16 Horsepower was the main act on the World Music Stage on Monday. I was to find out that they were the only ones who would save Sziget's honour this year. It was long ago when I wrote about their first six-track CD. Since then Sackcloth 'N' Ashes, Low Estate and Secret South have been released- of those three albums I only listened to Low Estate.

The foursome came on stage while an intro tape with very heavy throat-singing from Tuva was playing. And by the end of the first song I wasn't where I had been before. There wasn't any movement on stage, only music spreading with some kind of scaring naturalness.

During the morning sound-check I realized that when David Eugene Edwards (vocal, bandoneon, banjo, and guitar) starts playing he is in a state of "unconsciousness" straightaway. He sat on a stool twitching and kicking oddly whilst playing. Both he and bass-player Pascal Humbert, are in total trance during the show.

If I was torn from this earthly being time and time again during Nick Cave's theatre performance then I dare say that this time I was definitely "out there" throughout the whole show. During Black Soul Choir a boy pulled me back from the ecstasy as he shouted: "I can't believe it. It's fucking great!" "Are you crazy, shut up!" I whispered and I was already drawn back again in the passage opened by 16 Horsepower.

I was crucified by Secret South; coal black horses were running past...I felt as if I was seized by a cramp. I felt as if I was a suffering in the flesh. I felt as if I were a pulsation. For your eyes only, my eyes were closed throughout...I just wanted to rely on my ears, I just wanted to hang on the golden rope, I wanted this to last forever.

They exited the stage before the encore. I won't say that they, together with the other guitarist Jeffrey Paul [sic] and the French drummer Jean-Yves Tola, are the greatest musicians on earth, but what they delivered in For Heaven's Sake after Silver Saddle was like an atomic blast in the middle of the southern prairies.

They gave such a dark, yet blindingly bright concert that it erased my images of the Sonic Youth show I saw four years ago, that I rated as the best show I had ever seen. Today the best group in the world (folk, rock or any) is from Denver, its name is 16 Horsepower. Why and what for? There simply are no words for it... What they reach is: SANCTITY.

Translation by Csilla.