Y Not Festival Review

For one weekend in summer a quarry in Pikehall, Derbyshire provides the spectacular backdrop to Y Not Festival. This years edition sold out, little wonder when the event combines established and promising acts with an intimate vibe and friendly cost.

Top of the bill was Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with a set taking in choice solo cuts alongside crowd favourites such as Champagne Supernova and Half The World Away before an hysterical mass singalong for Don’t Look Back In Anger. Just before that, Catfish and The Bottlemen proved their headliners in waiting credentials as they drew a similarly huge crowd.

Further down the bill were some new favourite bands; the swaggering Kassassin Street, the invigoratingly anarchic Yak and the raw rock ‘n’ roll of the LA duo, Deap Vally.

Nostalgia featured heavily throughout the line-up with this years theme being ‘What The 80s Gave Us’. Though there were few 80s acts the mid 00s could claim a typically energetic set from The Hives and a winning Thursday night performance from The Coral. Saturday was Fancy Dress Day and to help blow away the hangover while giving that neon lycra a good stretch was Mr Motivator who performed a dearly well received morning workout routine. A stellar line-up, stunning views and amiable atmosphere with some exercise thrown in, you really should give Y Not Festival a try.

By Omar Soliman