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Robert Nichols enjoys a weekend of good vibes in a family-friendly musical celebration
Image: Big Moon by Tracy Hyman
It’s a sultry summer’s evening in rural North Yorkshire and we are celebrating with headliners The Big Moon the Lionesses’ brilliant victory in the Euros. Sundays just do not get any better than this.
It was perfect indie pop programming to top off the festival, and main vocalist Juliette Jackson reveals to us that she has been wild swimming in the River Swale, which is not an option on her home river the Thames, but just one of so many extras available in this pretty unique family-friendly festival.
Earlier in the evening we had been lambasted by the double barrelled attack of Benefits and then later Big Special. Both bands put us firmly In The Dock, the name of the stage, where they both assaulted us with their intense full-on attack. Kingsley and Robbie of Benefits were joined by Middlesbrough’s own roving rapper, Shakk. But in the spirit of the event both Kingsley and later their Big Special friends from Birmingham, invited young families up on stage to share the limelight of their final tracks. What a reception for the two dynamic duos. There was afternoon delight scaling the Waverley Steps with Roddy Woomble. The Scottish singer-songwriter was able to double up performing an acoustic folk set before returning later on fully amped up fronting his band Idlewild.
At this point I am taking my cue to step back in time to the Friday afternoon, and a chance to revel in the amazing talents of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dilettante. A firm favourite on Teesside, she loops her vocal harmonies, sax, keyboards, percussion and guitar along with her band. By way of contrast, The Pill were completely new to me. The young Isle of Wight trio play 100 miles an hour punky songs with often hilarious self-deprecating lyrics. Between madcap dance routines, singer/guitarists Lottie and Lily take aim at anyone bold or foolish enough to sport a mullet. Great personalities, real stage presence, I absolutely love them. Talking of personalty, Tynesider Richard Dawson played out his mystical folk and psychedelia, shining a lantern in your window on an unnerving journey through an other worldly Northumberland.
You know what? I am bouncing forward again to revisit my outstanding act from spring festival This Is Middlesbrough, namely Mandrake Handshake. Their mix of mystic, trippy, hippy and motorik beat-fuelled krautrock blew away the Sunday morning cobwebs, taking us on a journey to other Earth Sized Worlds.
You will not find a friendlier setting to reunite with musical friends or tune into new discoveries than Deer Shed. No wonder the early bird tickets sold out immediately. Roll on next summer.
Image: Benefits by Tracy Hyman
