SXSWORLD

Previous contributors to the Crossing Border Festival include, from left, Salman Rushdie, Louis Theroux, Patti Smith and Henry Rollins. Crossing Border Fuses Music and Literature As I walked through the late November night leaving The Hague's Central Station, the cold wind blasted off the North Sea, whip- ping across the main town square so hard that the water spouting from the fountain in its center was streaming at a right angle. Though daunted by these ferocious elements, I soon arrived at the Mercure Hotel, which housed a cadre of some of the world's top contemporary authors, poets, filmmakers and musicians. All of us were in the city for the Crossing Border Festival, a reknowned gathering, now in its seventeenth year, that celebrates and honors the collective powers of art, music and litera- ture in one event. While many festivals rely on big names, flavor-of-the-month artists featured a concert with six young bands from The Hague, all selected to play at SXSW this coming March. John Dear Mowing Club, Woot, NiCad, ReBelle, The Deaf and So What all represent different aspects of rock tradition and come with their own unique sounds. The following night, there was a discussion between the authors and the hype machine, Crossing Border digs deep into the underground recesses of culture and offers the best of art, music and literature, and presents them in unique combinations. The Hague is a city known more for the International War Crimes Tribunal than its music scene, but Crossing Border is just one of many events that proves it has a vibrant musical culture. I first experienced Crossing Border in 1996 when I worked for the Knitting Factory in its Amsterdam office. I had the honor of accompa- nying former John Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali and legendary sax/ piano player Charles Gayle to a gig where they accompanied Henry Rollins as he read his poetry. Harried by the rush of getting these musi- cians together, I really was not able to see much else and left without gaining a full understanding of what this truly unique event is all about. I always wanted to return, and 13 years later, I finally got my chance. But man, it was cold. The Christmas season was already well underway in the Netherlands, as they celebrate Sinterklauss, what we know as St. Nicholas' Day, as their main holiday of the season on December 5th, making the treks to and from each event all the more festive. The first night of the festival 36 SXSWorld In Focus: The Hague Nicolai Lilin and Sandro Veronesi that covered the power of literature and free speech, and how it relates to the perils of everyday life in mafia- controlled Italy. The talk started with a short video of a journalist being murdered, presumably for having covered the mafia in a less then favor- able manner, and ended with the conclusion that freedom of speech is worth the risk. Yes, art, like the truth, can be a dangerous thing. The final two nights took place in the majestic Hague Theatre Quarter, a combination of the Royal and Majestic Theatres, two beau- tiful multi-level buildings that stand side-by-side in The Hague's city center. This location made it very simple to hop from stage to stage. Each stage presented something radically different, from the indie rock stylings of Grizzly Bear to the revolutionary singer-songwriter Steve Earle, to a conversation between up-and-coming author Richard Milward and Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom of the legendary and influential band, Spacemen 3). Borders were not just crossed; they were destroyed. Other stages held performances by Natalie Merchant (formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), Yo La Tengo, Jim White, Stephen Malkumus, Tegan & Sara, Cymbals Eat Guitars and more. Readings and talks from writers like Stuart Murdoch, Kevin Cummins, Rick De Leeuw, Nick Kent and many, many others were held between acts. Crossing Border offers a lot to take in over the course of just a few days, but like SXSW, it leaves you with a great sense of how the worlds of art, music and literature can converge and create something new. That is some valuable information to have. H – Matt Sonzala

• Cover