Near Royan, the seaside resort of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is hosting the 22nd edition of Crescendo. It is one of the most important progressive music festivals in Europe.
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A scene facing the ocean. It is in this magical setting that, for more than 20 years, the Crescendo festival has welcomed its festival-goers until August 22. After two years disrupted by the pandemic, Crescendo returns to a normal edition with a little extra: four days of concerts, instead of three.
Because it was necessary to make up for lost time, the organizers added an extra day to this 2022 edition. Deprived of concerts during the health crisis, the musicians were thirsty for the stage… And the public too. About fifteen international groups in total will perform and spectators are invited to listen to them for free. “That’s the philosophy of the festival. We really want it to be free so that people can discover this sublime site, as well as music they haven’t heard for years” says Patt Mathias, vice-president of the Crescendo festival.
Progressive rock, which is characterized by influences from jazz, folk or classical music, had its heyday in the 1970s. Famous bands such as Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Supertramp participated in its development. The arrival of punk and new wave, advocating a return to a more raw rock, slowed down, from 1977, the evolution of this musical current. Despite everything, it remains popular today with young musicians, especially in England and the Nordic countries. Countries very represented this year at the Crescendo festival with five groups including the Swedish Hässe Froberg & Musical Companion (20/08), the danes Oresund Space Collective (21/08), the British Last Flight To Pluto (21/08) and the Finns overhead (22/08). On the French side, the poster is just as enticing with Esthesis (20/08), Ex’Odd (21/08) and Q&A (22/08). Nearly 1,500 to 2,000 spectators are expected each evening.
Crescendo Festival, until August 22, 2022