ALTERNATIVE WITHIN ALTERNATIVE: BURST CITY

What happens when club and concert culture merge? When genres blur, expectations are set aside, and the night becomes a space for experimentation rather than escapism? That’s the question being explored on 13 September at Melkweg during Burst City — an evening curated by Parrish Smith and Mila V. Burst City is both a manifesto and a call to the alternative underground: a city-within-a-city for those who feel at home nowhere else and are searching for a place to belong.

In conversation with Parrish Smith and Mila V
Words by Davy de Lepper
 

The idea for Burst City was born out of absence. “Mila and I felt the same void,” says Parrish. “Growing up in music, we didn’t always have a place where we could see and hear our niche reflected. We often felt like the outsiders. There were points of connection, but no solid ground. There was Grauzone at Melkweg, which we loved attending and performing at. But sadly, it soon moved to The Hague.”

Mila recalls the same frustration: “We noticed we were complaining a lot: there’s nothing to do, nothing we actually like. Why do certain artists get little attention? Why is it always the same commercial names, the established acts? That frustration was bubbling up.” So, the duo decided to change the narrative. The result is a night that unfolds in the twilight zone between live performance and electronics, between performance art and rave. “Our curation is broad,” says Mila. “It’s punk, industrial, electronic.” For the first edition at Melkweg, the line-up features Zanias, Kris Baha, Acidic Male, Chalice Is A Witch, Idleyes, LS.Gatekeeper, and of course Parrish Smith and Mila V — all artists who deliver hybrid and live performances that stretch the boundaries of the club night.

What Mila and Parrish aim for with Burst City goes beyond aesthetics or genres; it’s a personal and political response to today’s standardised nightlife. At a time when clubs often programme based on reach, recognition, and algorithmic logic, they want to return to pure experience. Not the night as a product, but as a ritual. “We curate on energy, intention and emotion,” says Mila. The power of such a night lies in the unpredictable: the way a programme moves, surprises, and provokes. There’s no fixed formula for that.
“We want people to think: what did I just witness?” says Parrish. “Was this a live show, a ritual, a set? Should I dance, stand still, shout? If people feel that, then it’s working.”
 

What sets Burst City apart is its line-up strategy: not a predictable mix of international headliners, but a deliberate focus on local artists with their own following, energy, and story. This community-driven approach adds depth and meaning: when creators from the city bring their own people, a new form of togetherness emerges — a city-within-a-city.

For Mila, this is also a response to the lack of local representation in many programmes. “And when locals do get booked, it’s often the same names,” she says. “We want to give that fresh energy a chance.” Parrish agrees, pointing to a wider issue with bigger events: “Many clubs and festivals struggle to reach the right audience when their headliners drop out. That’s why it’s crucial to curate outside the beaten track. A great night can be built on new names and mixed genres. Take the risk to give local talent a platform.”
 

This boundary-blurring approach also shapes the format. Burst City deliberately positions itself between concert and club night, with artists delivering both hybrid live sets and late-night DJ performances. This taps into a wider trend: a generation that ignores genre boundaries, moving just as easily from Billie Eilish to Machine Girl. “We missed performers in the night,” says Parrish, referring to the lack of acts that defy one single form. “So, we sought artists who can make those transitions — from live show to rave, from performance to dancefloor.”

For Mila, Burst City is also a context experiment: “What happens when a concert programmer thinks like a club curator — and vice versa? We often hear that club concepts are struggling, but what if you make it hybrid? How does that affect your audience, your ticket sales, the night’s energy?” Burst City invites audiences into a layered, non-linear experience. Or, as Parrish puts it: “We want to bring all colours. That’s why our tagline is ‘For all colours living out of space’.”

Asked what to expect from the line-up, they prepare us for a wave of post-hardcore spilling into glam, post-punk, and techno. “The artists are often from different generations, but they meet on levels of eccentricity or emotion. It’s important for us to place established names alongside emerging talent,” says Parrish. “They’re all specialists in their own niche.”

While they don’t have favourites, there are personal stories. Mila shares: “Acidic Male liked my very first track on SoundCloud. That led to an online friendship where we watched each other grow as artists. Booking her for Burst City feels extra special — full circle.” Acidic Male’s work explores the intersections of body, gender, noise, and identity, blending raw electronics, industrial, vocal work, and expressive stage presence into an experience that’s both confronting and liberating.

For Parrish, that artist is Kris Baha. “Before we became friends — when I was still admiring him from afar — I thought he was this huge, established artist. And of course, he still is. Later I realised it’s that quality I admire most: how he presents himself, his knowledge, and musical growth. He moves between industrial, EBM, clubby, and futuristic sounds.”

Recently, both Mila and Parrish got a social media shoutout from Sevdaliza, when she named them among her favourite Amsterdam artists in a TikTok interview. “In the comments, someone said they were coming to see us at Burst City. That’s the kind of organic marketing we love,” says Mila. The same push is what they give their own artists on the line-up through social media. “We put a lot of care into it,” says Mila. “We want to spotlight them in a genuine way.” Alongside regular posts, many artists also appear on Glamcult TV for mini-showcases.

The metaphor of Burst City as a city is no coincidence. It’s an imaginary place with its own rules, residents, energy, and aesthetic. “In a city, opposites exist side by side,” says Mila. “There is light and dark, structure and chaos. In Burst City, we want to embrace those contradictions.” The project isn’t a one-off but a recurring format. “The concept is set, but it grows with time — and with the community that connects with it.” Experience it yourself on Saturday 13 September at Melkweg: Burst City — a micro-city for outsiders and sonic explorers, with a merch market, club culture, and live shows with the intensity of a concert. Get your tickets here.