It’s a striking claim. But when I read the list of acts scheduled to appear the weekend and didn’t recognize a single name, I realized the A38’s crew weren’t kidding.
“The Ship,” as Budapest locals call it, is permanently moored on the Danube. Formerly a stone transport vessel, A38 was refitted by engineers, acoustic experts and electricians working with musicians and promoters to create a unique music venue. It’s Hungary’s first internationally recognized music club, hosting bands from around the world.
Since the venue opened its doors in April 2003, over a million people have come onboard for concerts, club nights and events. They’ve grooved to an extraordinary list of performers, including legends such as – to pick names simply because they’re people I’ve heard of – John Cale, Neneh Cherry, Maceo Parker and Jane Birkin. More out-there acts include Thurston Moore, Laibach and Einstürzende Neubauten.
Named “Best Bar in the World” by Lonely Planet in 2010, the Ship has partnered with the Sziget Festival for 12 years and has had its own stage on the island. It’s the headquarters of Petőfi TV and Petőfi Rádió.
“Our programming defies easy categorization,” A38’s Zsuzsanna Bende tells me, “because we believe in diversity and equality. We’re part of an open and eclectic scene catering to niche audiences.”
Typically, the Ship books bands touring Europe that want to play in Hungary one by one. Floating festival-type events such as Noir Voyage “help strengthen A38’s artistic identity,” Bende, A38’s head of programming, says. “They allow us to be proactive, break patterns, and create unique concepts.”
Bende had been thinking about Noir Voyage and creating “underground euphoria” on the Danube for a while before she shared the concept with her colleague Dániel Rákos, who helped bring it to life. The A38 team brainstormed names at a lunch meeting and came up with Black Ship, which was refined to the more intriguing and less ominous sounding “Noir Voyage.”
A38 is a founder of Liveurope, a pan-European initiative that supports concert venues in their efforts to promote European music diversity. Membership gives the Ship the freedom to book any band from 39 countries.
It’s easy for non-Hungarian performers to play in Hungary if they’re big names. Cyndi Lauper was due to play the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna on her “Girls Just Want To Have Fun Farewell Tour” on Feb. 19. But it’s harder for unfamiliar acts.
For those of us who prefer to have our ears opened by new music, it’s good to know that financial support from Liveurope enabled Bende and her crew to curate a diverse lineup of “up-and-coming artists, often unknown in Hungary but exceptional in their own right. They fit our concept perfectly and serve as strong supporting acts.”
Henge and Heavy Lungs from the United Kingdom were given to A38 as headliners, and the Ship built the lineup around them. They chose Fran Palermo as the third Hungarian headliner.
The band performs today (Friday, Feb. 21). Formed by singer-songwriter Henri Gonzo in 2011 in Budapest, Fran Palermo’s music draws from a range of genres that includes straight rock and roll, indie, afro pop and a spacey, almost Balearic vibe, reflecting the band members’ Cuban, Spanish and Greek cultural influences.
Since the band’s formation, they’ve built a strong following in Budapest and have a reputation for powerful live performances. They’re regulars at Sziget. Judging by their confident-sounding latest album, “Crocodile Juice Bar,” Gonzo writes and sings in English. This is a bonus for those of you who, like me, find Hungarian lyrics impenetrable.
Cosmic rock band Henge headline Noir Voyage tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 22). Band members Zpor, Goo, Grok and Nom dress in the kind of slightly crap space alien costumes you’d have seen on children’s TV in the 1970s. Formed in Manchester, England, in 2015, Henge is on a mission to save the world, playing a form of space rock they call “Cosmic Dross.”
Attempting to describe the sound Henge makes live, Den Cartlidge of the “We Are Cult” website wrote, “rave and acid house meets prog rock, with added twangy surf guitar, epic choruses and a variety of frankly bizarre electronic sounds, last heard on a ’70s children’s tv show.” Presumably, they came as a job lot with the costumes.
Listening to Henge play, it’s obvious they’re highly accomplished musicians. Watching clips of the band on YouTube, it’s also clear they’re great fun to watch. They’ve been known to include dancing mushrooms as part of their show. I very much hope funky fungi appear at A38.
Described by the legendary Iggy Pop as “A real Whammerbanger,” final night headliners Heavy Lungs sound punk to these ears and put on a fast and furious live show. It’s the band’s first time in Hungary, and I’m told they’re excited about the prospect. Their appearance at Noir Voyage is the final date of an Eastern Europe tour that’s enabled the foursome to “give back to the fans that have been so great to us.”
Apparently, Heavy Lungs is “a rock and roll sandwich you didn’t know you needed, but now it’s in your lunchbox every day.” I hope so.
Apart from the headliners, the Noir Voyage bill is packed with Hungarian and international acts that represent the kind of genre diversity the independent and culturally free Ship champions. As Bende says, “We never take success for granted, never give up, and we’re always ready for change. Running A38 is an art form in itself. And we love art.”
Check out the Noir Voyage bill at a38.hu.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of February 21, 2025.
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