I moved to Munich due love and job in 2003 and the Backstage became quickly the second living-room for my wife and I. We discovered in 2006 this Festival and we were stoked about the concept: free entry, good bands and a lot of different styles each and every evening to discover new bands. So this concept is good for bands to present themselves and for the audience to go to concerts and make their musical experiences throughout all genres. Free and easy means almost three weeks of free concerts in three different venues (Club, up to 150 persons; Halle, up to 300 persons; Werk, up to 1300 persons). You can bring your BBQ with you at the beergarden, go to concerts and get some local beers for reasonable prices.
We, ze people from Munich know this institution since 1995, but out of Munich, it is completely unknown. So when we travel to the Hellfest or other festivals in Europe, we get heard by the people we talk, that Wacken or Summerbreeze are the best festivals in Germany and the best festival in Munich is the Oktoberfest. Around June, the agenda for the Free and Easy is almost done and I always show it the people we talk. After a long moment of silence, you see the thoughts in their faces, how to organise the trip to Munich and the search for accomodations and so on. We also told them that you can spend the day at the countless lakes around Munich or along the river beaches at the Isar or to hike in the Alps.
Although we did PR around Europe since 2006, I guess nobody went to join the Free and Easy-Festival due the lack of holidays, the start of the summer vaccations, the prices in Munich, what to do around Munich.
It is a pity on one side and a gift on the other side, that we have our Free and Easy-Festival for us, ze people from Munich and around, a kind of gated community, for members only.
We, the team of Heavystoned, appreciate this institution and we know, it´s a lot work for the chief of production, the barkeepers, runners and security. We keep on promoting and visiting this Hell of a Festival.