FESTIVALS RULE

Having recently set foot (and leg) through the mud of the Secret Garden Party, I've finally decided every bit of discomfort and persil of a festival like it is worth it..

Like Latitude, Bestival and 'the biggy' Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party isn't just about the music. The music is important but it's also accompanied by many other artistic and recreational routes to freedom and escapism. Festivals like it are cultural theme parks with lots to see and experience.





A recoccuring thought directed toward it's goers - 'what do you do for a living?' That thought mainly spun when I looked at eyes that didn't know which pair of mine to focus on...  It was not only hair that was let down, the heat and the es or ks etc may well have contributed to various items of clothing being taken off too! Basically if woodstock was to live through a dance age, it may well have happened at the Secret Garden Party. The vibe on the whole was fantastic and any pretentiousness was just about tolerable.

Set around a beautiful lake , where you could swim or row a boat, scattered forestry and many a stage  (perhaps too many!) make up the foundations of The Secret Garden Party.  The most impressive stage for me , 'where the wild things are' made up of winding tree trunks and branches showcased up coming indie artists such as Lucy Rose, I blame Coco, We Were Evergreen and Summer Camp...

The roster was one for the journalistic, explorer type. The blue print surely must have been 'make em dance' or at least sing. An eclectic mix of dance and indie stages, Djs and roots music. If you have been keeping an eye on 'ones to watch' or listening to BBC introducing, then you would be rewarded.. The masses, those who see the supermaket as their prime record store might be wondering 'whats here for me?'

Hightlights were Lucy Rose , Edward Sharpe and We were Evergreen and I was gutted to have arrived late on Friday (they played Thursday) for one time Stop Thinking Records contributor Tom Williams (and The Boat..)

KT Tunstell was the biggest name there, for now maybe.. Wait a couple of years and You'll see that Seceret Garden Party 2012 was for names of the future..