Electronic Beats illuminated the sky above the rooftops of Graz on May 21st as a stellar line-up entertained a sold-out and energetic crowd to spring the springeight Festival into action.
The Electronic Beats Festival @ springeight opened the eighth annual springfestival for electronic art and music – one of the most important events in Central Europe for modern music. More than two thousand fans from all over the map ascended the famous Schlossberg hill that provided an amazing view over the city and the distant mountains. An international line-up and an exciting night of live music made the heart-racing climb to the Kasematten open air stage more than worth it.
Emerging talent I nner City Dwellers took the stage first and warmed up the crowd with their urban and reggae influenced beats. The duo is on the cusp of breaking into the music scene in a big way and will be finishing their first single for release in the next months. Their lyrics play homage to their urban roots and their on-stage style proved to be a great way to kick-start the evening.
The crowds closed in on the stage when Swedish star Robyn appeared, opening her performance with songs ‘Cobrastyle’ and ‘Who’s that Girl’. She then energetically launched into a medley that included ‘Push It’, ‘Buffalo Stance’, ‘Got to Get’, and ‘Sexual Eruption’, which had the fans moving and cheering for her fun and modern interpretation of these crowd-pleasing songs. She finished her set with smash hit ‘With Every Heartbeat’ to wild applause.
The Kasematten was pulsing with excitement by the time legendary British act Roni Size/Reprazent jumped on stage. Their performance included a continuous mix of ‘upbeat’ style that blends their drum ‘n’ bass roots with reggae, urban and electro. Favourite hits such as ‘Brown Paperbag’ as well as new single ‘Don’t Hold Back’ had the massive crowd cheering for more.
Fashion icon Róisín Murphy was next, opening her performance singing behind-the-scenes while her back-up singers provided the visual introduction to her impressive show. Finally emerging from backstage in her first of many 80s inspired outfits, her sultry voice captivated the crowd with a set that included singles ‘You Know Me’, ‘Let Me Know’, and ‘Overpowered’. Her impressive stage presence and her ability to work the crowd was a true highlight of the night.
By the time the final act The Streets hopped on stage, the crowd was pumped and ready to hear the notorius Mike Skinner and his crew. Within minutes he was already stripping off his shirt and shoes before jumping into the crowd for some impromptu body surfing. All hands were in the air for his set that included ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and ‘Fit But You Know It’.
Once again the Electronic Beats Festival hosted an evening that included a stylish crowd in an amazing atmosphere – it’s hard to beat an open air stage on the top of a mountain. Seven hours of an incredible line-up of artists that blended a mix of unique and innovative styles provided an exciting and memorable night of live music. Could there be a better way to celebrate spring….and Electronic Beats? No way!
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