BOOMTOWN FAIR (11th-14th august 2011)

Wow, is not usually a way to start any type of article, but in this case it is highly applicable. Boomtown Fair 2011 did not cease to amaze, tantalize and excite which ever way you turned. Picture this, a naturally landscaped bowl, located just an hour or so outside London; in the middle of which was erected a carefully constructed urban environment designed to facilitate, if not incite, all types and manners of festivities. On the outskirts of the basin lay a shanty town inhabited by like-minded party-goers, all ready to lose themselves for four days in the town below. This was Boomtown 2011- a long way from its origins as a cider festival in Bath back in 2006 or even from its first launch as Boomtown in 2009.

What had been constructed was a plethora of stages and spectacles, some stationary and some mobile, that meant no one part of the festival was the same, instead the reveller was invited to take themselves on their own journey through the festival. Most, to get their bearings, headed straight for the town centre that also doubled up as the main stage, and was graced by the likes of Gogo Bordello and Bad Manners. From their the Boomers could have chosen to descend into downtown to have a flutter at the Skandalous! Casino or for the more active reveller a quick boogie at the roller disco. If you were looking for something a bit more up-market there was the opportunity to stroll on up to Mayfair Avenue where you could socialise in the Gentleman’s Club or perhaps stay a while in The Park Hotel. However, if thrill-seeking was on your agenda there were plenty of opportunities to get your fix on the many rides and circus attractions that punctuated the town, including the fabulous Wall of Death: where stuntmen climbed vertical walls on motorcycles just a whisker away from the audience. If it all got a bit too much at the Lions Den or Bassline Circus or any of the other music stages then there was an open invitation to wander off to the outskirts to find ‘hold it down town’, nick-named by many as the ‘hippy-fields.’ This was a place of solace where fires blazed, jam sessions took place; and there was even an antis'(intentional spelling) lounge offering tea, biscuits and a free hug to anyone and everyone. However, what was more especial about this festival than anything else was the way that on occasion the party would find you and sweep you away, namely the Arcadia stage (a regular at Glastonbury), which was a truck in the shape of a mechanical beetle that invaded the town on numerous occasions looking threatening but unfolding into a pumping music stage and turning out to be quite the opposite. There were also smaller trucks that roamed the streets of Boomtown creating a carnivalesque atmosphere which could have rivalled Notting Hill: on one occasion two hundred or so people surrounded a boom box the size of a hot dog stand and wiled out to some funky electro, magical!

What is most surprising that in the morning after each night of partying the streets were cleaner than London and the town was ready for re-population, almost as if Boris himself had pitched up with his brush and cleaned up during the night.

In total 10,000 revellers descended on Boomtown Fair this year and were offered a menu of over 700 acts and performers to satisfy their musical and artistic appetites. It is a positive sign that there are too many musical highlights for them all to be listed here but special mention must be given to Tony Rebel who metaphorically set the crowd alight with a performance that included a freestyle about the recent London Riots. In addition, the Bristol based Smerin’s Anti Social Club, accompanied by the refreshingly antiquated voice of Nuala Honan, served up a healthy serving of funk that invited everyone in the crowd to let loose, and that exactly what the Boomers choose to do.

The only criticism comes in the form of positive and constructive criticism- make the site bigger, either by utilising more space or moving, just so that more people can enjoy the creative output of the talented people that put on this festival. There is always an argument amongst festival-goers about whether independent festivals should remain intimate or expand, and there are always valid arguments on both sides. However it is a truism that towns naturally grow and evolve and so it is inevitable that this festival will. Although, having said that this needs to be planned methodically and executed properly as there are lessons to be learnt from other parties in far away gardens that became overgrown too quickly and may have lost their spirit.

This festival is a young festival that has come from humble beginnings, this must be remembered. This year it was more child and green friendly, something the organisers should be proud of and continue to develop. In fact, there were whispers of envy from many of the adults about the delights and activities that were to be found in the Kids Town. The energy of the festival was relentless and electric, fuelled by the musicians and the party-goers. There was no one type of person at this festival rather the festival mirrored the cosmopolitan nature of the cities that populate this country. Everyone was accepted, no one was judged and pretension was not on the agenda. This is a festival in the true sense of the word and one that should be on the festival shopping list for next year for anyone and everyone that enjoys “letting go”.

By Dominic John

To see the rest of the photos from BoomTown Fair 2011 click here

Images by Brianne Young