A long time ago in a galaxy far away… Well, in a beautiful big field in rural Hampshire that is a million miles away from the grimy streets where I usually encounter my live music there was a little indie festival called Blissfields. 2013 was my first year in attendance and the biggest and best year of the festival to date. This year’s theme was ‘The Directors Cut’ so sit back, relax, ignore my inane movie references and see what happened when Blissfields hollered ‘lights, camera, action’.
The tent is pitched on the fringes of the main camping and the family camping area. I’m not too sure how much party I’ll be able to take so we’re playing safe for now. The entire place is swarming with over excited teenagers and they’re all called Ellie, Effie, Georgia or Amber. The boys are less vocal about shouting to their friends but I suspect they’re all called Ollie. While it feels somewhat like a day out with the cast of Skins, it’s great to see so many young people out enjoying good, decent, proper live music.
That is, after all, why we’re all here. Thursday night is something of a festival prequel. The main stages aren’t yet open and some of the stalls are still going up as punters gather their bearings. Oddly, I kick things off with a visit to Blisscoteque which is a double decker bus pumping out party tunes. A few shapes are thrown to Fleetwood Mac before I retire to the safer confines of the brand new acoustic stage.
The Acoustic Stage
First up for us is The Widowmaker. I’m not entirely sure if he’s taken his name from the anterior artery or the Soviet submarine but like both things his set is from the heart and goes down well. It’s straight up, old fashioned folk and blues based tunes which is the perfect start to an evening with the sun beating down and a cold beer in hand.
Nick Tann is a hell of a busy guy playing gigs, making podcasts, and with fingers in all the pies of the south coast music scene. Musically it’s not groundbreaking, the guitar reverberates around the tent and there’s more than a subtle nod to songsmiths like Tom Petty when it comes to substance and styling.
EDIT: We’re now retranslating our scribbled notes and practising counting guitar strings.
There’s a lot more going on with the tunes of Matt Jarvis. It can be hard to keep the attention of a crowd when you’re just one man and a guitar but there are little elements of indie and electro sneaking through this set. He’s got a distinctive voice and a handful of decent songs, and perhaps rightfully is one of a few acts to be awarded two sets at the festival this year.
Everyone enjoys a good cover at a festival, something you can sing along, snap your fingers or bounce around to and as I’m skulking back in from the bar I catch New Zealander Louis Baker dropping an old Marvin Gaye classic. Truth be told, I’m a little gutted I missed most of the set. Apologies to the people of the acoustic stage. Let’s, let’s stay together…
Even a prequel show has one hugely significant moment and the Thursday night warm up at Blissfields was no different. Jacko Hooper’s set was fairly outstanding. Cut from the same cloth as the likes of Ben Howard, Benjamin Francis Leftwich or Michael Kiwanuka, this Brighton based songwriter will no doubt be on bigger stages not only at next year’s Blissfields but all over the country.
Food by Luardos. Drinks by Red Stripe. Thanks to Alex Lee Thomson for a warm welcome to us assembled press.