Driving through the winding Dumfries and Galloway countryside you hardly believe your eyes when you turn a corner to find a tented town has sprung up overnight. The front gates are clearly marked with a line up of hedges spelling out WICKERMAN and the Wickerman himself greets you with open arms, towering above the drop off point.
The buzz from the festival hits you right away. The sound of the music pumping from the arena and the hum of singing, chatter and laughter from the crowd afar makes you want to run straight in and forget about finding the best camping spot.
The Friday welcomed sunshine, red sun burnt faces and a fresh line up of comical and talented acts. I Blame CoCo, rumoured to be the next big thing, certainly made an impression on stage with general approval from the ever growing crowd.
The standout acts from the Friday afternoon were certainly Goldie Lookin’ Chain with their comical rapping and Tony Christie with his infamous sing along numbers. The two acts, although polar opposites, were both fantastic for getting the enthusiastic crowd well and truly into the festival swing.
Friday night’s headline act The Charlatans did their job well. There was a swarm of people from all direction headed towards the main stage, showing the sheer volume of people the festival holds. The indie veterans took to the main stage with passion, vibrancy and raw talent, they had the crowd jumping and dancing proving even after 20 years they still have an unmistakable love for what they do.
After the main stage shuts down the festival has plenty still to offer. You enter Bass Camp through a rainbow inflatable tunnel exciting all people who are ravers at heart into a world of UV lights, neon facepaint and quality dance music. The oxygen bar attached to Bass Camp offers a bizarre alternative to alcohol, coming in 4 different flavours if you are brave enough to try it. This tent can be heard from every corner of the campsite, so I suggest if you don’t enjoy the traditional beats and are trying to get a good night sleep bring ear plugs.
If you don’t enjoy dance music, the festival still provides loads of other options. The Reggae tent offers a mellower, more rhythmic atmosphere where you can express your inner Rasta. Or, if you simply want a good old dance to the familiar sounds of pop, rock, r’n’b and cheese then head to the headphone disco. The two channels on the headphones enable you to choose your song or simply laugh at the crowd obliviously singing two different classics. Even walking past is a comical enough experience.
Taking a wander round the arena in between the acts is a must. The food stalls range from traditional burger vans, the taste of Thailand and crepe counters. The queue always seemed to be longest at the truly Scottish Stovies van, a fine advert for Scottish cuisine. Wholesome haggis, neeps and tatties was welcome as both an energy booster to power through the festival and a warmer against the cold.
The trading stalls scream the hippy vibe of the festival, doing a roaring trade with hats, ponchos and flowery headbands being modelled by most. It is not just the children who visited the facepaint stall, festivals being one of the few occasions where face paint looks cool on the over 12s.
The Saturday brought overcast cloud and misty rain, however this did not dampen anyone’s spirits as the Main Stage was opened by the winners of the West Sound Radio’s competition (Dumfries and Galloway’s local radio station). More from Jim came on with confidence and proved they clearly deserved their opening slot. The ska music was infectious and they are definitely a band to watch!
An unexpected favourite of mine was the Glasgow Gospel Choir. The choir led by Jerry Boweh was unmistakably the most talented act at the festival. Their voices were mesmerising as they sang well known songs which drew people of all ages of the Saturday Crowd to the front of the arena.
Unsurprisingly, the rain had a habit of drawing a crowd into the tents, and one worth checking out was the acoustic village. An act not to be missed was the Banana Sessions - they had an unforgettable quirky style of singing songs about Buckfast and Prodigy classics. This band is a diamond in the rough and the crowd would not let them leave without an encore.
Following the Banana Sessions was the worse kept secret of the festival. Dumfries and Galloway local Alex Kapronos humbly jumped onto the acoustic stage to a packed out tent. Franz Ferdinand’s lead singer was not due to play the festival but made an impromptue appearance opening his set with the words “I thought this was supposed to be a secret”. The singer sang the band’s hits along with a cover of the Kooks to much approval. His encore of ‘Ulysses’ was my personal highlight of the festival.
A clash on Saturday evening provided the first dilemma. Ocean Colour Scene on the main stage or the Undertones in the Scooter tent. (the second dilemna was choosing the best spot for the Wickerman burning). Ocean Colour Scene were impressive and their hardcore fans appeared to thoroughly enjoy their performance. For the Undertones the demand for space in the Scooter Tent was over capacity and people crowded the exits hoping for a glimpse of the legendary punk outfit.
The burning of the Wickerman signals the end of the festival. Taken from the classic film which was filmed in the area (and gave the festival it’s name), the gigantic structure of steel and wicker does not take long to burn. It is a fantastic way to end a festival.
The Wickerman Festival is a festival that has something to offer to everyone whether you camp for the 3 nights or just visit for the day. This is a festival that is going to continue to grow and you should make sure it is on your list of festivals to experience.
words by Sarah Thurston
Posted In Festivals, Aug 03 2010.
Words - Publisher 2