In which Sam Tom takes poncewave to Serbia

[sam_tom_sam]

So A Terrible Splendour have been asked to play the Exit Festival in July. It will be in a Serbian fortress on the Danube, and there will be Duran Duran, Miss Kittin, Felix da Housecat and Guns'n'Roses!

Below the cut is the poster from the website, to prove I'm not making it up:




We are on the Elektrana stage, which specialises in electronic music. We are opening for a band called Detachments, who are quite good and can be seen here:

The opportunity came from a nice Serbian guy who has a synth-pop blog and has liked us for a while, recommending us to his friend who does the Elektrana stage. It's quite exciting and still feels slightly unreal. I have never been to Serbia and have not seen Duran since 1997! I imagine it may involve quite an organisational effort, but I think it will be worth it to reach new audiences who aren't confined to the London scene, which isn't really very big in terms of electro-pop. I am going to try and learn a bit of the language.

Comments

[dream-electric.livejournal.com]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats amazing and exciting and Nick Rhodes will just have to sign you ;o) x

[sam-tom-sam.livejournal.com]

Well he will have to lend us his keyboard stands as we can't carry them on the plane :)

[dream-electric.livejournal.com]

hehe! See you tomorrow btw :o)

[sam-tom-sam.livejournal.com]

Oh, are you coming to Never Come Back? That's very cool. We should be on at 9.30,allegedly (probably depends how many people have showed up though!)

Black Plastic is on tonight at Visions Video Bar in Dalston. Haven't been in ages!

[vieannelyle.livejournal.com]

Learn Serbian?! Surely only Finnish is harder.

I am slightly worried about the name of the festival, especially when I remember the attitude some Serbians have adopted to those perceived as foreign, in the past...

Anyhow, in the spirit of peace and reconciliation, let's take a positive view of the opportunity to perform with DD - it's only what you deserve, considering you single-handedly (almost) kept the DD torch burning for years, decades even!

[sam-tom-sam.livejournal.com]

I am sure it will be fine and I won't exit in a coffin. The festival has been going for some years now and is a great success, so I don't think there will be any killing.

[vieannelyle.livejournal.com]

Just watched Detachment video. More Newhaven than Dieppe, but the stripey top gives an authentic French flavour, for sure. Charming sound.

[joysilence.livejournal.com]

That's very good Sam-Tom! The Eastern Bloc is definitely the place to be for electronic music. As I'm sure you know they used to tape Depeche Mode songs over Ceaucescu's speeches in Romania, though I can't comment on Serbia. I'm glad you'll be on a separate stage from GNR as they have been annoying people a lot lately by coming on ludicrously late and then outstaying their welcome by several hours at several UK venues! You wouldn't want to have to beat Slash off the stage with a mic stand or set Laeppen on them. Will you be staying in the castle too?

[sam-tom-sam.livejournal.com]

I don't think we will be camping in the castle grounds due to all our synthesizers. There are quite a few hotels in town that all have frightening names like 'Residence Hall Block A' so I expect we will stay in one of those.