The Gods Of Standon Calling

The Gods Of Standon Calling

IF you missed out on Glastonbury, or even if you didn’t, there are many smaller boutique festivals around the UK which are stealthily but surely on the rise. There is one in particular this year which has got our tent poles a-quivering, and that is Standon Calling. First off, and most importantly, Standon has a theme. Gods and Monsters. That’s right, fancy dress! We love a bit of fancy dress and this theme has endless creative possibilities.

We have 2,500 people, 3 days, the grounds of a country estate, stages, dance tents…so far, so festival right? But what makes Standon different is the extras, the details that are only possible with an event on a smaller scale. As Festival Director Graham MacVoy told us, ” Due to its size and the great crowd that come every year you find that you are not lost in the crowd but meet people at the bar, chat and chill out at peoples tents.” (Read more from Graham below). This also means you get morning yoga classes, gourmet grub to see you through, a proper nightclub in a cowshed, a Gods and Monsters theme that will shape the whole festival, more space to camp and last but not least, an actual swimming pool.

So it’s intimate, accessible and fun. It must fall down on the line up? Nope. The festival is lucky to have booker Tamsin McLarty who really knows her stuff. She works tirelessly thruoghout the year to ensure Standon is representing the best in emerging talent. We asked her what makes Standon different to other festivals, she said “There are festivals in the UK who specialise in ‘fun’ and there are festivals that specialise in forward thinking line ups. We’re the only one who does both, and I’m proud of that.” We also asked her which acts she is most excited to see, a clearly tricky question: “Ahh that’s a toughy. Spiritualized will be stunning I think. Battles, Lamb, John Grant, Chrome Hoof, Bass Clef, Penguin Cafe, Azari & III, Julio Bashmore, Malachai, Pushing Hands, Broken Records, Sound of Rum, Funeral Suits, White Noise Sound, John Cooper Clarke and Africa Express Sound System will be immense. OK, I’m just writing the line up now…I’m genuinely excited about every act on the bill.”

So there you have it. Fun, a cool crowd, great eclectic line up, 24 hour partying, fancy dress and a pool. Ours is a cider. Cheers.

We caught up with Graham MacVoy, Festival Director:

1. How did it start, how has it grown?

It all started as Alex’s birthday party on the lawn of his house 10 years ago and has grown organically since then by moving out into the field behind and spreading its wings. SC has always had really loyal supporters whether it be from volunteers helping us to put all aspects of it together to people that just come back year after year.

2. How involved are you in the organistaion and running of the festival today?

I am the festival director so oversee all the teams to make sure that we reach the end in one piece, from music booking to marketing and site and production its all in there. Its really exciting being able to sculpt the festival into reality but without the input of the skilled team that work with me it wouldn’t be possible.

3. Do you think boutique events such as Standon have a place in the increasingly saturated festival market?

They definitely have a place in the boutique market, not everyone wants to go to the big shows, its all about intimacy and looking after people individually, I think this is a service that is greatly appreciated by our guests, whether it be nicer toilets, more showers per head or our approachable nature before during or after to answer questions, it all adds up to a better experience

4. Tell us more about this years theme, Gods & Monsters…

Gods and monsters is a great theme, it has masses of options for interpretation which should be interesting when it comes to fancy dress Saturday (and the standon crowd never let us down, great costumes every year). It also allows us to be more daring than ever with our interactive theatre and incorporation of the theme. The Heritage Arts company are key to this integration and this year they are planning an extravaganza which will envelope you from the moment you enter the site and culminate in a massive reveal on Saturday night before Lamb and spiritualized take the stage for what can only be described as the perfect Saturday headliners.

5. What have been your best and worst moments at Standon over the years?

My best moment at standon calling had to be last year watching etienne de crecy, what a show and what a crowd, the vibe was fantastic. I actually would put last years festival up there as a best moment as a whole though as from start to finish it ran smoothly and walking round I could see people smiling and having a great time everywhere which made it all worthwhile. Worst moment, well that is an easy one, unblocking the toilets 4 years ago on the Sunday morning – don’t think I need to say any more on that one really.

6. Can you give some advice to anyone wanting to start their own event/night/festival?

The main thing is to be clear on what you want to achieve and who you want to sell tickets to, understanding your demographic is a really important factor. Also being realistic about your budget and ensuring that you have the finance to back you should things not work out as you hoped. Event promotion is a risky business, it has great high and success stories but there are also a lot of failures out there and times are tough at the moment so thorough planning and a good team are definietly the key ingredients.

7. Any top tips for camping? Any must have items for Standon Calling?

The normal stuff really of making sure you have all the poles etc for the tent, quite embarrassing to put it up and find bits missing but also make sure that you have good clothing and footwear, the british summer can be dodgy as we all know so wellies and a jacket are a must, that said Standon traditionally has had great weather and the sun always shines so swimming trunks and sunglasses are a must. On a more general note, something that annoys me is people that leave their tents behind, we live in an age of consumerism where people can buy tents (both cheap and sometimes expensive), use them for one weekend then throw them away. While we try to recycle them to charity a lot end up in landfill (more so in the bigger festivals than our own) and this to me just seems like a total waste just because people cant be bothered packing up their tent and taking it home with them. So my message would be the 3 R’s, Reduce, reuse, recycle.

8. What fancy dress will you be sporting this year?

Not sure yet, I suppose some sort of all powerful Greek god outfit would be most appropriate but knowing me I will probably end up with a few bits of laurel and a bed sheet!

By Hannah Beesley