Truck Festival – Day 1

Alphabet Backwards

Train is the best way to travel through the UK, although if I were able to move by boat then I would but, for now, the railway will do.  I am on my way back from Truck Festival 13 – earlier than I had anticipated – an independent and small festival set in Steventon, Oxfordshire. It boasts of attracting around 5,000 people every year, although I feel that this figure will not be reported this year.

I arrived on the Saturday morning about 12pm, after a somewhat off the cuff wine drinking affair with a good friend of mine the night before.  We ate some fairly good Italian food although my experience was tainted by the speed of service. I’m not asking for fast food but food that does arrive before I have drank too much and it then rarely matters if I’m eating a Findus Crispy Pancake or a rack of ribs on a bed softly mashed potato and crispy courgette strips. 

Last of the High Kings

The evening ended with us watching a film that I had never seen before, Last of the High Kings, a 1996 coming of age film with a decent soundtrack.  Now I intend to watch this again when I’m sober to ensure that I was not impaired by the alcohol, however I did chuckle at the line  “We should do that all the time!”.  I can relate to that coming of age experience – although maybe not with the same energy and grace that Jared Leto achieved!

Anyway I digress.  Truck Festival describes itself as “a village fete meets Woodstock”, and it certainly did have the feel of a village  but without the fete. The definition of the French word fete is a festival, celebration or party.  To be honest it had none of this for me.  My energy was being sapped as I walked around – the atmosphere wasn’t there -  a village with no purpose, a lack of community, and no ambition.  I have been to Truck before and  experienced the opposite previously but on this occasion I felt let down and I hadn’t even seen any music.

As with most festivals I attend I always go blind in the hope that I will come across some unexpected delight. The first act I saw were local band Alphabet Backwards who were a happy pop ensemble on the Village Pub Stage.  Not infectious enough to grab people and bounce them round the room but nice all the same.  I moved down to the Beat Hive and caught the end of Spaceships are Cool, all kitted out in their orange jump suits, they seemed to have an interesting folk noise but I can’t make a judgment as I only caught the last song.

I meandered around the festival checking out the local shops and things; it is a small festival and easy enough to move around.  I like the fact that the local Rotary Club flips burgers, which are expensive but a necessary food product.  They have a couple of bars which serve local beers and ales and also a sweet shop where the local vicar puts a day’s work in. Nice touches – but still not enough to create the atmosphere I am after.  Is it my expectations that are the problem?

My friend recommended I check out Tellison.  There set confused me.  I normally can’t get enough of simple music -what I mean by simple music is American Rock, think Weezer, Blink 182, and any other band who has played on a teen drama sound track. This is what Tellison reminded me of live and as much as I tried to enjoy it I couldn’t.  I think I need complicated music to help me deal with all the shit that is in my head right now.

Active Child

There were a lot of average bands this year, maybe I am just unlucky,  but it was frustrating that I hadn’t stumbled upon a gem yet, that was until I happened upon Active Child. He started by playing the harp within a background of synth-pop but what took me by surprise were the vocals. He was singing so high at times I could feel my inner ear on the verge of shattering.  Some of the songs were shear brilliance, although I did find the high pitch voice slightly weird at times. Exciting and a recomendation.

65 Days of Static

                      I had consumed a considerable amount of cider by now, and even a few JagerBombs which  I expected would help my mood and improve some of the sound – wishful thinking at that point.   Unfortunately I missed Darwin Deez, who by all accounts is very entertaining.  The only other band worth mentioning is 65 days of static, I actually loved this set – or my jagerbomb fuelled body loved this set.  I came out of it with a grin and a feeling I had been plugged into a nuclear power station – the energy was incredible. The sound flew round the room, I felt like I had a puppet master controlling my limbs as I danced, jumped and sweated to the music.  They saved day 1 of the festival for me.  I was content.

Everything else was a damp squib, a couple more average sets, a tasty Chilli dish from a vendor who seemed to be only open for 30min at 11.30pm and then disappeared.  I still wonder if that actually happened.  I was in my tent by 12:30pm, drunk, disappointed and not looking forward to the restless night ahead.

Aquaglass x