SXSW meets Manchester at Spring Break in Poznan

The Polish music scene could probably be considered quite isolated. It’s very rare to hear of a breakout artist striking across the world, which is unfortunate given the sheer level of talent that resides here amongst the beautiful period buildings - especially in Poznan.

Miasto Doznan is the city’s unofficial motto, and for good reason. Translating as a ‘city of experiences’, it’s an untouched gem, where everything feels up for exploration. A bustling university town which boasts an impressive number of venues in such a small space, it could be considered somewhat of an anomaly were it not for the 5,000 strong number filing in and out of the eighteen venues at sporadic intervals.

Throughout the festival, there are acts who embellish their heritage, while there are those that clearly take from Anglo-American influences. The conjoining factor though lies in their passion for what they do. It even gives those lower down the ladder the chance to meet delegates from throughout the industry, both Poland and further afield through conferences.

How it works

Taking place over three-days, Thursday to Saturday, while there’s plenty going on for the first couple of days, it’s the final day where things really kick into gear. Every stage becomes open and available to cater for the weekday workers. Of the various stages dotted about, the outside ones benefit from the sheer blue skies bestowed upon Poznan this year, while the bar-types provide a welcome rest from the heat.

The ever-important conferences cater to both English speaking and Polish delegates, with a massive highlight upon one - ‘Can Music Make You Sick?’ Referring to the industry itself, it’s an ever important question, the general consensus is a resounding yes. The panel consisting of an English lecturer, a Polish singer and a Latvian manager, all bases are covered and what’s most surprising is the revelation of the lack of support in Poland for artists in regards to mental health. A point which duly increases the importance of events like Spring Break - if you build it, they will come, and with that, hopefully, the support.

It’s normally late afternoon by the time musical events kick off, with the bigger hitters saved for later in the evening, and mostly, the Saturday finale. Littered throughout town are groups of Poland’s youth, cascading from venue to venue, every sub-culture is catered for on the smaller stages, while the larger out-door ones are saved for acts such as Coma who are a Polish rock band with somewhat of a cult following.

The line-up

The beauty of music lies in its ability to transcend language. OK, so not every artist sings in English - but why should they? A songs ability to please may come from the relatable factor in the lyrics, but sometimes, being able to just focus on the music is a blessing. Take, for instance, the big focus upon the modernisation of traditional Polish music, as shown through acts such as Zuzanna, a Polish singer-songwriter who plays out to the entire Stary Rynek [Old Market Square], it all feels utterly immersive when behind you is the historic market square which has roughly been around since 1253.

Unfortunately one of our top picks, Alice Merton, pulled out of the festival, but the rest of the talent on offer more than makes up for it. There’s everything from the dark, brooding synths of Bokka, to the four-on-the-floor rock style of The Heavy Clouds, it’s genuinely impossible to find something that doesn’t cater to your tastes. There are even jazz artists dotted around - an ever increasingly more popular genre in this creative hub city.

The area

Split across the city centre, each venue manages to pull a crowd, no matter the scale of that artist. There’s an air to Poznan that celebrates creative culture on all fronts; from the musicians to the graffiti art that can be found on almost every building, there’s always some element of creation.

One venue highlight includes Klub Dragon, a rickety, perfectly decorated - massive dragon head included - bar that feels as enchanting as it does dangerous. There’s, of course, the numerous outdoor stages which give the more tradition festival feel, and not forgetting the smaller rocker clubs dotted around the historic old town such as Pod Minoga and W Starym Kinie.

Some of the venues can appear to be a fair distance away from the mainstay of the festival at the Zamek Culture Centre - where the largest number of stages reside, and the larger acts tend to play. Though walking between the smaller areas means you truly get to experience the city, and the plethora of other hidden places that can be explored during the daytime.

How to get there

Flying from the UK to Poland is ridiculously easy, and cheap, with many budget airlines catering to all times of the day. European festivals can often equate to being cheaper than attending one of the behemoth British festivals that take place in the summer, and can often bestow a greater music watching experience.

In terms of travelling between Poznan Airport to the city, it might seem like quite the distance but an Uber costs £4. Let that sink in for a moment. On a wider scale, Poznan sits equidistant between both Warsaw and Berlin so if you ever fancied an elongated stay there’s plenty going on - including a handy tram system that can be a bit daunting as a non-Polish speaker but that’s what new experiences are for, right?

What to do in Poznan

As the English are want to do, the only real sign of tourism came in the form of drinking. It’s the slight exclusion from an important industry that means Poznan feels somewhat untouched, leaving the creativity to flourish in a manner that feels more authentic and steps away from any facsimile nature you can often find in foreign countries.

There are, of course, a couple of museums that you could wet your cultural thirst with; including a Salvador Dali one, and, a museum dedicated to the Polish equivalent of the croissant.

Poznan’s biggest selling point is simply the architecture. It’s deeply entrenched in its past, with a few varying less-than-appealing modern high-rises, but the vast majority are almost Parisian in their quality.

It’s also key to explore the small side streets as this is often where hidden gems lie. Down one, in particular, you can find a record stall set up in the shadows of what could appear to be an abandoned building - bearing in mind there are a further three a stone's throw away. Everything about Poznan feels like Manchester a couple of decades ago.

Who we saw

Nixes

Ethereal electro-pop that swings around a dark edge, Nixes brainchild Ania Rusowicz’s band perfectly embellish the compositions that feel consistently otherworldly. Often translating sounds so delicate to an outdoor stage can be disastrous, but it’s pulled off without a hitch, and every moment feels even more untouchable. Perfectly falling between urgency and absconding from reality, Nixes (pictured above) feels every part the festival act.

100% Rabbit

Quirky pop duo 100% Rabbit are incredibly hard to pigeonhole. They could fit into any number of decades of music, taking influence from just about anywhere you can imagine, guitar and synth collide to create a monstrously pleasing sound that instantly gives the room the inclination to have nothing but a good time.

Tigress

Not quite the usual full band affair, Tigress brought a stripped back, acoustic set to Meskalina. Forfeiting the might of their usual storming back-end, the focus upon the lyrical content and the majesty of the melody gave Tigress a confident boost in a room where, well, maybe it didn’t translate as well. Major points for throwing in a cover of Linkin Park mega-hit ‘Crawling’ as a bridge between them and the crowd which saw an enthusiastic response.

Asia Komorowska

Going back to the point of the potential language barrier, it’s a bit more obvious when it comes to songwriters who let their words carry the heavy burden but it’s a different experience entirely when you don’t know what they’re saying. It moves the focal point upon the instrumentation which, in this case, is utterly beautiful and a resounding hit for the venue up in the crooked attic of Klub Dragon.

BOKKA

Marrying a perfect mixture of ethereal music, sloping hip-hop beats and mystery, BOKKA is terrifyingly good. The release of their third album the day before their slot proved to be quite the draw maker as the queue to get into the venue was a camped-put affair. Those lucky enough to make it in were treated to a performance filled with a personable approach to the clandestinity that gives them such pulling power.

Gang Śródmieście (Downtown Gang)

A trio who embellish the idea of doing whatever the fuck you need to to get your point across, they sit somewhere in-between Riot-grrrl and electronic. Clad in numerous fancy dress items and appearing to have the time of their life, getting swept up in the determined savagery is impossible. Especially deep within the Blue Note club which is, quite literally, packed to the rafters with punters.

Pro8l3m

A duo that is definitely worth paying attention to, crafting slick, hip-hop beats ready to attack with the vitriol-filled lyrics. Sure, you can’t understand but the cadence is everything, and they’re one of the biggest upcoming acts in Poland. A packed out Red Bull Music Stage, snaking queue included know every word with a passion as if there were a hundred Pro8l3ms on stage.

Ala Zastary

Taking the place of Alice Merton who had to cancel due to illness, and returning for their second set of the festival, Ala Zastary step up considerably considering their original set was late on Thursday night in Klub Dragon and now they’re essentially closing the festival on the Red Bull stage. While the crowd may have been anticipating up comer Merton, they’re more than welcoming to the duo who bring Polish pop tradition with a smattering of electronic elements.

COMA

Apparently quite a big deal in Poland, given the crowd that continuously grows both inside, and outside, the gated venue on Poznan’s Freedom Square. Bounding onto the stage, the band welcome the crowd and soon crack on with barrelling through some rock jams that perfectly soundtrack the sweltering heat of the Saturday.

Troj

A one-man project that is utterly immersive, Troj, hidden away up in the attic of Klub Dragon continuously draws a crowd in throughout his set. Building a carefully constructed canvas of electronic beats and sounds, while, joined by a drummer for the live renditions, it all takes on a three-dimensional life force which is purely relentless.