Martyna Halas (poland)


Kategorie: Prog Power
geschrieben von: Prog Power geschrieben am: 13.02.2013 um: 16:19 Uhr


Martyna Halas

  • What is your name?
    Martyna Halas. Which means "noise' in Polish. Makes sense!
  • Which country are you from?
    I am originally from Poland but I've been living in Ireland since 2008.
  • What do you do in your daily life?
    I work for a large company that sells private medical insurance. I negotiate and renew contracts with corporate clients. I also study towards a degree in Project Management.

    What I wish I could do for a living though is my music. I'm a singer/songwriter; I regularly record and perform with various bands and projects.

  • When did you visit PP Europe for the first time?
    I first visited PP in 2001 with my dad, whom I can't thank enough for bringing me with him, and a group of crazy progmetalheads we had met via an obscure medium called... the mailing list!(Kids, that's what people did before they had Facebook). ;)

    We weren't blessed with Ryanair yet so we hired a van and drove all the way to Baarlo.

  • What was the main reason to visit PP Europe for the first time?
    The amazing line-up of course! Zero Hour, Vanden Plas, Into Eternity, Pain of Salvation... some of them just freshly released their best albums... oh man!!!Progressive metal was a real niche in Poland at the time, we simply could not believe that there was a festival solely dedicated to this genre. Nearly every single band on the bill was something we were dying to see. We just had to go.

Phot by Martyna Halas

  • How many times have you visited PP Europe so far?
    Unfortunately I've missed a few editions so I think 9 times so far.
  • What was your first impression of PP Europe at your first visit?
    I was positively surprised. I thought it would be a huge event with anonymous, random people and in fact it was quite the opposite. The atmosphere was very intimate and incredibly warm and friendly. I immediately felt like I belonged to this lovely crowd of people who all shared the same thing, regardless of who they were or where they came from: the love and appreciation of great music.

    I was amazed that the people who were there with me, singing lyrics and cheering for the band that was playing in front of us, were the very same people who performed on stage just an hour before. There was none of that cold, distant artist-fan gap. The musicians were humble, wonderful people; friendly guys next-door who were music appreciators themselves.

    By the time the last band played that weekend (Anathema, if memory serves me well), everybody became a family. Tears were shed, waltz-like dances were performed, and e-mail addresses were exchanged. Some of those people defined who I am today and became part of my life journey, as cheesy as it may sound.

    Side note: When I first visited Prog Power, I could hardly speak any English at all - I was only 16. I met so many interesting people; there were so many things I wanted to tell them but I simply couldn't which frustrated me to no end. I swore to myself that I would study my lazy arse off so that the following year this would not happen again. So not only was this a fun experience for me; it proved to be very educational as well!

  • What is your overal impression of PP Europe?
    All of the above plus the fact that it is so well organised.

    Placing visitors in Kasteel was a brilliant idea too, and although it's a bit of a walk through the fields, there is always a bunch of people walking (or cycling!) there with you. You really feel like you're on a holiday or on a scouting trip with your best mates. The Kasteel itself is an amazing place full of interesting features and secret rooms ;-) You can walk around in your half-drunken state and nobody will mind. Really cool!

    All Prog Power staff are just so friendly and helpful. Each time I'm there, I really switch off and forget all my worries. If there is one thing to look forward to in autumn when days get colder and the general doom & gloom is upon us, it's this festival.

    I'd like to thank everybody involved for this unique event that is way more than just a music festival.

  • Why should people visit PP Europe?
    Because it's unlike any other festival they've seen. They don't even have to know any of the bands; I've met people who weren't into this sort of music at all, yet they fell in love with the atmosphere and the people. I have not seen a single person who had negative feelings about this event.
  • Tell us in 1 sentence what PP Europe means to you?
    PPF Europe is like Christmas back when you were a child... you can't wait for it and when it arrives, you enjoy it to the very last second!
  • The last words are yours....
    • My "acting' debut happened on the premises of Kasteel. We shot a video for Zero Hour's Dark Deceiver. I learned two things: 1) I'm a crappy actress and 2) Fake blood is disgustingly sweet!
    • I know I'm not the only one who visited the festival with dad & sibling (my brother) - I say, we should convince our moms to come too :)
    • If it hadn't been for this festival, I would have never met my ex boyfriend who is now one of my best friends (yes, it is possible)
    • Long story short, if it hadn't been for this festival, probably I would have never moved to Ireland where I met the man I intend to torment forever and ever!
    • The above mentioned Irishman immediately fell in love with the festival when I first brought him and, needless to say, he is now infected with ProgPowerFestMania!

Phot by Martyna Halas

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