Best of the Fests 2011

The number of UK festivals has risen hugely over the last few years, and the dates now take a prominent place in most people’s yearly calendars. With several happening around the country every weekend from May to mid-September, it can be overwhelming deciding which to go to.

Aside from being able to see and hear some phenomenal music, a big drive to cough up the money for a ticket is allowing yourself three days of being immersed in the festival community – a welcome break from the monotonous structure of the day-to-day. In much the same way as a psychiatrist’s couch, festivals offer the cathartic release we all need in order to remain level.

Camaraderie is perhaps the defining quality of a good festival. Usually, the level is determined by the driving force behind the event, and whether the organisers prioritise people or profit. We have a variety of huge, commercial festivals on offer in the UK, such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, organised by festival tycoon Mean Fiddler, and Richard Branson’s V (Virgin-branded) festivals in Chelmsford and Staffordshire. But if you’d rather step away from overtly commercial affairs and get back to the original festival experience, a good place to start looking is the Association of Independent Festivals (A.I.F.) At these creative, independently run events, the focus is still on audience participation and enjoyment rather than the amount of cash that can be squeezed from purse strings.

This year I experienced the best of both worlds, with Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and WOMAD on my festival schedule.

Glastonbury always provides because of the sheer size, visual extravaganza and spectacular number of artists and activities on offer. For me, The Chemical Brothers delivered the most mesmerising  performance in this year’s line-up, with body-absorbing bass and a light show that would blind any small child. Moreover, Shangri La and Arcadia’s wacky fire and bass-laden environments are always an end of night favourite. This year, security cracked down on crowd control so you didn’t find yourself suffocating en route- always a nice thing. On the last morning, as the sun rose and we trailed back from the stone circle to our little bell tent at the top of the hill, my Glasto novice friend turned to me with a tranquilised, mournful yet sated look, stating stoically: “It feels like something big has just happened”.

Secret Garden Party isn’t so much about music as it is art, randomness and general knees-up. Festival organisers provide over £50,000 worth of Art Grants to both grass roots and established artists. The lake and soft rolling hills give the enchanted affair an intimate and almost wizardly dimension. Although I suspect the endearing conviviality may have had a lot to do with the degree of crowd intoxication. The Secret Garden Party is all round a very seductive encounter, with a touch of exclusivity. However, it seems the secret is out – those who didn’t manage to get a ticket before they sold out settled for foot-ups over the fence and wristbands were being shared around like a good bottle of Bordeaux.

C.W.Stoneking fitted in with the off the wall atmosphere, looking like he’d just stepped off another planet with a banjo in hand, playing what he calls “jungle music”: a mixture of jazz, blues and calypso. Softened by a horn section, his voice sounds like that of a man smoking a twenty pack a day since he was twelve. His life is embedded in his music and he has many captivating stories to tell.

Another corker was Beans on Toast – a singer/storyteller from Essex who  provided the audience with light-hearted advice on personal hygiene, festival sex, drugs and falling in love, embedded in catchy tunes.

WOMAD (World Of Music And Dance) was hands-down my favourite pick of the summer. Set in the beautiful Charlton Park in Wiltshire, this non-corporate, stress-free event provided a cultured, family-friendly atmosphere with the highest quality of music from every nook and cranny around the globe.

Hailing from the Congo, Gasandji (translating as “the one who unveils the conscience”) laid her soul bare and transported the crowd into the hardship of Africa, while delivering messages of peace and unity. Another female power house was Susheela Raman, who with the presence of a prophet, bewitched the BBC3 stage with songs derived from her Tamil heritage.

I personally fell in love with a French beauty from Metz-Chapelier, Fou Moniker (Mad Hatter) who provided us with a miraculously quirky, classical meets electro set.

When deciding on your festival choice for next year, make sure you have a good browse around. There is a fitting choice for every taste and budget on the UK menu. The variety is endless and new festivals continually crop up in empty fields all over the country.