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| Former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, center, performs at DMZ Peace Train Music festival 2018 alongside former No Brain member Cha-Cha, left, and Crying Nut bassist Captain Rock. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar |
By Jon Dunbar
The second annual DMZ Peace Train Music Festival is set to bring domestic and international musicians together to deliver a message of peace and unity, right at the world's most heavily fortified border.
The festival has been expanded to three days this year, running from June 7 to 9 at various locations in Cheorwon, a border city in Gangwon Province. The lineup is almost completely disclosed, with room to spare for a few more surprises yet to come.
Last year the festival scored a coup by booking Glen Matlock, founding bassist of the legendary U.K. punk band Sex Pistols, but how could they possibly follow up on that? Turns out the answer is a founding member of the legendary rock band Velvet Underground, John Cale.
The Welsh composer, singer, songwriter and producer shares top billing with Korean-Chinese rockstar Cui Jian, as well as Korea's musical married couple Chung Tae-chun and Park Eun-ok who celebrate their 40th anniversary together this year.
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| John Cale / Courtesy of Ebru Yildiz |
Cale's invitation came after festival artistic director Dalse Kong Yoon-young caught his act at a festival a few years ago. "We absolutely respect his work and we thought it would be perfect if he came to our festival," Cecilia Soojeong Yi, in charge of booking and programming, told The Korea Times.
And Cui, whose father is ethnically Korean, is a legend in his own right, having been labeled "the father of Chinese rock."
"Cui Jian is not only a super famous musician who created the Chinese rock scene but is a progressive artist who had the guts to really rock 'n' roll against the political/cultural situation in the country," Yi said. "We didn't book him because he's half Korean, we invited him because we believe he's one of the most important rock artists in Asia and we have no doubt he will surprise us onstage with his genuine performance and spirit."
The festival's first day features world music, with bands representing Korea, South Africa, Cuba, Spain and Nigeria. The second day features 12 bands, including Cui as well as local acts Dead Buttons, Hellivision and Hyukoh. The final day, headlined by Cale, features nine acts at the main venue.
The main festival grounds are at Goseokjeong, while separate smaller performances are staged within the Demilitarized Zone at Soi Mountain, the ruins of the Workers' Party Headquarters and the bombed out Woljeong-ri Station. Among the performers are Kim Cheol-woong, a North Korean pianist who defected to South Korea, and Jang Young-gyu, a music director and former member of cross-dressing Korean fusion band SsingSsing, who will be directing a "concert with military songs and choreography in big band format."
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| U.K. singer-songwriter performs in front of the ruins of a train at Woljeong-ri Station in the DMZ at DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2018. / Courtesy of Peace Train |
The festival started last year with help from international festival organizers, including Martin Elbourne of Glastonbury and The Great Escape, Stephen Budd of Africa Express and Martin Goldschmidt of Cooking Vinyl, all whom form the festival's advisory committee. It also has support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gangwon Province, Cheorwon County and Korea Tourism Organization. Last year it was widely reported the North Korean government was notified of the festival to prevent any misunderstandings.
To address a high number of no-shows last year, this year they are offering tickets available to foreign attendees for a 10,000 won deposit payable on site, which is reimbursed at the festival venue in the form of gift cards that can be redeemed at festival sites or elsewhere in Cheorwon. "People can use it for drinks, food, taxi, hotel and even buy seed and farm equipment ― if someone wants ― at a local shop," Yi said.
She added anyone can show up without RSVPing, and won't be turned away unless the site is full.
Shuttle buses are also available from Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Jeonju and Daejeon to Cheorwon Goseokjeong.
