It has taken a huge effort for festivals to adopt an eco-friendly approach. But the days of walking over a crunchy carpet of beer cans to get to the main stage is well and truly over. None more so than at Bluedot festival, which, in its own words, ‘will be sending 0% waste to landfill…
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I’ve always had a soft spot for Field Day festival: its curators have form in enticing lesser-seen artists onto their festival stages, such as Mazzy Star’s memorable set in 2012. Field Day’s move this year from Victoria Park to the considerably smaller Brockwell Park has not been without its issues – from pre-event concerns from…
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New London mega-festival All Points East at Victoria Park offered sparkling lineups: the first Sunday introduced slinky Texan outfit Khruangbin, followed by a dancey set from Alexis Taylor. Father John Misty offered lush vocals to a mellow early evening crowd before Bjork’s fantastical set ended the evening
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Four young traders offering boutique camping, gourmet coffee, holistic massage and wood-fired pizza relate the ups and downs of life as a festival vendor.
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Picturesque Port Eliot festival, set on the South East Cornish coast, has built a reputation for its thoughtfully curated lineup, a mix of music, comedy, workshops and talks. Food, fashion and literature also feature. The beautiful estate is buzzing from dawn to midnight and beyond with a huge variety of events, so one minute you…
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Sea Change festival in Totnes has established quite a name for itself in its two years of its existence. Started by Drift Record shop, its knowledgeable owners have enticed a raft of stellar names both emerging and established, to play at a host of quirky venues around the town. There’s the restored Totnes Cinema, two…
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2017 has been more than a ‘best albums’ type of year. Not that there has been a dearth of great new releases, with Jane Weaver and The BJM amongst several faves, but this has been a diverse year with single releases and emerging artists. There’s a noticeable Northern flavour to the list too. Best new artists:…
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Things have been a bit quiet at Gourmet Gigs while I’ve been visiting southern Spain. But as chance would have it, we were invited to a local music festival called Deltirón in the breezy, friendly coastal city of Cádiz. I swapped a lifetime of damp festivals on home turf for one with palm trees, enviably…
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I posted this in 2017 but its message sadly rings truer than ever. “This is a place for music lovers. If you want to talk to your friends when the bands are on, please use the other bar.” The above sign is plastered prominently on the venue door at The Trades in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, one of…
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This year was the 15th anniversary of Green Man, the bucolic festival set in the Brecon Beacons. It is – since the demise of Big Chill – my favourite festival venue, with its lush mountainous setting and main stage framed dramatically by the Black Mountains. For those short of stature (like myself), you’ll always have…
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