PUNK ROCK HOLIDAY 2.6 - BACK WHERE WE BELONG!

 Here we go again!

It has been a year since we all got together at that magical place we call home. It seemed August will never come, but as it did, it passed way too quickly! PUNK ROCK HOLIDAY 2.6. One week of our lives, but what a week!

WARM UP DAY/ DAY 0! Monday morning, all packed and ready to go, we started our trip early. It was around noon when we came to Tolmin, unpacked and rushed down to the beach. As always, met a bunch of people on the way, so got just in time for KILLING DAISIES. This energetic, female fronted punk rock band from Canada were the first one on my list for this year. They delivered 30 minutes of raw and melodic punk. After them FOUR BLACK LUNGS, no strangers to this zine, and can I just say "finally"! After them I went up to meet with some friends, have a drink and chill a bit after the early morning and drive. And just like that it was a Main Stage time. SCREAM, a 45 years rocking band from Washington. What an opening. It's a shame it was not packed with people, but than again, it was warm up day and still early in the afternoon, hot as hell. As the sun started to subside, people started to gather at the main stage, just in time for the first timers PUNK ROCK FACTORY. "Livin' la Vida Loca" started the fire and this Brits delivered a firework of covers. "Mamma Mia", "Under The Sea", "SpongeBob", "Thundercats", it was a mashup worthy of warm up. PULLEY and TERROR I set behind, as I saw them more than couple of times in the last few years. THE SUICIDE MACHINES drained us. Opening with "New Girl", then "S.O.S.", "Our Time" and much more, to bring it to boil with "High Anxiety" and "I Don't Wanna Hear It". What a set! What a show! And what a warm up it was! After the Main Stage it was time for the after party, so we partied until we dropped! One down, four more to go.

DAY 1, Tuesday. I started off with one of my favourites - FOR I AM from Belgium. "Jack Shit", "I Don't Wanna", "Power Behind The Throne", 30 minutes was not enough, as there were some songs I really hoped they would play. Hanne is pure energy! I would love to see them at Main stage! Next one were a dream come true for me, so thank you PRH once again. BALLYHOO!. This reggae, punk rock band from Maryland has been around for over 30 years. Never have they toured in Europe, so you can understand my excitement when I found out they are coming to Punk Rock Holiday. And their gig was my absolute favourite this year! "Maryland Summer", "Four Days", "I Don't Wanna Go", "Mixtape", "Blaze This Weed", "Dammit" and "I Guess I'll Go Fuck Myself" as just a part of their amazing set list that had us dance through the heat and left us wanting more. It was short but made me smile for the rest of the day. With THE MEFFS I cooled down a bit and said good bye to the beach for the day. At the Main stage first one for me were STICK TO YOUR GUNS. "Nobody", "Married To The Noise" and "Severed Forever", this Orange County metalcore band really set the woods on fire! GOOD RIDDANCE ran through their set with "Weight Of The World", "Salt", "One For The Braves", "No More System To Believe In". Last one that night were HOT WATER MUSIC, and what an ending of the first official night. "Remedy", "Turnstile" and "Drag My Body" with Linh from Bad Cop/Bad Cop as my favourite on that set, one hour was not enough. But we decided to not let the evening be done and moved to after party. As the morning broke, we finally went to sleep, because the day ahead is gonna be wild.

DAY 2, Wednesday, came too soon, after only a few hours of sleep. So sleep deprived and hungover, I took a cold shower and a half a litter of coffee and off to the interviews! After finishing all of them, I really didn't have time for any bands on Beach stage except TERESA BANKS. This melodic skate punk rock band from Helsinki broke me! Tired as I was, still they made me jump and dance and as it turned out, it was just what I needed! Cold drinks, moment to rest and it was time for my favourite girls, BAD COP/BAD COP. Girl power took over on and under the stage. At one point literally you could see only women in front of the stage!  "All Together Now", "Retrograde", "I'm Done", "Broken", "Victoria", "Simple Girl", one better than the other. I think this was one of the best gigs at PRH 2.6! Their set drained the last energy particle from me, so A WILHELM SCREAM I moved as little as possible, in the back, far from the crowd. That same crowd that was insane from the beginning to the end of their set. "I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz", "Midnight Ghost", "Devil Don't Know" and this was just the part of an amazing set. This was not their first time and I hope it's not their last! H2O I decided to listen from behind, as I needed the air and something cold to drink. "Nothing To Prove", "Faster Than The World", "Heart On My Sleeve", some would say standard set list, but once again they proved to be greatness! And then it was time for some serious sweating! GOGOL BORDELLO! Gipsy punk from New York united few thousand people in dancing the way we never danced before. Crazy. No other word can describe that! Over an hour of what ever that was. The energy was high, and so was everybody. And now what? Now we move that energy and that feeling deep in to the night as we continue to dance at the after party. 

DAY 3, Thursday. the day that reality kicks in. Today and tomorrow...and that's it! We better get the most of it! BIKE AGE, a pop punk band from Germany with amazing energy, melodic, I hear skate punk in there more then pop punk, but anyhow this was pretty cool gig. One more gig at Beach stage that was amazing is the one from TEMPLETON PEK. These guys from Birmingham have been on the scene for over 20 years. And what's most interesting is the fact that they sound so mighty and full, even though it's a trio! At this point I decided to take it easy, move around, have myself a cold cold drink and just chill. MAID OF ACE opened Main stage that day and the girls gave it all! WAR ON WOMEN with their energy and themes of their songs fell right in to this years girl power of the PRH. TALCO ignited the night and LESS THAN JAKE delivered once again ska punk mayhem. "All My Best Friends...", "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short", "History Of a Boring Town", standard and well known set, they proved once again this is where they belong. And the last set of the night was the one of the great DROPKICK MURPHYS. Some would say it's not the same (referring to Ken taking over for Al), but I wouldn't agree. "Do or Die", "The Boys Are Back", "The Gang's All Here", "Rose Tattoo" where they invited girls and women to come up and in front, and finishing of with "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" and a Lou Koller tribute with "Step Down". At this point you could no longer see the band. It's a PRH thing...

Last day creeped up upon us! DAY 4. Friday. Drained, tired and sad, this is the day you give it all! FAIR DO'S, melodic skate punk hard core band from Manchester were the first one for me on Friday as I had a couple of interviews before them, so I didn't get to see first two bands on Beach stage. Fast, melodic and technical. Thirty minutes flew by. PRIMETIME FAILURE, a pop punk, punk rock band from Germany took the stage after them. I read somewhere they said about themself "four guys in their thirty somethings still trying to save your day". Well... you did! They were just what I needed that last day. After a chill out it was time for the last dance at the Main stage! SPLIT DOGS I didn't listen before, but loved them live so I think that is going to change. Some crazy energy and vibe. More rock and roll than punk if you wanna be technical, but soooo punk in attitude and energy. Another great band from UK, and another fabulous frontwoman! Real surprise were THE CLOVERHEARTS, Australian Celtic punk band with another amazing lady on pipes. She was the heart of the band. They are one of the newest and fastest growing band in today's Celtic punk scene. SATANIC SURFERS, no strangers to PRH turned the heat up and got everyone fired up. Last gig: LAGWAGON! "Violins", "Sick", "Bombs Away", "Coffee and Cigarettes", "Alien8", "Making Friends", "Sleep", "Razor Burn", "May 16"... I don't care what everybody thinks, I love them, I have always loved them. I always will! It was a perfect ending of yet another Punk Rock Holiday, and I really hope not one of the last ones! 

Once again it proved to be the best festival in the world! Amazing organization, perfect security crew, nicest bar crew and the most amazing people overall. 

For me this is more than a festival. It is my sacred place, my mental health retreat. My decompression chamber. My sanity! My New Year, my everything. I hope to see you all next year and many many years after that.

Love you! 

Written by I.