OFF FESTIVAL 2011

OFF FESTIVAL 2011
KATOWICE, POLAND
5th - 7th AUGUST 2011
www.off-festival.pl

Taking place from 5th - 8th August in 'Three Lake Valley', Katowice OFF Festival is a unique boutique music festival, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself, and the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek is firmly aimed at supporting art and music with the festival bringing many acts to Poland for the first time.  Growing in prominence year on year with this years event promising one of the strongest line-ups to date in line with over one hundred acts across four stages including; Primal Scream plays "Screamadelica", Public Image Ltd, dEUS, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Junip, Mogwai and more.

Klopsztanga Project:
Klopsztanga (from the German Klopfstange) is a word used in the Silesian dialect to describe a pipe frame on which carpets are hung for beating. Klopsztangi primarily served as gathering places that encouraged children’s imaginations to grow, helping them set off on trips much more interesting and distant than the ones offered by today’s travel agencies. The OFF Festival Katowice and Medusa Industry have decided to bring the klopsztanga back to the Silesian landscape. Join us on our mission!

Saturday mornings don’t sound like they used to. A hollow, rhythmic thump once announced the start of the weekend. The dull, monotonous, and slightly muted smacking sound would echo off of buildings. The strong beat would occasionally slow down and weaken, only to pick up once again. Four pipes welded together in the shape of the letter “H” with a bar across the top, slightly wider than the vertical poles. A simple, ubiquitous object; a primitive element of everyday life.

At first glance, the klopsztanga is a plain steel contraption: a black, brown, or rusty, anachronistic object. The klopsztanga and the trashcan formed an inseparable pair. A utilitarian form: the klopsztanga, courtyard gate, playground, a place in which to gather and talk. Crossed legs, somersaults, hanging upside down, skipping rope, and eating sunflower seeds. The original Silesian public space.

A space that has now been forgotten. Pushed aside by the vacuum cleaner and the plastic playground, the klopsztanga stands on the side and observes our modern world. It is rarely used; someone will occasionally sit on it, but Saturday mornings just don’t sound the same without it. It has become a symbol. A barely recognizable and deprecated symbol. The German-sounding name can sound abrasive to politically-correct ears. Is it Polish or German?

The klopsztanga remains a characteristic part of the Silesian landscape. The Klopsztanga Project is an attempt to bring back the word as well as the space associated with it. It aims to revive a temporarily forgotten phenomenon. Its goal is to enliven, inspire, and shape our space. A real space. Not a social media.


Mural in Katowice 2011:
The piece is meant to resemble a shadow, something elusive. The afternoon glare in the windows forms an illusion that may seem like an entirely different dimension of reality when viewed from passing trains. The mural depicts an acrobat balancing on a tightrope. A crowd gathered below gazes up at the character. He evokes a range of emotions in the bystanders: some look surprise, others seem interested and full of awe, while others appear disgusted and terrified. One of the people in the crowd, a little girl mimicking the acrobat’s movements on the tightrope, reminds us just how difficult his feat is. It is surprising yet at once provocative and funny.

Literary Stage:
Poets and performers from the legendary “They Pissed In My Insides” group have become classics of the avant-garde, thus they need their own separate celebration – the first day of OFF’s Literary Stage will be devoted to the alternative artists from Gda?sk. Pawe? “Konjo” Konnak (the chief guerrilla of parapoetic improvisation, celebrity award show host, and the only Nike Literary Award nominee to dance on the ice on television) will talk about Totart, while Krzysztof Skiba and Jaros?aw Janiszewski, frontmen of the legendary bands Big Cyc and Bielizna, respectively, will talk about the formative years of the Tricity punk rock scene and the maniacal activities of anarchists in the Communist system’s twilight years. Pawe? “Paulus” Mazur and Dariusz “Brzóska” Brzóskiewicz will appear with their own literary-slash-musical show. The epigrams and haikus written by the duo can be considered classic examples of Totart lyrics, right next to the legendary “Cunt Flows” by Zbigniew Sajnóg. The latter was also a co-author of “The Peasants III,” a novel that was decidedly more perky, from a linguistic perspective, than Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning original. Fragments of the novel, as well as samples of his new lyrics written in prose, will be performed a capella by Ryszard Tymon Tyma?ski. 

On the second day, the literary stage will complement the “forever young veterans of the scene” theme set by Johnny Rotten and his crew. Bohdan Zadura, laureate of the 2011 Silesius Award (Poland’s most prestigious poetry award; what’s important, the jury didn’t bestow a lifetime achievement award upon him, but decided that his “Night Life” was Book of the Year for 2010), editor-in-chief of “Twórczo??,” and mentor of subsequent generations of literary rebels, will read his new poems. Also on stage, reading parts of his new work, will be the author of the most notorious literary debut of recent history, the Greatest Silesian of All Time, living legend of Polish cinema, author of priceless virulent commentary on political folklore, and a deputy to the Polish Sejm (lower house of parliament), Kazimierz Kutz. Janusz Rudnicki will also appear with his show on the second day. Rudnicki is a prime example of literary ADHD, he’s the only author with a free pass to the stage at every festival where I’m one of the curators, a demolition man, filled with mean jokes and the biting intelligence evident in his short prose pieces. We’re hoping that Tadeusz D?browski, a recent convert to metaphysical lyricism and laureate of the Ko?cielski Award, will remind us of his love for poetic anecdotes and slapstick. But let me tell you, this is the only poet who could convince me that God exists. Wojciech Brzoska and his band will close the second day. Brzoska, the only representative of the local literary scene to grace the stage, is one of the most interesting Silesians from the 70s Generation and an author unafraid of writing understandable poetry.

Sunday will start off with an appearance from the only author who doesn’t write in Polish, our man in Vienna, Radek Knapp. His book “Lekcje pana Kuki,” filled with sophisticated humor and juicy phrases, immensely popular in the German-speaking world, was turned into a movie (with questionable success), directed by Dariusz Gajewski and released in 2008. Zbigniew Masternak, the best soccer player among writers, the lightning fast sniper of Pu?awiak Pu?awy FC, will talk about how Andrzej Bara?ski adapted his novel “Ksi?stwo” for the big screen. The brightest star on the Sunday stage will surely be Micha? Witkowski, author of “Lubiewo,” another master of over-the-top phrase and unquestioned champion of Polish gay literature. The day will be closed by two energetic shows by my favorite guys, excellent poets and fantastic musicians associated with the yass movement: Szczepan Kopyt and Filip Zawada.

Wojciech Kuczok, curator of the OFF Literary Stage

Festival line-up:
Abradab + Kaliber 44 set, Actress, AIDS Wolf, Anna Calvi, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Asi Mina, Awesome Tapes From Africa, Baaba Kulka, Ballady i Romanse, Barn Owl, Bielizna plays "Taniec lekkich goryli", BiFF, Blindead, Blisko Pola, Blonde Redhead, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, The Car Is On Fire, Czes?aw ?piewa Tesco Value, D4D, Dan Deacon, Deerhoof, Destroyer, dEUS, Dezerter, Dry The River, DVA, Emeralds, Factory Floor, Frankie & The Heartstrings, GaBLé, Gang Of Four, Gangpol & Mit, Glasser, How To Dress Well, Hype Williams, Igor Boxx, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Junior Boys, Junip, Kamp!, Karbido plays "The Table", Kode9 DJ set, Konono No. 1, Kury plays "P.O.L.O.V.I.R.U.S.", Kyst, Male Bonding, Matthew Dear (Live Band), Merkabah, Meshuggah, Miss Polski, Mogwai, Moja Adrenalina, Mo?r Drammaz, Muariolanza, Neon Indian, Lech Janerka, Liars, Liturgy, The Lollipops, Low, L.Stadt, Olivia Anna Livki, Omar Souleyman, Oneida, Oneohtrix Point Never, Paris Tetris, PCTV, Polvo, Primal Scream plays "Screamadelica", Public Image Ltd, Ringo Deathstarr, Sebadoh, Suuns, Très.b, TRYP, Twilite, Twin Shadow, Warpaint, Warsaw Village Band, Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet, Xiu Xiu, YACHT. Plus special show on August 4th: Current 93 and Trembling Bells. Plus DJ set in club 50/50 after the C93 show: Boddika, Loefah & MC Chunky.

About OFF Festival:
Taking place from 5th - 8th August in 'Three Lake Valley', Katowice OFF Festival is a unique boutique music festival, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself, and the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek is firmly aimed at supporting art and music with the festival bringing many acts to Poland for the first time.

Growing in prominence year on year with this years event promising one of the strongest line-ups to date in line with Rojek’s forward-thinking, eclectic music policy. From the greatest alternative music stars from around the world to the increasingly strong Polish scene, OFF festival has inspiring music in abundance. This year’s edition will showcase over one hundred acts across four stages.

Over the years, the OFF Festival has amassed its own demanding yet appreciative audience as well as a well deserved reputation in Poland and abroad. Not without reason has it been said and written that OFF is the best alternative festival in this part of Europe and the only place east of Berlin where one can catch a glimpse of the boldest and eclectic acts on stages worldwide. This year, over 15,000 music fans are expected to flock to Three Lake Valley to witness Artur Rojek's musical vision come to fruition once again.

Tickets:
3-DAY PASS*
* Allows entrance to all concerts taking place between the 5th and 7th of August in the area of Dolina Trzech Stawów (gate opens at 13:00)

35 EUR (45 EUR with camping included) – until April 30th
40 EUR (50 EUR with camping included) – May 1st until June 30th
45 EUR (55 EUR with camping included) – July 1st until August 4th
50 EUR – August 5th, on location

ONE DAY TICKET*?
*Allows entry to the concerts taking place in one chosen day of the festival
August 4th – Special opening show with Current 93 + guest (gate opens at 18:00)?22 EUR – pre-sale until August 3rd ?27 EUR – August 4th, on location
August 5th or 6th or 7th – Three Ponds Valley (gate opens at 13:00)?25 EUR – pre sale until August 4th?35 EUR– during the festival

CAMPING TICKETS?
Please note that camping (Festival Village) will not be sold this year separately - unless there is space available when the festival starts.?17 EUR - August 5th or 6th or 7th
buy tickets from:
http://www.seetickets.com/Event/OFF-FESTIVAL/Dolina-Trzech-Stawow/553022
www.ticketpro.pl
www.eventim.pl
?www.ticketportal.pl

Travel and accommodation
There are regular cheap flights to from the UK and Europe to Katowice with Wizz Air, Ryan Air, Lufthansa and KLM.

Arriving at Katowice/Pyrzowice airport - take the bus marked "Lotnisko" to the Katowice train station (Dworzec PKP) and then transfer to one of the below lines.

Buses from Katowice train station (Dworzec PKP):
- to the Muchowiec airport (OFF Festival grounds) - lines 0 and 50.
- to the Trzy Stawy bus stop (shopping center, 500 meters from the
festival grounds) - lines 10, 110, 672, 674, and 910.

Katowice has a broad range of accommodation, from cheap hostels to luxury hotels, but you can also live the festival life 24 hours a day at the OFF Festival Village, providing you with a place to stay, take care of sanitary needs, and grab a bite to eat. The Festival Village at OFF Festival Katowice 2010 will open August 5 at noon, and close on August 9 at 3:00 pm. A stay at the Festival Village costs 4 € (16 PLN) per person, per day.
More information on all the travel and accommodation is available on the festival website

OFF Festival online
http://www.off-festival.pl
http://myspace.com/offfestival
http://www.facebook.com/offfestival
http://www.twitter.com/offfestival
http://www.youtube.com/offfestivaltv