Number of bands: 112 + DJs
Number of visitors: 20.000
BANDS
PERIOD REFERENCES
Rock for People in Summer Weather
Rock for People had rain on its hands. Some of the events were completely washed out, while others had such a storm that the roof of the stage was blown off or the venue was soaked, creating an amazing environment for grateful mud battles. Traditionally, many people came to the festival equipped with raincoats and boots. Not a drop fell at the 2006 edition. The raincoats and boots were in no short supply and the tent was even worn by many visitors, for it was the kind of summer that a festival should be.
The main attraction of the first day and in fact the whole festival was the French singer-songwriter Manu Chao with his band Radio Bemba Sound System. And since it was indeed a star of the first magnitude and the weather was good, the attendance did wonders. However, the vast majority of people arrived in a very short time span, and so the rush at the ticket office left some fans breathless. It was clear to the seasoned festival harper at first glance that this year’s attendance record would fall. Nearly twenty thousand people eventually filled the area in front of the Field Stage when Manu Chao took the stage. But he wasn’t the only one who impressed that day. Already at noon Xavi Baumaxa raged in the stadium, and a little later the American HC band Boy Sets Fire shone. On the field in between, the main star was prepared by the great Gocoo from Japan and the somewhat radical recessionista Los de Abajo from Mexico. Late in the night, the French Hushpuppies took the stage, a real surprise of the festival for many people.
German singer-songwriter Elli and Belgian Malibu Stacy were the first major acts to step out on the second day, followed by another tough bunch: the American Madball. The evening in the stadium undoubtedly belonged to Irish bards The Frames, led by the charismatic Glen Hansard. At the same time, Fun Lovin’ Criminals dominated the field, followed by the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble. Those who were in the mood went to Jiri Schmitzer’s tent in between, sweated through everything they could and if that wasn’t enough, stayed for The Queen of Yogourt who offered an interesting mix of retro and progressive styles.
Day three was set to be a natural highlight with a performance by Wild Bill, a band who released a new record in the spring and went on a spectacular tour. If it wasn’t enough to be caught by one of the TV cameras filming material for the new DVD, there was the cherry on top – the British duo Mattafix.
The food and drink offer was spectacular, the stars were signing autographs in the autograph tent, the bands were playing to the fullest, the tent city was alive and the organizers were enjoying what a great party they had managed.
Rock for People 2006 finished
On Friday 7.7. the last groups of young people left Český Brod with their backpacks on their backs, which is an unmistakable sign that Rock for People 2006 is over.
This year’s edition was full of records and surprises. The biggest pleasant surprise was the weather when during the festival not a drop fell on Český Brod, the sun was shining full blast and so the prepared raincoats remained in boxes, sawdust in warehouses, and the main hero for many was the driver of the sprinkler truck, who regularly drove to irrigate the area and its visitors.
The good weather was certainly a factor in the record attendance – this year, for the first time in the festival’s history, the magic mark of 20,000 visitors was broken. Another unusual phenomenon was the arrival of a record number of visitors in a record short period of time – about 10,000 within 1 hour. This caused a “traffic jam” at the entrance for those who did not come with a ticket from the pre-sale and therefore had to stand in an unpleasant queue. The ticket office and check-in areas were promptly increased so that everyone could catch the festival’s headliner Manu Chao.
The number of foreign bands was also record-breaking – many visitors discovered new bands in the program for themselves – previously less known names – e.g. Hushpuppies, Malibu Stacy, The Queen of Yogourt, Mon-Row, and others. Even from the bands’ point of view, the Rock for People festival was a positive experience and the audience’s goodwill was much appreciated. Even one of the festival stars – the band Mattafix, who had been unfairly pigeonholed by many as “commercial pop” – convinced many that their music deserved to be given a better chance. The band stayed at the festival until the early morning hours, leaving impressed and will surely remember the Czech audience for a long time to come. Just like Manu Chao or Fun Lovin’ Criminals, for whom the audience prepared a great concert environment.
The minimum of security problems was also a very pleasant surprise. We appreciate the respectful behaviour of the visitors towards each other.
We would like to thank all those who participated in the preparations for the festival and its organization on the spot, and especially you, the visitors, thanks to whom Rock for People has that unique, non-conflicting atmosphere of comfort and understanding.