Know your music
Most people think Sunburn is a trance music festival, but there’s more to it. Other genres that you’ll hear include house, techno and disco. The key ingredient is the DJ who strings together sets of music in long, almost-continuous loops for a live audience. Like every year, headline-grabbing names are slated to perform, but festival director Nikhil Chinapa suggests you keep a ear out for the smaller acts. “While it’s fun to stand up to the music of an artist you already know, or sing along the songs with the rest of the crowd, there’s nothing quite like discovering music you haven’t heard before,” he says.
Chinapa’s tip: DJ Marcello Wasami and DJ Sian.
Know your artist
With close to 25 DJs performing at Sunburn over three days, it would be good to know who to listen to and when. If you’re an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fan, you already know the artists you prefer. But a large number of people who come to Goa for the festival are just there to have a good time. If you’re one of those, then YouTube a few names. “Watch videos of the artists slated to play online, listen to their music and see if you prefer a certain artist’s style more than the others,” Chinapa advises. “Understanding the artist better could help heighten the experience. Plus, you can plan your fest better.”
Sunburn Suvivor’s Tip: If you can’t be bothered with research, drink up so that the alcohol in your system is at that optimal level at which you don’t care what the music is as long as you can lurch — er, dance — to the beat.
Drink water
Ok, maybe that should have read “alcohol and water”. Don’t knock hydration. An average Sunburn day begins at 1pm and ends at 10pm. If you’re up for the after party (of course you’ll be up for the after party), that’s more than 10 straight hours of partying. This sounds fantastic, provided you’re not dehydrated. Dance music is hard work, especially in Goa’s tropical climate. Drink water so that you can drink the other stuff without side-effects. There are makeshift loos, within the venue, that are fairly hygienic.
Chinapa’s tip: “Drink a bottle of water after every two drinks.”
Get in early
Few are so intensely devoted to EDM to spend all their hours listening to sets. But there’s more to do at Sunburn. “A lot of the festival is tucked away behind coconut trees,” says Chinapa, who suggests you come around early to enjoy other festival delights. “There will be less people, you can stroll around, lounge on the hammocks, try out some of the food stalls, which serve everything from sushi to sandwiches. Also, the dessert counter sells the best chocolate fondue.”
Sunburn survivor’s tip: Keep at least one day aside for non-Sunburn sightseeing. Candolim has beach shacks, shops and water sports — great ways to get the buzz of non-stop electronic music out of your head.
(Sunburn 2012 will be held on Candolim beach, Goa, on December 27, 28 and 29. Check www.sunburn .in for details.)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}