KAREN EMSLIE reminds us that the Shetland scene is not only about traditional music
BANDS FROM across the UK and Europe came to Shetland recently to celebrate the exuberance and energy of music and art at the now annual Vunk Fest.
Vunk takes an innovative approach to its creative high jinks by providing a space for, and promoting, non-traditional and cross-over artistic outpourings. In terms of sound that meant a weekend of metal, punk, rock and ambient music and in terms of art, experimental films, collaborative prints and strange happenings, all conceptually connected to music and Vunk.
Vunk Fest happened in a seemingly odd mix of places: there was a dry-bar gig at a community hall in the village of Voe, a cacophony of sweaty madness at the Norscot Angling Club in Lerwick, and a chilled out session at the Shetland Museum and Archives, also in Lerwick. But it worked.
The gig in Voe was for over-14’s and ensured that the younger audience wasn’t excluded from Vunk Fest. Many of the die-hard, dedicated makers and fans of this music are young Shetlanders.
Joe Watt plays with local band Sick Twisted Fate, and said that “I can think of at least fifteen or sixteen bands in Shetland that play this type of music. I play traditional music as well, but rock and metal is just as valid. I think all music in Shetland should be fairly promoted.”
Joe is a quintessential Vunker – like many of the musicians he is eloquent and passionate. He is also one of the youngest: “Everyone in the band is fourteen or fifteen. We played at the Voe Hall on Friday. It was the best gig we’ve ever done and all the other musicians were really supportive. It’s down to Dave and Karen’s dedication that we are offered this format to play in”.
“Dave and Karen” are Dave Kok and Karen Bruce, who organise Vunk Fest’s music and art respectively (but with lots of crossover). Helped by dozens of other volunteers they work to bring together these expressive outbursts and make the whole thing happen.
Saturday night at the Norscot Angling Club was a splendidly dirty affair; loud, creative and in your face. Bands such as Dirty Ride from Orkney, Stolen Order from Inverness, A Thousand Lies from England, Deafening and Monsterstone from Holland and Shetland’s own Bitumen River and Ten Tonne Dozer (to name but a very few) had the audience getting down and Super-Vunky.
The stage was adorned with retro LP album covers and was vibrantly lit with zingy purple, red and green lighting. An elaborate array of performers took to the stage in a series of tight, fast and frenzied half hour slots. There were blue bearded rockers, long haired metal screamers and grunge a go-go.
It was a classically exuberant Shetland festival atmosphere that saw Shetlanders embracing the visitors with gusto and visitors exclaiming delight at both the islands and its people. The sheer numbers showed how popular this music is in Shetland.
The Shetland Museum and Archives hosted an afternoon of films, art and music on Sunday. It made for a gentle unwind after a full-on and hectic weekend but also served to show how it all connects.
Musicians who had been stage-screaming the night before played acoustic sets and jammed in the auditorium, and Poison Popcorn (who had also played at the Norscot Angling Club) showed their mind-melding music/film mash-ups.
Aafrugg created a dark world of audio and visuals delights using on-stage buttons, sliders and switches. They have performed across Europe and in the US and are now making work on the island of Burra, just off Shetland’s Mainland. They bring together recordings of the sounds of the islands with other influences, such as Native American singing.
“I don’t know what is going on in that room, but it sounds mad,” said one visitor outside the Museum’s auditorium. It does sound mad, but in the very best sense of the word.
The Learning Room was decked out with art and films. This year the Vunk artists worked to a remit based around the theme of ‘Ego and Persona’. Several of the pieces were made over the Vunk Fest weekend and creatively documented the goings-on. These included photographs of the previous night’s gigs in Voe and Lerwick and a ‘happening’.
The Vunk drum kit was taken on a Battle of the Bands and Drum Splatter beach-day-out. It was played and splattered to within a beat of its life then became the gig kit. By Sunday it was an exhibited artwork. From Road Trip to Norscot, the kit’s adventure was filmed and the film was shown on Sunday too. Neat.
Co:Lab is a collaboration of Shetland artists Jono Sandilands, Roberto ‘Beto’ Getto and Andrew Morrison. They showed film and prints. Each print was worked on by each artist in turn, a challenging and collaborative way to make art.
“This way of working conveniently fitted the remit of ‘Ego’. How big is your ego? Do you compliment or obliterate what the other printers have done?” explained Andrew. The results were colourful and cohesive.
The event also brought a new audience to the Shetland Museum and Archives with numbers up by over three hundred on normal Sunday figures.
Vunk is a not-for-profit organisation born out of dedication and commitment. What started as a platform for alternative music styles has grown into something with a life and vibrancy its own. Vunk happily sucks up a delightfully crazy mix of musicians and artists under the umbrella of passion and collaboration in art and music.
Co:Lab’s Andrew summed it up: “It has a lot more potential. Not all the musicians are passionate about all the art forms and not all artists are passionate about all the music, but we are all passionate about something. It’s nice to be part of that.”
© Karen Emslie, 2010
Links
Print Page
Email Page
Bookmark with:
What are these?