Rock stars for the day
After a two-year hiatus, the CERN Hardronic Festival is back! On 8 August, ten CERN MusiClub bands will take to the stage for the popular event. As usual, the non-stop show will take place on the terrace of Restaurant 3 and will run until after midnight.
The Canettes Blues Band, part of the CERN MusiClub, performing live on the Music In The Park stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival, on 18 July 2013.
A large range of musical styles will entertain the audience: from Irish folk, via 70s/80s/90s rock, to pop, blues and R&B. Alongside the music there will be activities for kids and food and drink stands. This year, the income from food sales will be donated to charity.
The spirit that has characterised the festival ever since the first event in 1989 is that of a staff party. Any band who volunteers to play also helps to organise the event and set up the stage. “This is a really good thing because a festival that has been growing for many years requires a considerable amount of hard work and a large number of volunteers,” explains Daniel Vazquez Rivera, a member of the DGS-SEE group and one of the organisers of the event this year. “If we have enough bands, then we carry on organising the Festival, otherwise we can’t.”
With this basic principle in mind, the Festival is taking place for the 24th time in 2015. “Approximately,” points out Simon Baird, EN Department Deputy Head and President of the MusiClub, “as there have been years in which it wasn’t held. Some years it was big, others it was small, others it was very small.”
This year, “the standard of the performances will be very high,” promises Vazquez Rivera. “If the weather is with us, people will be able to see some very good performances. The bands that will take to the stage are not just people at CERN who decided to buy a guitar and see what happens. They could really play at Paléo or the Montreux Festival. And I’m not just saying that because I know them!”
“The Hardronic Festival is the opportunity for CERNois who want to play at Paléo,” confirms Baird. “Since they are also very good scientists and work at CERN, they cannot be at Paléo. So we set up a stage for them to be rock-and-roll stars for one day.”
There will be a shuttle service from the CERN Reception to the venue. The programme and other practical information for CERN people, such as how to reach the venue and how to add family and friends to the guest list, can be found here.
The MusiClub would like to thank the CERN Staff Association and the CERN Management for their continued support, without which this event could not take place.
