Rock Monsters Romania

It’s already been 2 weeks since the 10th edition of Summer Well ended, but my mind and my soul are still at Stirbey Palace.

2022 was for sure the highlight edition of Summer Well. With more than 80 000 people (according to the organizers) and an incredible line-up that featured the legendary Arctic Monkeys, I can say without hesitation that it was the most important Romanian festival this year.

And now it’s time to talk about the bands…

Day 1

Due to a small traffic jam on the road, my day started kinda late, with the British indie band Sad Night Dynamite. I only saw them for about 20 minutes and they gave me some amazing vibes for a Friday Festival Summer evening. Loved every second of their energy and for sure they are a band to watch in the future.

One thing was sure: Summer Well was finally there!

At the end of their set, I walked to the Hidden Tracks Stage to see Rareş live, but I had a huge surprise. The crowd was so big that I could only hear him, no chance to see him. I was purely astonished by his popularity so big ups to the organizers!

After that, I had to make a decision: Channel Tres at Main Stage or Şuie Paparude at Wiiings Stage? Knowing the fact that they can put on an amazing show, I chose the 30 years anniversary set of Şuie Paparude and they did not disappoint. With a 2 hours show, all of the past and present members made a history in motion set. It was a pleasure to see DJ Vasile and MC Bean back with the band and for sure I was hit with a little bit of nostalgia… But back on track, for 2 hours they were the stars of the festival. They were clearly the performers of the day and I think we all loved to see that.

Friday ended with Future Islands who brought back the classic Summer Well atmosphere. I really like them and I think they did a really good show to end the first day.

But everybody was waiting for the next morning…

Day 2

Saturday has always been my favourite day from Summer Well as the first band is always an absolutely incredible one. In 2019 it was Red Rum Club which I would love to come back soon and this year it was Hayes & Y‘s time to shine.

At their first ever concert in Romania, the Bulgarian-Finnish band had a little surprise to discover so many Bulgarians in the crowd (with their merch, too!). After a little soundcheck and some jokes with the first rows, the show started. Even though there were more than 35°C, nobody seemed to care so more and more people came to see them. With an energetic performance and many bottles of water, Hayes & Y started a special day and also played live their latest song “Control”, which seemed to be the public’s favourite already. For me, it’s a must listen so I’ll let the video below. My first thought after their set? “I really want to see them live again as soon as possible.”

Blu DeTiger and Alice Merton continued the day with their popular songs in front of a hyped crowd.

From the past day, I learnt my lesson and went really early to the Hidden Tracks Stage to see the newest duo in town, The Schnitzels. With an attitude of rockstars, Narcis Axinte and George Petroşel “Jurjak” played an amazing set that proved people that the Hidden Tracks Stage was probably the best idea of this edition of Summer Well. They could not forget their latest release “Frica” (“Fear”) that sounds incredible live to be honest. They also had a special guest, the Romanian hip-hop star Macanache, who played two songs with the duo, a really interesting idea and collaboration if you ask me… and one to keep an eye on. The show ended with autographs and small talks with the fans. Amazing artists are always charming people, aren’t they?

With their show in mind, the next stop was the Main Stage for Inhaler. It was kind of impossible to see them as everybody was already there and the set already started when I arrived. I went to buy a drink at a shop near the stage and listened to them. Few minutes after I spotted a place where I could also see them. With a chilling set and performance, they were the calm before the storm. (Literally, if you saw the photos from the official festival account).

And then, the most awaited moment was finally happening. For the first time in Romania, the legends, the stars of British Alternative-Rock, the ones and only…ARCTIC MONKEYS. Do you wanna know (pun intended) how it felt like? A dream. Even though the crowd was so thick that sometimes it was hard to breathe and there was a warning for thunderstorm, nobody seemed to care. The teen dream of everybody was accomplished on that Saturday night. The band played most of their popular songs, but unfortunately no new ones even if a new album was announced soon after the set.

It was a special night, but the “Festival like a holiday” had one more day to go…

Day 3

With their modern-style and electronic songs, Jadu Heart started the last day of the festival, a day which was continued with rap rhythms by the American artist Zack Fox.

Due to being less crowded than usual, I finally had some time to explore all the food courts and activities from inside the festival. And I was not disappointed. With food for all tastes and places for all ages and hobbies, it was probably the best setup for a festival I’ve been to so big credit to the organizers! (Also big thanks to Orange Romania for giving everyone who wanted raincoats as the rain was clearly approaching.)

The evening started with Killa Fonic and even though I am not a big fan of his songs, it’s nice to see that Romanian artists were loved by the crowd regardless their music genre.

Back on the main stage, Jungle were back after 3 years with another chilling and amazing performance accompanied by another round of lightnings above the stage. A visually perfect set I would say.

And it was time for the last band of this year’s edition, another comeback of a fans’ favourites, Nothing but Thieves. With a special lightning and confetti show, the band made everyone forget about the fact that they were in a middle of a storm. Even the sky cried at their set… inevitable, isn’t it?

But my favourite moment from the set (and from the entire festival, too) was NbT’s bis. When the daily line-up was announced, everybody was asking about the Night Picnic with the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, a regulars at the festival, so the public was ecstatic when Conor Mason announced that BSO are their special guests for the last songs. This came after their amazing collaboration from the pandemic, which is still a must watch!

Conclusions

Summer Well 2022 really reached everybody expectations, with 3 days of amazing bands and artists as well as a splendid variety of activities.

The only part I am really concerned of is how will they match this edition in 2023 but, at the same time, I am sure that the organizers are already prepared for everything.

The Super Early Bird tickets are already available on the official website so don’t hesitate and book yours already!

What can I add? Oh yeah… Thank you, Summer Well, for an another amazing experience and can’t wait to see you again in 2023!

Article by Radu Mihai

Photos by Radu Mihai and Raluca Stanescu