Unifant is a local run non-profit all volunteer festival. None of the people working or artists are paid, only a free ticket (and one guest each for the artists), a ticket for food and drink. One meal and 2 drinks… It is a lovely atmosphere and such nice free spirited people. It is not only about the music program which runs for 2 1/2 days but there are all sorts of workshops and things for the kids as well. Impressive list to organize. Check this out!!!
08:30 Qigong (Debra) - Harmonize with the elements
10:00 Aerial Workshop (Carinan + Tanya) - Expand the limits of your movement 10:00
10:30 & 14:30 Creating with Clay (Deborah) - Get your hands dirty and see what emerges!
11:30 Mandala Journey (Nicole) - Explore your inner world through colour 11:30
12:00 Being in contact (Nicky) - Listening Touch, Playful Movement, Deep Rest
13:00 Make your own festival accessory (Elis) - Recycled bracelets, belts and headbands
14:30 Shamanic Journey with the drum (Suze) - Find power and support with Power Animals
14:30 Creating with Clay (Deborah) - Get your hands dirty and see what emerges! 14:30
16:00 T shirt Printing (Anne) - Create your own special Unifant garment
16:30 Facepainting (Efi) - Be your fantasy character
16:45 Singing Circle (Talya) - Vocal flow for all 16:45
I arrived about an hr before the Opening Ceremony, which started about 18. It was a great gathering of people from the area. Not a lot of Portuguese people but lovely people of all sorts. I talked a little with everyone I met. Nick and Mad, who are half of the main 4 people who started this festival gave an introduction speech and then Suze, who has been the mster of ceremoines to get things in the right place mentally for the festival chanted, advises, spread bay leaves about and drummed. Nice way to start things.
Nick, who, plays bass in Idiotheque had a band called Music for Humans, that was the first act that opened Unifant 10 years ago, reunited with Iz and Braun on backing vocals and Suze on hand drums and played the same opening song they did 10 years ago. Very cool. They also played another song as well.
The Crusties, were the first real musical act of the day with a full set of interesting cover songs from the 1930s to the 80s, I guess. Beatles, Frank Sinatra (These Boots), old blues tracks, etc.. all done with accordion (Levon), which makes it a bit different. Steve did the harmonica and some lead vocals, Dave on acoustic guitar, and Christian on cajon. Fun stuff. Not a lot of people watching them though.
Master Scavenger (DJ), played funk, soul, pop, metal, etc… popular stuff while the Precipice set up and soundchecked for their gig. They have played the festival at least 2x before and this was the first gig in 2 years and with a new drummer, Christian (yes from the Crusties).
The Precipice played all the same songs as the past years except one new one but they were more tight, more beefy. Rudy sings better than ever after quitting smoking and drinking a few years ago. This was the first gig with new drummer, Christian, who is a really powerhouse drummer and lifts the band to a new level. The audience enjoyed the set a lot. Powerful set of original rock songs with a message, so listening to the lyrics is important!! I hope they will record some of these songs in the studio soon. Never know..
Set List: Don´t wait for Judgement Day, Freedom of Life, Sleepwalkers, What If, Flush, The Lock on your Circle, 2020-2021, Plug Out, I Am, Stand tall for who you are, Hold the Wine, The Precipice, Wake Up
dUASsSEMicOLCHEIASINVERTIDAS were next but since they did not bother to move their gear close to the stage and they were switching out all the gear to play on their own, the 30mins was not nearly enough time and they started 30mins late and were fucking wild and intense. I think the audience had no idea what they were in for!! I do not know how to describe them. It is like noise rock with a psychedelic edge. THey have samples, intensity of punk rock at times and really spaced out saxophone and flutes with loops and delays, etc.. I love them. What an amazing band.
Set List: ?, Glo, 213, Poda, Xamâ, Rincon, Gazelle, Feng Chui, To Polina, Benco, Fintro
That was it for me for the night but there was still AFEK (DJ) and Stealth Moose (DJ), going until 0230 in the morning. It looked like it could rain but it never did. Phew…
Day 2
I slept ok but Zephyr woke me up earlier than I wanted to get up. Tried to get a bit more rest before lunch. I wanted to see my friend Larry and his Attack of the Mutant Unicorns DJ set at 12 but was way too tired, so I headed out to the festival around 13 and arrived just in time to see the entire Joe Chambers set. What a great local talent. Plays mostly original songs from his recent album on bandcamp, Rivers of Gold. He did one JOhnny Osbourne song as well Pretty much the same set of songs I saw him play a month ago or so but totally solo this time.
Set List: Sail Away, Forest, Find your truth, I trust, Fear no More, Worry no More, I was Made, Truths and Rights, All my Winds, Freedom, Rivers of Gold
In between the bands they have a LOUD DJ playing at full volume and this is very disruptive for the band setting up and the audio people trying to figure out monitors on an Ipad and there is no stage manager so the DJ just kept playing at loud volume well into the time that they should start and the band was just standing their wanted to test their monitors and hear them mics and so this started like 45mins late. Ridiculous. It would be even worse later.
The Lunch Club are lead by Chris and Shelly (Brother and Sister) and get together with friends every Thursday for lunch and music. They play only cover songs of classic Irish, English folk, blues and rock. They have played the festival at least once before. Bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, drums, and lead guitar. It is a really good selection of songs but the execution was not that great on this day. I think overall people still enjoyed it.
Set List: What you Do, Blue on Black, Summer Wind Cottage, Gold Dust Woman, Ain´t no love in the heart of the City, I´m on Fire, Blackleg, Step it UP, Seminole Wind
The Serratones, are a local choir, usually big but today 7 woman and 2 men. They were fast to set up and did a soundcheck song and 4 other songs, only about 15mins or so. It reminded me of African music singing at times. There was one religious song, not that surprising, I guess. It was cool and very different. They were great. Lead by Laura from Khelas Collective (I wish they had played).
Nawy Pharmas, who have played here before were next and have expanded the band to include a female back up singer, who also played acoustic guitar on one song near the end of the set. Stand up bass but also banjo plus cajon and acoustic guitar. Two main singers and almost all original songs. Very political, some very funny and just a great vibe to this music. I really dig these guys. People were dancing and having fun. A little bit of time was made up here.
Carlos Geometri, a local DJ from Brighton, also plays congas in Idiotheque, laid down a cool hr long set of funk, African, hip hop and Latin rhythms and added some killer scratching at times. Wow. he was fucking great at it.. A decent number of people dancing but he was also on just when they had opened the Pizza area again at 18, so that drew some people away..
Now, we were only 15mins later instead of 45. Hayah and K.Ra was next. Hayah was the DJ and the show started off as slow stoned dub, moved into post-dubstep and then into techno. K Ra played a small trumpet with some delays. I wish he had more effects though as he more or less did little bits of the same thing over and over.. People were really ready to dance and had a good time. Still managed to keep to about 20mins late.
Fliptrix, a local hip hop rapper, who sounds black but is white, is pretty fucking amazing. His beats, etc was all done by Hayah, from the previous concert. Idiotheque tried to get some stuff set up in the background while they performed. It was not my kind of music at all but the crowd loved it..
Now the mess began.. Giles and Rudy took over from Mike and Adam, who had done a pretty decent job on the sound considering both are old school and used to using a desk and now, it was all on an Ipad app.. Big learning curve…. Anyway, Giles and Rudy, take over and also are not used to this and it is a big fucking mess and people are standing around for an hr!!!! Yes, a fucking hr.. All of Tom´s big plans for a glorious entrance of the band and himself and a choir on the hill are fucked.. Not sure if it was Giles or Rudy but one thought it would be a good idea to erase everything Mike and Adam had set up so suddenly, they have to set all the channels up from scratch and they do not know how to do it. This is what caused the delays, Bad idea guys.
Anyway, 75min late but they finally get started with a bit of the original plan with Tom arriving on this throne like Nero and dancers in the front and the choir on the hill (but the sound guys never got around to that microphone, so no one heard them). Close your Eyes with the lyrics on the screen opened the show. It was fucking a great idea and cool. Mostly they pulled it off. Sounds was rough to start but they had to just get going. They could not delay any longer as there were 3 DJs after and a curfew at 3am.. Anyway, it was a really fun set, The band looked great, the people danced, sang the songs and besides the rhythm section not being very tight, it was a good show and great lights by Leon and his wife. I had a lot of fun and filmed the show from the soundboard but there will be a lot of talking on the recording I fear.
Set List: Close your Eyes, Mountain Man, Test my Faith, Again, Destination, Too Cold, Todos Equas, Honey, HI, Give me More, Space Age
I left at 1220 or so, the next DJ up, Red Panda was supposed to start at 2245, so they were more than 90mins late now so all the DJs will have to shorten their set by 30mins or so. Itasan and Yoka, were also on later but I had gone home
Day 3
I am pretty tired after only 5 hrs sleep. Doctors of Space play at 22 tonight and I have to be on it. It is also going to be 31C today, so much hotter than the past days. Jolan & Lila, CO2, Cabaroke,
I arrived just as Selecta Higgla (Dub) were still playing so heard a bit of their dub set. It was cool that they played only vinyl records and mixed them in interesting ways sometimes. They had a synth box but I never saw him use it. THere was one guy on the turntables and one guy smoking joints and he did a bit of singing at one point.
I have never seen Frankedelic, an improv funk group with Noah, Guy and Nick from Idiotheque. There was also a clarinet player, trumpeter and of course Frank on the drums, who sings as well and leads the group. It was mostly jamming but they clearly had some parts that were worked out, especially the horns. It was really cool. I dug them a lot. A big African vibe at times with interesting vocals. Awesome. Of course we are running behind as people stand and around and chat and Ball Zee and Lisa were no where to be found when the set ended. They should have been there with their stuff all ready to go once the stage was clear. They need a stage manager very badly.
Ball-Zee and Lisa Oribasi were just amazing. What can you say….. World class beatboxing with a fantastic singer and songwriter. Most the same songs as they played at the last Unifant but one new one. The people were really into it. Lisa also played bass on one song, her first time live she said. Very talented lady. Ball-Zee did a couple of tracks on his own as well. Great set..
Doctors of Space, it was more than 30mins late now so we did not start until nearly 2230 but we got it going pretty fast and i had great sound on the stage. I had planned a special entry but it was running behind. Nick did a small introduction and then we were off with 6 songs we had rehearsed to last one hour. The lights were nice and people were dancing. I guess about 30-40 people. Hard to tell in the dark. I had some tech problems but mostly it ran pretty well. Martin was just so amazing. What a pro on the drum machines. Incredible. FUN…
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| Doctors of Space- foto by Kate Weaver |
I was very tired and just packed up my gear and said goodbye to a few people. I did not see the last 3 DJs, but people were dancing to DC up in the bar area as I left..
DC (DJ)
Marc-O (DJ)
Intira & Kobiko (DJ)
Huge thanks to Tobias, Sara, Nick and Mad, the four main people making this festival happen each year. You are all awesome and the people have such a nice time.. A great experience for all. And affordable!!
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