The aforementioned event was held for the first time in 2008 under the name “Rock end of summer”. The event, aimed at enriching the local cultural offer of Aleksandrów Łódzki, was supposed to be a one-off event, but the interest in the heavy sounds of the local residents exceeded the organizers’ wildest expectations. The subsequent editions of the festival, already known as Summer Dying Loud, became more and more loud every year. The organizers began to invite foreign performers to the city, and Aleksandrów Łódzki became an increasingly strong point on the metal map of Poland. Six years after its debut, the festival turned into a two-day event, and in 2022, for the first time, guests of the event could enjoy themselves under two stages. Today, Summer Dying Loud is a showcase not only of Aleksandrów Łódzki, but also one of the most important metal festivals in the country.
Catholics want the Polish festival to be canceled again. “A Blasphemous Spend”
Where some see the promotion of culture, the city and young artists, others see the worst things. Catholic Poland lists the names of bands that will visit Aleksandrów Łódzki this year and writes about their harmfulness. A similar procedure was used by a group of Catholics just before the start of the Mystic Festival.
“If I remember correctly, the same organization that protested against the Mystic Festival in Gdańsk is behind the petition. I was working at this festival and saw adults scattering salt around the Gdańsk shipyard – I presume it has magical properties that prevent festival demons from haunting the city” – recalls Tomasz Borscht, organizer of Summer Dying Loud.
“It is impossible to discuss rationally in 2023 with such wizards” – sums up the behavior of Catholics in the shipyard.
At this point, it is worth recalling that the symbols used by metal bands may actually raise doubts among believers. It is not uncommon for metalheads to criticize religion, God, and indeed they are “on Satan’s side”. However, this attitude is only a metaphor for rebellion, an emphasis on freedom and opposition to false morality – not the actual spread of evil.
“It is really disturbing, because while the artists performing on stage present a kind of surrealist art, even if it takes the most gloomy forms, it is still art performed by people who are aware of it. On the other hand, people on the other side of the festival fence treat their worldview and rituals deadly seriously” – comments Tomasz Barszcz.
Catholic Poland, not secular polskakatolicka.org/screenshot
At the same time, the organizer of the metal event in Aleksandrów Łódzki emphasizes that he respects different views and approaches all the fuss with a great deal of distance. “Luckily, in this part of Europe, everyone has the full right to contest their religious beliefs or sexual orientations and I respect that, regardless of whether they wave a rainbow or Saint Isidore on the poster. As for Summer Dying Loud, I am very grateful to the group, behind the petition for additional publicity, which will be very useful especially in these last weeks – notes Tomasz Barszcz. “I signed the petition myself, unfortunately I missed it and managed to sign up only as the 2138th person. I invite you on September 7-9 to Summer Dying Loud in Aleksandrów Łódzki, it will be exactly as they write in the leaflets and even better!
Catholic Poland refers to the welfare of children. The organizers of the festival actively support children
Catholic Poland argues its petition with the safety of children and young people. He refers to statistics on the increasing number of suicides among the youngest. “Why deepen this state with depressive, dark and satanic music?” – we read on the petition page. Shifting the responsibility for the health of the youngest by the Church is nothing new. For years, the practice has affected all pop culture referring to the world of darkness or the devil. Aggression, depression and all the evils of this world have already been blamed on computer games, horror movies and fantasy stories. And surprisingly, for many such argumentation is much easier to accept than the fact of growing expectations towards young people, indescribable pressure, ubiquitous evaluation and criticism not only of their behavior and decisions, but even orientation, gender and identity, or the vision of a lack of prospects in the face of the economic crisis and climate.
Interestingly, the organizers of Summer Dying Loud take special care of the youngest. And it’s not about adapting the festival itself, but also about what happens outside its area and duration. In 2021, the festival organized by Tomasz Barszcz inspired the Aleksandrów Social Forum to launch public fundraisers to award scholarships to artistically gifted children from the Aleksandrów Łódzki Commune. Thanks to the initiative, over PLN 40,000 was collected for scholarships.
On June 22, Jacek Lipiński, the mayor of Aleksandrów Łódzki, personally handed over grants to young residents of the commune. At the same time, he emphasized that the money was raised during two editions of Summer Dying Loud. Among the 57 scholarships given out, one went to the young Laura Talarkiewicz from the AMADEUS Music School, who shared her joy on social media. This wide smile is proof enough that the devil is actually not as scary as he is painted.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
