Photo Credit: Lukas Sierra
Written by: Lukas Sierra
This past weekend, I went to Merritt, British Columbia where I experienced the hard work of highly creative individuals and longtime friends. They came together to create Bass Coast, which is more than just a festival, it’s an art space.
Why is it more of an art space than a generic music festival?
If you haven’t heard of Bass Coast, that’s a good question. But if you’ve attended any form of Bass Coast you understand the profound effect that the art has on the festival and how it transforms the experience beyond a normal music festival.
Just a couple of days before the 10th anniversary, I was helping work at the festival, and we spent some time touching up the final details of paint and shelving in the General Store. Using raw wood materials, a co-worker questioned how to hang the shelf to the group. An onlooker walked in and generously gave his input through a story passed on from his father teaching him about art at the dinner table.
“Art is all about the care you put into what you do. If you are careless, then the aesthetics won’t be anything appealing, but as soon as you think about your placement, then it becomes something special. Take this salt and pepper for example. After their use, they’ve just become the boring salt and pepper on the table, but if I now take them like this, and put them here, as so, it’s now Art.”
That’s when the difference became apparent for Bass Coast. The attention to every little detail from all of Bass Coast’s workers, volunteers, and especially the patrons. Instantly upon gracing the grounds, you notice the care in every detail. The fashion brings a different shine. The structures hold a new outline. The vibe, an untouched sprinkle. Bass Coast is so special because of the inspiration and influence of the bass movement.
For the past generation, bass music has influenced our culture into an art form of movement, colour, and sound. Bass culture gives us a new love and respect for style and caring for one another. Bass culture puts an emphasis on being unafraid to be different, on being creative, and on being free to express yourself freely.
Bass inspires a style that includes scraps from the closet, vintage findings passed on through generations, face paint that grows down the body, and valuable treasures adored from first encounters. A style you cannot find through any other culture or from previous generations because they didn’t have bass music to make them fucking raunch.
Festivals are always there to create an energy through the gatherings they promote. A gathering of individuals from all over that has something new to offer each other. Each festival hoping to give its own scene, its own style, and its own colour. Painting a new stroke onto our culture with each location, name, and year.
But the truth of the matter is that no other festival is comparable to what Bass Coast has given the festival community the last 10 years. Bass Coast has an unparalleled sense of fashion, a unique musical lineup, and art installations that open your mind to possibilities beyond your imagination. Bass Coast paint it black!