Die erste Ausgabe des Club- und Showcase-Festivals WAVES VIENNA ist seit Sonntag Geschichte. Als Veranstalter können wir trotz einiger unvorhersehbarer Probleme und kurzfristiger Absagen ein positives Resümee ziehen: Mehr als 8.000 Menschen waren an den Festivaltagen unterwegs. Und vor allem am Freitag und am Samstag lag dieses ganz spezielle Festivalflair in der Luft – mit gut gefüllten Venues (von Flex bis Pratersauna) und regem Publikumstreiben zwischen den Festivalachsen Donaukanal und Prater.
Es hat sich gezeigt, dass Wien all das hat, was es für eine Festivalstadt von internationalem Format braucht: eine geografische Schlüsselposition, außergewöhnliche Venues, ein aufgeschlossenes, begeisterungsfähiges Publikum und nicht zuletzt – als Hauptstadt des Landes – eine überzeugende heimische
Musikszene. Eine Einschätzung, in der uns auch das Feedback der Delegates, der Medien, der Artists und des Publikums bestätigt. Wie man sich weiter unten überzeugen kann.
Für die zweite Ausgabe von WAVES VIENNA haben wir in den vergangenen Tagen Vieles gelernt. Dass es kleinerer Anpassungen in diversen Bereichen bedarf etwa. Aber auch dass die Kernelemente des Festivals vom Showcase-Charakter über Konferenz bis hin zur Einbindung von Off-Locations sehr positiv aufgenommen werden. Erkenntnisse, auf denen wir für 2012 aufbauen können!
-Manuel Fronhofer

Reaktionen aus dem In- und Ausland
~~ PROFESSIONALS ~~
„I didn’t see a single band that wasn’t at least very good – that’s frustrating, how did you do that?“
Marije Brouwer (Eurosonic Booking, Gröningen, NL)
„Thanks Waves Vienna! Great 1st edition“
Marije Brouwer (Eurosonic Booking, Gröningen, NL)
„Anyone who thinks that Austria’s capital isn’t a rock ‘n’ roll town should visit Waves next year. Venues on boats with a great view of the cutting-edge new Vienna skyline, impressive local talent that none of us foreigners previously knew anything about, plus a well-crafted bill of big names and newcomers from as far afield as Montreal, Bratislava and Brighton. Great city. Great festival.“
Si Hawkins (Clash Magazine, London, GB)
„I honestly believe you put the base for a great festival with a firm date in the european conference and festival calendar.“
Jaro Slavik (Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republik, Bratislava, SK)
„Waves Vienna is proof positive that kick-ass rock ’n’ roll exists well beyond the industry’s Anglo-American focus. Hometown heroes join forces with ones-to-watch from all corners of Europe – if the first year can attract a line-up this good (and an atmosphere this positive) then you’ve gotta be excited by how much better Waves is inevitably gonna become.“
Will Fitzpatrick (The Fly, London, GB)
„This puts Vienna on the international music map. It’s great and worth to come.“
Maarten Decock (Glimps Festival, Ghent, BE)
„The festival was excellent and entertaining, the music great and the city magnificent. […] A truly international slant to the festival with the Austrian bands acquitting themselves well.“
Arni Matthiasson (Murgunbladid, Reykjavik, IS)
„Waves opened my eyes a little more to possible ways of not only collaborating with local music ventures but really helping as a gateway in and out of the UK for Austrian/Viennese music businesses.“
Ian Smith (Frusion, London, GB)
„It was indeed a special feeling to be part of the first ever festival, I did enjoy it a lot – amazing venues in great locations! And really good people. I do hope this festival will have a long-long life and I’d absolutely love to be back again. By the way ‚East Meets West‘ was a good angle!“
Helen Sildna (Tallin Music Week, Tallinn, EE)
„Thanks very much for organising such a remarkable event.“
Adam Ondráček (Fresh Flesh Magazine, CZ)
„A festival like this needs 3 years to really exist.“
Fernando Ladeiro-Marquess (Le Printemps du Bourges, FR)
„Promoters and agents don’t tend to cooperate. Trans-european collaboration is quite a radical thought.“
Nick Hobbs (Charmenko, GB)
„I was impressed by the first edition of Waves Vienna for 2 main reasons. Firstly the quality of the conference was very high. I enjoyed the debates, and met many new relevant contacts. Secondly the festival was surprisingly well visited for a first edition of a showcase festival with 12 stages. Most new showcase festivals of this scope fall through on the first attempt, as mobilizing a satisfactory number of fans is almost impossible without an established brand, when you’re working without real headliners. Lastly but certainly not least it should be said that Wien provides a wonderful setting for such an event. In short Waves was great, I look forward to next year!“
Christian Hald Buhl
(International Strategy Manager, ROSA – The Danish Rock Council,
MXD – Music Export Denmark, Spot On Denmark, DK)
„Waves Vienna was a real success. Everybody I talked to told me the same. Congratulations!“
Jean-Marc Leclerc (European Music Office, Brussels, BE)
„Both the conference and the night program were inspiring!“
Rastko Andrić (Exit Festival, Novi Sad, RS)
„Waves fest is one of the most passionate and sincere events I have been to, and they did a great job especially given it was their first year.“
Brian Heatherman (Canadian Music Week, Toronto, CA)
„I had a great time in Vienna – I really enjoyed the festival and I hope to come back there next year.“
Adam Rasek (Tauron Festival, Katowice, PL)
„The first edition of Waves Vienna was a pertinent reminder that there is a music industry in central and eastern Europe which rarely gets talked about. The entire region needs a professionally organized music conference and festival, and a platform where local musicians can showcase their talent. Waves Vienna clearly fulfills this mandate, and I very much look forward to returning to next year’s event.“
Mirko Whitfield (SXSW, Austin, Texas, US)
„Waves Vienna was an impressive start to what I and the Canadian Independent Music Association hope is the start of a yearly event that will prove increasingly important to our members and their bands. It was well organized, honest and forthright. I hope to return in 2012.“
Shain Shapiro (Canadian Music Export, Vancouver, CA)
„All in all I thought Waves was excellent – a very confident start to an event I hope will soon be recognised as a must-visit annual music happening. Everyone who represented Waves were helpful, intelligent and generous with their time – from the moment I was picked up at the airport to my return on the last day.“
Nick Luscombe (BBC, London, GB)
„Congratulations with your successful first edition of Waves! It was really great, I enjoyed it a lot and it was really useful. What can we expect more from a first edition?“
Maarten Decock (Glimps Festival, Ghent, BE)
„The success of the first WAVES conference proved that there is a great demand for the music business people from the eastern regions to join together and discuss common issues. In the panel discussions it was clear that there are issues that are very specific to the region. I look forward to a very inspiring and enlightening WAVES Conference in 2012!“
Georg Leitner (GLP, Vienna, AT)

~~ ARTISTS ~~
@EMAthorstar
„shut up u know i luv u, blow me away
RT @porrporr: No vienna tweet, the show was awesome
. Didnt you like us? @EMAthorstar. #waves11“
http://twitter.com/#!/EMAthorstar/status/120260109883539456
@Instrumenti
„it was fun. thanks vienna! see you soon!“
http://twitter.com/#!/Instrumenti/status/120228403923267584
Film
„Thanks for everything. We really enjoyed last night and the whole event. You did an amazing job, guys. Hope to see you all soon.“ (Kostas)
Haight-Ashbury
„Think it’s safe to say Waves Vienna was one of our favourite gigs we’ve ever played!“
https://www.facebook.com/HaightAshbury/posts/10150342636908701
https://twitter.com/#!/haightashburyuk/status/119900683632771072
@rubikband
„wow, what a great night in vienna. thank you everyone, we appreciate. tonight at sublime in aflenz, see you soon.“
https://twitter.com/#!/rubikband/status/119687684414386176
@AgentCooperBand
„Thanks a lot #waves11 – Amazing Festival and great night with #is tropical“
https://twitter.com/#!/AgentCooperBand/status/120786123663486976
Petrol
“Just wanted to tell you that everything was perfect with our show at Fluc Cafe – the tech crew together with Tom was very supportive and helpful, the show went really well – the club was full, and the audience was engaged, we got compliments from everyone, so we are more then happy with how it went – thanks for everything!”
Plastic Swans
„it was pleasure. we had good time in Vienna and Plastic Swans liked it. There was quit enough poeple in audience and they would love to play in austria next again. i am sure you have lot of positive reactions and ideas for next year, keep fingers crossed and hope to see you soon.“ (Miro Lanik)


