It was clear on arrival that the festival was very well organised and there were a lot of ‘Visi-Vested’ staff who were keen to help and really friendly. There was a large parking area, which was quickly full, so they opened some over flow parking just opposite the site. We didn’t actually camp until Saturday so ended up in the family camping area which was close to the music area and the toilets were within reach. As toilets go, they weren’t actually that bad and were cleaned out regularly (quite important for us girls who can’t just go behind a bush!) As it was based on a farm, the organisers were very ‘eco friendly’ and insisted on recycling as far as possible, and as we entered the site we were each given a bag, so everywhere was kept clean and tidy.

It was a very family friendly festival and they divided the garden into two sections, ‘The Cabbage Patch’ and ‘The School of Rock’. The younger children could entertain themselves with face painting, Diablo throwing and loads more activities, while the older children had the opportunity for music training and a chance to compete in ‘Battle of the Bands’.

As always, food and drink is a big priority for festival-goers and there was certainly a wide variety on offer to suit all, from ‘Al’s Hog Roast’ which used over 15 whole hogs throughout the weekend, that’s quite a lot of pig! to the ‘Haji Bahji’ serving authentic Indian dishes. There were a few bars scattered around selling beer, pimms, cider and also offering cash back which was really useful for those who quickly ran out of cash!

The site was well arranged with different areas to cater for all. There were a few different marquees; Hoe Down, Sheep Dig and Farm Folk, an open-mic stage- Folley Stage and the Cow Shed. The Hoe Down tent was most definitely aimed at those wanting to have a good old dance! Friday night’s line up consisted of Toddla T ft. MC Serosee; Cadence Weapon & the hugely popular Brighton based DJ Format.

Toddla T, born and bred in Sheffield brought crackling electric bass lines to the Hoe Down tent on Friday evening with the heavy vocals of MC Serosee. Their set started with mainly commercial hip hop over Northern bassline beats. The crowd wanted more and Toddla T and MC Serosee dually delivered, breaking into a mix of drum and bass and old school jungle which had the packed tent on their feet.
Cadence Weapon AKA Rollie Pemberton then took over the mic, offering the crowd something a little bit different. It was obvious from the start that he isn’t one to conform to the mainstream music we’re all so used to hearing. He reminded us a bit of a Canadian Dizzee Rascal with his blunt rhymes teamed with synth-heavy beats. This twenty two year old rapper/producer/DJ is definitely going to be big this year.
Last but definitely not least for the Hoe Down tent Friday night was DJ Format. He absolutely lived up to expectations for us pumping out funk fuelled hip hop packed with infectious beats, we only wished he played for longer!

Friday evening also threw in a nice surprise for the music fans sitting around the Folley Stage. On our arrival at the festival we decided to venture straight over to see what was on. Surrounding Dev from Lightspeed Champion was a group of fans who he was more than happy to chat with, he started taking requests from the eager audience of cover songs for him to sing. The audience were more than happy to help and shouted out a variety of songs. He played a medley consisting of the legendry Oasis - Wonderwall, Bloc Party – Helicopter & the Vines – Get Free which impressed the ever-growing audience. Dev then went onto do his main performance in the Cow Shed which entertained the crowd even more. Lightspeed Champion are working hard to promote themselves this year and it is paying off, they are undoubtedly one to watch out for.

Lounge On The Farm Media (Gallery | LOTF Tambourine Man Video)

The Epstein

We headed straight for the Cow Shed on Sunday to see The Epstein playing. Their performance had us glued from the start, and they brought a different element to the afternoon with their infectious beats and sizzling guitar strokes. They are very much a country style band played by a group of very talented multi-instrumentalists offering a variety of sounds. They exhibit some excellent guitar skills and we think Olly Wills’s vocals are comparable to R.E.M with a hint of David Gray; No one song sounds the same and it kept the crowd wanting more.

They decided to include a ‘Dance-off’ in their performance, offering a t-shirt to the winner! Olly Wills the lead singer of The Epstein was really approachable and didn’t hesitate when it came to talking to the crowd and giving out stickers after their set. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of a turn out in the Cow Shed for their performance, but this was the first time we’d heard of them and were really impressed. If you’re looking for something a bit different then definitely check them out.

Natty

The highlight of the weekend for us was definitely Natty, who we saw performing in the Cow Shed on Sunday evening. The huge hollow shed was quickly filled as word spread about Natty’s arrival on the stage with his three-piece band. The 24-year old London boy started off with some of his more upbeat songs such as ‘Bad Man’ and ‘July’ and then slowed it down a bit with ‘Bedroom Eyes’ (in his own words- a song about ‘cotching’ with your girl when the weather is bad outside!) and ‘Say Bye Bye’ which definitely calmed the crowd down but kept them fixated if not a bit teary eyed!

We weren’t really sure what to expect from Natty’s performance as he’s quite new on the scene, but we thought he was amazing and brought something unique to the weekend. His music is a modern take on reggae with a soulful twist and we can’t wait for his album release- ‘Man Like I’ on August 4^th.

The Bees

As the Cow Shed filled up for the show the crowd were left waiting (not for the first time in the day) for the bands roadies to set up a vast amount of classic amps and vintage looking instruments. It gives you a different edge on the show seeing it being set up as you get to see all the hard work and effort that is put in behind the scenes to make it all happen, which is inevitably forgotten.

Usually home to the cows of the farm, the shed this evening was all about another type of animal, The Bees. Lounge on the farm is a different type of music festival to your usual major promotion commercial type that are spread over the summer. In its quaint farm surroundings, folk sets the scene from the small food counters to the wide spectrum of visitors and The Bees slotted in perfectly.

Once the show started we were graced with a near perfect performance from The Bees. Filled with great music, well played instruments and an air of confidence which beamed through the performance. The most interesting part of the show was how the members of the bands seamlessly changed between instruments virtually every song. The Bees are often known for this but to see it live sent a tingle down the crowd’s spine.

They opened the proceedings with ‘Who Cares What the Question Is’ which has a cockney feel, another review I saw mentioned ‘Chas and Dave-esque’ which described it perfectly. They performed tracks from all three of their albums. The Bees were a great addition to the Cow Shed and performing just before The Coral really got the crowd going. 10/10 for the performance, my suggestion would be to headline The Bees on another evening next year.

The Coral

To follow were The Coral who are still in the charts and popular as ever after five albums, their most recent of which Roots & Echoes (August 6, 2007) debuted at #8 in the UK album charts.

However the weeks to follow saw it drop out of the top 50, which was mainly the reason why the band didn’t tour the album greatly. But they are back…without Bill Ryder-Jones who left the band in January 2008, the band has continued as a five piece and what a relief as once again The Coral put on a great show.

They started their set with ‘Who’s Gonna Find Me’ which had an old sounding style but following from that they performed their pop classics ‘In the Morning’ and ‘Pass It On’ which got the whole crowd jumping and singing.

I can see from this performance that The Coral, despite not selling the volumes of albums that they have wanted to over the last few years, still have a lot in the tank. Expect an album release from The Coral and it expect it to be good because I don’t think they are done quite yet.

Overall we had an amazing weekend and were really impressed with the friendly ethos, the appetizing food stalls and most importantly the astounding performances by all.