Music Promoter Noah Ball

We all love a good festival, but with huge corporate sponsorship and rocketing ticket prices, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find the genuine festival experience.

Step forward Rob Waller of Soundcrash and Noah Ball of New Bohemia, London-based music promoters who decided to take matters into their own hands.

The result is Soundwave Croatia, a niche, beach-based festival held in Petrcane, a fishing village close to the popular region of Zadar. Now in its third year, the location has been described by Time Out as ‘perhaps the summer’s most beautiful site’ and has been praised by press and punters alike.

Despite the beautiful setting, it’s Rob and Noah’s passion for sourcing original, directional line-ups that really seems to make Soundwave stand out from the crowd. The London Word caught up with Noah to talk about the inspiration behind the festival, his tips for the ones to watch in 2011, and of course his perfect London night out.

What’s the story behind the Soundwave Festival?

‘Rob and I are independent music promoters, both keen to support and promote leftfield, soulful and electronic music. Three years ago we came together to forge a great musical partnership in the festival Soundwave Croatia.

‘Rob has carved quite a niche for himself in London, working with some of his all-time heroes and giving budding artists a well needed leg-up. He’s promoted iconic artists such as Mos Def, The Cinematic Orchestra, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Q-Tip and Flying Lotus and pushed through some of today’s best new acts such as Gonjasufi and Andreya Triana.

‘I have been promoting music of a similar style in the north of England, bringing acts such as DJ Premier, The Cinematic Orchestra, Little Dragon and Roots Manuva to the city. A few years ago I was awarded a performing arts bursary by the BBC for my work in the management and promotion of new music – I put part of this money towards the launch of the first Soundwave Festival.’

Tell me a bit more about what goes on at the festival.

‘Last year saw The Cinematic Orchestra, Gentleman’s Dub Club and a whole heap of others create what was for many not only the perfect festival, but also the holiday of a lifetime. There’s great music in the glorious sunshine, next to a clear blue sea, spread over three days, three arenas and a boat.

‘This Year we have the mighty Roots Manuva, the lush soundscapes of Bonobo with full live band and the Swedish pop group Little Dragon as well as over 50 other acts.

‘The festival site, known as The Garden, Petrcane, is in a beautiful region of Croatia close to Zadar. Petrcane is fishing village on a peninsular where the Dalmation Coast meets the Adriatic Sea.

‘People come and stay for a week or just a long weekend – there’s plenty to see and do and there will be entertainment and shenanigans provided for the duration. Musical entertainment will take place on a terraced bar by the sea, there’s an outside amphitheatre overlooking the ocean for live acts, a nightclub and of course not forgetting the Boat Party.’

Soundwave has been compared to the Ibiza Summer of Love and Bestival. Were you influenced by any existing events or festivals when coming up with the idea?

‘The comparisons are nice but I’m not sure how close we are to either of those really, possibly similar to Ibiza 20 years ago but nothing like the dreadful drug-fuelled ‘Brits Abroad’ nightmare it is now!

‘We wanted to do a niche festival and keep things friendly and intimate and I think we’ve managed to do that – we wanted to give people a holiday as well as some amazing music. Musically I always loved what the Big Chill stood for, although personally I don’t think it’s been quite the same since it was taken over by Festival Republic.’

The festival is in its third year now. How has it grown and changed?

‘We had 1500 people attend our first year and in our second year we sold out. We only have a 2500 capacity and we like it that way. Things are running a lot more smoothly than they were in the first year but generally it’s much the same festival.’

What is it that makes an artist really stand out for you?

‘Someone having honesty in their music, so you can hear and feel the soul come through – that’s the most important thing for us. We look for artists who take their time to become better musicians and really learn their trade. We don’t really do trends, we don’t follow the Vice Magazine guide to music. Fashion and trends are things we don’t really care that much for.’

What are your favourite London party venues?

“KOKO is great, it feels majestic yet manages to retain an intimate vibe. The Troxy is another amazing live music venue and of course The Roundhouse as well; Rob has staged some amazing shows at each of those. And for forward-thinking dancefloor-led music with no pretence, it has to be Plastic People.”

Any particular career highlights?

‘For me, each time I’ve had the chance to work with one of my musical heroes stands out as a career highlight – Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites, The Cinematic Orchestra, Cut Chemist, Little Dragon…too many to mention, and I’ve still got a list of artists I’d like to work through.’

Any new artists to watch in 2011?

‘In electronic music, SBTRKT, Floating Points and Pearson Sound are going to have a great year I think, Gentleman’s Dub Club are one of the best live acts I’ve ever seen and we are eagerly awaiting their album to drop this year.’

What do you think makes your events different?

‘The fact that we are small, independent promoters means you can see the effort and soul that goes into our events – we’re not like Leeds/Reading Festival or any of the other big festivals that exist primarily to relieve you of as much money as possible. We don’t charge £5 for a can of Carling and we would never charge £8 for a dirty burger. We care about music and creative people primarily and we think this really shines through in our events.’

What else do you have coming up in 2011?

‘Rob has some amazing shows coming up in London: Q-tip, Erykah Badu and Bonobo performing live again. The shows Rob has managed to land in London are unreal, I’m quite jealous. Up in Leeds I have Bonobo, David Rodigan, Mr Scruff and a Brainfeeder special with Daedelus, Tokimonsta and Teebs.’

Where do you live in London and why?

‘I live in Stoke Newington and so does Rob. I moved down from Leeds two years ago. Most of my friends live around this area which is why I moved here.’

What is your perfect London Saturday night?

‘Having a couple of pints and some food at the Duke of Wellington on Balls Pond Road and then heading down to KOKO to check whatever Rob has on at Soundcrash.’

www.soundwavecroatia.com