It's still festival season here in the UK...every weekend there is a music festival somewhere... a chance to relive your youth, listen to some great music and chill out with friends. Oh and dodge the rain.....it's been that kind of summer.
Over the years I've been to many, but there's one particular festival in August that I go to without fail. It's called Summer Sundae and it's held in the grounds of the rather lovely DeMontfort Hall here in Leicester.
The whole weekend passes in a smiley faced blur of contentment.
The concert hall holds 2,400, there's a big outdoor stage too plus two stages in marquees and an outdoor bandstand. Over the years, artists such as Joan Baez, Steve Earle, Bon Iver, Macey Gray, Keane, Seasick Steve, Mumford and Sons, Noah and the Whale to name but a few have played at the festival. Summer Sundae also showcases the wealth of local talented bands and acts here in Leicestershire such as By the Rivers, Mahalia, Park Bench Society, Charlee Drew, Kyte, and many others..
This year, a different headliner for each day...Friday it was Katy B, Saturday ..Ocean Colour Scene
and Public Image for Sunday.There were a hundred and three other acts...reggae, ska, folk, rock, electronica, indie, you name it, we heard it.
Bands flew in from all over the world...Willie Mason and the Bower Birds from the USA, Dan Mangan from Canada, and the band to travel the furthest were the wonderful Black Seeds from New Zealand.
There's a lovely feel to the festival....it's very popular with families., with lots of activities for children. This year's hits were a safari and Monsieur Mouse's Puppet Theatre and there's also lots of oddities to get caught up in and watch including this lepoard....
Nichola Wood is a sand sculptor.....it's amazing what she can do with five tons of sand!
What I love about Summer Sundae is that it's a festival in a city, on a site that's not too big, where you don't have to trudge miles from stage to stage, where there's always somewhere to hide from the rain and there's flushing toilets too. Now that's what I call heaven at a festival!
And I love the way the atmosphere changes as night falls.....the little ones are tucked up in tents or at home..and everything changes. And after the stages have closed, there's always a silent disco or the comedy tent for even more entertainment.
That's not to say that I just sit around on the grass watching my favourite bands by day, or party all night....
I may snatch a moment doing just that(well 60 minutes actuually on Sunday out of a thirteen and a half hour day).....but primarily I'm there to work. And it was a busy three days ...
Simon Fowler from Ocean Colour Scene and me with my ancient...but trusted Marantz!
If you'd like to listen, you can do until next Monday morning
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00xpry5
What's your favourite music festival?
The track for today? It's from the Black Seeds.....I first heard their music in Australia four years ago...and I finally saw them at Summer Sundae! Lovely guys...and you can hear their music on the documentary too. This is "So True"...one of my favourites...and I was standing just behind the person who filmed this....
Sounds like I missed a fun event! And some good music, those guys (The Black Seeds)sound good!
ReplyDeleteI was in Leicester at the Phoenix attending a writers group.
Next year I must go...thank you for sharing.
Hi Maria,You did! And the Black Seeds were brilliaNT!Mind you , a writers group sounds a good way of spending some time too...
DeleteI'll see you there next year!
Mine - Chippenham Folk Festival - mainly because I've been going for years; it was where the kids were introduced to the general festival buzz, and close enough to home to come home for a shower and proper sleep. We let the kids camp on their own from 16 onwards (they didn't need us around during snogging practice) - and my small granddaughter had her first taste of being in the children's procession this year!
ReplyDeleteThe folk festival sounds great..and yes, I like getting a proper sleep at home during summer sundae>call me a wuss, but I do like my home comforts!
DeleteLoved the line "they didn't need us around during snooging practice"...
I've never been to Summer Sundae and yet it's so close I could almost walk there. Silly, isn't it. Excuse my ignorance but how does a silent disco work?
ReplyDeleteA silent disco is a way of people enjoying themselves but not annoying nearby residents.....
ReplyDeleteIt's usually in a marquee, ...disco lights etc...you get given a pair of headphones.....and you dance away to the music....great fun!
Nextyear Ros! Anyone else up for Summer Sundae next year?