|
We set off to this year’s
Secret Garden Party busting at the seams with excitement,
hoping that it would live up to all of the hype we’d
read and heard!
We arrived at the site and made our way
in relatively quickly, all but for a little hold up
at the box office where the man in charge had obviously
had a little bit too much fun already and wasn’t
exactly sure why he was there and what he was doing…
but that just added to the excitement!
We pitched up our tents at light speed
and hot footed it out into the enchanting festival arena:
the rolling slabs of Abbots Ripton countryside raising
foot long smiles on our faces as it lay in sunny recline.
The festival is built around a quaint
and misterious lake which had a pirate ship in the middle
with boats that you use to get to and from. By night
the lake looked magical too, with beautiful fairy lighting
and decorations everywhere. We were still as excited
as the moment we’d left home, and the hype was
starting to ring true.
We looked through the program and it was
clear that the music catered for everybody, everything
from classic folk bands on small stages, to dance tents
playing glitchy house and dubstep. We soon realised
though that the program was actually rather haphazard,
as certain bands were being missed, had already been
on, or weren’t on until a later than the announched
time!... but to be honest this just all added to the
charm!
The festival also had so much entertainment
aside from the music, from a giant Perspex water slide,
dancing nuns, sock wrestling, afternoon dance offs,
wandering grannies, a silent disco, naked mud wrestling
and giant hammocks! Having experienced this and just
some of the array of action camps, we knew we wouldn’t
want to go home!
Saturday night was the ‘big day’
if you like, we’d warmed up with sets from Metronomy,
Kissy Sellout , and a bit of The Whip, before the lights
and music went down and the pirate ship was set on fire
in a dramatic display of flaming arrows, fireworks,
and the unleashing of many thai lanterns.
Grace Jones followed on the main stage
(only 45 mins late on stage – less than we expected),
and lived up to her reputation, opening with 'I’m
a man eater' in a crazy tubular outfit and headpiece.
Costume changes were a plenty throughout her set, in
fact she changed between every song, and each time would
be wearing little more than a corset, body, and feathered
headpiece: her pert rear on full display to the amazement
of the crowd - 60 years old with the buttocks of a 20
year old body builder. Good going!
We spent plenty of time over the weekend
happily chilling through the day in various cool marquees,
eating delicious wood burned pizzas, smoothies and mexican
warps (all organic of course). The site was covered
with comfy sofas and shaded seating spots, which was
essential once the heat wave kicked in!
The main stage seemed to be the focal point for afternoon
chilling, set on a nice hill ideal for sitting down
on, but also had its uplifting jump around moments,
including personal favourite of Berni Calling, Alphabeat,
and the giant paintball fight on the Sunday shortly
before Morcheeba.
On the smaller Where The Wild Things Are
Stage (which this year was decked out with trees and
comfy seats), you had Wave Machines, Lykke Li, and The
All New Adventures, and dotted around various other
tents were smaller bands of unknown fame but now-known
talent.
Our only main gripe was the Midnight curfew,
which all being well looks set to be extended next year,
but on the whole SGP is one of the most all round amazing
festivals we’ve ever been too. Beautiful people,
picturesque surroundings, a relaxed atmosphere, and
even the ‘disorganisation’ (as Morcheeba
called it not us) gave it an added charm that you just
don’t get at the larger corporate festivals…
but remember, it’s a secret!
Written by Berni Adamic &
Neal Lewis |
