Melt

I knew before I left for Europe that there is a lot to see here. I knew that there was really no way I would see everything I wanted to and so I envisioned a trip where I would pick four to five cities, and sink into them for a couple of weeks each, much as I have during the rest of my journey. I didn't want to "box check", which is what I call it when folks bounce quickly from city to city, sight to sight, taking pictures, packing up and leaving for the next stop. It doesn't seem fun or relaxing to me. I wanted to spend my time getting the feel of cities, working on hobbies, work skills, etc.

But that wasn't my only consideration. From my experience in Buenos Aires, I knew that big cities could be difficult to meet people, and I had a number of friends, both old and new, living and traveling in Europe, so I wanted to meet up or stay with them as often as possible. Also, I am on a pretty tight budget. Couch surfing with friends or sharing accommodations is an important way to keep costs down. I haven't found even a dormitory bed in Europe for much below $30 per night, even in Eastern Europe, which I thought would be much cheaper. I guess I would have to go further east toward Romania or Bulgaria to find better deals.

So, as a result, I have found myself moving around much more than I expected, trying to coordinate with friends' schedules. It occurred to me along the way, that I haven't spent more than two nights in one bed since I stayed at Heather's for a few days in Ghent, Belgium. This is partly due to the fact that, during the busy summer season, it is advisable to reserve a room or bed before arriving in town. Without seeing the place though, it's risky to pay to reserve for more than two nights, so one must immediately start looking for a new place upon arrival if the first place doesn't work for whatever reason. It is exhausting, always looking for my next home just about every day. Also, the truth is, that the past few towns have not been places I would care to stay for two weeks, especially in a dorm bed, so I am motivated to keep moving.

Back in Krakow, I was faced with another decision of where to go next. I had to fly out of Prague to London in a few days, so I couldn't go anywhere too far away. I considered going to Wraclow, Poland. It sounded like another cute Polish town and appeared on a map to be closer to Prague than Krakow. But the map was deceiving. Train tracks don't run between those cities, so it would be a long, complex journey back to Prague.

I learned that a group of folks I had met through Sarah back in Berlin were headed to the Melt! music festival near Dessau, Germany. The ticket was a bit pricey, but given that I would camp with borrowed gear, and not pay for any accommodations for a few days, it was close to a wash. Also, getting back to Prague was quicker from there. And, hey, check out another cute-yet-bleak Polish town, or jump up an down to some great music for a few days.

Sold.

I hopped a train west and soon was in camp with a really nice group of folks who were quite welcoming, considering I was such a last minute stranger addition (who is that guy again?).

The festival is held at the site of an old coal mine, with a number of colossal pieces of mining machinery used as a back drop for the event. There were five stages of music running non stop for three days from early evening until well after sunrise. There was a long list of artists, most of whom I had not heard of. This is becoming more and more common in the new world of obscure yet popular Myspace hipster bands and a bottomless supply of electronic music artists. Or maybe I am just not hip to the European music scene. Maybe that's it. But I fully expected to come away with some new favorite artists, and I did.

One group I was excited to see was Stereo MCs. They have been around since the early 90's and were my first exposure to electronic music back in the day. I was hoping they would put on a good show, and they put on a great one instead. One of the highlights for sure. I love seeing older musicians blow away the youngsters.

One artist, I hadn't heard of before, and now feel quite embarrassed about it, is Roisin Murphy. I don't know much about her or how long she has been around, but she put on one of the best all around shows I have seen in a long time. The music seemed to have many influences, but it felt like it was trying to bridge the gap between electronic music and soul music. My first impression was that she is a nouveau Annie Lennox with a house music accompaniment. Over the course of the show, she showed a style all her own. But mostly I was impressed by the overall show. Her band and her backup singers were outstanding. Her own vocal performance and stage presence was really impressive. She is obviously in to fashion. She had many costume changes with some pretty wild getups. Riveting. Some of her music feels more at home in a dance club than in my living room, but it certainly has its place.

Unfortunately, the event was plagued by some pretty hard rain at times. Any surface not made of concrete became a slippery muddy mess. But on the bright side, dancing in the rain and mud to a Drum & Bass group with a live MC called Commix was the other great highlight of my time there. It wasn't really so much that I wanted to get wet and muddy. It's just that the music was so good, that I couldn't stand to hide from the rain under the bar tent any longer when the music was shouting at me to dance. Good times.