| live review
With an hour of cramped car ride behind us, my girlfriend and I find ourselves trudging across a car park, laden with rucksacks, duvets, socks, and cameras, towards a wall of Technicolor trees. An exciting prospect on a Thursday night when you know that you only have to locate the friend who's set the tent up for you, and then you're free until Monday to explore the myriad sights and sounds of Secret Garden Party 2009. After discovering that we've a premium pitch in the thick of the festival, and metres from our friend’s car (for ease of escape), we abandon the stuff for a brief wander round. By night the festival is a sensory wonderland, with sound, light, smells, art and costumes colliding on you from every direction. But, with most of the bands done for the night, we decide to grab some sleep and get an early start.
Friday
A quick outing to the supermarket in the morning saw us fully stocked up with water, shoddy cider and £5 aviator sunglasses, and we made it back in time for my first act of the day. Beans On Toast, a friend from London was early on the "Where The Wild Things Are" stage; a low to the ground, spiky tent with an excessive but superb sound system. Doing away with the stage, Jay took to the dancefloor, standing on a dining chair. With his own brand of Troubadourian folk, he snarls his way through which ever songs he can remember at the time. Social commentaries on the girls at festivals, the many wondrous drugs of the modern day, and his blackberry, keep the audience in stitches; even more so when he decides to give up on most of the songs during the second chorus, claiming "you've already heard that bit anyway". Wrapping up the set with the debut of his new rap, featuring 'Fun Bobby' on beatbox, the crowd leave cheery and laughed out.
Next caught out in the rain, we took refuge in the "Living Room" tent. Run by the same team that run the venue in Cambridge, the tent was elaborately decked out with fireplaces, bad Victorian picture frames, with cushions and sofas aplenty. This lent itself perfectly to the mainly acoustic acts that were invited to play. Tom Stone, a London-based blues folk man was rewarded by the rain as the tent swelled with people, only to then be blown away by his smooth, engaging voice, and beautiful songcraft. Citing Otis Redding as a strong influence, Tom pulls off blues standards and originals with ease, akin to a young Martin Harley in voice.
A short run through the rain to the tent next door saw us camped out for a while in front of some fantastic acts. The "Chai Wallah" tent tours many festivals, with again a low, spiky alien looking marquee, and bars specialising in herbal rejuvenation, chai tea, and shisha pipes. First on was Joe Driscoll. Originally from New York, Joe is now based in London, but has lost none of his American charm and confidence. Using a loop pedal, Joe and a single guitar build whole tracks that have the PA system heaving. Layered beatbox drum beats, octave pedal bass lines, and funky guitar are chopped in and out around Joe's brilliant rap / reggae vocals. Songs about dancing on your own, and injustice in the world sent the capacity crowd wild, demanding an encore, which he obliged with his trademark cover of Murder She Wrote, and a brand new track.
After a few free Goji berries and a cup of tea, I was to be blown away by Sound Of Rum, and the lyrical genius of Katy Tempest. A live hip-hop trio, SOR tore the tent apart with some of the most positive and upbeat hip-hop I've ever heard. With her messages of unity and anti-prejudice, Katy kept the crowd engaged and grooving, even when she left the band behind on her a cappella. I can't recommend seeing this group enough, and with not a single mention of other rappers 'shitty style and clichéd beats, this is what hip-hop should sound like!
A lull in the rain gave me a chance to explore Eden, the top field of the festival. Strewn with interactive art pieces (a giant tunnel made of recycled plastic bottles, a tree made of steel laden with dozens of tiny windmills, and many more), and home to the alternative music stages, the area had a peaceful, inviting vibe that made it perfect for people of all ages and interests. There were also interactive workshops, various tents giving talks on all subjects, and piles of free hoola hoops for the kids to get involved with. On passing the Chai Wallah tent on my way back I caught the end of Bridgette Amofahs set. Having recently joined Oi Va Voi, and featuring their drummer in her live band, Bridgette's stunning soulful vocal and catchy folk-esque writing had me mesmerized for the three songs that I caught.
Next, I was bound for the main stage. Set in a natural bowl, and next to the lake, the stage grew from the ground as a serpent, with teeth around its edge, and a runway disguised as a forked tongue. This was put to great use by Jamie Scallion, front man of local heroes, Officer Kicks. With their Stones-esque rock and roll, the band kicked in with opener Murderland, and with a convincing swagger, drew people down the hill to see what all the commotion was about. Having recently recorded at Noel Gallagher’s private studio, and playing a string of quality festivals over the summer, watch out for these guys getting big soon.
Walking back through Babylon, the lower field of the site, I was treated to the darker side of the music festival. Dedicated to the forbidden and unknown, things were generally louder and brasher. Wenches selling grog, grannies making toasties, a “Collo-Silly-Um” of games and challenges, as well as a host of varied but loud stages made it clear that this was where the partying was to be had. I later realised that this would continue pretty much 24hrs a day for the whole festival, with Drum & Bass musical statues a particular highlight...
Arriving in the Dance field, you are struck by the immense, throbbing bass coming from the giant Ninja Tunes tent, where I was treated to a tear out set by DJ Food. Following a more dance orientated DJ, Food funked the tent out with his trademark trip-hop and breakbeat turntablism. Bass frequencies and intoxication were rife through the tent, which added to the feel-good vibes coming off the stage.
The following few hours were a blur to me. Retrieving drunken friends and co-ordinating a meal between us took many hours longer than it should, and we eventually found our way back to the Living Room after midnight. Here, I waited with baited breath to see Freepeace. Having played with them many times in Cambridge, I knew exactly what to expect, and was dismayed to find less than half the band on stage when we got there. Bass player Sam also moonlights with signed Brummie soulman Bryn Christopher, and he and the horn men were headlining another festival in Guildford the same night. Pulling out an acoustic set, the interweaving vocals of Abi and Stacey eased the crowd into their mammoth headline set. Abi's soulful vocals blend perfectly with Stacey's rapping and exemplary flamenco guitar skills, as the band weave their own version of folk / funk / hip-hop and reggae into what I feel is some of the most infectious dancing music I've heard. As the band apologised for the lack of members, the room soon erupted when from the back of the stage, there arrived a bass player, trombonist, and trumpet / steel pan player. At this point, Kerri the drummer left his Cajun for the full drum set, and I was suddenly greeted with my standout set of the day. Even in the midst of a brief power cut, the band kept the whole tent partying with a calypso sing-along, and a huge conga line led by the bass player. With a disregard for the fact is was after 2.00 am, the band and crowds energy was literally dripping from the walls. Refusing an encore as they'd exhausted their entire catalogue, the band left us all elated and wanting more: A perfect festival set.
Saturday
Still sore from the dancing of the night before, we limped to the WTWTA stage to start our day once more. London folk outfit Meledica, Melody and Me greeted us with their jolly brand of folk. The singers Dylan-esque voice sits perfectly with that of the female vocalist, as the whole band bob around on stage and take it in turns to play their signature instrument: The melodica! A far more soothing way to break in the day...
A chance encounter at the media tent saw us in front of the main stage watching The Dø. This three piece, based in Paris and Helsinki, draw influences from more theatrical quarters such as Bjork and Kate Bush. The female singer’s voice playfully inter-twines with her synth players retro minimalist pop, whilst at the back, the drummer pounds away beneath a huge wire spiral laden with pans, plates, and two dozen other obscure cymbal substitutes. As the crowd soak up the sun, the quirky Europeans return song after song with catchy, danceable tunes that leave everyone wondering why they haven't heard of The Dø before.
Passing back through Babylon, we noticed an enormous crowd gathered around one of the huge trees in the area, and decided to check it out. To our utter amazement, there was a band playing in the tree, more specifically, dangling from it! With heavy overtones of Gogol Bordello, the band, suspended on motorised ropes and swings, drifted up and down from branches as the play their gypsy folk for the amassed hordes. Everyone who passed seemed to stop in awe of the feat, my only complaint being that there wasn't much dancing going on as everyone was phoning their friends and pointing. The other disaster was that as this wasn't an official stage, I'd no idea who the band were, and neither did anyone else. I wanted to stay and find out when the band descended, but we were on a mission to get out of out heavy jeans. The sun was pounding and it was shaping up to be a good day.
Passing the Wild Things stage on our way to the campsite, we were caught by an intriguing, bouncy sound, and a striking voice coming from the tent. This turned out to be Rosie Oddie, daughter of hedge-dwelling Bill! With looks as good as her vocal talent, she enchanted the tent with her nostalgic, soulful tones - not dissimilar to Duffy, but far less annoying. With her face painted gold, she engaged the crowd with confidence, and although not a capacity crowd, everyone present seemed to dig where she was coming from.
Our next outing was the first real "name act" of the weekend: Noah & The Whale. Playing tracks from their new album, 'First Days Of Spring', and well known older tracks, NATW drew a huge crowd into the bowled main stage area and kept them there, dancing and singing along the whole time. Their mellow brand of indie pop, I felt, was a bit low energy for such a beautiful day and a big crowd, and their stage show consisted of lots of standing and wistful gazing. For the fans I'm sure it was a great sight. The no barriered approach at SGP meant you could get plenty close to your heroes, but for me, they failed to fill the giant stage as well as even the unsigned bands had been doing.
The band that follows was to be a bit of an epiphany for me. Having been told by Music-Zine’s editor to check out Caribou, I was nothing short of blown away when I stepped in the WTWTA tent as it started to get dark. Drawing from psychedelia, krautrock, breakbeat, and a host of other genres, Caribou set about entrancing the heaving tent for the hour that they played. The stage was set as the music was mixed, with two drum sets at the front of the stage, driving the music along at pounding levels. This was supplemented by blissful atmospheric guitars and synths, hypnotic one-note bass lines that pulsed through the crowd and occasional but well chosen vocal inout from band mastermind Dan Snaith. With a lightshow to match the tripped-out set, it was no wonder that the crowd screamed the canvas down for an encore. The band obliged, finally peaking with both drummers falling into utter chaos and leaving all instruments screaming as they left under cover of darkness. I didn't realise that bands like that could do it live, but they left my musical world changed forever: A special set.
Shortly after, the adrenaline started to wear off, and the whole festival seemed to grind to a halt as everyone gathered around the lake to catch a view of the "burning". In the centre of the lake was constructed the Tower Of Babel, which in customary Secret Garden style, was to be burned. It had, up to this point been a floating nightclub, but now, laced with fireworks, everyone stood for an hour waiting for it's ignition. During the painful wait, enough paper lanterns were released to make it look like new orange constellations were forming above Huntingdon, but this was only a temporary distraction. As the tower went up, cheers roared around the whole festival, people waiting for the inevitable collapse of the tower into the pond... which never came. Alas, the wooden tower was actually a scaffold moonlighting as timber, which stood firm throughout. With the oohs and aahs subsiding with the fireworks, and no climax in sight, the crowds slowly dissipated. I felt a little cheated, but you can't have everything your own way.
The evening main headline was Rodrigo Y Gabriela on the main stage. The Mexican duo, living in Ireland, have astonished crowds the world over with their genre smashing guitar skills. Call it folk, world, flamenco or metal, the technical ability and intensity that belies their playing goes beyond them all. With cameras on the ends of the guitar necks, you are treated to a blur of slapping, tapping, banging and flicking as these two people make the sound of 10 with just two guitars and barely any vocals. Having heard the records I was apprehensive that they might run out of steam or lose the audience, but the techno-esque sound of their guitar pounding, coupled with the rhythmic complexities of an entire salsa band meant the entire crowd grooved away, content for well over an hour. With a new album out in September, look out for these guys touring again extensively soon.
In need of a rest-bite from the evening’s euphoria, we decided to head up to Chai Wallahs for another cup of tea. What waited for us was far from a relaxing experience. At 200 yards from the tent I felt my organs start to shudder at the sound of some really extreme bass, which I could only assume was a DJ in a nearby tent. Things escalated as we neared the tent, and then I caught sight of a dozen guys going ape on stage, at 2.30 am, and the bass was all them. This was Gentleman’s Dub Club. Hailing from Leeds, this collective of mainly white, non-Caribbean musicians, do Dub well, really well. Clichés aside, the songs were memorable with earth shaking bass lines, funky drums and congas, spiky infectious brass, triplet delays abound, and the most energetic frontman of the weekend. With the ability to pull up their tracks like a live DJ "rewind", they keep you on the edge of going over, and when they eventually drop, the tent turns into a sea of flailing arms and flying drinks. With all my energy sapped it was as much as I could do to bob in time, but if Dub Reggae and seeing a room going absolutely mental are your thing, find out if the Gent's are playing near you soon.
Sunday
With the night's excesses still ringing in my ears, we arose slightly later than expected. Sunday always had the shortest band shopping list for me, and was all the more grateful for that now. First stop, the Living Room to see Stortford favourites, Mozzy Green. Featuring Ben on guitars / vocals, and Anna on Cello and backing, Mozzy Green paint dark, fairytale pictures with their distinct acoustic music. With the recent departure of drummer Jake, the band utilize their loop pedals to build up rhythmical content, even freeing up Ben to take to kit himself. Inviting The Strangerhood drummer Ryan onstage for the last few songs, the band enraptured the reclining crowd for the duration of the set, and filling my Sunday morning with their blissful, emotive sounds.
The next band had caught our attention in the campsite the day before. Touring round the tents and playing acoustically for a video dairy, the Yearner Babies are a band from Guildford making a name for themselves. Taking to the stage in yellow uniform, their funky, theatrical pop got the resolute fans grooving from the very start. The handy inclusion of fiddle, trumpet, and Freepeace's trombone player, meant the tracks had plenty of variation and kept my interest for the duration. The male and female vocalists both excelled on the Main Stage's big environment, and showing elation in their faces, they commanded the entire area and surely secured their inclusion at the festival next year. I've certainly not stopped singing their upcoming single release 'Icarus' since the festival, one to look out for.
Later on the Main Stage, we stuck around to watch Emmy The Great. Coming from the burgeoning London Indie Folk scene, Emmy's encapsulating beauty and voice transfixed all who watched the brilliant set. Catchy songs with driving brush drum rhythms, rhythmic acoustic guitar and infectious hooks rolled on and on, showing this songwriter has no problem knocking out great music when she has to.
Our next act many would describe as one of the great living guitarists, the legend Peter Green. Having played with the greats, and fronted Fleetwood Mac for many years, Green is rarely seen on stage since being diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 70's. An avid fan at the front assured me it was his first show for 12 years, and it maybe showed in his laboured performance. With his rhythm guitarist taking care of the banter, and another turning the pages on his song book, the blues man managed only to play his guitar and mutter that he thought his monitor was switched off. His condition aside, the Main Stage bowl was filled with nostalgia hunters who I am sure were left fulfilled by his continuing guitar abilities and inimitable style.
A final wonder around the Eden field led me into the Small World tent as my girlfriend trawled through baskets of handmade clothes next door. Here, a handily placed signed informed the band kicking the tent off were Brothers Bab. With a strong African calypso element, and regular Latin world vibes, this member-laden band were inviting a bendy legs storm in this colourful, circus like tent. Hippies and curious onlookers snaked side to side as the band weaved their world influenced funk, which eventually led to a full skank as the band climaxed with some heavier ska influenced tracks.
Girlfriend retrieved and new woolly hat on display, we headed over the Wild Things stage to finish off our festival where we'd begun. Headline for the evening were ambient dance heroes, Zero 7. Having achieved legendary status with older albums 'Simple Things' and 'When It Falls', word had got around and the tent was like a tin of sardines, and at least 30 deep all around its open sides. Fortunately we managed to sneak in as the rain set in and get all-but front row seats for the set. With the bands setup making them start late, we were treated to a cut down but brilliant 45 minutes of their hypnotic, throbbing brand of electronica. Sound problems persisted as vocals were lost in the mix, but it barely detracted from the show as moving lights drew you in and the evolving textures of their music slid the tent from side to side. Finishing on a cover of Fink's 'If Only', I left the tent in a daze, to cool summer rain falling on my face, and my music festival was at an end.
The strangest happening of the entire festival was to ensue. At first you didn't notice, the synths still ringing in your ears, but eventually, it was very apparent that the whole site was silent. There wasn't a power cut, the lights were on, but the festival wasn't at home. Then to our dismay all the nearby fooderies weren't serving. Many with its staff too smashed to communicate had probably given up from fatigue, and we were too wet and saddened to extend our search for hot food.
With our tent and luggage despatched with our handily parked friend earlier in the day, all that was left was to walk one last time down the Technicolor avenue of trees towards the car park. Rain and mud aside, I felt sad to be leaving the site. The weekend had come and gone so fast, and glances in the programme informed me there were so many art pieces and tent I never even discovered. The organisers claim "most entertainment per square metre than any festival in the UK", and I think they have my approval when I say there is more than enough to entertain people of all ages for the whole weekend. I just can't wait to see what they're going to cram in there next year!
Warren Woodcraft |
