It started as a concert series in 2016, by now Bang On has turned into an intimate two-day festival with twelve acts on two stages in the heart of Berlin. The festival focuses on giving Berlin-based bands and FLINTA artists (female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender) a platform in an accessible environment – both venues are barrier-free. Eilis Frawley, a professional drummer and the inventor of Bang On, gives an insight in how to organize a festival and talks about why she loves seeing musicians being on stage for the very first time. Tickets for the festival on September 30 and October 1 are available here or at the door during the event.

Musik unterm Radar: Eilis, it’s been six years since you’ve started Bang On. What did you have in mind when you came up with this project?
Eilis Frawley: My idea was to invite local bands, get more FLINTA musicians on stage and make an event that is for everybody. The music scene can be quite cliquey, but I think there should be a place where everyone can come to. That also means that the tickets have to be affordable because that’s part of making it as inclusive as possible. This is a big problem in the music industry: Musicians should be paid well, but that should not only be the responsibility of the people attending. Otherwise, it will become a matter of social class since you need a certain amount of money to take part. We are very lucky to be funded by the Musicboard Berlin. That keeps it very affordable, and everybody gets paid fairly. We want to make sure that if you can’t afford the ticket, you can still come. You can write to us and we will find a way. With small events like this you have that feeling of trust, which I really like.
You said that Bang On should be an event for everybody. Did that work out from the start? Was the audience as diverse as you had hoped?
No. (laughs) To try and be inclusive doesn’t necessarily change who attends right away. It takes years to build a reputation and reach the right communities. But we are a very small festival and we have time to let it grow. We’re not trying to reach a commercial status. It’s all about the community and about love for artists.
Who chose the artists for the festival and what were the criteria for your decision?
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