Zermatt Unplugged 2015: sing, sing, sing.

After last weekend, where I spent my time at one of the most acclaimed electronic music festivals - the Caprices - of Switzerland - the Caprices - , I'm finding myself again travelling back home from another mountain destination, Zermatt. Reason for that was the closing weekend of the Zermatt Unplugged, a little quieter festival this time, with a big focus on acoustic acts, where well established musicians are the main attraction, and new talented artists have a platform to play in a very international environment.

The festival is held in Zermatt, probably one of the most famous mountain townships of Switzerland, and it runs for a whole week. Despite the locations in Zermatt's center, there are several concerts that are played where the snow never melts, like the G hütte, where Jazz superstars from London gave their best every day at lunchtime or the stage at , a space dedicated to the new talents.

I had the pleasure to discover some great talents during the past two days, which I really hope to hear live again soon. After arriving in Zermatt late in the afternoon, we had bite in the centre and headed to one of the late night gigs of the evening. The young german/french band Yalta Club convinced a packed the Pink, that their happy folk can dust away every kind of sadness. Or, Swiss songwriter Tobias Carshey's set outside right next to the Matterhorn Museum was pure magic.

Tobias Carshey at the Matterhorn Museum

Where's the beach?

Personally, one of the greatest discoveries for me was a band founded in France called Sunset Sons. They started playing in the local surf bars there until they were discovered, started touring and made us very, very, happy with their latest EP "The Fall Line", released this March. The British/Australian quartet offers songs that vaguely remind to Kings of Leons sometimes (this could also might be because of the voice of lead singer Rory), but with lighter melodies, that actually made me wanna catch the ocean breeze again (yeah, I'm still suffering from holiday blues...sorry :p) and the refrains are made to stuck into everybodys head. They're hard to forget. Please. Come back. Soon!

Sunset Sons at Foyerzelt



Me, my friend Paulo and lead singer Rory

Sing

Main act of the festival's last day was Travis. The well known scottish band, who is currently recording their 8th studio album, played into the total sold out main tent. Their acoustic set was very enjoyable, there were some unexpected moments here and there, like picking the wrong guitar for a song, but lead singer Fran Healy could make the audience laugh by playing with the fact that the band isn't much used to do live gigs while being in the recording process. They surprisingly started with their massive hit "Sing", which I was more expecting as an encore, and smoothly continued their set until they ended playing another unforgettable hit, "Why Does it always Rain on Me?". Even it's been a while since the release of "Sing", they are still very influencial and an evergreen. Plus: if Travis wouldn't have made music, a great artist like Amy Macdonald wouldn't have been inspired to learn to play guitar and composing worldwide selling albums.

Travis in the Main Tent (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

"Did you really pay to see me?"

Shocked about his own sold out at the Vernissage was british songwriter Billy Lockett. After supporting Birdy's and Nina Nesbitt's tour, I can imagine that it could be a weird feeling to see people coming for your music, and not for somebody else's. Billy Lockett became famous through his Cellar Sessions on Youtube, before touring around with the ladies. He tells amazing stories and has strong lyrics, like the ones in "Pathways", dedicated to record labels. Another thing I totally appreciated about his 1-hour set was his cover of "Budapest". I love when an artist is also experimental with the songs of others, because they can get a total new sound. Billy was very open to the public, which really enjoyed the show, and was also avalaible for a chat and some photos. His EP is already out for purchase, but we obviously hope to be able to download a full album soon. 

The sold out Location Vernissage (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

Billy Lockett (photo: Zermatt Unplugged)

Practical Infos

How to get here: Zermatt is reachable by train from Zurich Mainstation in approximately 3:30 hours. Please keep in mind that Zermatt is a carfree town, so I wouldn't reccomend to get there with a vehicle. You can buy your Train tickets here.

Where to sleep: Zermatt has plenty of Hotels for every taste and budget. You'll find the best offers over hotels.com

Zermatt Unplugged: Takes place every year in April. The festival's line up, and so the tickets, are released very soon, mostly in December of the year before. The main acts are sold out very quickly, especially when the concerts are played in smaller venues. More information about Zermatt Unplugged and the ticket purchase is avalaible here.

Where to eat: There are plenty of places to have a good bite in Zermatt. For the young and the lovers of simple things, Sparky's Bar is your choice. The restaurant is located into the Matterhorn Hostel and offers a small choice of food for a reasonable price. A Reservation is reccomended, due the small size of the Restaurant.

The Cuckoo Club is a high end live music and cigar lounge at night, and offers a great choice of breakfast until 2PM duringt the day. To relieve my holiday blues I chose the classic egg benedict, just because they smell like breakfast in Hawaii for me :)

If you like views and want to enjoy some Swiss cuisine, you totally should sit on Hotel Alpenrose's terrace. Their Menue doesen't leave any wish open: Spätzli, Röst, Cheese Fondue, Raclette, Table Grill and various salads are avalaible. The biggest plus: the sun shining bright on your plate and a great panorama, Matterhorn included.

A Special thank you to Zermatt Unplugged for having me

Caprices Festival 2015: When a Bass Melts the Snow

I had pretty much some quietness when it comes to party feeling and my love for electronic music, another reason for me to forget my post travelling depression and head to the Swiss Alps and attend the Caprices Festival in Crans-Montana.

Caprices belongs to the legendary events when it comes to music here in Switzerland: it has reached its 11th edition already, and it combines finely bands and live DJs. This festival collected a proud list of headliners in the past few years, including names like Paolo Nutini, Deep Purple, Erykah Badu, Amy Macdonald, Carl Cox, Stromae or Martin Solveig.

Photo: caprices.ch

The big surprise of this year's event was a line up filled with mostly electronic acts, despite the opening night that had urban and soulful acts like Swiss Rapper Stress or Ayo. I headed up on Friday afternoon, to fully enjoy the basses pumping in the different locations, especially the ones in the main hall Le Moon and some midday intros at Bar7. As you can assume already, the festival is held in different location, and not really in walking distance from each other. We had our problems by getting the shuttles, but overall came around pretty well and enjoyed some sweet spots in town.

Caprices is divided into 4 locations, all different from each other: and I can assure you, every of these places will leave you some great memories.

MDRNTY

MDRNTY was a total sold out, like most of the time. Held where there's still snow in spring and the sporty, winter charme is still palpable, it has always the finest acts playing during daytime from 12 to 7. If you'll ever plan to get here and have an unforgettable dance in a transparent tent, then be quick by buying your tickets! The line up this year was to die for (Luciano, Ricardo Villlalobos, Art Department, Apollonia, Christian Burkhardt, Sven Väth), and I don't think you'll ever experience another place while you enjoy the best deep house tunes by looking at a breathtaking panorama. This is the sky high point of the festival, and the view is unbeatable, isn't it?

MDRNTY - Photo: caprices.ch

Bar7

Bar7 offers a free first class DJing line up for those who are waiting to get up the hill for MDRNTY, for those who can't get enough after, and maybe for the ones who didn't get the chance to grab a ticket. This place is conveniently located at MDRNTY's feet.  Artists like Chic Miniature, Magda and Gianni Callipari offered the finest tunes to start the day, where you can enjoy a typical cheese fondue or simply try one of the fine wines. Shows start at 12 until midnight.

Espace Valais

More quiet, family friendly, and for cuisine lovers, the Espace Valais sets on local bands during daytime since last year. A good spot located quite in the middle of town, perfect to esplore this wonderful place and all the charme it has to offer.

Fondue!

Le Moon

Le Moon is the bigger, louder version of daytime MDRNTY, and I was looking so forward to this! I had the honour to enjoy amazing visuals, while listening to great artists like Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Solomun, Digitalism and Dubfire, who had the most aesthethic stage of all, in my opinion. The guests were all laid back and enjoying a great party, the venue also offered some spots hosted by H&M Switzerland where everybody could try their DJ skills, get some professional photographs or simply have a spectacular view from the lounge over the stage.

Le Moon, Entrance - Photo: caprices.ch

Kollektiv Turmstrasse

Digitalism

Dubfire

Practical Infos

Getting here: Crans-Montana is located around 3 hours away by train from Zurich Main Station. Purchasing your ticket online can have its benefits because of some great deals from time to time. You can book your tickets here.

Where to sleep: because everything happened quite spontaneous, and the over-planner in me was almost crying, we had to book two different hotels, due the total sell out of part of the festival. I would reccomend the Hotel Le Mont-Paisible locationwise: it's on walking distance from Bar7/MDRNTY and not far away from Le Moon.

The Festival: Try to keep an eye on the ticket releases, especially if you wanna enjoy more venues! You'll find all the information on the Caprices Website.

Where to eat: When you might have enough of festival food, you might should try the restaurant Panorama, which was also my second hotel. Located in Mollens, a small village near Crans-Montana, the restaurant offers amazing views, great service and delicious food.

A special thank you to the Caprices Festival for having me, and to my friend Paulo for his photo/videographic assistance

Davos: Follow the Mountain Sound

The last time I've visited Davos was about 20 years ago, as far as I remember. My grandpa used to be there a lot so we went up in the mountains to visit him. Even if I actually have great memories of that period, I didn't take the chance to go back. True, living in south Italy during my teenage years didn't really enforce my love for ice skating, skiing or snowboarding, since a temperature of 10 degrees celsius is already freezing for us.

I always wondered though, how things have changed up there, and if it's really only about winter sports. Wrong thought. Davos can be a great place to retreat, spending a weekend between great landscapes and enjoying a bunch of good events. In my case, what brought me up in town in December, was the opening of the Songbird Festival, as you might know from my two previous posts, which hosts big names of the Swiss music scene, and still runs until December 20th, 2014. As the musicfreak as I am, I had to pack my suitcase and go.

I didn't  have a big clue anymore, of what this gorgeous town looked like, despite of where to stay. Finally, I opted for the Panorama Hotel, a cozy three star complex located in Davos Platz, a couple of minutes of walk from the Train Station.
The Hotel offers three types of suites, depending on the number of guests and, of course, your own needs. Me and my friend Paulo got one of the Grand Suites, that comprends two master bedrooms, a wide livingroom with kitchenette and two balconies overlooking the gorgeous mountains surrounding Davos. I don't have any  necessity to live in a five star Boudoir when I'm on vacation, it feels too much sometimes, I don't require a porcelain doll treatment. Plus: you know, I'm more the one in for a joke than playing princess, I have to feel comfy. So, that's why these apartment-styled suites felt totally like home to me, I had everything I needed. The owner, Ralph-Marc Diebhold and his staff are very welcoming, competent about the whole area and always there for questions.  Little yorkshire Balù says "Hi" everytime you enter the door, I loved it, I seriously wanted to take this sweetheart home. The Hotel has ist own bus stop just at the entrance, a bus pass for the complete stay is provided, which made it pretty easy for us to move around the different concert locations between Davos Platz and Davos Dorf.

Photo: Panorama Hotel Davos

Entrance area

Our Suite

One of the master bedrooms

Terrace with a view

That's actually not all. Once you're away from home for a weekend, you should treat yourself well, right? Let's start with one of the most important things (at least for me): Food! Places like Davos are amazing to taste the old good Swiss cuisine, and the Panorama Hotel provides you already with two Restaurants for the good start.

The Panorama Restaurant offers an à la carte menu that includes different fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. Taking a drink in the piano bar nearby is also always a good idea to start a long evening. During the day you can enjoy a spectacular view on the surrounding mountains and by good weather it's quite advisable to have your coffee on the terrace. An online reservation is possible and you can find the whole menu here.

During my stay at the Panorama I chose to try some traditional Swiss Fondue in the other restaurant of the hotel: the legendary Stüvetta! This inviting place was built back in 1892 in the town of Arosa, also a well known mountain destination. In 2002 the restaurant was shut and rebuilt in original state in the hotel itself. The location is small and cozy, so a reservation is more than required. We went obviously for the classic homemade cheese fondue and a glass of white wine, always the best choice if you're not used to this type of kitchen. If you have any struggles into what kind of fondue to choose (cheese or chinoise, a fondue type including different kinds of meat), just ask the attentive waiters: they're more than glad to help. Have a menu overlook here.

Eating Cheese Fondue at Stüvetta

If you'll find yourself outside the hotel wanting to have lunch or dinner, there are loads of restaurants to choose in and around Davos. We opted to go to Pulsa once for dinner, located inside Hotel Grischa, which has five different restaurant, so you won't be disappointed. For lunch we headed twice to one of the most famous cafés in town: KaffeeKlatsch. Especially during the weekend they have a prolongued brunch, also on a Swiss cuisine base. I had a plate of "Rösti" with bacon and scrambled eggs. You'll get generous portions so you won't definetly leave this place hungry. You'll might have to wait for a table here, the two floors get packed pretty fast.

Pulsa Restaurant

KaffeKlatsch

You'll might take long walks in Davos, maybe by taking the Jakobsbahn and going up on a height over 2500 meters on the peak of the Jakobshorn, for example. Or just by spending the nights out in the different bars and going home late. So I can imagine that the best recovery would be a couple of hours of wellness; that's also a thing we did, in between our concert visits. The Panorama Hotel has its own little wellness complex, which comprends pool, whirlpool and sauna. It's a little oasis to chill out and enjoy some silence for a couple of hours, finding energy for new trips around Davos. If you feel to go on a longer swim, need different types of saunas or maybe need something more kids friendly, there's the waterworld Eau-la-la located a few steps from the hotel.

Wellness area at Panorama Hotel

For those interested in sports, staying at the Panorama gives you the confort to live just very close to the Vaillant Arena, that hosts all the Ice Hockey games or famous shows like the Art On Ice coming up in February 2015. Otherwise, if you're passionate about museum visits and arts, the Kirchner Museum is also easy reachable by walk. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner used to live 20 years in Davos and inspired his colorful paintings on the town he used to stay until his death.

Balù is obviously the king of the entire hotel :)

These are surely just a little few tips I can give according to my own short visit to Davos. However, you won't get bored in a place like this, it doesen't really matter if you're a winter sport lover or not. I experienced on my own self and can't actually wait to go back... I had the time of my life. You'll have a lot of storys to tell.

A Special Thank You to Ralph-Marc Diebhold, his lovely staff and the sweet little Balù for having me as a guest at the Panorama Hotel.

Book your room here

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Songbird Festival Opening #2: Reza Dinally / Leslie Clio - melancholia vs. catchy pop

The second evening of the Songbird Festival had again on stage two artists that couldn't have been more different from each other musically speaking: Reza Dinally and Leslie Clio. At the legendary Montana Hotel, that celebrates itself as "Aprés Snow Culture" venue, I was happy to find an intimate concert hall, way smaller than the previous one, including some vintage stucco on the Roof: how charming is that?

Montanasaal

The venue was perfect to host indie-rocker Reza Dinally & Band, that released his first album one month ago, additionally by getting some help via crowdfunding. Because, sad reality, "Music Lovers aren't enough anymore to put a whole work together".  Six years after releasing his first EP, "Depths of Montmartre" was born. The record could Sound brand new to some Reza Dinally fans: they may were some people expecting an acoustic album, but this one gets actually a bit heavier and louder than his previous EP. It's some genuine rock that brings us on a journey... and it gets sweeter when you listen to it once again. And again and again. So the wait was totally worth it.

The live performance was the confirmation that this timeless work has potential to be defined one of the best Swiss records of 2014. And there is no surprise that their album release at Bogen F in Zurich was a complete sold out. Reza Dinally took myself in a complete new dimension, the audience around me disappeared and there was just an inevitable floating along the band's sound. Reza's warm voice, combined with the gloomy melodies, are a true delight. It became one of these records that I use to play in the evenings; it fits to the winter's darkness and it lightens the cold season up. Surely one of my personal discoveries of this musical year.

Have a listen to Reza Dinally's work here:

The second and main act of this cold Saturday night in Davos was the German Pop Sensation Leslie Clio. I was still in an in between state when her Show began, and well, it felt a bit like a bad awakening. Leslie Clio was acclaimed as THE act of this year's festival: I might chose the wrong night, or I might wasn't ready for this, but I was more convinced about the last three artists than the actual one I had in front of me. Maybe it was my own shock's fault as well, after switching so fast from the warmth of indie-rock to modern soul-pop. Leslie's song are catchy and well played live, especially if you think that her whole band was rearranged and was on stage for the very second time.

Her self irony was a big plus in the beginning, it broke the ice fast, but it started to get eventually out of the place when time passed and when it came to perform some serious songs. Her dancing through the crowd was well accepted, but after the fifth time the surprise effect was gone. However, the audience seemed to enjoy her hits "Told you So" and "I couldn't care less" live, also played up and down in our Radios. These were also the moments where her goofing around and smashing heels on the drums made me laugh with everybody else. She is for sure a particular personality, unpredictable like Lily Allen, with a smooth, sweet voice, that only needs to dose her acting on stage, depending on what she's about to perform. Besides the nervous live show, "Gladys", her actual Album, released in 2013, is very enjoyable and its melodies will remain stuck in your mind instantly.

The proof here: listen to the successful single "I couldn't care less"

Even if there's a wee bit of disappointment about the last act (tastes are different, fortunately, right?), the show was a success and the athmosphere during the festival is awesome. The opening weekend couldn't have a better start. The Songbird Festival Davos, with ist diversity, suggestive venues and carefully Chosen line up, is definetly a place to be every year in December. It shows clearly, that Switzerland has loads of healthy and insanely talented musicians... And I can't obviously wait to hit the mountains again in 2015.

The Songbird Festival Davos runs until December 20th, 2014 with the following acts:

Tobias Carshey / Ella Ronen & Mark Kelly / Me, Valentin and you (solo)

Kirchner Museum, December 10th, 2014

Reto Burrell / Famous October (Sarah Bowmann & Coal)

Escher Raumdesign, December 11th, 2014

Kutti MC / Luca Little

Hotel Schatzalp, December 12th, 2014

Jaël Malli / The Smile Effect

Hotel Schatzalp, December 13th, 2014

Gustav / Liselottes

Hotel Seehof, December 17th, 2014

November and Me / Bob Spring

KaffeeKlatsch, December 18th 2014

Lea Lu / Tobey Lucas

Waldhotel, December 18th, 2014

Ritschi / Skor

Montanasaal, December 19th, 2014

Caraway / James Gruntz (SOLD OUT)

KaffeKlatsch, December 19th, 2014

Pegasus / Baba Shrimps

Zimmerei Künzli, December 20th, 2014

Grab your ticket here

A big Thank You to Michel Pernet & his Blofeld Team for having me