大象传媒

Upon arriving with the rest of the droves Friday afternoon we鈥檙e instructed to find a place quick as they are fast becoming premium.听 The fear strikes you similar to one your met with on the train platform when attemping to board the bank holiday train with the rest of them.听 Pitch, pitch, pitch!

Simon Kay the organiser explains how they were in the midst of hiring another field at the last minute and quickly installing Fire points, toilets and running water on that Friday afternoon as people arrive and arrive to the already large site.听 The organisers are doing exactly what they say on the tin organising.听 Quizzing Simon on what sort of people he hopes Solfest听 will attract he explains:

The exposed camp area is blustery but venturing down into the main arena your protected from the wind and greeted by a colourful and sprawling area with a large number of stages, tents and yurts.听 The main stage is visible from a far and allows acts to be watched from a chilled lounge on the hill or a frantic dance or sway at the front.听

... embraces families and children

The festival clearly embraces families and children as their own.听 With an area for babies to sleep and childrens play area that provides a climbing frame, trampoline, table football, stilts, plastic drums, walking pupppets, as much fun as a child can handle and a reason for the grown-ups to be jealous.听

But we needn鈥檛 worry there is an abundant of things for us grown-ups to play with.听 The arts are embraced through story telling, enough workshops to shake a welly at and a diverse selection of music.听 From the perpetual providers of cheese, Disco Du Fromage, the dance tent rolling out beats, the main stage and Drystone stage.听 You鈥檇 think this would be enough but a wander into the Bar and your met with another stage.听 This is where we experienced The Fujji a modern, edgy, folk band.听 All very well you may think but there is a difference, the band鈥檚 unique line-up brought together deep traditional blues and blues singing in鈥� Japanese.听 It was becoming apparent quite quickly that Solfest was a treasure trove and there were plenty of gems to be discovered.

Subsource

One of the brightest sparklers was to be found in the dance tent on the Saturday night.听 The dance tent was sweaty, UV splattered and the crowd were wanting their feeding of Saturday night madness.听 Things were starting to warm-up and for the majority of the unsuspecting lot who had not yet heard of this Guildford based band, Subsource were beginning to set up.听

A young, live electronica dance band who are loved by those who know and are about to be adored by those who don鈥檛.听 Not much later and the band blast off with their 3 laptops, Midi drum kit and electric bass . As well as controlling their instruments with their intense energy and tenacity they control the crowd in exact same way giving real meaning to the genre of a dance band.听 Launching loaded tracks one after another including, Street Soul Music, Fight Em Off and This Town frenzy takes over and the band are rocking as hard the crowd.听 MC Kimba leading the crowd eventually joining the throng of sweaty ravers himself.

Three years in and the smell of success close make no mistake this band are dedicated to their music and their fun.听 Later in the evening they are found enjoying the festival with the rest of them.

Dreadzone

Another band diehards of the festival world and well known unless your 3 months old or have not been out of your house for over 12 years are the mighty Dreadzone.听 Rocking the dance tent on the previous Friday night they bring to the stage as much enthusiasm and energy as if they were stepping on to it for their first taste.听 Playing the festival classics for people to raise their arms to, Return of the Dread, Dread Pon Sound, Different Planets.

A post-show talk with the group in their dressing room stocked with McCoys and vodka (ahh celebrities) reveals they are certainly not simply going through the motions.听 Greg Roberts the drummer and part of the original set-up in 1993 explains:

鈥淲e鈥檙e entertainers and that鈥檚 what we do its about the music and the people it really is.听 We buzz of the crowd鈥�.

With the Greg standing on his kit during the performance and the sweat dripping from Spencer aka MC Sphee post-performance and Leo Williams, contstant grin we have听 proof of their genuine love of all things festival.听 The music and the people they explain is why they continue to choose the non-commercial festival route.听 Long live Dreadzone ... even longer.

Exploration

The festival allowed music to be explored in anyway one would choose, through hula-hoops, spread on a rug, supping a pint, through to a tribal stomp.听
Festival goers writhed around in the dance tent to the Fuse boys offering peeps their own chance in the day how to rock the decks, Mr Pskik in his bloodied wedding dress and Eat Static in their aliens heads while on the other side of the festival folk lovers tapped their foot at the main stage.听 Nick Harper was a real treat on the Main stage and Elin Ruth enchanted her small crowd.

Seth Lakeman

However, Saturday night was to see an event to bring all patrons of the festie together.

It was Solfest鈥檚 bid to make the Saturday night the largest fancy dress party Cumbria had ever seen in the theme of pirates and faeries.听 Without knowing how large the fancy dress parties are normally in Cumbria its hard to say but this felt big!听

Saturday afternoon and people are keen with the sound of faeries and pirates playing tug-of-war echoing around the festie the magic and swash buckling fun is high.听 The weather is tempramental but peoples spirits aren鈥檛 and children and adults alike embrace the fancy dress.听 The act of which brings the festival together and blurs the lines of who is suppose to be entertaining who which, is agreed one feels what a bloody fantastic festival is about.

No beer!

The organiser Simon states: 鈥淭here were no major problems, but we did run out of beer! Luckily we have contracts to re-stock with the local brewery and they topped us back up very quickly!鈥�

With only three years in the running Solfest is growing at a fast and beautiful rate ensured with the dedication of all money made plied back in to the festival to guarantee one thing鈥un!听 With tickets selling out in months before, my advice is to get yours in time to avoid the pain of disappointment in missing out on one of the year鈥檚 most beautiful and fun festival.