EXIT Music

Right here's my thoughts on the rest of EXIT

Friday
The Gossip were amusing enough, playing to a fairly tiny crowd, which could explain why unfortunately(?) Beth kept her clothes on.

Paul Weller hasn't had a good song for 25 years, and spending 80 minutes listening to him drone through his middle-of-the-road back catalog, 'till he finally played Eton Rifles, was somewhat akin to water torture.

Primal Scream were the highlight of the night, playing a tight set that kept the interest of the Serbian crowd who probably didn't know who the hell they were. As a plus the drunk Aussie next to me had sodded off by this point.

Saturday
it's much busier on Saturday due to locals coming in on one day passes. Manu Chao (a sort of Basque Chas & Dave) drew a huge crowd - we watched from some side bushes, with the faint smell of piss.

Sunday
I don't know a lot about Ministry, but thought I'd have a look. Now lads, if you're going to have a microphone stand made from goat skulls, you are going to look a little Spinal Tap.

The Sex Pistols - what can you say? Johnny Rotten looks like he should be on the sex offenders register, they sounded pretty crap, and Johnny's attempts to engage with the audience were cringe worthy.

However Marky Ramone's band (none of whom were in the Ramones) sounded great blasting through the back catalog (all of which are under 2 minutes long), and leaving a pleasant tinnitus for several hours.

We're now back in Belgrade, and will be moving on the Bar (Montenegro) tomorrow.


Kirsten's Flashpacker Review
Hotel Novi Sad, Novi Sad (http://www.hotelnovisad.co.yu/eindex.html) – If you are staying in Novi Sad during Exit and don't want to camp (possibly a good idea as a camper was killed by a falling tree this year), then book as far ahead as possible as accommodation goes very quickly and prices are extortionate. We ended up in this 3-star hotel which is right next to the train station. It is a typical low end business type hotel and is quite a walk into town. If you master the bus system this isn't a problem but we kept getting on the wrong bus so ended up walking miles! Also if you are here during summer it would be a good idea to get air-conditioning. Our room was very pretty hot and it was too noisy to keep the window open – although I have to say much more pleasant than roasting in a tent. Breakfast is included but is pretty nasty.

Downtown Hostel, Belgrade (http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/DowntownBelgradeHostel-Belgrade-14494) – This hostel is very conveniently located for the train and bus station and, well... that's the only good thing I have to say about it. Our hearts sank as we climbed up the six flights of stairs in near pitch black darkness past several mangy dogs (and those of you who know me know it must be bad if I'm not excited by the presence of dogs). Definitely don't get the private room. We paid €50 a night for what was essentially a broom cupboard. Once we had pulled the futon into a bed there was enough room to swing a mouse let along a cat. On the plus side however, given the hostel is so small it makes it a good place to meet other travellers. If you are travelling as a couple, a better option might be the Astoria Hotel round the corner for the same price (see below).

Hotel Astoria, Belgrade (http://www.astoria.co.yu/eohotelu.htm) - Not great but much better than the Downtown Hostel. Somewhat dark and dingy in a typical former Yugoslavian style, but the hotel is very convenient for the rail and bus stations and our room had a private bathroom and TV with digital channels.