Sziget Music Festival 2016 - Days #1 #2: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Were it not for the famous Danube bridge packed to the core with festival beautiful people, the notorious Sziget logo, the Hungarian words spoken more often than other languages, once you landed on the island on day #1 of the Sziget Festival you’d think you landed at Glastonbury.

That was my first feeling and I’m sticking to it. Sans the wellies and the parka because 1) I’m an idiot at packing, and 2) who the fuck thought the weather would turn upside down. So there we were… soaked (in a tee – him, a bra and a kimono – moi), frozen, wet, tennis shoes covered in mud, we had made it just in time for Skunk Anansie.

‘This is gonna be massive we thought.’ For those of you who don’t know, I’m probably Skun’s no one fan, that person who knows all the lyrics to all the songs and gets star struck each and every time. Unfortunately the much awaited interview I was supposed to take with the band did not happen, and the story repeated for Jake Bugg and Travis Scott.

There’s that for a slight disappointment.

Well… at least we got to warm up and charge our phones in the press areas, chuck some Jacks down our throats to keep warm, cuddle on the slightly wet beds in the VIP area for temperature reasons, but when you’re not 20 anymore, and you’re basically naked at what feels like 0 degrees you decide to go home, and plan better for the next day – Rihanna day.

Done. We did plan better, and I decided to give a massive fuck you to all my summer festival planned outfits so I’d stay warm.

9000 people went through a lot to be at Sziget on August 11. Girls looking like Riri lookalikes in bold lips and urban outfits, strong looks and sexy clothes, lines of people longer than your worst Monday, and then half hour before the show you couldn’t throw a pin in the crowd. Up until this moment I never thouhgt I’d have an issue with crowds… well I now do. You get sick and feel faint in a sea of people. And Riri did not help much.

I am obsessed with her, and I think she’s such a Queen of all things, but even so… it pains me to say I was a bit disappointed. She was half an hour late, booed by the crowd, in a festival where the biggest stars know this much to respect their slots, and show common sense and respect for their fellow colleagues and their fans.

She came in a dope brown outfit with thigh high boots I instantly fell in love with, with new hair – dark blonde, bangs and a lob cut, beautiful, sexy, surprisingly nice voice, some great ass dance moves – she sang her old songs cause Sziget wasn’t part of her Anti Tour, she was in awe of the crowd (or so she said) – and then she left, right after she sang Love on the brain.

I didn’t care too much for her old songs, though I did break a few dance moves and sang along. Her Anti songs – she sang 3 – were amazing, I’ll say that. Desperado sounded incredible and hats off to her for it. But for the most part of the concert she sang bits of her hits, over the prerecorded parts (including vocals)… and she is no entertainer.

Dagger through my heart right now, but it is the truth.

She’s a style icon, a fashion woman, beautiful, sexy, talented in everything she does, but she did not work that crowd. 9000 who came for you… holding on to phones for videos and pics to get a live moment with their star… and you give em the diva treatment?!

Not very nice there.

Perhaps she wasn’t in the mood. Who the fuck knows. I expected different let’s just say that, and quite a few people must have had the same feeling as they left the show earlier, fed up by the claustrophobic vibe, or just trying to make it in time for Travis Scott.

One more thing I’ll say and leave it to that is this: teens and 20 year olds had fun, mostly on their phones constantly Instagraming and Snapchatting throughout the concert, that at one point when Rude Boy was on you couldn’t see the screens and stage anymore. I guess there’s that for enjoying IRL moments. Those slightly over 20s were a bit struck by the whole balloon of expectations that literally blew up in our faces.

Before Riri hit the stage the crowd heat up with Jake Bugg who I absolutely love and whose lack of frills, and lack of extra stardom shitty attitude make him a great one to watch and listen to. The guy came and played and sang – some said too simple and too basic – but it was him, you know. Real. Genuine. All heart and soul and the crowd liked it.

Parov Stelar went before Rihanna on the main stage. Yeah. About that… wasn’t feeling it. We sipped on Mojitos throughout their show and people-watched all sorts of cool faces hit the festival.

Quite the difference in crowds – the cool kids dancing and drinking away with glitter on their faces in front of the stages, on the festival field, versus the all-black leather jackets of non-mortals around posh bars.

Mid-festival right now as I’m blogging – Saturday morning day #4 MUSE day – gotta say: l love this festival, I love the crowd, the gorgeous beautiful people, the fashion, the style, the food, the organising, the artists, the shows, the parties. Too bad for the crappy weather, for that time Rihanna sang and the excitement turned a bit sour by the end.

Ah well… I don’t know about you but I will always have Skunk Anansie, the one band who can rock a fucking festival for real.

Photos by Cosmin Straut.