The 2014 edition of the worldly acclaimed music festival “Printemps de Bourges” (“Spring time in Bourges”) was for this 38 edition of the event a very unique “pot pourrie” of musical venues.
The Printemps de Bourges has always been the world laboratory for the discovery of new talent. It is hosted in the town of Bourges, located in central France, and the festival is probably one of the top 5 musical event in Europe for the festival goers and and the industry. From fresh New talents to prestigious world renown block busters of the music scene, Labels, booking agents, managers and music aficionados all gather for an entire week and the city transform itself into a Meca of sound and melodies for the enchantment of its goers and of the people of the town.
Attending Bourges’s Printemps as a journalist means a lot of walking, a lot of listening, a lot of emotions and discoveries. I enjoy walking through the banks of the Auron, the river that traverse the medieval city to attend the various places where the festival takes hold and mingle with the crowd. The “Printemps”, as it is refered by everyone, is the largest indoor venue on the European music scene. It takes place all over the beautiful town of Bourges in various locations : this year they inaugurated a renovated “W” scene which every night welcomes 6000 “festivaliers” (the French word for people attending the festival), the Palais d’Auron, the city’s musical biggest concert hall, the “22” a smallest venue for upcoming artists, the Auditorium, the prestigious Palace of Jacques Coeur, the 1000 year old Cathedral (Patty Smith Performance in 2013 in the Cathedral was one of the most memorable event of that year)…And the off festival in the 50 bars in the town that for a week welcome the French music scene and transforms the entire town into a musical heaven.
The blockbuster and young prodigy Stromae opened the show this year with a spectacle of lights, Rythm and entertainment that electrified its public. The Belgium young raising star was followed by a series of well known musical blockbusters, ie Shaka Ponk, Skip the Use, that gathered the Electro-Rock public. If ou want to get a taste of this year’s selection of artists, I invite you to discover Biffy Clyro, a Scottish formation of electronic musicians, Simon Neil, Bisou Bisou, Olympia Fields, tha Arctic Monkeys, Christine and the queens, Week end Affair, the young Reggae man Naâman, and Cats on Trees.
My 3 favorite 2014 “coup de coeur”
. Benjamin Clementine, an english musician, poet, and pianist who gave and outstanding performance in the historical Palace Jacques Coeur.
. The Tindersticks, the english Indie-Rock formation led by Stuart Stapples, performed in the Cathedral
. The “les ogres de Barback“, a French brotherhood of 4 brothers and sisters that came to bourges this year with an African Fanfare EyoN’lé.
Emerging artists and new electric scene form an incredible combination that appeals top the wide public of the festival. It’s genra is spectacular, the variety of its attendance in age, social profile, music taste is, to my knowledge, unique in the world and it’s always a wonder and a surprise to arrive, after reading the little interactive app presentation of the musician, to discover new voices, new rhythms, new sounds and to witness the energy of the young public attending the event.
I was in Bourges for a little more than 48 hours this year, I did not sleep much and attended as many concerts as I could. I feel privileged and extremely lucky to be covering the festival alone as it gives me total freedom to move, search and discover emerging artists and new sounds.
Some facts about the Festival
. 500 concerts in 6 days
. 240,000 people attending (it triple the population of the town)
. 90 % of the concerts are full
. 380 Journalists from all over the world.
. The Festival team is over 1,000.
Links to follow up to learn, see and hear more
http://www.printemps-bourges.com/en/accueil/bienvenue.php
Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Printemps-de-Bourges
Twitter : https://twitter.com/PrintempsDB
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeDj2e7MeXRYgGtNL9sPT5g
Instagram : https://instagram.com/leprintempsdebourges/
The 2014 program and the portfolio of posters
