This document provides a review of the Europavox Festival held in Clermont-Ferrand, France in May 2015. It summarizes each day of the festival, highlighting several of the musical performers. The festival focused on emerging European talent and included performances from artists from various European countries representing genres like indie rock, soul, folk, and electronic music. Overall, the review portrayed the festival as a family-friendly event that allowed attendees to discover new musical acts from across Europe.

1. Festival Review: Europavox 2015
– overview
June 11, 2015
Words: Adrian Borg
Photo credit: Inconscients Collectif
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand, is an innocuous, modestly-sized city
that sits pretty in the heart of south-central France. Truth
be told, this commune is not of much renown and hardly a
tourist magnet either. Except for the corporate
headquarters of tires tycoon Michelin and its blacker-
than-midnight-on-a-moonless-night Gothic cathedral,
remarkably built with volcanic rock.
Nevertheless, an international musical event called
Europavox Festival is held annually here and this May it
celebrated its 10th edition.
Festival overview
First and foremost, Europavox is not your typical mud-
drenched, rain-soaked European festival. Held in a town
square with easy-access concert halls, the whole
experience feels like a walk in the park.

2. experience feels like a walk in the park.
Secondly, most of the performers booked are not of a
high-profile – purposely so – as the organisers opt to
shine a light on emerging European talent, as opposed to
safer bets like readily established acts.
It is clear even to the most casual of onlookers that the
drive behind the setting up of this event is not
commercially driven, where the sole intent is that of
hoarding profits. It is true that every year they get a
crowd-puller to grace the main stage – be it The Hives,
Stromae or this year’s headliners, Placebo. French big
name acts, like Dominique A, FAUVE and Izia were also
added to the list. It stands to reason that every balance
sheet has a final figure. However, the quality control
exercised by the curators in selecting the line-up is very
much discernible.
This edition also saw its first ever heavy metal stage,
which featured Igorrr (FR), Avulsed (ES) and Gojira (FR); a
decision that paid dividends as metal heads flocked to the
site in droves.
Independent venue promoters and journalists from the
European music industry circuit were flown in to attend
panel debates and media events to help create ties across
national borders.
Here’s a random fun fact: it is very likely for someone to
bump into the band they saw performing the night before
in the hotel corridor or lobby.
To sum it all up, what I witnessed during this three-day
bash felt like a cross between a family picnic and a
countercultural gathering, with plenty of curious musical
discoveries along the way. Many of which I will review
right here.
Live shows
Pre-opening show
Friday, May 22
Carl Barât & the Jackals (UK)
Barât’s latest post-Libertines formation played for an
intimate audience. The Jackals album release was subject
to media underexposure (probably the fact that they
shamelessly duplicate The Clash did not help much).
Former excess seems to have taken less of a toll on Barât,

3. Former excess seems to have taken less of a toll on Barât,
than his one-time partner-in-crime/musical soulmate
Pete Doherty, as he was very much in good shape and
high spirits. The band’s set list also covered Libertines and
Dirty Pretty Things highlights – guaranteed crowd-
pleasers.
Barat’s humbleness was touching to witness, as
performing in a modestly-sized venue did not seem to
hurt his ego. On the contrary, he was brimming with
enthusiasm and energy. He sang at the top of his lungs
and hit his guitar strings with fervour. Shenanigans
showing brotherly affection also ensued, like when he
amicably piggybacked the guitar tech.
Carl Barât and The Jackals - Glory Days
Copyright 2011 Stagedive Malta.

4. Festival Review: Europavox 2015
– Day 1
June 12, 2015
Day 1
Saturday, May 23
Selah Sue (Belgium)
This young lady played her Motown meets reggae fusion
to a full house on the festival’s largest stage, without
batting an eye that is, as she was at ease in the spotlight.
During a solo number with just an acoustic guitar in hand,
she still managed to engage her audience. Her precocious
talents, drive and focus were in full evidence.
In 2011 her self-titled debut album remarkably cracked the
European market, especially France. But with new
territories yet to be conquered a question inevitably
crosses my mind… Her radio-ready soul was über-trendy
in 2008 (think Mark Ronson-assisted songstresses Amy
Winehouse and Adele or Duffy). Thus, is she now late to
the party?
Then again, this being a rhetorical question, it would be
totally acceptable if in the end she proved me wrong.

5. SELAH SUE - Live Deezer Session
FùGù MANGO (Belgium)
An unexpected discovery were FùGù MANGO, a band
whose spiritual home is 1979 downtown New York.
Comparing their worldbeat shtick to that of the Talking
Heads is unavoidable. Their live set was solid, even better
than their recorded output. With shakers or cowbell in
hand, the frontman kept working the stage, while his
bandmates made for technically able musicians.
Clearly part of a generation finding inspiration in Paul
Simon’s seminal album Graceland, FùGù MANGO are
kindred spirits with contemporaries tUnE-yArDs and
Vampire Weekend, who also merge afro-pop with indie.
On ‘Walk On By’ they nod towards Phil Collins’
atmospherics (think ‘In The Air Tonight’). Another homage
to 80’s new wave is their cover of The Stranglers’ ‘Golden
Brown’, minus the harpsichord baroque-isms of the
original. The quartet mostly shies away from harmonic
loading, instead opting to concentrate on exquisite South-
African percussion.
GOLDEN BROWN
Copyright 2011 Stagedive Malta.

6. Festival Review: Europavox 2015
– Day 2
June 13, 2015
Day 2
Sunday, May 24
Placebo (UK)
Placebo are one of a number of mid-90’s alt rock veterans
that retained a stable following, at least in some territories
like Italy and France, as confirmed by the strong
attendance of this show.
In 1996 Brian Molko and pals smashed into the charts as
the next post-grunge hopefuls with their self-titled debut.
With 1998’s Without I’m Nothing they triumphed over the
sophomore slump. In typical rock‘n’roll fashion, they then
released the difficult third album Black Market Music,
subsequently followed by a string of meh releases.
The live setup was extended beyond that of the essential
power trio. With too many backing musicians, the sound
made for a smudgy cacophony. A momentary technical
issue led to an amusing incident.
The charismatic Molko, who is fluent in French, started
casually chatting with the crowd to figure out what the
commotion was about. Hilarious leg-pulling ensued as he
passed tongue-in-cheek remarks about the French’s
reputation for complaining. “Ta voix! Ta voix!” – fans kept
yelling, because they couldn’t hear him sing. With the
temporary hiccup finally sorted out to a rapturous
applause, the gig resumed as normal.
Brian Molko "La ferme merde !"

7. Bror Gunnar Jansson (Sweden)
Raspy voiced bluesman Jansoon brought the house down.
Like a one-man-band he was seated with the guitar firmly
placed on his thigh, while his feet pedalled the hi-hat, the
snare and the empty guitar case. The unexpected racket
commanded the stage.
As someone who is probably disillusioned by
contemporary music, Jansson draws inspiration from the
American roots folk of Robert Johnson and Charley
Patton. File him with Seasick Steve.
Popbrus presenterar: Bror Gunnar Jansson - Ain't No Gr…
Mourn (Spain)
This Catalonian indie rock foursome, made exclusively of
under seventeens, is signed with the trendy label Captured
Tracks, whose roster boasts signees like DIIV and Mac
DeMarco.
The band delivered a set of tight neo-grunge that
sometimes verges on punk sloppiness. Songs like
‘Philliphius’, ‘Misery Factory’ and ‘Squirrel’ were ultra short
and sweet (ok maybe not that sweet) in typical Ramones-y
fashion.
Angst and aggro came in abundance, attributes that might

8. Angst and aggro came in abundance, attributes that might
be considered passé in this day and age. However, in their
case the cringe factor is null, as being the teens they are,
their dissatisfaction comes from a genuine place.
A journalist from Barcelona, whom I befriended at the
festival, told me about the annoyance he felt when the
band started turning heads as soon as Pitchfork covered
them in a Rising feature, even though he sang their
praises way before. Hence, the power English-speaking
media platforms have in raising the profile of non-U.S.
and non-U.K. bands.
MOURN "Otitis"
Alo Wala (Denmark)
This cosmopolitan project, fronted by rapper Shivani
Ahlowalia, brings together several audio-visual creatives.
Alo Wala nab the ragga-rave of Major Lazer, as well as the
day-glo-meets-tribal aesthetic of M.I.A. (and pretty much
her wacky fashion sense too). It is like Ahlowalia wants to

9. her wacky fashion sense too). It is like Ahlowalia wants to
be her so, so bad.
As the whole band couldn’t be present for the show, they
kept it simple with the lady MC and her drum pads-
beating sideman taking the stage. With borrowed backing
tracks by Duke Dumont, Mudimbi and more, their set
came across like a mixtape of sorts.
The party vibe and her fluid mic flow worked wonders, as
the crowd warmed up real quick. At one point she yelled
out, “Shake what mama gave ya!” Needless to say, the
audience obliged.
Alo Wala Cityboy ­ Official Video
from Jamil GS
03:48
Alo Wala Cityboy – Official Video from Jamil GS on Vimeo.
Copyright 2011 Stagedive Malta.

10. Festival Review: Europavox 2015
– Day 3
June 14, 2015
Day 3
Monday, May 25
FAUVE (France)
Collective FAUVE had their numerous followers, mostly in
their teens, going for it with sing alongs and arm waving.
Theirs is a contemporary pop-rock style, at times
remindful of The xx. French spoken word abounds, with
lyrics as dense as a holiday suitcase filled beyond capacity
that is about to blow open.
The ambitious visual show, consisting of video art and
lights displays, was at the centre of the attention rather
than the actual musicians onstage. A case in point is the
huge parasol of flashing bulbs installed on the venue
ceiling.
The band’s tour is somewhat of a travelling carnival; their
entourage temporarily transformed the entrance hall into
a fun fair with arcade games, photo boot, graffiti wall,
boxing machine and so forth.
FAUVE ≠ PATISSERIE #18 - VILLAGE

11. Aurora (Norway)
This tender aged Norwegian pixie/singer-songwriter took
everyone by surprise. I admit that whilst typing this review
I utterly restrained myself from using the cliché adjective
“ethereal”, already applied ad nauseam to artists like Björk
and Joanna Newsom, since it would do her a disservice.
Her voice was reverbed to great effect while her active
gesticulations, as if under a magic spell, made everyone fix
their eyes on her.
Aurora’s vocal drawl may link her with Irish singers like
Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, Enya or Celtic
chanting in general. Similar to current British sensation
Bastille, she shares an affinity for big-sounding floor toms
and majestic choruses.
Her arctic baroque-pop calls to mind Scandinavian snowy
forests, fjords and tall mountain peaks, the same way that
Florence & the Machine’s romanticist art-rock
characteristically evokes the moors of Cornwall.
Song titles like ‘Running With the Wolves’, ‘Under Stars’
and ‘Nature Boy’ further make explicit her kinship with
nature. One may even come to the conclusion that Aurora
is a deliberate reference to the aurora borealis, but in
actual fact, it is her birth name.
Another winner set worthy of praise.
AURORA - Runaway
AaRON (France)
Frenchmen AaRON received a warm welcome as they
were playing on home turf. The ambience consisted of
sparse and downtempo synth-rock fit for stadiums. Low-

12. sparse and downtempo synth-rock fit for stadiums. Low-
intensity lighting, smoky haze and monochromatic
illumination were some of the simple yet dynamic
techniques used to great effect.
On a side note: I was surprised to notice that hardly
anyone viewed the concert through their smartphone – a
trend that has plagued concerts as of late.
AaRON - Blouson Noir (HD Lyrics Video)
James Hersey (Austria)
James Hersey is the likeable next-door-bloke type of guy.
A sensitive singer-songwriter who probably pens his
music in his bedroom. On stage he is chatty in a soft-
spoken manner. I cannot help but compare him to other
acoustic-based contemporaries like Passenger or Ed
Sheeran.
In-between songs he delved into the personal events that
inspired the song that he was about to play, without giving
too much information. It is not only the dim-lit and cosy
venue that made his set an intimate one, but also the way
how he engaged with the crowd without really trying.

13. how he engaged with the crowd without really trying.
Female audience members especially seemed to be into it,
as I spotted several gently swaying to and fro to his hushed
delivery. An understated but solid gig. Bravo.
James Hersey - Coming Over (live)
K-X-P (Finland)
The Helsinki trio played to a mostly deserted venue. Oh
that dreaded curse of early slots! K-X-P’s unconventional
setup incorporated two drummers, while the third
member switched between guitar and keyboards. All of
this while donning black capes.
The band glided through lengthy, at times danceable,
instrumentals with plenty of motorik and synth arpeggios.
Think the cosmic kraut of The Emperor Machine meets
the dark drones of Demdike Stare. As the pit was empty
there was no crowd to dampen the sound. Fittingly, the
bass projected from the subs was even more crushing and
menacing.
K-X-P - Flags and Crosses
Kuenta i Tambú (Netherlands)
Hailing from Amsterdam this quintet is the cultural
product of modern-day pluralism. Their sound is self-

14. product of modern-day pluralism. Their sound is self-
styled as tambútronic – tambú (which originates from the
Caribbean island Curaçao, a constituent country of the
Netherlands) and electronica.
The group consisted of the DJ/beatsmaker and the live
rhythm section, which displayed an impressive arsenal of
percussion instruments, fronted by two exuberant
vocalists. At one point, co-frontman Roël Calister
explained that in the Papiamento language, Kuenta i
Tambú translates as “words and drums”.
Their explosive live set boasted a multi-genre and multi-
lingual blend of past and present musics. The end result
does not sound forced or artificial. Think Buraka Som
Sistema’s kuduro with the carnivalesque multi-percussion
of Brazilian batucada and add in some dubstep bass drops
and freestyling.
All of this making for high energy levels as the crowd rid
of inhibitions and went berserk. The K i T experience
proved both educational and entertaining. The most fun-
loving gig hands down. Diplo needs to discover this band.
Kuenta I Tambu - Lightswitch, live @ 3voor12 Radio
For more info visit www.europavox.com
Copyright 2011 Stagedive Malta.