Interview med WoA-Battle Africa's Sashquita Northey
Sashquita Northey
At administrere hele det Subsahariske kontinent i Wacken battles er ikke nemt. Én kvinde varetager hele denne opgave, og vi fik os en snak med hende.
1) Til at starte med, vil du præsentere dig selv? Fortæl lidt om din baggrund, hvordan du blev involveret i metalscenen, og hvilken rolle du har i Wacken Metal Battle Africa.
Mit navn er Sashquita Northey, og jeg har været en del af det afrikanske metalmiljø i de sidste 20 år i forskellige roller som musikjournalist, bandmanager, tourmanager og koncertarrangør. Siden 2009 har jeg drevet mit promotionsfirma, Emalyth, og jeg har været involveret i Metal Battle siden 2013, både som dommer og som eventkoordinator. I 2017 overtog jeg ansvaret for Metal Battle i Sydafrika, og i 2023 udvidede jeg det til at omfatte hele det subsahariske Afrika. I dag har jeg det overordnede ansvar for Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa.
2) Hvordan ser dit daglige arbejde ud i metalscenen – både i forhold til Wacken Metal Battle og dit generelle engagement i det afrikanske metalmiljø?
Med Emalyth arrangerer og promoverer jeg månedlige koncerter på en af Sydafrikas førende scener, Sognage. Det indebærer booking af spillesteder og bands samt samarbejde med en illustrator om artwork og indhold, og promovering af shows.
Når det gælder Metal Battle, håndterer jeg bandtilmeldinger og fordelingen til de regionale runder. Jeg samarbejder med lokale arrangører i forskellige byer om at afholde deres runde. I Gauteng-provinsen i Sydafrika booker jeg alle spillestederne og styrer afviklingen af runderne. Jeg arrangerer også regionsfinalerne – her står jeg for flybilletter, overnatning og transport for de udenlandske bands og koordinerer desuden indhold og SoMe-teams for hele konkurrencen. Når vinderen er fundet, fungerer jeg som tourmanager – jeg booker fly og overnatning og rådgiver om brancheforventninger. I år lykkedes det mig også at arrangere ekstra koncerter i Europa for vinderbandet som en del af deres Wacken-oplevelse.
3) Hvordan vil du beskrive den afrikanske metalscene som helhed? Er der forskelle mellem landene hvad angår genre, fans og scenestørrelse?
Den afrikanske metalscene er forholdsvis lille og meget DIY. I nogle lande findes der måske kun et eller to spillesteder, der er venligt stemt overfor metal og rock. I Sydafrika har vi omkring ti fordelt i fire forskellige byer. Hvert land har sine egne musikalske præferencer – dødsmetal er populært i Angola og Mozambique, mens Botswana er vild med oldschool heavy metal og den klassiske metalæstetik. Kenya har flere metalcore-bands og et af de mest imponerende black metal-bands, Chovu. Sydafrika har en stærk deathcore-scene, men også stor genrediversitet. Generelt er Afrika et konservativt kontinent, og metal er stadig stærkt stigmatiseret mange steder.
4) Uden for Sydafrika ser vi sjældent afrikanske metalbands på europæiske festivaler. Hvorfor tror du, det er sådan? Handler det om infrastruktur, økonomi, eksponering – eller noget helt andet?
Det er en kombination af alle de faktorer. Økonomi og den geografiske isolation gør det svært for mange afrikanske metalbands at turnere inden for deres egne lande, og slet ikke i nabolande eller Europa. Mange bands uden for Sydafrika er afhængige af støtte fra andre kontinenter (især fra Europa) for at kunne tage på turné. Jeg kender kun til meget, meget få bands afrikanske bands, der har råd til en flybillet til udlandet, for ikke at tale om det antal euro, der er nødvendige for at tage på turné.
De kæmper også med mangel på infrastruktur – mulighed for tryk af merchandise, gode lydoptagelser og professionelle content creators. Mange af de bands, som deltager i Metal Battle-finaler, har aldrig spillet uden for eget land eller for et publikum på mere end 150 mennesker. Det kan være overvældende med korte skiftetider og professionelle tekniske krav. Derudover mangler de viden om, hvordan man søger festivalkoncerter eller planlægger turnéer. Mange afrikanske bands tror stadig, at nogen vil opdage deres musik online og tilbyde dem en drømmepladekontrakt med alt betalt, transport, hotel og mad, og et overskud til at tage med hjem.
5) Kan du tage os igennem, hvordan Wacken Metal Battle foregår i Afrika? Hvordan ser rejsen ud fra tilmelding til en eventuel koncert på Wacken-scenen? Og hvordan adskiller det sig fra et land som Danmark, hvor vi har 4-5 runder i køreafstand fra hinanden og en finalerunde?
Bands tilmelder sig via Wackens hjemmeside. Baseret på antallet af tilmeldte og deres geografiske placering kontakter vi lokale arrangører for at sætte en runde op. Alle metal- og metalrelaterede bands får mulighed for at spille foran et dommerpanel. Vinderne af hver runde rejser til en stor finale i Johannesburg. Uden for Sydafrika er der typisk tre-fem bands med i én runde, som oftest foregår i landets hovedstad, hvor flest fans bor. Men nogle bands må rejse op til otte timer for at komme dertil.
I Sydafrika har vi flere runder på tværs af landet: to i Cape Town (cirka en time fra hinanden), en i Durban og fire i Gauteng (alle med 20-40 minutters afstand – køreafstand, da der ikke findes velfungerende offentlig transport, især ikke om aftenen).
Bands fra Kenya og Angola har længst til finalen – op til syv timers flyvning. Heldigvis har vi fået finansieret meget af det gennem, især gennem Wacken Foundation. Uden deres støtte ville det ikke have været muligt for disse bands at deltage i finalen.
Vi indlogerer alle de rejsende bands fra uden for Gauteng i et lokalt gæstehus, hvor de kan lære hinanden og hinandens scener at kende. Det er vigtigt for os, da vi tilstræber at udvikle netværk, som vil hjælpe bands til at turnere i hinandens lande.
Så transporterer vi de turnerende bands til finalen, hvor de optræder for en jury af internationale brancherepræsentanter.
Finalen holdes i Johannesburg, hvor fanbasen er størst og faciliteterne bedst. Det giver bands mulighed for at spille på en professionel scene for et større publikum. Vi hyrer dygtige fotografer og videofolk, så alle bands får professionelt materiale til deres videre promovering. Overskuddet fra billetsalget går til vinderbandets rejse til Wacken. Når vinderen er fundet, hjælper vi med rejsedetaljer, ophold og mulige ekstra koncerter.
6) Hvad er den største udfordring ved at organisere Wacken Metal Battle på tværs af Afrika – og hvad har været din største succesoplevelse?
Uden tvivl økonomien. Mange musikere har almindelige jobs og spiller måske fire-fem koncerter om året, så det er en konstant udfordring at finde penge til at leje venues, støtte bands med rejse og overnatning og betale indholdsproducenter. Det er ærligt talt ret skræmmende – jeg ved ikke, hvordan vi får det til at lykkes hvert år.
Derudover har mange bands uden for Sydafrika aldrig turneret før eller arbejdet med professionelle arrangører, så det at skaffe et pas, at overholde deadlines og at skaffe pressefotos og brugbare logoer kan være svært.
Men det gode ved battlen er, det lærer bandene om professionalisme – det, det kræver for at blive et turnerende band. Vi har ikke mange internationale bands, der turnerer uden for Sydafrika, så der mangler generelt viden om, hvad det kræver.
Mit stolteste øjeblik var 2024 Metal Battle finalen. Det var fantastisk at se så mange metalfans fra hele Afrika samlet ét sted.
7) Er der afrikanske metalbands lige nu, som du mener har potentiale til at slå igennem internationalt? Hvem bør folk i Europa holde øje med?
Næsten alle finalister fra de seneste to år er bands i verdensklasse. Det hører vi også tit fra de internationale dommere.
Chovu, et black metal-band fra Kenya, skal turnere i Italien senere i år – de bliver en fantastisk repræsentation af afrikansk black metal.
Sunken State, Doomtrigger, Your Cynical Sanity og Die Gemeente er også stærke bands med fede live-shows, topklasse musik og god promoveringsværdi.
8) Hvad er dine personlige håb og langsigtede mål – både for Wacken Metal Battle i Afrika og for metalscenen i Afrika generelt?
Målet er, at Metal Battle opdeles i flere geografiske regioner – for eksempel Vestafrika (Nigeria, Angola), Østafrika (Kenya, Uganda, Madagaskar) og Sydlige Afrika (Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Sydafrika) – for at sikre bredere repræsentation.
Vi ville elske at se flere nye bands deltage, at flere spillesteder blev tilgængelige for lokale, og at flere mennesker engagerede sig i deres lokale musikmiljøer.
I et bredere perspektiv ville det også være fantastisk at se flere bands turnere på tværs af landene og opbygge fans og netværk.
Der er et stort behov for flere indholdsproducenter og musikjournalister både fra Afrika og fra resten af verden – folk, der dækker afrikanske metalbands shows, turnéer og udgivelser.
9) Hvordan oplever du, at afrikanske bands bliver modtaget i Europa? Får de den anerkendelse og respekt, de fortjener?
Vi har nogle fremragende bands som Arka’n Asrafokor og Overthrust, der har spillet på store festivaler, samt Vulvodynia og Peasant, som har haft succesrige turnéer og god modtagelse.
Når afrikanske bands spiller på festivaler som Wacken eller Punk Rock Holiday, tiltrækker de en god mængde tilhørere og får positiv feedback.
1) To start off, could you please introduce yourself? Tell us a bit about your background, how you got involved in the metal scene, and what your current role is with Wacken Metal Battle Africa.
My name is Sashquita Northey, and I have been involved in the African metal community for the past 20 years in various roles, from music journalism, band management, and tour management to event promotion. I have been running my promotion company, Emalyth, since 2009 and have been involved in the Metal Battle since 2013 through judging and event management. I took over running the Metal Battle in South Africa in 2017 and oversaw its growth into the Sub-Saharan Africa region in 2023. Currently, I oversee the running of Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa.
2) What does your everyday work in the metal scene look like – both in terms of organizing Wacken Metal Battle and your general involvement in the African metal community?
With Emalyth, I organise and promote monthly shows at one of South Africa’s premier venues, Sognage. This includes booking venues and line-ups, securing an illustrator for the event art and content, and promoting the shows.
For the Metal Battle, I oversee the submission of bands and their allocation into regional heats. I then liaise with local promoters in the respective cities to arrange a heat in their area. I book all the venues and manage the heats in Gauteng Province, South Africa. I also organise the regional finals – this includes booking flights, arranging accommodation and transport for the out-of-country bands, as well as managing the content creators and social media teams for the entire battle. Once we have a winner, I also work with the winning band as a tour manager – booking flights and accommodation and advising them on industry standards. This year, I also managed to book some extra shows in Europe for our winning band as part of their Wacken experience.
3) How would you describe the African metal scene as a whole? Are there noticeable differences between countries when it comes to genres, fan culture, or scene size?
The African metal scene is quite small and very DIY. You may find one or two metal- and rock-friendly venues in most African countries, while in South Africa we have around ten, spread across four cities. Each country has its own distinct influences – death metal is quite popular in Angola and Mozambique, Botswana enjoys old-school heavy metal, and people there really embrace the visual image of metal culture. Kenya has quite a few metalcore bands, but also one of the most incredible black metal bands, Chovu. South Africa has a strong deathcore following, but there’s a much greater variety of genres overall. South Africa also has, by far, the largest number of bands and fans. Africa is quite a conservative continent, and metal is still heavily frowned upon in many regions.
4) Outside of South Africa, we rarely see African metal bands represented at European festivals. Why do you think that is? Is it about infrastructure, funding, exposure – or something else entirely?
I think it’s a combination of all those factors. The economy and geographical isolation make it hard for many African metal bands to tour within their own countries, let alone neighbouring countries or Europe. Many bands outside of South Africa would rely on grants from outside the continent (mostly from Europe) to be able to tour. I know of very, very few African bands who can afford an international plane ticket, plus the euros needed to sustain themselves on tour.
They also struggle with a lack of infrastructure – access to merch printing, high-quality recordings, and professional content creators. Many of the bands we see at the Metal Battle finals have never played a show outside their home country or to a crowd larger than 150 people. They can be quite overwhelmed by short changeover times and professional backline requirements.
There’s also a lack of knowledge on how to apply for festival slots or book a tour. A lot of African bands still hold the belief that someone will discover their music online and offer them a dream record deal with full transport, accommodation, and catering paid for – and enough profit to bring home.
5) Could you walk us through how Wacken Metal Battle works in Africa? What does the journey look like for a band, from registration to potentially playing on the Wacken stage? And how does that compare to the process in a country like Denmark? As a comparison, we have 4–5 rounds all within driving distance of each other, followed by a final.
Bands register on the Wacken website. Based on the number of entries and their geographic locations, we contact local promoters to arrange a heat. All metal and metal-affiliated bands are given the opportunity to play in a heat before a jury. The winner of each heat then travels to a large final in Johannesburg.
Outside South Africa, this usually involves 3–5 bands per heat, often held in the capital city to attract the highest concentration of fans. However, some bands still have to travel up to 8 hours just to reach their capital city.
In South Africa, we have several heats across the country: two in Cape Town (about an hour apart), one in Durban, and four in Gauteng (all within 20–40 minutes of each other – driving distance only, since Africa does not have functional public transport, especially at night).
Bands from Kenya and Angola have to travel the furthest to the finals – up to a 7-hour flight. We’ve fortunately been able to fundraise most of these costs, especially through a grant from the Wacken Foundation. Without their support, these bands would not be able to attend the finals.
We host all the visiting bands from outside Gauteng at a local guesthouse, where they can meet each other and learn about the different scenes across Africa. This is important to us, as we aim to develop relationships that will help bands tour in each other's countries.
We then transport the touring bands to the finals, where they perform in front of a jury made up of international industry representatives.
The finals are hosted in Johannesburg, which has the largest fanbase and best venue. This allows bands to reach a wider audience and perform on a world-class stage. We also hire top-tier photographers and videographers to provide finalists with high-quality promotional material. The ticket sales profits go toward helping the winning band get to Wacken, which is why it’s important to hold the final in a city where we can sell the most tickets.
Once the winner is announced, we help them plan their trip to the Holy Land – advising on logistics, booking travel and hostels, and arranging additional shows when possible.
6) What would you say is the biggest challenge in organizing Wacken Metal Battle across Africa – and what’s been one of your proudest moments so far?
Funding, by far. Many of the musicians are working-class and only play 4–5 shows a year, so a big concern is how we’ll find money to hire venues for the heats, help bands with travel and accommodation, and pay content creators to promote the events and the bands. Honestly, it’s scary – I don’t know how we manage it every year.
Also, many bands from outside South Africa have never toured or worked with a big promoter, so things like getting passports, meeting deadlines, and having assets like press photos and usable logos can be difficult.
But the great thing about the battle is that it teaches bands professionalism – what it really takes to become a touring band. We don’t have many international bands touring outside of South Africa, so there’s a general lack of understanding of what's required.
My proudest moment was the 2024 Metal Battle finals. It was amazing to see so many metalheads from all over Africa in one place.
7) Are there any African metal bands right now that you think have the potential to break internationally? Who should people in Europe definitely check out?
Most of the Metal Battle finalists from the last two years are world-class acts. We hear this a lot from our international jury members.
Chovu, a black metal band from Kenya, will be touring Italy later this year, and I’m sure they’ll be an incredible representation of African black metal abroad.
Sunken State, Doomtrigger, Your Cynical Sanity, and Die Gemeente are all outstanding “total package” bands – with amazing live performances, top-tier music, strong promotional content, and real potential.
8) What are your personal hopes and long-term goals – both for Wacken Metal Battle in Africa and for the African metal scene more broadly?
Long-term, we’d like to split the Metal Battle region into more manageable geographical zones, with greater representation across the continent. Ideally, we’d have Western Africa (e.g. Nigeria, Angola), Eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar), and Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa).
We’d love to see more bands form and participate, more venues become accessible to local acts, and more people getting involved in their music communities.
On a broader scale, it would be great to see more bands touring within the continent, building audiences and networks.
There’s a major need for more content creators and music journalism from both within and outside Africa – people who will cover the shows, tours, and releases that African metal bands produce.
9) From your perspective, how have African bands been received when performing in Europe? Do you feel they’re getting the recognition and respect they deserve?
We have some fantastic metal bands like Arka’n Asrafokor and Overthrust who have played great festivals, as well as bands like Vulvodynia and Peasant who’ve had successful tours and good reception.
When African bands play at festivals like Wacken or Punk Rock Holiday, they draw good crowds and get excellent feedback.