Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547166
3 CULTURE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 underground scene lives on their music addressed underlying anxieties that were troubling at the time Satire was used to expose social hypocrisies, taking aim at com- mercial radio gatekeepers in Min Ħexa Mexa, Diska Cool Għar-Ra- dio, or dismantling romanticized nationalism in Malta, which con- trasted postcard tourism with the chaotic reality of daily life on the island. These were all brought back to the main stage at GrintaFest through Il-Banda Ta' San Ċipress. For Cauchi, who founded the trib- ute band, creating it was about keeping that legacy alive on stage. "I always felt it was a shame that they couldn't perform very of- ten... That's why I felt compelled to start the tribute band, so that both I and others could enjoy the music, even when the original band wasn't playing live," Cauchi explained. At the same time, he wanted to pay tribute to the "brilliant music they created," that remains hugely popular within the underground community, and bring back their energy to GrintaFest through the band. "It is indeed significant that, af- ter all these years, today's younger generation still finds these records relevant and can still identify with them in the same way that our generation did," Rex noted. "This shows that these social problems are still very much with us, if not more prevalent or more evident and in-your-face than before." He recognises that while it is gratifying that Xtruppaw remains musically and culturally relevant to this day, it is also worrying that they remain socially and political- ly relevant for the same reasons. Beyond the music For Cauchi, one of the most significant outcomes of Grin- taFest, apart from giving the scene a new voice, was seeing bands that had long stopped performing return to the stage, permitting younger audiences the opportunity to experience music that might otherwise have remained confined to re- cordings and memories. Beyond the music, GrintaFest's DIY ethos also extended to the visual arts, with the team cre- ating papier-mâché sculptures and props used during perfor- mances. In this sense, the slo- gan "Għall-Punks, Mil-Punks", featured in the Smashed to Shit zines also created by the team behind GrintaFest, was brought to life in a very physical way. In this way, much of GrintaF- est's appeal lies in the collective effort behind it, from bringing bands together to creating the festival itself. In a scene built around independent initiatives, this work allows Malta's under- ground history to reach new au- diences while creating opportu- nities for it to continue. As Cauchi put it, "If you aren't organizing a festival like Grin- taFest for the fun of it, then—to me—you lose sight of the point of organizing it." Looking ahead, Cauchi is de- termined to keep building on this momentum to ensure the underground scene continues to thrive for the next genera- tion. When asked about a second edition of GrintaFest he insisted "if people want it and our team wants it, I think it almost has to happen now." Xtruppaw performing, using different DIY props National Book Council announces €20 student voucher scheme THE National Book Council (NBC) has an- nounced that it will offer a €20 voucher to all primary and secondary school students in years 1–11. The voucher can be redeemed at any bookseller or publisher participating in the Malta Book Festival, which will take place at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali from 4 to 8 November. All students visiting independently or with their families and guardians (not with their class), are invited to register and retrieve their free book voucher online via our online por- tal. Parents and guardians can register for the voucher through the portal from Thursday 15 October 2026 up to last day of the Festival on Sunday 8 November. Students visiting as part of a school group will be automatically receiving their voucher at the Festival venue, and cannot register for their voucher independently. Students who are ab- sent on the day of the school visit can collect their voucher from the festival venue Info point whenever they visit. Kindly note that school reg- istrations are now closed. Commenting on the impact of the voucher scheme when it debuted at the 2025 edition of the Malta Book Festival, National Book Council Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri stressed how the Festival remains an an economic life- line for local publishers and booksellers, placing them in the middle of a free-of-charge five-day mass event, offering a clear reference point to dedicated readers, as well as, crucially, a 'captive audience' of more casual readers. "The €20 voucher scheme only serves to strengthen the Festival's positive impact on the local publishing sector, by further incentivising footfall to the event – something which can be statistically proven as last year, our people-coun- ter recorded roughly 40,000 visitors, marking an increase of 20,000 when compared to the pre- vious year," Camilleri said. However, he added that the benefits of the scheme go beyond the immediate sales resulting from the vouchers. By attracting higher attendance numbers – which would also include the parents and guardians accompanying pupils eligible for the voucher – the scheme also indirectly raises awareness of the local book sector as a whole, which potentially translates into non-voucher based sales. Register for your voucher here. Be sure to stay updated by following the Malta Book Festival on Facebook, the National Book Council on Insta- gram, and to check back in on the Festival page on their website.