Guilfest - Stoke Park, Guildford, Surrey - 19-21/7/02
1/5
By: Toby L
Ever a festival of chill-out rather than huge audience turn-out, 2002's Guilfest - as formerly known as Guildford Live - is the south-east's somewhat scaled-down answer to Glastonbury. Yet, whereas the latter location may well fall down to criticisms of just being, quite simply, too f**king big, it's in leafy Surrey on a summer weekend that just beyond 12,000 attendees can experience - potentially - the most relaxed outdoor music-event of the year.
There's even a few live-acts, too, although the range, admittedly, is lacking within certain aspects of the modern-day alternative-genre, the four stages on-site instead featuring the likes of Lonnie Donnegan, Jools Holland and the ever-defiantly bearded Rolf Harris.
But - luckily - it ain't always so pure. Headlining the Unsung Heroes stage on Friday, the banner which declares the tent's name certainly seems to apply to Kid Galahad's present predicament; despite belting out indie-groove compositions that are so immediate and fresh that they'd force uni-students to wet their pants on immediate playback, mainstream press and radio hasn't so much as even scratched its crotch in a slight arousal when hearing this energetic four-piece's sack o' tunes. For those in attendance, however, this doesn't warrant too much of a tainted atmosphere, the group instead knocking the living daylights out of prior releases 'Where's My Gold', 'Several Hundred Years' (a b-side, would you believe) and a set-closing 'Swimming To Shore'. Solid, immediate and moodily lit, it's an engaging effort all round.
Simultaneously stealin' beats in the Dance Tent are the likes of a particularly rowdy Bez, ex of Happy Mondays, who performs his trademark wobbly chicken impersonations whilst dishing out some ear-crushing anthems, the following Arthur Baker proving typically attention-grabbing, his mane of long hair serving as an enthralling sight to behold whilst trying to cut through the legions of people located within the arena.
And the franticness soon subsides. A night of good sleep follows, with next to no scandalous shenanigans occurring in the campsites. Disappointingly.
Still, rectifying the situation the next day are further unsigned/up-and-coming delights as bandied around within the Unsung Heroes world, sets particularly shining mightily from such refined-rock luminaries as the spangling Koala, let alone an almost epic (and reasonably busy) set from Reuben, whose soaring grasp of melody, coupled with big meaty riffs, ensured such numbers as 'Scared of The Police' to create an explosive throttle of energy originally thought impossible for such a dangerously confined space; certainly, keep an eye on this lot for the future.
A walk-over to the grand surroundings of the Main Stage offers all to witness the weekend's true first moments of musical-perfection. But, there is a price. Up until the moment before Mercury Rev take to the stage, the skies have cast the colour of blue, the sun has been high and the air has been sweet... In just a matter of moments, the scene changes - to that of severe rain. Extremely severe rain. The band are forced to cut back on their stage-time. Anguish ensues. Suddenly. The water from above stops. Relief. Band on-stage. Nice one.
Reassuringly, it's all worth the brief downpour, for as Canada's finest kick into action, uplifting flourishes of synth-tinged indie flood the speakers, and the grey clouds soon spill from vision, just in time for a three-song climax in the form of a specifically enchanting 'Goddess On A Hiway', an extended and overpowering 'Opus 40' and the closing 'The Dark Is Rising'. Applause is rightfully deafening, and frontman Jonathan Donahue can hardly prevent himself from smiling; hey - the man has good reason not to, what with such a triumph under his possession.
But, awards for coolest mutha-f**kas in Guildford this evening must be rewarded to NYC's Fun Lovin' Criminals, who headline tonight, and provide some of the three-dayer's optimum moments. With singer/guitarist Huey and his continual remarks of whether we're 'chilling' with them or not, sometimes it's quite impossible to obey such a request when the fiery spark of 'Scooby Snacks' ignites, prompting a sweaty mosh-pit, a similar effect unfolding for their funky self-titled number and the riffs-burden that is 'Korean Bodega'.
Although it isn't a complete sexy noise-fest all the time; in fact, the 'Crims spend most of their time working through such FLC lounge-standards as 'Run Daddy Run', 'Loco' and 'Love Unlimited', not to mention a scintillating 'Big Night Out' - all prior to the spine-tingling encore of Louis Armstrong's 'We Have All The Time In The World'. The resulting effect is next to euphoric, and, like the act that finished before them, the three-piece grin uncontrollably, and bid us a good festival.
To avoid the possible anti-climax arising following such an occasion, it's everyone over to the Guilfin Ambient Tent: a location where the smoking of various substances and 70s-esque dance-challenges marry and merge into one - complete with an illuminated floor to boot. A boogie-on-down to incompressible techno-music only lasts for but a momentary shudder and it's soon tent-time for some snoozing-action.
Day three arrives soon enough, and there's time to observe the surroundings and people here this year. Characters of all ages traipse around in hungover stupors, and the site remains reasonably spotless following nightly clean-up expeditions. For the third day running, too, the weather features a ball of fire in the sky. And, consequentially, for the third day running, Guilfest is a pleasure to be amongst.
A drastic blast from the past serves to be the first main draw all day over in the Aladdin's Cave Stage, with The Stranglers. Hardly portraying the nuances and signals of a jaded or dated post-punk act, they play such original hits as 'Peaches' and the jangling chime of 'Golden Brown' with all the pride and exuberance of musicians half their actual ages.
The same can be said for Echo & The Bunnymen over on the main stage, meanwhile, who suffer a temporary lack of audience whilst fans scarper away from the dying tones of The Stranglers across the field, and embrace the welcoming bars of 'Lips Like Sugar', singer Ian McCulloch cloaked in his best black attire and smoking with the same appeal that made him such a near-icon in the early 80s. But Echo's is not a repertoire of a mere timewarp, for it's the latter-day gem, 'Nothing Lasts Forever' which, once again, provides the mouth-drop-open highlight. Timelessly enchanting, and influential beyond all formal pedigree, E&B remain a class act.
Lastly, however, the honours of wrapping up the weekend are left to further legends - The Pretenders. Gracing the stage nimbly and visibly excited, the group, led as ever by the female walking-charisma herself, Chrissie Hynde, immediately sweep into action, Hynde holding her guitar to the air during every spare moment and effortlessly directing her mouth into the mic, conjuring those unique and elegant vocals which marvelled a generation.
As it happens, notably, this original generation seems to be present here today, and it's following a brief break in between songs that Chrissie remarks amusingly, 'They're an old crowd, but they don't want a drum-solo, Mike,' in regards to the band's rhythm-keeper trying out his best efforts in public.
Song-wise, amid such moments, there are the glorious deliveries of 'Talk Of The Town', 'Don't Get Me Wrong' and 'I Go To Sleep', complete with beefing up via the Duke Strings Quartet, plus the post-encore sing-alongs of a moving 'I'll Stand By You' and the set-closing, and their most renowned track, 'Brass In Pocket'. With cheers loud and the band having produced a sterling appearance, applause expectedly reins most loud for Hynde, a woman so confident, focussed, determined and damn talented that her presence on a stage all these years later from The Pretenders' heyday is testament to such a gift's enduring relevance... Truly, this is a person all women in rock should salute to.
And, so, it all finishes just like that. Another year, another event, yet more exquisite acts and three days of peace, love and small crowds. Plus good weather... Surely, these are the assets that all festivals should try to encompass in their annual runnings..?
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