The Wheel debuted last year and what a ride that was. The only thing that can make a LMFAO concert an unforgettable experience is THAT view and occasionally being lifted just high enough to drown the noise out.

Right now the wheel is parked in pretty much the coolest spot of the city: best ice cream, best spritzer and best panorama. Yay. All that's missing is the music. But not for long.

A Sziget Romance: White Lies

Well I always liked the White Lies, even before they made it to Sziget. But the first time I saw them did not seem overly promising: late at night, tent packed, hot and sweaty, previous act delayed for what seemed like eternity and a day. As the boys put it themselves: death...

Incidentally, whenever my plane takes off, I hum to myself "could there be love beneath these wings". But there I was, late at night, my buddies grumpy and I was thinking maybe this is not going to work. But it did, oh how it did. There are some bands that just sound BIG as a jumbo jet on the smallest of stages and White Lies surely does. 

When they came back as headliners, though, some people felt they were just not big enough for a last night at a major festival. They more than compensated for that by the sheer happiness of being here and being the ones to close the ball. If any of the acts who played Sziget's main stage are to remember it particularly fondly, White Lies are one for sure. 

They're not in the line up for this year, but they do have a new (pretty awesomish sounding) album out soon, so Budapest is waiting. with our arms wide open.