1) Can you please tell us a little bit about your festival ? When did it start ?
In fact, it's not really a festival, it's more a serie of different shows... Typically, I am organizing two or three bigger events a year, depending on the opportunity to get good headliners. This project started at the end of 2012, but I was preparing it since a very long time, by getting more and more experience and material in order to launch it as a serious thing from the very beginning. By the side, smaller gigs are also organized to promote the project and local (or not so local) bands.
2) What was your main motivation ?
It was a long-time dream, when I was younger and discovered metal, and precisely since my first concerts. I wished to become an actor on the metal scene, because I wasn't satisfied by the support I could bring as a spectator only... In fact, I wanted to live my passion thoroughly! My goal was, by using my own sound and light equipment, to bring big headliners in my area, and to give the opportunity to local bands from Tournai and Lille (these cities are very close, on the map and in my heart) to play as supports, in a family atmosphere and in the best possible technical conditions.
3) How difficult is it to organize a festival for you ? Did you have any help ?
I couldn't know I would spend so much time and energy in those organizations, and you have so many things to think about!! In my case, I am helped by some volunteers on the day of the event, but in fact I am almost alone to organize these festivals, so it's really not easy. And the most difficult is the fact your mind is never freed! Fortunately, I have a little help from some friends, sponsors and medias, good advices from some other organizations, and support from the bands.
4) How is the response so far ?
I have to say that I couldn't expect a better response from all bands and musicians which played on these festivals. It's great to see that we could meet their expectations! And I couldn't expect a better welcome from the local metal actors, too. They are truly supporting this project! For example, we are working together a lot with Lille's metal associations to promote each other events, and this works very well. But the main problem is the lack of audience... It would be great to make bigger things, but this implies a lot of fees, and you can lose a lot of money if not enough people are coming.
5) Any future plans for something new ?
My next festival on May 24th will be headlined by the polish power/symphonic metal band ''Pathfinder'', and I hope that this event will have an even more huge audience than usual! Then, I have some plans, but I don't know which ones will be realized... I would like to continue and to book more and more bands, but as I said I have to be careful for the moment. There are a lot of projects for the future, but there is no budget to realize them, not yet... I also have this big ''dream-project'' in my childhood's little village, but I prefer to keep it quite secret for the moment: one thing at a time...
6) Anything you want to add ?
Yes, I would like to say ''thank you''! Thanks to everyone supporting me and this project, to the local scene and all the people which I am working with. And thanks to you for this interview Karolina... When I booked Skeptical Minds to play on one of my events, I was sure to have a great show, but I couldn't expect to find such a beautiful friendship with the members and their wonderful singer.
7) Few words for our readers ?
Sure, I would like to ask them to come to my events... Seriously, I would like to encourage them to support their local (and not so local) scene, and to live their passion by going to the shows and festivals, to see the bands playing live because music is so much better lived in gigs than everywhere else. And keep believing in your dreams, whatever happens!
In fact, it's not really a festival, it's more a serie of different shows... Typically, I am organizing two or three bigger events a year, depending on the opportunity to get good headliners. This project started at the end of 2012, but I was preparing it since a very long time, by getting more and more experience and material in order to launch it as a serious thing from the very beginning. By the side, smaller gigs are also organized to promote the project and local (or not so local) bands.
2) What was your main motivation ?
It was a long-time dream, when I was younger and discovered metal, and precisely since my first concerts. I wished to become an actor on the metal scene, because I wasn't satisfied by the support I could bring as a spectator only... In fact, I wanted to live my passion thoroughly! My goal was, by using my own sound and light equipment, to bring big headliners in my area, and to give the opportunity to local bands from Tournai and Lille (these cities are very close, on the map and in my heart) to play as supports, in a family atmosphere and in the best possible technical conditions.
3) How difficult is it to organize a festival for you ? Did you have any help ?
I couldn't know I would spend so much time and energy in those organizations, and you have so many things to think about!! In my case, I am helped by some volunteers on the day of the event, but in fact I am almost alone to organize these festivals, so it's really not easy. And the most difficult is the fact your mind is never freed! Fortunately, I have a little help from some friends, sponsors and medias, good advices from some other organizations, and support from the bands.
4) How is the response so far ?
I have to say that I couldn't expect a better response from all bands and musicians which played on these festivals. It's great to see that we could meet their expectations! And I couldn't expect a better welcome from the local metal actors, too. They are truly supporting this project! For example, we are working together a lot with Lille's metal associations to promote each other events, and this works very well. But the main problem is the lack of audience... It would be great to make bigger things, but this implies a lot of fees, and you can lose a lot of money if not enough people are coming.
5) Any future plans for something new ?
My next festival on May 24th will be headlined by the polish power/symphonic metal band ''Pathfinder'', and I hope that this event will have an even more huge audience than usual! Then, I have some plans, but I don't know which ones will be realized... I would like to continue and to book more and more bands, but as I said I have to be careful for the moment. There are a lot of projects for the future, but there is no budget to realize them, not yet... I also have this big ''dream-project'' in my childhood's little village, but I prefer to keep it quite secret for the moment: one thing at a time...
6) Anything you want to add ?
Yes, I would like to say ''thank you''! Thanks to everyone supporting me and this project, to the local scene and all the people which I am working with. And thanks to you for this interview Karolina... When I booked Skeptical Minds to play on one of my events, I was sure to have a great show, but I couldn't expect to find such a beautiful friendship with the members and their wonderful singer.
7) Few words for our readers ?
Sure, I would like to ask them to come to my events... Seriously, I would like to encourage them to support their local (and not so local) scene, and to live their passion by going to the shows and festivals, to see the bands playing live because music is so much better lived in gigs than everywhere else. And keep believing in your dreams, whatever happens!