Festival Positivus AB remains positive

When: July, 2007
Where: Salacgrīva, Latvia

Very neat, in a calm and positive atmosphere and with quite a small, but specific audience has passed the first two days music festival Positivus AB taking place in Salacgriva from 27th to 28the July. Though the organizers had hoped to get bigger attendance, it collected no more than 6500 people including many foreigners from Estonia, Russia, and UK who could enjoy musicians on two stages, movies from a special tent and some theatre activities.

It seems like the weekend when Positivus AB took place was one of the “hottest” one in a meaning – it was so many outstanding events happening in Latvia that you had to think hard to make a good choice. The visitors of Positivus AB first day didn’t seem to regret their choice. Mumij Troll is a band which regularly comes to Latvia and is well expected here as well. This festival they had prepared a new program and could successfully attract the audience. Badly Drawn Boy – as I attended only the second day of the festival I was lucky not to see the first hard minutes of band’s performance – the audience was quite small, only later it became more active. The music legends lovers enjoyed Malcolm McLaren – a musician, self-publicist and best known as the manager of English punk rock band Sex Pistols. Also Brett Anderson – a former lead vocalist of rock band Suede – was welcomed. He even sang some songs from Suede repertoire.

The second day - sunny

If people on the first day suffered some rain and muds the opposite was on the second day – late, shiny morning, people in the tent city slowly waking up and getting ready for the gigs starting at about 1 pm. It was Martin Confused who had to be the first one on that day. He is quite new Latvian singer-songwriter who has just lately appeared on Latvia music scene, but still – the activity from the audience is not big especially because there’s not a big audience at all. The next band is called S.P.B. They are also this year’s newcomers, and music journalists have already predicted them big chances and there’s no doubt about it: the band has made two big hits – Pearl Tears and Poet – and these songs have been valuated as really good ones. Although for Latvian music majority their indie pop/rock style seems to be still original, in England every other band has something similar to that kind of music. On a stage they don’t hide their shyness between songs thus showing themselves as modest and natural and only during the songs they get into the music so much that the energetic break-up made by their musical instruments is guaranteed.

The next band – R.A.P. – is already well known for the audience and actually seems to be the first one who manages to get rock in the audience. They play the songs which are quite well known, and the audience can sing along with the leader Artis Dvarionas. After that we can see Satellites LV – the band who existed a long ago before they interrupted their music activities and just now they have come together  to play again and offer new songs.

R.A.P. by Sanita Pumpure

As the next ones – indie and shoegaze band Tribes of the City with the graceful singer Ksenija who doesn’t only sing, but also talks about the necessary of such a festival. Then it’s always nice to see Hospitāļu iela – the band who always preserves originality and uniqueness and even today – they have many new interesting instruments making different sounds and during some songs there’s a rap musician who interposes some words between songs.

Swedes are impressed

With the next band it’s time to discover the first foreigners. Though we don’t need to look far – it’s our neighbors, Estonian band S.U.N. which has lately become quite active taking part in Latvian festivals and other musical events. This summer they seem to be here few times every month and maybe that’s why they are already well known for Latvian audience. Actually not only Latvian audience, there’s quite a lot of Estonians who get some greetings in Estonian from the band’s lead singer.

If the previous mentioned bands performed on the small stage or so called BBC stage letting the big stage (AB stage) to have some rest all the day, in the evening it can greet the first big acts. As the first ones – Swedish band The Concretes. According to the atmosphere just before their show I can conclude that this band is not very well known and welcomed for the audience – just some people waiting to see them, thin rows and mostly tense standing, not singing along with the charming singer during their performance. But the fact that the soloist can charm the audience is true – she talks a lot with the them, gives many compliments about Latvia as a beautiful country and Latvian girls being cute and guys – good looking. The audience likes it and they are interested to see the band (or maybe the lovely soloist) again after they have sang their last song, and here they come – some more songs, but not the audience’s expected “On the Radio”.

The Concretes by Sanita

Audience lover - James

And at last it’s time for the two headliners. One of them – English band Stereophonics. So, the audience is getting closer to the first rows and the band can be welcomed. Opposite The Concerts openness and attractiveness, the English guys seem to be quite neutral. They just do their job – sing the songs, still making the audience rocky and with last one - “Dakota” - giving the dessert to it. It’s a perfect ending and although the audience would have liked to hear some more songs, the set list remains the same. After that there’s still one band – James from Great Britain. According to the audience activity, it seems to be the most expected one. And it is! The lead singer is very friendly and nice. Many of their songs are well known for the older visitors and that’s why - give them good memories. Besides the singer is not only a good dancer himself, but to show his openness he invites some ten people on a stage to join him with dancing. One of the volunteers is Radio SWH DJ Egons Reiters who makes all the performance funnier for the audience. Totally James show lasts for about two hours and ends with positive feelings – just as the festival called Positivus AB should end. Afterwards there’s possibility to go back to the BBC stage where you can dance to some DJ music or just go to your tent.

James by Sanita Pumpure

All in all I can conclude that the festival as taking place for the first time was very good organized, but there’s still some nuances the organizer should take into the consideration next time: if there’s more people there should be more buffets inside and a transport provided for the ones who want to go home just after the last band. The smokers didn’t like the prohibition to smoke in festival area and for some other visitors it was surprisingly that it’s not allowed to bring in your own food as it is normal in similar festivals in other countries. Transport and more parallel activities while bands are performing, some other improvements – these are the things which the organizers promised to provide next year.