Live Review

Hop Farm Festival – Kent

• 12th Jul 2009

There’s something about “small” festivals that is far more-appealing than the corporate-fests that traditionally dominate the Summer festival calendar. Not having to stagger two miles at 3am to find your tent is obviously a benefit, but so is not having to have an encyclopaedic memory to make sure you don’t miss the 9 bands you have ear-marked across 6 stages. Hop Farm has a main stage and a tent for more alternative acts, that’s all. How refreshing it is too, it means you can plonk yourself down a hundred yards from the mainstage, whack on the suntan lotion, and bask not just in the sun, but also in the knowledge that you’re not going to miss anything, ‘cos there isn’t much place else to go.

Okay that’s not quite true, you could have caught Dananananananananananananakroyd in the alternative tent like we did, or watch overweight ex-professional footballers (Neville Southall) play 5-a-side against “celebrity” teams from Shipwrecked and Big Brother, or indeed go on the dodgems or one of those contraptions that propel you a hundred feet into the air upside-down at break-neck speeds while you pray fervently that they remembered to nail it down properly.

But the mainstage was where it was really at, with Sunday definitely the stronger of the two days. Saturday was a credible line-up, Echo and the Bunnymen were a highlight though were probably lost on some of the indie-kids. McCulloch must have lost a couple of stone in weight through insisting on wearing his trademark dufflecoat despite the 90 degree temperatures, while Ash were on ridiculously early in the afternoon for a band of their calibre. It was left to the indie-shmindie gangleaders of 2008 to get the tight-fitting jeans posses on there feet, with the night brought to an end by The View, Pigeon Detectives and The Fratellis.

Sunday had more to look forward to, for us at any rate. We discovered a dance tent that we hadn’t realised existed (2 Many DJs played an amazing set with new visuals that they’ve recently added to their armoury), and discovered a VIP section that we didnt know existed and in fact had been told didn’t exist. Super Furry Animals are always a crowd-favourite and didn’t disappoint, Doves likewise. Both Mystery Jets and Editors were amazing when they played a few big songs but bored us the rest of the time, and it was good to see The Rifles live, having blagged beers off them earlier in the day. It needed a big name to finish things off though, and Paul Weller was just the job, playing an eclectic set for two hours, of his own material as well as Jam and Style Council hits. Every festival needs a memory for people to talk about for weeks after, and Roger Daltrey joining him on stage for a Magic Bus rendition was good enough for this year’s one. A great festival with a great future in a great location.