Somersault Festival 2014

So, thankfully my summer this year started early giving me the opportunity to go to Somersault fest. in North Devon. Having 'eyed up' the festival for six months prior to the event to say I was excited to go is an understatement.

The five day festival began on the Thursday and consisted of travelling around 5 hours to Devon. On arrival the picturesque views and surrounding forests of Castle Hill were breath taking to say the least. My friend and I set up camp almost instantly as the space between tents was insanely vast (for a festival that is) and the camping was super relaxed and made up mostly by families.


Somersault entrance
source: www.somersaultfestival.com

The festival itself was fairly small -and although this doesn't apply to some- I found that to be one of it's perks. The size made it easy for swift travel from area to area and most importantly from stage to stage. The close knit size made the experience some what communal as frequent interactions with the same people became common like casually bumping into friends.

The first day/night was essentially just becoming accustom to the fest, that night we found ourselves dancing until midnight in the 'Chai Wallah' which became nicknamed the 'disco tent' throughout the festival. This was a place to really let go and dance like a loon to so-bad-it's-good 80's-90's disco-pop tunes (you know the classics). The only let down of this particular tent was the lighting; it allowed others to see your face that was dirty, sweaty and most probably smeared with make up. When the night was over, the Chai Wallah left you with the sweet sent of Chai latte lingering in you nose and Fleetwood Mac ringing in your ears as you make that slow return to your tent.

Throughout the day time it became clear that the festival mainly centred night life, making the days incredibly chilled. The festival in the day offered a chance to unwind and revitalise in the 'Well Being' area or become educated on how to save our seas in the Surfers Against Sewage tent. OR if that didn't take your fancy clothing brand Jack Willis provided a stage with music running throughout the day. There was also the clothing brand O'Neill whom had their own tour bus with the slogan 'Today is Perfect' offering free seminars and exclusive acoustic sessions- which became a frequent spot for us over the weekend. The record label Communion also showed it's face through their own stage and 'Record Store' tent- where you could buy the obvious (records).

Half Moon Run on the Main stage

The night life- as I've said- was when the festival really came alive. The main stage began to rumble in the late afternoon and lasting through til midnight; with performances from Dry the River and Spirtualized on the Friday, Amadou and Miriam and Jack Johnson on the Saturday and then Sunday we were greeted by His Golden Messenger, Half Moon Run and Ben Howard. Obviously there were a lot more performers offering a wide range of musicians to suit everyone's music needs.
My musical highlights: Nick Mulvey- his chilled stage presence combined with his gentle voice was definitely one of the best ways to relax on a Saturday afternoon. Amadou and Miriam- such a sensational couple, they over came the language barrier making their stage presence and rapport with the audience incredible. Jack Johnson- drew up an unexpectedly big audience for such a small festival, he's one for all the family and if your in the mood for a good jig. Catfish and The Bottlemen- just brilliant, if you want a good sing a long and to have a jump around they are most definitely the ones for you. Half Moon Run- were fantastic, hearing their tracks played before my very ears was one of the highlights of the year let alone the festival- their performance made the five hour wait worth while. Ben Howard- the main man himself, not only does he support the Surfers Against Sewage, his performance was out of this world. In addition to this, seeing Lewis Watson do a completely acoustic session (due to the rain which caused his equipment give him the odd electric shock) was also pretty amazing.

Lewis Watson @ O'Neill bus

After the performances there was a chance to boogie until three in the morning in the Forest Party. The space was dark, but lit up by a huge disco ball that hung from one of the trees, and lights the shape of tulips. There was also a DJ who provided the tunes that caused you to dance non-stop for three hours, until you feet felt like they were going to fall off.

The main thing about Somersault was how relaxed the whole atmosphere of the festival was. It provided a break from reality that took you away from the busy streets and surrounded you with hills and valleys as far the eyes could see- almost like someone had swaddled you with a forest-y blanket. And ultimately leaving you with a feeling that you never want to depart. Not only does it provided an excellent collection of artists, it also promoted the well being of your body and most importantly our environment. For such a small festival it had a big impact, and all i can say is roll on Somersault 2015.