TRUCK FESTIVAL REVIEW
Festivals

TRUCK FESTIVAL REVIEW

TRUCK FESTIVAL REVIEW

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”  –  William Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Sonnets

We’re at the point of the year where we’re still shaking the frost off our boots and blinking at the firesky, but as Billy Rattlesticks pointed out; the summer will fly by and we’ll be back in our duvet caves soon enough. I think that’s why we’re compelled to draw circles around our time in them and call them other things, ‘holidays’ or ‘breaks’ or my favourite ‘festivals’.

Bad things do happen at festivals, spectacularly wrong drugs trips that end up with someone crying in a ditch, tents trashed by fat hippies with balance problems, and scenes glimpsed in toilets that could make a seasoned surgeon puke his eyes out. And even though all those things have happened to me, and much, much, worse, my overriding memory of festivals is one of long boozy sun drenched afternoons, swaying and grinding with thousands of my new found friends. I think this is partly due to being a little bit older now, and with that age grows a little more discerning taste. The frenetic pace of big festivals aren’t for me anymore, I prefer the relaxed gait and chilled atmosphere of the smaller boutique festivals that have appeared in the last few years.

The advantage of these smaller festivals, apart from not having to deal with roving packs of 20 year old dickheads (a particularly relief since I was one of those dickheads), is the joy of discovering your new favourite band. OK, so you probably won’t get the band of the moment’s performance of the summer that’ll be repeated on every TV highlight screen blurt for the six months. But you will get next years band of the moment with a crowd of their biggest fans, or fantastic bands that’ll never get ‘the moment’ but play every set like it was Wembley Arena or the last set at CBGBs.

One of my favourite festivals has a reputation for supporting new music all year round, and its own record label to back that reputation up. Truckfest  is the biggest little festival in Oxfordshire, and retains a friendly sun soaked vibe and despite attracting people from all over the country. Their line up is normally eclectic and curated with impeccable taste, this year proves to be no different.

Augustines  – Expansive and uplifting with heavy drums and rich full sound Augustines have been compared to early U2. It’s a comparison they wear well having the same drive, earthy lyricism and stadium sound perfect for jumping crowds and sun drenched afternoons. They have a reputation for their live performances and connection to the crowd, so I can’t imagine a better fit for the music loving congregation that truckfest attracts.

Pulled Apart By Horses  – Also a band with a reputation for great live performances PABH deliver frenetic grunge riffs and shout along choruses in a dervish of noise and energy often to their own physical detriment, band members have been known to end up in hospital. Sending the main stage mental or sweating the crowd on one of the smaller stages they will definitely be one of the highlights of the festival.

Slaves  – Slaves have a huge buzz about them, nominated for BBC Sound Of 2015 and even appearing on Jools Holland. But their mix of fuzz punk stomp and irreverent catchy choruses is far from mainstream sounding as menacing as they do fun. The infectious jagged guitars and pounding drums make these two nice boys from Kent sound like a gang of giggling skinheads.

Brawlers  – The dirtiest pop punk sound that comes out swinging, they managed to rock the bleary headed morning crowd of last years Barn Stage, throwing themselves around the stage with unaffected charm. I’m practically turgid at the thought of seeing them with another years touring under their belt at a better slot.

Eagulls – Developing a steady following and consistent attention from the press Eagulls always seem to be on the verge of breaking into the mainstream. They have an angry snottyness that reference an earlier punk sound but mix it with shoegaze distortion and a habit for big festival ready choruses.

Danny Smith

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