For the sixth year running, the one and only Trailerpark Festival will lay on three days of innovative underground music and art. Just a stone’s throw away from the redbrick Vestre Prison, 60 Danish and international music acts will be rocking the jailhouse at the Copenhagen Skatepark this weekend.
Trailerpark – so-called because its founder Carla Cammilla Hjort (Art Rebels) was actually living in a trailer when she conceived the festival – dates back to the summer of 2007 when it was a party for just a few hundred people in an empty building in Copenhagen. Since then, the festival has expanded year by year, culminating in 2011’s magnificent extravaganza, which featured an impressive 90 music acts and 80 artists on the Trailerpark bill.
Trailerpark is the place to catch the artists of the future – a chance to say that you were there before they made it big. Over the years, bands like Vinnie Who, Oh Land, Sleep Party People, and Trentemøller have given festival-goers a tantalising glimpse of what to expect over the coming years.
The line-ups have traditionally been a mix of Danish and international acts, with a focus on electronic, urban and indie music. Trailerpark is also an art festival, so expect to see a total transformation of the skatepark area, which will be adorned with one-off works of art produced especially for the weekend, while old trailers will become otherworldly hangout places for the festival guests.
Trailerpark Festival – Copenhagen Skatepark, Enghavevej 80-82, Cph SV, starts Fri, ends Sun; Tickets: 150kr (one-day) 300kr (three-day pass), www.billetto.dk; www.trailerparkfestival.com
Top Picks:
Christian Hjelm – Singer-songwriter Christian Hjelm is best known as the frontman of Danish indie group The Figurines. If his wonderful debut single, ‘Scenen skifter nu’, is anything to go by, we are in for a real treat on Friday when he gives us a sneak preview of his new album, which is due out on 3 September.
Royal Stage; Fri 20:00
Casiokids – Norwegian band Casiokids know how to party. They broke through to the mainstream in 2010 with their electro-pop smash hit ‘Fot I hose’. On Saturday, an enthralled audience will be grooving to their irresistibly danceable tunes.
Royal Stage; Sat 23:15
Waldo & Marsha – Don’t miss Danish eight-piece Waldo & Marsha with their ‘90s-inspired massive soundwall of distorted guitars and synthesisers. ‘Made you’ is a true songwriting gem, and their concert promises to be one of the festival highlights.
Royal Stage; Sun 19:30
Also Recommended:
Hooray For Earth – New York-based Hooray For Earth’s Friday show will be the band’s first concert on Danish soil. Check out the video for ‘True Loves’ and you’ll get an idea of why the swirling psych-pop of this busy touring band has received international acclaim.
Royal Stage; Fri 21:30
Ice Cream Cathedral – In their own words, the melodic Danish band Ice Cream Cathedral play lo-fi ghostpop with an occult retro mood! Their live performances have received rave reviews – this is a band that won’t need backing tracks to stir and stimulate the audience on Saturday.
Royal Stage; Sat 18:45
Robot Koch – Robot Koch from Germany has turned heads everywhere. The BBC said it “sounds like artificial intelligence discovering religion” and Crack magazine said that “if, in some distant future, robots will make folk music, this is what it would sound like”.
Rebel stage; Sat 21:00
The Eclectic Moniker – The Eclectic Moniker have had a tremendous year, garnering rave reviews at Roskilde and producing one of the most played singles on Danish radio. It’s a curious mix of calypso, folk and alternative pop that is sure to put a smile on your face on Sunday night.
Royal Stage; Sun 21:30
