1. Hey there! May you introduce Ieperfest to the greek scenesters? Who's
behind Ieper?!
Bruno: Ieperfest is an independent 3-day
Hardcore festival that wants to offer a stage to an international variety
of underground bands. On top of that we also focus on keeping the festival as
ecological as possible. We have been offering vegan food only since the very
start and there’s a huge More Than Music tent with room for debate and NGO
stands. The festival started back in 1992 and has become the world’s longest running
hardcore festival. Ieperfest is organised by 2 Belgian, not-for-profit DIY
collectives sharing the same geographical & ideological roots: Republyk Vort’n Vis & Genet records. Check http://www.vortnvis.net & http://www.genetrecords.com to learn
more about the organisers.
2. This year you are celebrating the 20st anniversary of Ieperfest. What
have changed during all these years concerning both the hardcore / punk / metal
scene and its affection to the fest?
Bruno: We started Ieperfest back in the day when hardcore was not as popular
and mainstream accepted as it is nowadays. Although it was far from easy, we
worked hard to keep the festival alive and saw it growing bit by bit. The scene
has grown enormously since we started back in 1992. Everything became bigger and
more commercial, but we still continue along the same roots from the early
days. For us everything is still very “DIY”,
even until today. It’s great that more people listen to hard music these days.
It means the disease (!) is spreading and more people are getting the positive
message that the scene is spreading. It also means however that there way more
people involved that don’t care at all. However, we can only hope that some of
the ideas will stick to them and influence them in a positive way.
3. Hardcore is more than music and so is Ieper. Could you please share
your idea behind MTM (More Than Music) free space?
Bert A. (MTM): Despite
what some people may think, hardcore is more than just music! The MoreThanMusic tent is a free space for
free thinking and discussion, for debate and creativity in changing our world
for the better and for Non-Governmental Organisations & Action Groups to
present themselves. We believe that music can make a difference, can make people think and talk and act or at least do something… Where music on stage
fails to bring the message across, we try to fill the void and we’ve put
together a series of non-musical activities to feed the minds of the
politically, socially and ethically active people and to educate those who are
oblivious to the matter since 2007. But there has always been more than music
on Ieperfest. In the past some of the
bands performing on stage invited the visitors to come and talk about topics
that relate to their songs in the cosy (free space) atmosphere surroundig the
fest. Other people also attending the festival were given the chance to present
and talk about certain activities and action groups they were involved in. In
2007 we decided to give them a stage as well and we do like the words being
said by Zack de la Rocha (Inside Out / Rage Against the Machine) in the Orange
County Hardcore Scenester documentary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VzMcv9wyilE)
: “I see so much focus on music these days, and not on the words being
said… and I think that in order to communicate in Hardcore, the lyrics must be at
the forefront of every song… and we need
to live, the best we can, the lyrics we say up here… don’t ever let it die!...” which pretty much sums up the whole
MoreThanMusic set-up.
4. Moreover, there's a green policy that Ieper follows. You've won some
awards, as well. How tough is to keep hardcore / punk connected to
sociopolitical / environmental issues nowadays that everything has become so
safe?
Bert A. (MTM): Oh Yes, we won the GREENEVENT AWARD 2010. The
award was handed out by OVAM (the Public Flemish Waste Management Company) to
the greenest event in Flanders (Belgium). We also received the GREENEVENT AWARD 2011 for our continued
efforts on the winter edition of our festival and we’d like to welcome you to
another green edition of IEPERFEST
;). So thank you (all) very much
for helping us out! But let’s be clear about one thing: the most ecological
thing we could do is not to organise IEPERFEST at all, for you to stay
at home and for every single one of us to start a food forest or to change
things on a local level {of course
this is not an option we're considering and sounds pretty radical, does it?
Really? (http://transitionculture.org/shop/the-transition-handbook/)}.
Instead we see IEPERFEST as a great exercise for us to try new things
towards a sustainable future and a good example for others to follow and to get
inspired. Ok, that might sound naïve and cocky, but as the City of Ieper has
already copied some of our ideas and people actually start asking us for
advice, we’re pretty sure that we’re on the right track. So, apart from an
amazing line-up of bands, we have an amazing set of ideas for an even greener
festival. Be sure to take notice and help out!
I guess every single one of us has one band or one song which really made us
question a lot of things and really spoke to us. I know for a fact that for
good friend Marty (taking care of the Green Policy on Ieperfest) that song is Burning Bridges by xChokeholdx (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AqPV9lue7A
– check the lyrics!), as for me personally that’s Ecology and Dedication by Nations on Fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyyJo9k7e9A
// http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugOICWL1cho – check the
lyrics!). As long as bands like these exist (and there’s still a lot of them
for you to check out!) and people support them by offering a stage, it really
isn’t tough to keep hardcore/punk connected to sociopolitical / environmental
issues. But of course that’s not enough; our subculture (or is it
counterculture?) is being threatened by commercialisation and greedy people
going for the popular bands, the easy money and the focus seems to be more on
music nowadays. What’s more, even a lot of people within the hardcore / punk
scene have given up on the idea of working for a positive change and would
rather see the world go to shit than to actually do something about it.
Some people say we’ve also been “preaching to the choir” too long now and
things haven’t changed, but the more
kids / people get involved in hardcore, the more kids / people we can reach, the
more things are changing and that’s very positive as well. To put it in Poison
Planet’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xny8Vy74x68)
words: “We can fight, We can win – boycott everything!” and it doesn’t stop
there. We should also move outside hardcore / punk with our ideals (originating
in Hardcore / Punk) and get other people and scenes involved in the same fight.
The accoustic songs performed by xTrueNaturex for example, are also a great way
for getting the message across to people who are not into hard music. Talking
to family, friends, collegues at work and basically everyone you meet about the
things you learned in Hardcore can and will work empowering and unleashes a lot
of energy (good or bad;). There is something about seizing that boldness, about
making the leap from “why is no-one doing anything” to “let’s do something”
that creates a lot of positive energy (trust us on this one;). Start your own
band if no-one is tackling the issues you are concerned about, organise your
own shows, start your own festival, add a MoreThanMusic-part (if necessary) and
of course, keeping it DIY helps a lot!
5. You co-ordinate with some NGOs. Can you give us some more info about
this?
Bert A. (MTM): Going into details on this one would not be so smart,
but some of us (if not all of us – who knows?) are involved in (local) NGOs and
Action Groups apart from our involvement in Ieperfest. And of course it’s
always important to network, so basically we welcome other NGOs and Action
Groups from around the world to set up a stand near the MoreThanMusic stage and
we also invite them to get on stage, to educate the masses or to discuss
certain matters, keeping in mind that animal,
earth and human liberation will only come through education… (CHOKEHOLD)
Bruno: We
can learn so much from these NGOs, what they stand for and try to achieve in
order to create a better world. The last few years they have become an
important part of the festival and we invite all visitors to check out the ones
that seem to be most interesting to them.
6. This year's fest features tens of bands with different hardcore /
punk / metal backgrounds. Which aspects do you keep in mind when you invite a
band to play at Ieper? On the other hand, how can a band apply for Ieper fest?
Bruno: There’s no need for bands to apply really … We just go out there and
find them. If bands do want to contact us, best is to send us an email with
some links and be patient. We have to disappoint most of them. There’s just not
enough time and space to book them all. Since the first installment of the marquee
stage in 2008, we have been able to book an even wider variety of bands than
before. Year after year we try to offer an excellent mix of all sorts of styles
by bands from all over the world. Old school hardcore, metalcore, doom, emo,
metal, grindcore, post rock, punk, sludge, etc. You name it, you get it.
7. Any useful info that 'hardcore' travelers need to know when coming to
Ieper?
Bruno: Ha, good question! Bring a tent and a warm sleeping bag as the nights
can be chilly here, even in summer. A sweatshirt, spare shoes or boots, some
pocket money and your good mood will also prove to be of serious help. People
with an interest in history and quiet landscapes will surely love the town of
Ieper and its surrounding areas. This region was one of the main sites where
both world wars were fought even if that is hard to believe if you see the
peaceful landscape these days…
And please always keep in mind not to throw your shit around, but to bin it
instead.
8. Thanks for the interview. See you next week.
Bert A. (MTM): OK, no problem! Thank you for inspiring us already by
word and by deed and making us prepare for what’s yet to come to our cities
through the screening of "The POTENTIALITY
OF STORMING HEAVEN" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRc_i_tGjOU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL52A33BF1B3AF94F9)
on Ieperfest over the past years. And if you have any ideas on how to help out,
be sure to meet us in the MoreThanMusic tent or to get in touch. You’re very
welcome!
Bruno: We gladly welcome the Greek
delegation and of course everyone from other countries visiting the festival.
We surely hope you will enjoy your stay!