Artmania, 22-24.07.2022, Large Square, Sibiu

We did it: our kid’s first metal show! It would’ve happened sooner if it weren’t for a little virus you may have heard of, but we’re still happy we made it. And it was only fitting that his first would be our beloved Artmania. So at the end of July we packed our bags, packed the headphones, put the kid in his Manduka and settled in for a 6 hour train ride to Sibiu. This is the story of our adventure (yes, taking a 2 year old to a metal festival is an adventure, but spoiler alert, we loved it and God willing, we’ll be back next year).

This time I’m going to do something a little different and focus less on the bands and more on the experience, because that’s how we felt it. Pain of Salvation were the band that made us decide to buy tickets, so when POS and later My Dying Bride cancelled, none of us were really invested in any of the remaining bands and it became a question of staying at home or going for the atmosphere of Artmania. Obviously we chose the latter and it was a lot of fun (although all three of us are now exhausted mentally and physically). As you know, Artmania is a very dear festival to us and we always enjoy attending it. Despite the numerous critiques they got this year for all the cancelled events (I personally “blame” the bands, rather than the organisers), I feel like every edition has been handled with true professionalism and passion. There were never any lines to queue at, there was plenty of space for everyone, it was clean and civilised, we had soap and toilet paper, there were tons of beanbags in the back which were amazing for our son (and for us, when we had to put him to bed) and this year we also got to appreciate how family friendly this event is.

Our kid really enjoyed being there, he watched some of the bands from his dad’s back, was very excited about his new protective headphones (please, always use hearing protection for your children, they’ll thank you later), begged us for a wristband he hasn’t taken off for the past 4 days, clapped and raised his hands in the air with excitement, jumped all over the beanbags, chased pigeons, had the best time of his life rolling a plastic cup on the ground and banging barrels and thankfully, mercifully, slept during the last live shows of each day. It was more than we could ask for regarding his first time. We also had a lot of fun, despite things obviously being very different this time. We had a little bomb to handle and some of the shows were lost to uhm… cutting the red wire? Putting the kid to sleep. But still it was amazing to be able to see and hear live music and enjoy the electric vibe of a large crowd. It was a brief return to something that seemed a lifetime ago, before the pandemic and having a baby radically changed our lives, and a reminder that everything is temporary and you can still pursue your passions and hobbies even with a young child. And although we took a bit of a risk because we didn’t really know how he would react (we believed he’d like it, but couldn’t know for sure), it was proof that kids can be included in our hobbies and they can truly share them, if we have the courage and patience to expose them to different life experiences. We made a lot of friends, people we randomly chatted to, we headbanged, cheered and of course, listened to good music. So now a few words about each band.

Day 1
It’s always a pleasure to watch Bucovina live, no matter how many times I’ve seen them before. It was very hot, as Artmania usually is during the day, and it was very short, as they were the first act, but it was still fun. They seemed a bit disappointed by the reception they got from the crowd and quite frankly, so was I. But they still got a little wall of death going during Sub Piatra Doamnei :W:

Stoned Jesus was not my cup of tea, stoner music in general is too monotonous and hazy for my taste. However, I was very moved by their words and their spirit. “This is the first show we play since Russia invaded our country” were not words I ever thought I would hear during my lifetime, and my heart went to them and all the people of Ukraine.

Alternosfera didn’t start from the best position considering they replaced at the last minute a very popular and expected My Dying Bride. However, they absolutely won the audience over and got almost everyone singing their lyrics with their captivating and spirited performance. I used to love Alternosfera during high school, but haven’t really kept up with their work, so I was happy to see they haven’t changed one bit. It was also lovely to see Marcel Bostan casually walking through the crowd with (I believe) his son during the next day, taking pictures and high fiving people.

I was pretty excited about Transatlantic because… what prog fan in his right mind wouldn’t be excited about Mike Freaking Portnoy? Unfortunately I couldn’t truly get into them and the performance seemed a bit distant and dispassionate to me. I still have mad respect for their musical genius, though, even if I personally didn’t click with them that night.

Day 2
The Vintage Caravan were just as I expected them to be. A feel-good classic rock band, that just wants to have fun on stage and make the public have fun as well. They looked like they succeeded in both their goals.

I have a weird relation with Leprous, as I mostly appreciate their music, but don’t enjoy seeing them live. I touched briefly on it the last time I attended their show, but I don’t like the lead singer at all. He comes off as arrogant and self-enamored and it’s putting me off, which is a shame.

Cult of Luna sounded very good, but I personally prefer a more engaged artist. In theory I admire the idea that music should be enough and you don’t need to see the performers or have them interact with the audience, but in practice it felt slightly detached and more like listening to a recording rather than witnessing a live performance.

Taine were somewhat of a surprise. From the way the schedule was presented, I expected them to open the evening, so when The Vintage Caravan started playing I thought it was odd there was no Taine and no mention of it. But they were a special treat, as they unexpectedly offered us a headbanging show during bands, at the back of the square, on a small stage I honestly hadn’t even noticed. It was particularly funny considering our son was sleeping right there, on a beanbag. And so in the blink of an eye we turned from responsible parents staying at the back of the venue to “those weirdos with the toddler” that were in the front rows of a metal concert while their kid was sleeping peacefully. People laughed, pointed, even took pictures of our angelic sleeping beauty. He was completely unbothered (actually started crying when the performance was over), so we stayed and had fun. Taine were great and gathered a small, but dedicated and intense crowd, all the while drawing the attention away from the giant constructions that were being set up behind us on the main stage.

I am going to draw the ire of all metalists, but I didn’t connect at all with Meshuggah. I respect their talent, their professionalism, the extreme technical prowess, but this type of music is not for me. As I’ve made it abundantly clear by now, I incline on the emotional side and to me music should evoke emotions, move, mesmerise, enchant. This was the most technical and devoid of feeling performance I have ever witnessed and in my mind math and music just don’t go together.

Day 3
Dordeduh were great. I’m a big fan of extreme folk metal and I can proudly say Romania has some amazing representants of this genre. Dordeduh are one of them and it was a pleasure watching them live. Despite the heat, the light and all other distractions, they managed to convey their dark mystic atmosphere and delivered a fascinating performance.

The Pineapple Thief were my favourite act. I was so taken by them that I sent my husband away with the kid with the message “come back when they’re done singing”. Mother of the year, right there. Intriguing, moody, melodious and captivating, as all good music and shows should be.

Due to a fussy toddler that wouldn’t go to bed, I missed both Testament and Revolver. My husband acted as my local source and reported Testament was absolutely legendary. Way to rub it in 😛 Anyway, in his words, it started raining and the crowd split in two – those who tried to hide from the rain and those who were more than happy to take up the recently cleared up space in the front. I’ll let you guess how soaked up and hoarse he was afterwards. The band seemed thrilled to be there, there was a giant moshpit and it was generally a riot. Or so I was told.

Nothing to mention about Revolver, as he took pity of me and came to check on how I’m doing with the little bomb. It’s a shame, because Artmania did a great job hyping them by posting a picture of one of the band members as a little kid during an early Artmania edition with the tag “they grow up so fast”.

Mercyful Fate… Eh! I’m not a fan of satanic imagery, to put it mildly. Sad use of King Diamond’s amazing voice.

So this is it. Our first post-baby post-pandemic festival. Great experience! Absolutely exhausting. Would definitely do it again. In fact, since Pain of Salvation promised to make amends and play at Artmania in 2023, we will do it again if everything goes well (we’re already exploring accommodation options). Lovely festival, lovely music, lovely people and a happy family. What more could I ask for?