LUNAR FESTIVAL: REVIEW
Lunar festival is set in Umberslade Farm, with the unique appeal of feeling like you’re in the heart of the countryside yet only being 8 miles from a big city, my city – Birmingham. This appealed to me, as I love festivals but hate festival camping, so the option of sharing a cab home each day for a mere fiver each was a clear winner in my book.
I needn’t have worried as the camping site was really lovely and only a few paces from the festival entrance. Even the yuckiest of mud couldn’t have made the transition from tent to stage too difficult and amazingly the toilets remained clean and well stocked for the whole weekend. The festival was very compact, a colourful array of food traders, stages, DJ tents, hippy clothes stalls and all the festival fare you would normally expect (and some you wouldn’t), were all within easy walking distance of each other.
Lunar Festival
Just walking onto the site Friday afternoon filled me with awe and excitement, that feeling of ‘Yep, this is going to be badass’ came over me. I know it’s more important to most festival goes which bands are playing, but for me, the overall festival experience comes first. It’s never as good watching one of my favourite bands if the atmosphere is non-existent. Luckily the right atmosphere was in abundance, smiles all round, love in the air and new friends made at every turn.
At several points during the daytimes I felt like we were in the film ‘The Wicker Man’, with pagan songs in the air and pretty maidens with flowers in their hair floating past, and that was before I knew about the burning… Strange figures in black cloaks roamed the fields with large crow and donkey heads, quite amusing for anyone who had just consumed some ‘magic’ cookies, I would imagine.
The main attraction of the weekend for me was the ‘will they-won’t they’ love story emerging between ‘old crazy dancing guy’ & ‘old crazy dancing girl’. I’m sure they were there back in the 60s, maybe through all the pot & acid they lost each other and never quite reunited that summer of love, until now…
Musically there were plenty of treats on offer, the hotly tipped Toy, Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess and nature-lovers British Sea Power were the big hitters who got the crowd going on Friday. It was the first act on the main stage ‘The Exploding Sound Machine’ that stole the show for me. They really look and sound as psychedelic as their name. The Hammond organ, proggy guitar, vintage garb and psyched-out visuals combined with the blazing sun was very trippy and I felt like they would have been just as at home on stage at Woodstock or The Isle of Wight Festival in the 60s and 70s.
Goodnight Lenin
It was some of the lesser-known singer-songwriters; such as the hypnotizing rhythmic vocal style of Barnesy, and the heartfelt performance of Michael King of Boat To Row, that were the other stand-out artists of the day. I tried my best to enjoy Money, as I like to support up and coming acts, but as I politely commented to my companion ‘middle of the road’, her response was, shall we say, not as kind. As darkness fell I was torn between the infectious beats being played by This Is Tomorrow and the dub sounds of Don Letts & Silver Dollar.
Saturday was brimming with post-downpour mud and an abundance of talent, including an acoustic set from the mighty Donovan who regaled the crowd with rock n roll tales in-between songs. He later returned to the stage with headliners Temples for a rework of ‘Sunshine Superman’.
As with Friday the first act of the day were one of the highlights, local band Batsch. Fruity disco beats combined with a touch of Talking Heads, perfection! Later I caught the morose and weary looking Horse Feathers, pale-skinned and black-eyed, they looked exactly as I would have imagined them if I’d closed my eyes whilst listening to their sombre twangy instrumentals and fabulously flat vocals, except perhaps, not in the desert and without their horses. Incredible. As the sun came out it was the uplifting electronic beats and commanding vocals of Victories of Sea that sent my spirits soaring into that happy place. Band of the day were definitely Goodnight Lenin, no other band seemed to fit the festival vibe quite so well, imagine Neil Young and Crazy Horse but younger and better looking. Donning Indian headdresses, sun ablaze they cast a spell on the crowd who were transfixed for their whole set. Saturday night the club nights were two of the finest, legendary Birmingham 60s psych and garage night Sensateria and feel-good fun-fest Magic Door. As much as my musical leanings would see my feet planted firmly in the Sensateria tent all night, the lure of a man dressed as a fox giving me a magic bean that lets me in through the ‘magic door’ (it really is a door) to a girl dressed as a unicorn who paints my face with glitter or dresses me up in fancy dress was far too strong for this party gal to resist. A truly joyful affair, everyone smiling and dancing til they drop, every festival needs a Magic Door in my opinion…
Lunar Festival
Sunday was even more magical (albeit a little confusing after the weekend’s exploits) despite having to barricade ourselves in to protect from random bouts of rain. I was pleased to hear an old favourite of mine, local singer-songwriter Chris Tye playing in The Northern Sky tent along with the infectious The Dirty Old Folkers. It was hard to leave the main stage with such a plethora of amazing acts throughout the day kicking off with post-punkers The Grafham Water Sailing Club who shook everyone into action, following on Brummy favourites Misty’s Big Adventure’s jolly romps were a hit with young and old alike. Captain Beefheart’s The Magic Band didn’t disappoint and The Destroyers got the crowd stomping along in no time. I was a little disappointed that Arthur Brown of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown didn’t don his infamous halo of fire for his big hit ‘Fire’ but his bizarrely engaging performance made up for it. All this was leading up to what was possibly the most perfect festival header, The Polyphonic Spree. Euphoric doesn’t really cover it, the whole festival seemed to be having an out of body experience, truly magical end to a magical festival. Throw in the burning of the wicker statue accompanied by a brass band, sun rising and Lunar you’ve pretty much nailed it.
Lunar Festival won me over, I’ll be back next year for another magical experience.
Words: Maryam Snape
Pictures: Christopher Wise
