Whether in the small corner pub, in the large hall of the Kunsthalle or in the spectacular setting of the Katharinenruine: From Thursday to Saturday night, Nuremberg becomes the center of music fans throughout the region. The Nürnberg Pop – according to its own statement, the largest club festival in southern Bavaria – takes place in 21 different locations in Nuremberg’s old town. David Lodhi, one of the co-founders of the festival, speaks of a good year.
In 2011 the festival started very small. Back then, says Lodhi, there were only eight venues and there were around 1,000 visitors. The festival is now taking place for the 13th time. The organizers expect around 5,000 people at the various concerts. Musically, the Nuremberg Pop Festival offers a wide range: everything from indie to jazz, rap and punk to electronic music.
Nuremberg Pop Conference wants to stimulate discussions
At the same time, the Pop Conference starts on Thursday evening. Anyone interested can take part for free; all you need to do is register online. A meet and greet is planned to kick off on Thursday evening, as is the awarding of the Nuremberg Gunda Pop Culture Prize. The prize was awarded for the first time in 2021 as part of the Nuremberg Pop Festival. On Saturday and Sunday various panels, discussions and lectures will take place at the Kunsthaus Nürnberg.
Panel: “But only if I’m right!”
The future of regional pop music and the mental health of musicians will be discussed. And even about the culture of discussion as such. “I think this is a general theme, especially since the pandemic. That you can no longer talk to each other, that exchange is no longer possible, that everyone has their own point of view,” explains Thomas Wurm. He is curating the panel “But only if I’m right! Culture of discussion in democracy”, which will take place on Friday (5.45 p.m.) in the Künstlerhaus.
Guests from politics and business
The fact that discussions are becoming increasingly difficult is a phenomenon that is visible in business, politics, sports and also in private life. That’s why, according to Wurm, they chose as different guests as possible – in addition to SPD politician Arif Tasdelen, FCN board member Niels Rossow and Philip Kreißel from the blog Volksverpetzer will also be there. “We all have to get our act together,” said Wurm. “That we simply become more open again and talk to each other.” The panel will find out how this can possibly be done better.
Dealing with inquiries from the right-wing music scene
But of course topics that concern the music industry are also discussed. At the panel “Right-wing extremism in live music” (Friday, 4 p.m.), a question will be discussed that organizers and musicians alike face from time to time: How do I deal with it when right-wing bands want to perform in my store? As a musician, do I want to play at a festival alongside questionable bands?
Organizers are often conflicted
Bernd Stieber from the Bavarian Pop Culture Association calls such groups “gray zone bands.” They often appear very homely, make statements that can also be interpreted differently, and often have a right-wing past. This is an important topic for Stieber, which is why he curated the discussion group. “Where one organizer says I would never book them again, the other says: I don’t really care about the band, but I’ll book them anyway because, as a private sector worker, I have to think economically.”
Question about the height of the “pop culture firewall”
There is currently no silver bullet and under no circumstances do we want to play the role of “moral apostle”, but rather just raise awareness through the debate. It is understandable that, for example, a socio-cultural venue can invest more time and personnel than a one-man business in a rural area in order to find out to what extent a group belongs to the right-wing spectrum and what statements it has already made. “Where does it all start and where does it end? How high does the pop culture firewall have to be that we should or shouldn’t build?”
Extremism is problematic in all its facets
Bernd Stieber said he wanted a Bavaria-wide advice center on the subject of right-wing and left-wing extremism specifically for musicians. Stieber also emphasizes that extremism in all its facets is a problem. For example, anti-Semitism or possible Islamophobia. Through discussions like these, the organizers hope for good exchange and new networks. And of course to a weekend full of joy and music.
