Festival: Secret Garden Party 2010 – Fact or Fiction

FFS writers — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:14:32 +0000

After a journey to secretdom (somewhere between Cambridge and Norwich), the garden unfurls itself all centred around a huge flying machine anchored in a giant lake. This years theme was ‘Fact or Fiction’ and no effort was spared with the hidden quirks and treats laid out for us to discover.

Foraging was positively encouraged and results included *deep breath* an origami penguin grotto, a “harp hive”, a tree-house stage, a mud wrestling amphitheatre, live chameleons, snakes and tarantulas, naked ping-pong, a home-made post office, a flirting tent, hay-bale mountains, vintage fancy dress stalls, a pedal-powered disco and more sculptures than possible to describe.

The music stages, some tented some open air, added to the settlement, like a pick-and-mix circus camp, the eclectic line up served up three days of wall-to-wall live music ranging from reggae to Americana, dubstep to swing, folk to funk… over 1000 bands in all — meaning you and 100 of your friends could all have had totally different party experiences in the lands of “dreams & fables”, “twilight & voodoo”, “adventures and inventions” or “the edge of the future”.

Friday

Fionn Regan

It’s hardly Dylan going electric but Fionn Regan has gone rock, soft rock. A “relaxed” main stage midday crowd didn’t greatly enthuse and calls for his earlier heartfelt acoustics went ignored.

Famed ex-Beta Band front man and a man of many guises Steve Mason performed a mixture of old and new from his many cannons.

We battled, squeezed, wheezed and ultimately failed to see much of Marina and the Diamonds. The main stage was at it’s busiest to see the synth-pop darling – all too competitive for us fragile folk, but the crowd were engrossed!

Honourable mention to Brightons croon-gypsy-swing outfit Code Luna who played a smooth, bop-able set in the unqiue surroundings of the Taxidermy Diner, a gyspy version of the Thomas the Tank Engine theme went down a storm!

Saturday

Sarah Blasko

The start of a busy day saw Sarah Blasko tackle the difficult early main stage slot. A powerful, dark, almost sultry vocal kept the crowds attention.

Pearl and the Puppets

Quick tracks were made to the Where The Wilds Things Are stage to see the rightly-tipped Pearl and the Puppets and Summer Camp neither of which disappointed and oozed summer indie-cool, a pair of real highlights for the festival.

Summer Camp

The interesting combination of techno-gyspy-swing was delivered by an incredibly smooth Caravan Palace, perhaps only let down slightly by their own polish.

A rammed Living Room tent saw Eliza Doolittle deliver a charismatic and confident set, you can see something of the starlet in her… a real coup for the small stage.

To cap the night off James Yuill almost singled-handedly deafened me, his poignantly bass heavy electronica kept the darkened Living Room hypnotized and prepared all for the rest of the nights djs and revelry.

Sunday

The airship had been burned, hangovers were in full effect, the pace and bass seemed to drop a jot, but many memorable performances were still to be had.

Anna Calvi

The impressive, powerful Anna Calvi displayed exactly why she was billed as “possibly one of the best female guitarists around on the underground” — praise that was not misplaced.

Preston boys Ivan Campo played an intimate acoustic set to a crowd nuzzling softly on cushions and sofas, a heartfelt set and just the right pace for the afternoon.

I Am Arrows

Next was “must see” I Am Arrows — moving on from past success and taking centre stage can’t be easy, so kudos to ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows, however the set of forgetful indie-pop failed to live up to the billing.

Chilled out is an embarrassing understatement to described the feel of reggae legend Horace Andy, solid set from the Jamaican stalwart, almost lulling the crowd into a further state of mellow.

Darwin Deez

The mellow feel of the day didn’t last long. Enter Darwin Deez. Easily the most enjoyable set of the weekend and one greatly anticipated by the crowd. Never has a band fit a festival so well. The interlude break-dance skits verged on the hilarious, the entire band beamed and oozed frivolity – matched only by the lucky girls who won a kiss from an impromptu game of spin the bottle down in the crowd mid-set. Between songs banter was almost awaited, never were the crowd allowed to rest on their laurels.

An incredibly, almost embarrassingly, shambolic Beans on Toast turned in a “set” of sorts, supposedly his 246th of the weekend… after constant complaining about the mic set up, half a song was played, the crowd were asked to invade the stage, then asked to pick up all the litter in the tent… a bizarre 30 minutes… culminating in free beer being handed out at his insistence.

The Apples closed our festival with up-tempo big band swing and double DJs. The mix was intriguing but worked a treat, brass and vinyl working perfectly in harmony… a closing cover of RATM “Killing in the Name Of” was a highlight of the whole weekend.

Get set for Secret Garden Party 2011: Procure a gold jump suit, kit your dog out with a tutu, forget your middle name is Leonard and you work in an open-plan office; drink, dance and revel in the carefree atmosphere that oozes effortlessly out of this festival!

Love Jovid xx

Words: Dave Wall; Pictures: Jo Kirk

EP Review: Ivan Campo – Super 7

Lynn Roberts — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:54:54 +0000

Sharing a name with an overweight, curly haired, Spanish footballer might not be the first thing most musicians aim for when putting together a band. Indeed, the music created could not be further than the image of the former Bolton Wanderers midfielder huffing and puffing his way around a football pitch. In fact, Ivan Campo in the musical sense are a three piece folk tinged trio based in Manchester and this EP is their fifth release to date.

‘Super 7’ is a collection of seven acoustic ditties reminiscent of The Coral at the end of a very long day. The songs are delicate and charming if a little brief, with none lasting beyond two and a half minutes. The lo-fi arrangements are simple yet appropriate as a backdrop to some delightful lyrics and vocals.

Stand out tracks are probably The Lotus Eater, Rat Race and Darling Diva but there are no weak links in this collection.

The notes accompanying the release advise that it has been mixed by former Space bassist, Yorkie, who describes the band as “unique and mildly unsettling” on the bands Myspace page.

All in all, a listen to ‘Super 7’ is 15 minutes well spent and an experience you’ll definitely feel the better for. Ivan Campo should feel proud of a record that, whilst unlikely to break any existing musical boundaries, is well written and cleverly produced.

7/10

Words: Matt Hardy

Ivan Campo

Lynn Roberts — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:28:07 +0000

They say:

\\”Ivan Campo, the super Spaniard with the big hair, shares his name – with a nu-folk ensemble who will take you on a journey through the mysteries of their minds. Hitchcock and The Beatles’ White Album are just some of Ivan Campo’s preoccupations. Characterised by a playful suspense, their songs are as likely to be about the unsolved death of Alexander Litvinenko as they are about love and loss. Based in the Northwest of England, Ivan Campo produce interweaving melodies combined with a musical unpredictability influenced by artists as varied as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Nick Harper and Arcade Fire. The effect is a unique style infused with echoes of films, snatched memories and a healthy sense of the absurd.

Playing live regularly, Ivan Campo have been spotted in pubs, clubs, venues, kitchens, festivals, ballrooms & basements, all over the UK, & have shared stages with Marrisa Nadler, Thomas Denver Jonsson, Jeff Lewis, Misty’s Big Adventure, Jay Jay Pistolet, Dufus, The Courteeners, Jim Noir, Shack, & The Pale Fountains.

Their next E.P entitled ‘Super 7′ will be released 30th March 2009. Meanwhile, their self-directed videos echo the gentle yet unexpected pace of their sounds.\\”

For Folk's Sake » Ivan Campo

Festival: Secret Garden Party 2010 – Fact or Fiction

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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