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A former Soviet radio factory in Vilnius' so-called Station District - a burgeoning art-driven neighbourhood - has transformed into a vibrant multi-disciplinary arts venue with a well-curated music programme the primary focus. It's certainly Vilnius' most active venue and the annual Loftas fest is the team at their most exaggerated and brilliant.

Rarely does the principal indoor live venue and every nook and cranny within the surrounding outbuildings and huge courtyard get used to maximum velocity. Within the complex, there's two outdoor stages, a rooftop stage. A couple of floors down from the rooftop is the absurd and beautiful arts stage. Top that with a techno club neatly tucked away in a basement, a food court, and you’re some of the way there.

Add to this vast mural covered space - it's a DIY aesthetic indicative of a city with a young vibe - a forward-thinking curation on the line-up, then the foundations for greatness are there. Below are just some of the things that left an overwhelming, positive impression from this enigmatic festival.

Shortparis are going to be huge

It's the first outdoor set of the weekend that is properly packed out and it's not just the numbers which give a sense of occasion, but the ferocity and hunger that Shortparis - the dark, bombastic St Petersberg genre and era blending live powerhouse - put in. Having caught them two days ago in Riga, just north of Vilnius, the energy that lead singer Nikolai Komyagin and stand-up drummer Danila Kholodkov in particular put in at Loftas is a stretch bigger; exponential to the three times larger audience, perhaps. With a deal just signed with Universal Russia for their upcoming album, and bulging audiences across Europe, the buzz is spreading like wildfire. If they can play as good as they play at least as good as they did Loftas all the time then nothing will stop them.

Athens' Theodore are one of the most underrated bands

The opening night's main act on the What's Next In Music? stage at Loftas is Theodore. A reputable indie rock force in their native Greece but largely unknown outside of their country. Things are changing, though, as their live show mixes shoegaze with soaring, melancholic cult pop to superb effect and word of mouth is lighting them up a path for international opportunities in more abundance.

Eyre Llew leave a poignant anti-discrimnation message

Nottingham's answer to Sigur Rós are having a great 2019. They're fresh from playing Glastonbury's John Peel Stage and on the cusp of playing in Brussels where Glasto booker Martin Elbourne has them has his sole curatorial pick for a fest there. Compliment, that.

As for their set at Loftas' What's Next In Music? stage, it's a triumph. The most striking moment of it - a set with soaring effect-laden guitar, heartfelt falsetto, which ebbs and flows between moments of ecstatic energy and sombre minimalism brilliantly - came when they performed in Korean. It's a track called 'Silo' they did as part of a split release EP with a Korean band called In The Endless Zanhyang We Are.

The incentive to write and record in a language that singer Sam Heaton didn't even know, beyond a few niceties, came after a conversation he had with a Romania band who felt they had to sing in English to be noticed. "Is that right? I'm not sure... It's something that stayed with me for a long time and so I wrote this as a reaction to that," said the singer when addressing the crowd. It’s a move that, as well as a great musical challenge, shows a lot of heart. Aware of their own comparatively less challenging ride as a British band, he tells Gigwise: "Other than genre some circumstances, I can’t really think of a time that myself or even Eyre Llew haven’t felt accepted on an international level." It's a comment which feels like critique of privliedge and a healthy process of reconciliation for years of English lanaguge dominance.

What's Next In Music? showcase integrating with a main festival is a great touch

What's What's Next In Music? then? Well, it's a showcase festival independent from the main festival and does a conference and city stage gigs in the lead up to, and has two stages at Loftas, this main festival with established acts. It's a change from standard showcase festivals for emerging artists since it allows bands to perform to crowds as they normally would in a regular show/festival setting rather than just to industry, which can change the atmosphere. Of this, Eyre Llew, who were sat back stage, had this to say to Gigwise: "For us it felt like playing a normal show - there just happened to be a big bunch of bookers and industry in the crowd. Made it more pleasant in a way, taking the formality out of it and bringing it back to just playing a good show to a crowd."

Alyona Alyona is one of the best new live acts in the world

Believe the hype: Alyona Alyona is a brilliant, entertaining live act. This Ukraine rapper is one of the leading voices in a new wave of acts from the former Soviet country that are breaking through thanks to a strong DIY ethic, and a bit of a skip in their step thanks to a string of new Ukrainian language musicians who are elevating the esteem of the country's music scene on an international level. No new name is more readily cited than Alyona Alyona. Her flow and interaction with her DJ and backing vocalist is flawless and there is no rapper too big for Alyona Alyona to share a stage with. Here's to hoping for some big collaborations very soon.

Vilnius itself is the gift that keeps on giving

If you're going to travel to another country for a festival, the stuff happening outside of festival hours is obviously of great importance. And for music fans, Vilnius has a lot to offer. There's a statue of Frank Zappa, Leonard Cohen and John Lennon. Some eye-popping street art also includes a Trump and Putin-baiting piece which made international headlines. A trip to the hippy-ish UNESCO world heritage site and independent republic Užupiz, situated just outside the walls of the old town, is also recommended. This eccentric neighbourhood transformed from a ghetto by artists into a desirable post code is currently in the midst of gentrification (higher rents have shifted a lot of emphasis over to places near to Station District). Putting those grievances about how good it used to be aside momentarily, and if you have no prior memory of how it was, it is still, on a surface level, a very entertaining and beautiful place to visit. It’s surrounded by an idyllic clear river, and has quirks such as its own bizarre constitution, its own currency, and the book store I visit had a cat as the general director until the cat recently passed away. 

Sheep Effect rules

Going to a festival that enriches the local scene is a major plus point. Loftas handpick some brilliant rising acts from Lithuania. My personal favourite though is Sheep Effect, the solo project of the experimental electronica and jazz band Sheep Got Waxed. Their blisteringly powerful and natural born entertainer saxophonist Simonas Šipavičius is the sole member of Sheep Effect and is a wizard with manipulating his saxophone with digital techniques and creating an adrenalised, psychedelic and humorous performance. 

After thoughts

With new discoveries and affirmation that some of our existing favourite bands are on the form of their lives, Loftas Fest 2019 feels like an immensely rewarding festival to have attended. Taking into account every festival we've visited all over the globe, Loftas is definitely up there and one we can heartily recommend to anyone. Well worth flying outside your comfort zone to go and attend. Loftas 2020, bring it on.

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