Exeter’s annual Respect Festival is in its 10th year and it has been a week-long celebration of cultural diversity in the arts. Venues used to stage the event included various venues around the city: Exeter Phoenix, The Quay, Great Hall, North Bridge Inn, Old Firehouse, Starz Bar, Global Centre, X Centre and the Picturehouse. There were film events as well as food, music, literature, comedy, visual arts and dance displays throughout the festival.
This year the festival's theme was Songs of Peace & Freedom, taking its inspiration from the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, and from freedom struggles and civil rights movements around the world.
The whole event culminated in a three-day music festival at Exeter Phoenix with Friday being urban night, Saturday family fun day and world music night and Sunday rock night. It was these three days, which we went along to and I have to say we very much enjoyed the event.
I was surprised how suitable the venue was as an indoor festival site. With Andy’s Loos providing extra toilets, Otter Breweries providing a beer marquee, as well as The Phoenix’s own bar, a Caribbean stall and barbecue providing most of the food (with again the Phoenix’s own restaurant also providing some food) and rooms split over two floors as well as the terrace and the marquee providing the various stage areas.
The whole weekend I saw no trouble and the security were well organised and friendly. The only main job they had to do was remind many of us, that smoking was no longer allowed within the buildings or marquees.
Being a family, we thought it was a bit of a shame the Friday’s event was over 18s only. Especially as the whole evening didn’t really warrant the curfew as far as we could tell. The Saturday was tremendously well attended and there was loads of free things for kids to do. The marquee was lined with stalls with important political information and there was a great buzz about the place.
The number of people attending was much more than I expected although there were distinct demographics for each night. Friday was mainly blokes in their twenties. The Saturday had a wide family demographic and Saturday was mainly young rock fans.
Future Sound of Exeter did a superb job in the programming of the World Music Extravaganza with some real jems for World Music fans – stand out artists Claude Bourbon, Panacea, Kampec Delores and Dragonsfly should all become household names on the world roots music festival scene.
Sunday was a treat for rock fans, although it had less stages and many closed at 8.30pm. With Inme and Idiom headlining you’d have thought they would be bands of the day. But no it was more laid back Chris Letcher, the hilarious punk band Pickled Dick and ska band The King Blues who really shined for me. The latter being so damn talented they are as far as I’m concerned the band of the festival weekend. Top stuff!
See you next year, for another fantastic weekend. A big thanks to everyone who made it happen, it was a terrific weekend of music.
Ashton Court Festival 
