Even in an industry dominated by rising stars, remixes and night launches: sometimes the original is best. It's been eight years since Nick Colgan, Futurboogie and pals launched Garden: Croatia's first internationally known music festival. Since that time the musical landscape of Croatia's rocky coast has changed; in 2013 some 14 events happen here, 5 of which on Garden's own Tisno site alone.
On the one hand, all this has led to surges of optimism in the media: Croatian tourism is booming whilst music media hails the place as "The New Ibiza". On the other, an air of tension arises as glimmers of something more sinister appear: planes rammed full of loud Brits, bumping ket on transfer buses and booking 10-person, lad-only apartments. Dancefloors previously dominated by diversity are hosting growing numbers of tatted-up fist-pumpers and a long list of girls called Daniella : How are promoters going to ensure we don't miss the stop for The New Ibiza and land at 'The Next Magaluf?'
Within this changeable eco-system, there exists one habitat that happily refuses to evolve. Land at the sun-scorched beaches of Tisno and the scene is a long way away from a lads-package. At over a week long, Garden Festival's emphasis is off the three-day bender and onto more of a holiday vibe. Wander down to one of the smattering of pop up bars encircling the stages on the beach and you're greeted like the newcomer to village: handshakes all round from strangers as a population of late 40s, leathery hippie types are deep in conversation about Garden's finer points with a group of mid-uni students. Members of the Bloggerati, in their deliberately mismatched flip-flops and esoteric t-shirts talk to the couple that have been coming here just for the sunshine and boat parties for three years. Topless sunbathers lie on the beach while a group of mid-twenties guys remain absorbed in frisbee nearby. Head on up to the logistical base of Garden - the restaurant - and the picture becomes better still. There' s no press arena, no wristband access. DJs sit at tables talking to friends, fans, journalists and admirers over lunch on everything from upcoming album launches to techniques on keeping beer cold when the generators in the apartments run down. Owner Nick Colgan put it succinctly: we want the kind of festival where DJs walk off the front of the stage, not the back.
Music-News arrives halfway through the one week long event and heads down to the main beach stage: a DJ booth on an outcrop of rock looking down onto an artificial wooden jetty with a glitter ball shimmering out onto the glass like water: boat in the distance. Fitting: as Garden throughout retains a strong disco vibe. Sure enough, a piano re-work of The Streets comes over as some 700 of the 2500 strong festival move into it - move into it Garden style, one third of the crowd bouncing, one third cheering and high fiving as that track drops and one third just putting their heads back and laughing, past the arty steel scaffolding and into the Croatian night. Summer hasn't arrived at Garden, because summer never left.
Midnight and the stages wind down, lights still firing beams across the water as a silence fills the bay. There are no boos, no one more tunes now : the village understands life here. Instead, it's a hop back to various apartments for rounds of pre-game at various apartments, tents or just the rubber mattresses tied to trees that populate the site before jumping on the party bus to afterparty venue Barbarellas.
Barbarellas Arriving by bus into a dusty space, Music-News follows the tribe now easing down a worn path, and up to a concrete east-bloc style wall. Nod to the bouncers and head on through and we're transported into a vast open air venue, bar on two sides, chill out area on the back, DJ booth set onto a wide dance space and a steel network of beams, lights and strobes. Up into the yellow heat of the DJ Booth and we run into Bicep who talks us through his beard and its challenges at some length, before taking to the decks to play an upfront house and disco-fused set. Some of the crowd go wild for it, others stand and discuss it, others wander up and attempt to converse with Bicep mid-set. This isn't a festival, this is a collective. A line up comprising the sharper edges of Eats Everything, Justin Martin, the bouncy house of Bicep and the mellowed sounds of Maxxi Soundsystem, PBR Streetgang and Axel Boman among others keeps the music in a space perfect for the setting and history of this event, both upfront and soft - leaning toward disco as a sunburned crowd wants to keep the kicks momentarily at bay. With approx one third of the crowd and almost half the artists returning year on year, the system clearly works.
The Boat Parties Hazy memories of the shuttle bus back and 5 hours sleep before it's too hot to continue sleeping. During the day here the routine involves intense tanning, cocktails at the bar overlooking the bay and conversations with total strangers before the boats arrive. And what boats: The Arbiana and flagship Argonaughty - all wooden , with flags, fairy lights and a two deck layout. Dancers downstairs, talkers upstairs. Music-News drifted onto the Wolf Music party, where once again Bicep and pals took the festival theme of mellowed house and disco out onto the sea: a crowd consisting of champagne-buying clubbers, mellowed out smokers and every shape of individual and alcohol in between.
Saving the best until last. on Garden's final day the dock was packed for the main boat party: both boats set sail for a remote island, where a free barbecue was put on for perhaps 250 people: decks rigged up on the beach and people diving off the rocks into the sea.
Conclusion Garden is eight years old: and it feels eight years old in all the right ways. With five events happening on the same site over the summer, the organisers can afford to keep the flagship event's capped at 2500. A diverse crowd of all ages, a perfect union of holiday and festival vibe, and a oddly timeless edge run through this seminal Croatian event. Croatia is changing, Garden is not: and for many, this comes as a tanning oil-smelling, glittery eye-make up laugh of relief.
