FIELD DAY WEEK – Organiser Tom Baker talks the origins of Field Day
By: Various Scribes
Me and my girlfriend Natalie (who is currently putting together the Village Mentality Village Green area at Field Day this year) put together a free event a few years back outside the Griffin pub in Old Street for 1000 people a day over a summer weekend called 'Return Of The Rural'; a village fete with live acoustic acts James Yorkston and Beth Orton alongside acts like Clinic and Four Tet.
Me and Marcus (who ran the Griffin Pub at the time) where so pleased that it went so well, thought we should do something bigger and on a grander scale. I had always wanted to start a festival so this felt like a perfect time to put out some feelers and see what was possible.
A year later Marcus confirmed the use of Victoria Park, London and I drew up a list of people I thought should be involved - Adventures In The Beetroot Field, Bugged Out, Bloggers Delight and Homefires (now called Village Mentality) so we had a strong net work of creatively minded people to promote the event through. I then started drawing up a list of all the bands I wanted to play and started talking to agents. Field Day was announced...
We’re now in our third year and once again we’re taking over this leafy green corner of Victoria Park to welcome a whole of host of exciting bands and djs, a Village fete (complete with Brass Band) as well as much eating and drinking. It seems so long ago that Field Day began; and we are delighted to be back with what we feel is our strongest line up to date: now all we need is the sun to come out!