Small And Perfectly Formed: The Alternative Festival Experience
Monday, 17 June 2013
Written by Sam Jones
Festival season is a very evocative time for any music fan. A moment's daydreaming can easily conjure images of majesty and mudslides at Glastonbury, metal horns at Download or thousands of arms aloft in front of the main stages at Reading and Leeds. But in recent years, the scene has grown. For every Glasto, there are now five or six small, independent events offering music fans the chance to broaden their festival horizons.
Here we get better acquainted with some of the UK's most charming upstart events, from the worlds of metal, indie, pop and punk.
ArcTanGent – August 29-31, Fernhill Farm, Somerset
A fan of proggy, experimental noise? Then get yourself over to ArcTanGent. Headlined this year by 65daysofstatic and Fuck Buttons, this is an event for anyone wanting something a little different from their festival experience. Also on the bill are Bo Ningen and Future Of The Left, while earthtone9 will play selected cuts from their arc’tan’gent record – which gave the festival its distinctive name.
Blissfields – July 5-7, Vicarage Farm, Winchester
A former winner of the award for the UK's Best Small Festival, Blissfields has been in action on and off since 2001. Headlined in the past by the likes of Mumford and Sons, Frank Turner, Laura Marling and the Super Furry Animals, this year it's the turn of Mystery Jets and Bastille to top the bill. Having begun as a tiny event run for family and friends, Blissfields remains a particularly family-friendly affair and features a number of stalls, arts and crafts and a spot on the bill for the winners of their Battle of the Bands event.
Bloodstock Open Air – August 8-11, Walton on Trent, Derbyshire
Download a little safe for you? Enter Bloodstock. Having consistently booked a fine array of metal's leading lights, the festival continues this year with thrash giants Slayer and Anthrax on the bill, as well as King Diamond and Lamb of God. Originally an indoor event, Bloodstock moved outdoors in 2005, allowing more metallers to have more fun. Following the 2012 event – headlined by Behemoth, Machine Head and Alice Cooper – Bloodstock was named Best Medium Festival at the UK Festival Awards.
Festival No.6 – September 13-15, Portmeirion, Gwynedd
Held in the stunning surrounds of Portmeirion in North Wales – familiar to fans of cult TV show 'The Prisoner' – Festival No.6 currently reigns as Best New Festival in the UK. With the music complemented by art installations, street theatre and impromptu performances across the town, there's a refreshing air of unpredictability about this one. Headlining this year are Manic Street Preachers – an exclusive for Festival No.6 – while James Blake, Lianne La Havas, Neon Neon, Everything Everything and Chic feat. Nile Rogers will also join the fray.
Truck – July 19-20, Hill Farm, Oxford
Having begun life as a tiny event back in 1998, Truck has risen to become a respectable older gentleman among the alternative festival scene. Headliners this year are Spiritualized and the Horrors, while the Joy Formidable, GazCoombes, Ash and the Subways have also been drafted in. In its second year under new management – the team behind Y-Not are now in charge – Truck offers a wide range of music, from pop and indie through dance and punk, and one of the most famous barns in the UK music scene.
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