Das Jera On Air Festival hat sich im Laufe der Jahre zu einem wichtigen Ereignis in der Welt des Punk, Hardcore und Metal entwickelt und zieht Musikliebende aus ganz Europa an. Doch was macht dieses Festival so einzigartig und wie wird es organisiert? Wir hatten die Gelegenheit, mit Sjoerd Ewals, einem Schlüsselmitglied der Festivalorganisation, zu sprechen, um einen Einblick in die Entstehungsgeschichte, die Herausforderungen und die besonderen Highlights des Jera On Air Festivals zu erhalten. Von der DIY-Haltung bis zur Auswahl der Acts und der Bedeutung für die lokale Musikszene – Sjoerd teilt seine Erfahrungen und Einblicke in die Welt eines Festivalorganisators.
Frontstage Magazine: What makes the Jera On Air Festival special and how does it differentiate itself from other festivals for punk, hardcore, and metal?
Sjoerd Ewals: I think every festival has something special, but what we try to distinguish is our DIY attitude. We still do everything voluntarily in the organization. I think we radiate that too. We have no profit motive but really do it for fun. We are also enthusiastic music lovers ourselves and we try as best we can to organize a festival that we would really like to attend as a visitor. The best line up, the best service, the best atmosphere, everything close by, no queues and for a fair price. We really do our best for that and in recent years we have received various awards for this, such as the prize for best festival in the Netherlands.
Frontstage Magazine: How has the addition of a fourth festival day affected the organization and logistics of Jera on Air?
Sjoerd Ewals: That was certainly a challenge in the beginning. For example, our permit had to be extended by one day and that was not easy due to the regulations, it took a very long time to achieve that, but in the end we succeeded. But due to this delay, we could only start booking the artists later because we first had to be sure of a fourth day. That’s also why we couldn’t announce the fourth day to our audience until later. That was extra difficult for us but also for our visitors. It was also a lot of calculating with all the extra amounts and collecting a lot of information about the neighbours and volunteers. Fortunately, we have built up a lot of credits everywhere with Jera On Air and everyone is very positive. That is why we have now been able to convert this day into an extra day of celebration for our anniversary!
Frontstage Magazine: What particular challenges did you, as a booker, have to overcome to put together the lineup for the additional day?
Sjoerd Ewals: The difficult part was that we had to wait a long time before we were assured that it was possible to get an extra day based on the permit. As a result, we were unable to start fixing the line up earlier. We therefore had to let go of some artists we had under option or were no longer available. Fortunately, we were able to book The Prodigy, which was truly a dream headliner and a worthy ending to our anniversary festival. With this we can now give the anniversary extra shine! Supplemented with many beautiful old, new and exclusive acts, this day has become a very special day that you definitely want to be there and of which we are very proud.
Frontstage Magazine: What significance does the Jera On Air Festival hold for the local music scene and the Ysselsteyn region?
Sjoerd Ewals:I think we are increasingly playing an important role in that. In any case, it is certainly something that we as an organization find very important. We have our talent competition Guts n Glory, but outside of that we also keep an eye on many bands and visit many shows and festivals. We try to give these bands a place at our festival. Our music is of course a kind of niche and there are no longer many larger festivals in the Netherlands with these music genres, so we try to fulfil this role as best as possible. With this we also put the village of Ysselsteyn on the map. But it is also an interaction, because without the village of Ysselsteyn and all its volunteers and sponsors, there would be no Jera On Air.
Frontstage Magazine: How do you select the bands and acts to perform at the Jera On Air Festival, and what criteria are taken into consideration?
Sjoerd Ewals: We have a big wish list and the agents offer us the bands that are on tour. We will first select from that. Then we will fill in an empty timetable and put the amounts behind it and see whether it is also financially feasible. Then the game starts with the bands and the agents because everyone wants the best spots and the best offers. Of course, we also have to deal with competition and colleagues and the associated tour schedules. We also scout a lot for talent and visit a lot of shows and also try to read a lot in magazines and online reviews. We then put together our favorite program from that.
Frontstage Magazine: Which act are you personally most excited to have booked, and why?
Sjoerd Ewals:We have booked a lot of acts that I really want to see myself. Lots of new emerging acts, such as Better Lovers, Ice Nine Kills and Caskets. But also many old heroes of mine from the past. Like Biohazard, for example, that was the first real hardcore show I ever attended. But also Bodycount with Ice-T, they are legends. Bad Religion is one of my favorite punk bands and parties with a band like Sum41 who is coming to do their farewell tour with us and Dropkick Murphys. Simple plan and Delinquent Habits are guilty pleasures and a local band like Wörtelstemp is coming to do a reunion show with us. Much more, too many to mention. But the act that I really don’t want to miss and can recommend to everyone to attend is the act that we booked especially for our anniversary: The Prodigy! They have a great laser show and play all the hits including a tribute to Keith Flinth, you really don’t want to miss that!
Fotocredit: kealeyphotography
