The festival is a sprawling maze of feel-good vibes, calming energy, and a mix of music playing 24 hours a day.
Words: Ciaran Picker.
Photos: Alina Grigorescu, Andrei Popa, Lina Rosca, Miluta Flueras, Theodor Tudose.
Electric Castle probably had a few things in mind for their 10th-anniversary celebration, but it’s doubtful that any of them included a worldwide computer crash that grounded planes and left some fans and artists stranded or a deluge that would have made an ark a perfectly reasonable transport option. Walk through the gate and into the festival, though, and it’s hard to believe that the problems of the outside world even exist.
Set in the grounds of the historic Bánffy Castle in the heart of the beautiful (if vampire-riddled) region of Transylvania, the festival is a sprawling maze of feel-good vibes, calming energy, and a mix of music playing 24 hours a day that heals the soul. An eclectic line-up that ranges from local hip-hop and heavy metal, through to international pop stars and more drum and bass DJs than you could shake a wooden stake at, it is in many ways the perfect festival for first-timers and seasoned pros alike. Oh, and Shaquille O’Neal is playing too, so all boxes are ticked, really.
If there were ever a band to dispel any rumours that vampires live in these parts, it’s probably not Bring Me The Horizon – especially when vocalist Oli Sykes comes out sporting metallic fangs while the backdrop projects a gothic church scene behind him. Their set is a masterclass in electronic metalcore, with song choices handpicked from across the majority of their multi-faceted discography. Interspersed with dramatic video game cut scenes, Steel City’s finest blast through fan favourites both old and new. Cult classics ‘Empire (Let Them Sing)’ and ‘Antivist’ see Oli travel back to the guttural screams that cemented Bring Me The Horizon’s place as one of the most important hardcore bands of the 21st Century, whilst ‘Shadow Moses’ and ‘Can You Feel My Heart?’ are as exhilarating today as they were ten years ago. New tracks, such as ‘Kool-Aid’ and ‘Top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd’, build up and breakdown with moshing in mind. The crowd gradually obliges, jumping around, moshing, and even indulging Sykes’ request for a wall of death. An encore of tear-jerker ‘Doomed’, pop-punk-esque ‘LosT’, and viral hit ‘Throne’ round off a set that cements Bring Me The Horizon’s position as kings of the metalcore castle.
Clearly, Bring Me The Horizon’s thunderous set gave the weather some ideas of its own, as Saturday starts with a rainstorm that is biblical in its magnitude – again, probably not doing anything to change the region’s supernatural reputation. Once the lightning subsides and the deluge retreats up into the hills, the Main Stage is blessed with the perfect antidote. Khurangbin’s summery sound brings a bit of Texan warmth to a decidedly soggy crowd, their majority instrumental set forcing onlookers to engage in toe-tapping, two-stepping, and even hip-swaying in the most extreme cases. Mark Speer’s jangling jazz-funk guitar lines entwine with Laura Lee Ochoa’s polished, powerful basslines in ‘Time (You and I)’, whilst drummer DJ Johnson keeps everything laidback and loose, travelling through syncopated reggae rhythms on ‘Lady and Man’. The Texan trio have saved summer, and just in time for two of the biggest electronic acts there’s ever been.
Trip-hop superstars Massive Attack waste no time in making their intentions known; they’re here to prove why they’re so revered by fans of any and all genres. Featuring collaborations with reggae legend Horace Andy, Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, and Mercury Award winners Young Fathers, the Bristolian electronic heavyweights ensnare and entrance a crowd that grows with each passing minute. The insane three-song run of classic tracks ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ – featuring stratospheric vocals from Deborah Miller – ‘Karmacoma’, and ‘Teardrop’ detail a decade-spanning career that shows no signs of slowing down. This set feels like a tonic in amongst the meteorological chaos of the day, providing an expertly crafted calm before Saturday night’s highly anticipated headline storm.
Chase and Status may well win the award for biggest and most-hyped crowd of Electric Castle 2024. Sparks of energy crackle across Main Stage, building up to fever pitch. When the drum and bass duo take the stage, it explodes. No matter your own musical taste, there’s no doubt that this is the set of the weekend. Evidencing their well-established knack of creating hit tracks, Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) drop anthem after anthem, alongside a laser/firework show that lights up the night sky. The sheer power of the bass, as well as the life that it has breathed into the crowd, almost has to be seen to be believed, especially during the simply huge tunes ‘Blind Faith’ and ‘Liquor & Cigarettes’. Elsewhere, the London-born duet blast through ‘Mixed Emotions’ and ‘Disconnect’, not letting the energy die for a second before diving headfirst into the currently inescapable ‘Baddadan’. It’s tough to create electronic music that doesn’t sound robotic or superficial, but Chase and Status continue to make music that connects with people all across the world. A truly imperious set from one of the best to ever do it.
In the blink of an eye, we’re onto the final day of this 10th birthday celebration. While most people flock to get ready for Jamaican dancehall legend Sean Paul, Anthony Szmierek takes to the Backyard Stage, surrounded by fairy-light-covered trees that shine as brightly as his hope-fuelled hip-hop set. The Mancunian passion poet is at one with the crowd spiritually, emotionally, and physically, bounding down off the stage to dance with a whole new set of fans. Combining his honest, heartfelt lyrics with hip-hop beats, ’00s indie sleaze guitar and funk-soul basslines, the crowd is on board from the start, dancing their hearts out from the word go. The immense heart of ‘Working Classic’, ‘Twist Forever’, and ‘Rock and a Calm Place’ transcend language, with ‘The Words to Auld Lang Syne’ inspiring tears for one audience member who promptly receives a hug from the humbled singer. This is still a truly joyous occasion, with covers of Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ and Sugababes’ ‘The Overload’ proving that Szmierek and his band are having as much fun as his audience. By the end of his much-demanded encore ‘Circle of Light’, it’s clear that, in the shadow of the castle walls, a star has been born.
From an artist on the rise to one who’s been at the top for the best part of three decades, it’s time for Sean Paul to take to the Main Stage. Replete with an MC, dancers, and a shed load of sweat-covered towels thrown into the crowd, it’s a performance that acts as a reminder of just how prolific Sean Paul has been, both in his own right and featuring on songs with acts as huge as Beyoncé, Sia, and Dua Lipa. Whether in the form of ‘Gimme The Light’, ‘Get Busy’, or Temperature’, it is a setlist designed to get the crowd going, and it is a resounding success, with fans of all ages turning out to sing his lyrics back to him, transporting the 68,000 attendees at Electric Castle to a sweaty club in Kingston, Jamaica. Maybe he’s not the most inventive artist of all time, but there’s no doubting that he knows how to get a party going, making him the perfect choice to reinvigorate this Sunday night slot.
As the sun sets over the Ferris wheel in front of Main Stage, it’s easy to see why Electric Castle has made it to ten years old. It’s everything a festival should be – inclusive, accepting, and frankly, just bloody good vibes. Here’s to the next ten years.
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