GIVE SOUL INDOOR 2024
FESTIVAL OVerview:
The Give Soul Indoor festival, renowned for its diverse range of house, techno, and other electronic dance music genres, occurred on March 16th at MAASSILO in Rotterdam.
FESTIVAL REPORT CARD:
Music: A+
From the moment I walked in to the moment I left, I was able to find a set I could enjoy. With three different stages, you were sure to find music you could dance to. Most sets we heard were very energetic yet melodic. We started our night switching between the Circle and Triangle stages for some great house sets with Hitty, High Soundsystem, Jamback, Menesix, and more. Finally, we ended our night with headliners Franky Rizardo and Cloonee at the Square stage.
Vibes: B-
Okay, so I understand Europe has a different rave culture, but I will say I missed the American rave energy. I didn't feel much PLUR energy at Give Soul, and while everyone was respectful and kind if you talked to them, it wasn't overly welcoming and loving like I would normally expect at festivals. Additionally, people did not say sorry as they moved through the crowd, and there was a lot of bumping into each other, not respecting spaces. There wasn't a single trinket or pashmina in sight. One thing I did love was that the different rave fams all danced facing each other, vibing within their group rather than facing and focusing on the stage.
Venue: A-
Give Soul took place at MAASSILO in Rotterdam. It's an old warehouse-like building with a main level and basement, which really felt like a perfect rave vortex. It wasn't over crowded and the bathrooms were clean . The locker system was easy to navigate; however, I didn’t like how you had to keep a key all night for the locker because I was scared I was going to lose it. The other thing I didn’t like was the chip system to pay for drinks. In order to buy anything, you needed to go to an ATM that dispensed chips. I had chips leftover and also was scared I was going to lose them throughout the night. I don’t know if this is common in European venues, but it felt pretty old school. One thing I did love about the venue was that you could buy popsicles and ice cream at the bar, which I thought was fun. Additionally, they did have food, but we didn't get the opportunity to try it.
Production: A-
The production at the Give Soul festival was great. The square stage (main stage) had square light panels running the entire length of the room. The circle stage was filled with streamers and disco balls. The triangle stage had plants and disco balls lining the ceiling with a large illuminated triangle above the stage. At every stage, the smoke machines were working OVERTIME, which I loved and hated at the same time. While it was great for the bass drops, they were everywhere, and you couldn't breathe or see the stage when they went off. My only other complaint was I wish there were some lasers, especially in the main stage room.
