Grintafest: From Festatahwid to a New Generation of Punk 1 - Through the Eyes of a Grizzled Rocker
The first edition of Grintafest was held on the 21st of September, a public holiday. The festival was the idea of David Cachia, who, funnily enough, was playing in a black metal band, Luciferi Regnum, when I first met him some time after COVID. In fact, our first conversation was about black metal, the band he was playing with and probably the history of heavy metal, but definitely not punk. During the months of discussions we had whenever we met, I gradually noticed that his biggest passion was actually punk, but more importantly, the Maltese band BNI, a band and a genre that started long before he was born.
Then, one fine day during a discussion we were having, probably at The Garage, he mentioned that he had decided to put together a punk festival based on the long-defunct Festatahwid. The last Festatahwid took place around 2009 or 2010 during a two-day festival at V-Gen called Generator, in which one of the days was dedicated to punk as a tribute to Festatahwid.
Of course, all this information is from what I can remember, but I still remember that I was the DJ for that festival, Generator, as well. So, when David asked for my help to fill the silence between the bands, I accepted immediately.
Of course, the opinions below are mine and are coming from an ageing rocker, and that is why I asked upcoming music journalist Shannah Muscat to give her opinions as well (to be published tomorrow here on melodija.eu). Therefore, one can call this a collaboration between the old and the young. She was also one of “David’s Angels” on the night, as well as taking care of numerous other jobs throughout the event.
And before we continue writing about the festival, I have to congratulate everyone who helped David put the event together. The organisation was impeccable.
But back to Grintafest.
To tell the truth, many of us oldies were a bit sceptical about many things. Would he be able to find emerging punk bands to fit the bill? Would he be able to find any bands from the good old days? Apart from BNI, I don’t think there are any other bands that have survived from that era. Then the line-up was announced and, lo and behold, Pupi Tal-Loghob were making a comeback.
But let’s start with the band that opened Grintafest – Bruda, a trio who, as they describe themselves, are “an all-girl punk band based in Malta defined by furious Maltese rap, metal-inspired guitars, riot and chaos.”
I first heard about them around a year ago and, on 12 April 2025, they launched their debut EP titled Toghma Morra. From the EP, they performed three songs, alongside seven more new songs which, hopefully, will receive the recording, mixing and production they deserve.
The band’s lyrics are in your face, and many may even find them offensive, but when one really listens to what they are talking about, it really hits home and reflects the reality we are living in at the moment. Their show was exactly the opening act a punk festival needed to pump up the adrenaline for what was to follow.
Next up was another relatively young band, although Five Years From Now now have two releases under their belt: Hakem (2022) and Bank Punk (2025). This is a band which one never gets tired of watching, and one cannot help but admire their determination.
I have discussed both opening bands with others, and we all agreed that this was what the punk scene needed for a much-desired revival. Seeing young musicians taking the stage with this kind of energy and attitude was certainly encouraging, especially for those of us who have been around the local scene for quite some time.
Up next was Bila, a band that needs no introduction to anyone following the rock scene on the island. Formed by three seasoned musicians – Samuel Mallia, of Eyes To Argus amongst other bands, Nick Morales, who has been involved with too many bands to mention, and Benji Cachia, aka Banjo Rancho, one of the most versatile drummers on the island.
By now, after all these years, many people know Bila’s music, but every time I see them, and this is not just my opinion, there is always something else in their set. We all know the songs by now, but every time there is a new – or more – grit and determination in their performance. They are one of those bands that can play songs the audience already knows inside out and still manage to make the performance feel fresh.
Hitting the stage next and making their return to the stage after eight years, we had Pupi Tal-Loghob, with a dynamic set made up of original songs alongside such covers as Freddie Portelli’s Mur Hallini and R.A.S.’s Xiz-Zobb Trid.
Of course, during Il-45, the mascot joined them on stage. And here it seems the moment to mention another great help David had during the festival: Andrew Cassar, who took care of the numerous props throughout the whole afternoon and into the evening.
I must admit that it was very enjoyable to see a band from the old era of Maltese punk re-emerge on stage, and hopefully it won’t be another eight years until we see them perform again.
And what can one say about the next band?
One can never know what to expect from BNI until the very last note of every performance. Their set list for this event was made up of twenty songs, many of which are now considered anthems of the local punk scene.
Although they opened their performance with two songs from their latest album, Exponential Self-Destruction (2022), namely Hollow and Simple Plan, the set soon moved through a selection of material that has become familiar to generations of local punk followers.
During the set, as per usual, David joined the band for a few songs, playing once again with his favourite band. For someone who had put so much effort into organising a festival centred around the music he loves, seeing him on stage with BNI was certainly one of those moments that summed up what Grintafest was all about.
One must say that the majority of the attendees had enjoyed all the performances up to this point, and there was a lot of slam dancing and moshing. But nothing prepared us for what was to follow after BNI, which by themselves are a very tough act to follow.
Il-Banda Ta’ San Cipress was formed by David once it was official that this event was going ahead. Apart from David, the band is made up of Zain Gauci, Liam Mizzi Peplow, Kurt Cristina, Justin Caruana and Christian Zammit – an excellent mix of young and seasoned talent.
The band, a tribute to Malta’s own Xtruppaw, delivered a set of seventeen songs – eighteen altogether, as they were not allowed to leave the stage without playing an encore – under the watchful eyes of Xtruppaw members Dino Mifsud Lepre, Rex Grech Santucci and Noel Cuschieri, who joined the band at different times during the set.
All three were full of praise for the dedication and performance they had witnessed. One must also mention the number of props David had prepared, which were used and thrown into the audience during the performance. The set included Xtruppaw’s greatest songs, interpreted with excellence and dedication.
Hopefully, this won’t be the first and only performance of Il-Banda Ta’ San Cipress.
A very important note: Il-Banda Ta’ San Cipress is the only tribute band which covers a Maltese band. Discussing this with Rex after the show, it was clearly visible how honoured they were to be the only Maltese band to have a tribute band dedicated to their music. Considering the history and importance of Xtruppaw within the local music scene, this was certainly a special moment.
Of course, one has to mention all those who helped during the event and contributed to making it the success it was. There were many of them, and I am sorry not to know all their names. And, of course, Steve Lombardo deserves a special mention for the impeccable sound throughout the festival.
Grintafest was not simply an afternoon and evening of punk music. It was a meeting point between generations – between those who were there when Maltese punk was taking its first steps and those who are now discovering, developing and reinventing the genre for a new generation.
For those of us who remember Festatahwid and the bands that formed part of that era, seeing Pupi Tal-Loghob return to the stage, BNI still delivering with the same unpredictability and energy, and Xtruppaw’s music being performed by a new generation was certainly something special.
But perhaps the most important aspect of Grintafest was seeing young bands such as Bruda and Five Years From Now sharing the same stage with musicians who have been part of Malta’s rock and punk history for decades.
If this was David Cachia’s attempt to bring some of the spirit of Festatahwid back to life, then perhaps the most important question is not whether Grintafest will return, but what it might look like if it does.
And, judging by what we witnessed on the 21st of September, there is certainly an audience ready for it.
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