happy 25th birthday Larmer Tree Festival (part 2)

Larmer Tree Festival 2015 review

By Sandra Pitt | Published: Tue 28th Jul 2015

Larmer Tree Festival 2015 - around the festival site
Photo credit: Andy Pitt

Larmer Tree Festival 2015

Tuesday 14th to Sunday 19th July 2015
Larmer Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, SP5 5PY, England MAP
£240 for 5 days
Daily capacity: 5,000

Saturday is always dress-up day at Larmer Tree and for the 25th party the theme was silver. A tricky one to do for a whole costume, but some people and had really gone to town and there were astronauts and robots, mermaids, unicorns and fairies, silver dresses, suits, hats, wigs, wellies and shoes, and tiaras and some fairy wings. It wasn't the shiny silver extravaganza I was expecting to see, but it was fun to see most people releasing their silly sparkly, sequin-side and embracing the theme.

The shopping area was definitely missing a shop with silver sparkly stuff though; hippy stuff, vintage clothes, bubbles, flags and wooden sculptures were covered but they really could have done with some glittery silver fancy dress goodies.

A giant rocket was being built in the main arena in the Procession tent, ready to be paraded tomorrow, everyone could go in and help build it. We went to watch Super Monkey in the Children's area, an under-5s version of the Monkey show; my littlest one watched it with daddy while I took my 6 year old round to the craft tent to make some things. The craft tent was busy as always but there were so many tables with different things to make, and the ladies running it were really helpful finding a space and sorting us out with the bits and bobs we needed. We made a totem pole which we proudly planted outside while it dried and then did some more chalk graffiti. We checked in on the Super Monkey show at the end and all the children and adults were totally engrossed in the story going on, using marionette puppets, my little one loved it and seemed quite moved by it.

We watched the lunchtime music on the main stages today; John Sterckx played some brilliant Indian drumming with very clever looping; quite a lot of the audience had obviously done the Bollywood dance workshop on Thursday as they stood up and showed us how to do it properly, screwing in lightbulbs and picking up money. He did quite a short set but it must have been exhausting. Laura Doggett played on the Main Stage next, inspired by Tracey Chapman according to her blurb, which is very evident with her deep soulful voice and melancholy songs, she was enchanting to watch, then we had to go and find something a bit more uplifting.

We passed a nun playing a travelling piano on our way to the main arena, where we found some welcome shade, a cider and listened to Naomi Bedford in the ARC tent, who we were keen to see as we knew her as the singer of Orbital's “Funny Break”. Bubbles were blowing everywhere from the very popular bubble stall, and A'la Carte Musique turned up again and started another impromptu disco. With a few calories burned off, we headed for one of Steve Knightley's many gigs of the weekend, with Show of Hands on the Garden Stage.They opened with 'No Woman, No Cry' but related to Larmer Tree rather than Jamaica which was a fun start, and they carried on with a great set, I've seen them a few times now and am never disappointed, their songs are really catchy, clever and great to sing along to. A cover of Stereophonic's Dakota was just sublime.

A'la Carte Musique were putting on yet another bubble disco in the Children's Area so we had to go and check it out; it was a closecall with the Yoga Disco but the bubbles and balloons clinched it, and just letting it all go and dancing our socks off to some cheesy music. I think us parents had as much fun as the children, dancing to 'Happy' and 'Mambo Number 5.'

With worn out children, Saturday night was for recharging their batteries, and we listened to the world vibes of Femi Kuti from outside our tent.

Sunday, the last day, and our 5th day at Larmer Tree, the longest festival we've done and now recharged after our early night, we were raring to go and enjoy the time we had left. The post-boxes were still playing random sounds, with one playing The Omen theme, which was very very eerie. We came across the Posh Lavatory Ladies inspecting the toilets and guiding people to the ones which met their very high standards and advising on proper festival-toilet etiquette. We managed to catch the end of a show going on in the flag circle; where a man's head was poking out of the top of a massive balloon, he was bouncing around then suddenly it popped and he was dressed as Elvis. We were gutted to have missed the whole show, so we stayed for The Magic Drum Workshop' and watched most of their fantastic Cuban drumming.

around the festival site (site entertainment): Larmer Tree Festival 2015

We collected our totem pole from yesterday and bumped into the balloon man again, Bruce Airhead, setting up for a children's act…we got front row seats on the grass and while we waited for him to start our little ones ran around and played in a load of cardboard boxes they had laid out for children to climb in, draw all over, build towers with or crawl through as tunnels. When Bruce started he enlisted the help from a small member of the audience (also called Bruce!) to help him blow up the enormous balloon, then he scarily stripped down to a bathing suit, covered himself in bubble mixture and climbed inside. It was hilarious as he went in head-first and danced around with the legs then just his feet hanging out, until he popped his head out. I was expecting him to pop out as Elvis again but as it was a children's act when the balloon popped he was dressed as Superman; he was brilliant, everyone gave him a massive cheer.

Ready for more weird and wonderful entertainment we went to watch Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure for Kids; and wow what an amazing talent and a lovely guy. My little ones weren't interested in learning how to beatbox so I stayed and had a go; he taught us how to 'P,' 'T' and 'K' to start us off, then shared some trade secrets on how to keep breathing while beat-boxing. He had a competition for a few children to get up on stage and show-off their beat-boxing talents, then he showed us what he can do and told us about the perks of International Stardom, especially how to get free chips. It was great fun, but my husband and kids weren't very impressed with my new found skill, so I might just stick to my day job.

Sunday in the sunshine was spent basking on the main lawn, writing our last few wishes, watching Raghu Dixit playing some contemporary Indian songs on guitar, then the procession came through the main lawn after going around the entire festival site; the theme being Space so the huge rocket came through followed by all the planets, aliens, stars carried by children and adults who had helped make things. It's always a great procession, but difficult to watch through a large crowd.

We were going to go home Sunday night, we were ready before watching Molotov Jukebox to go and pack up the tent, but they got us in the mood for another night of partying, and we could stay comfy on the lawn and watch CoCo and the Butterfields. They were brilliant last year on the main stage, and were fantastic again this year, then the light started to fade, the moderately empty lawn quickly filled for one of the highlight acts, Bill Bailey to come on.

My personal favourite and I was really looking forward to watching another of his comedy and musical-genius shows. I couldn't see him very well from the back and in some parts he was difficult to hear, but most of it made my weekend, I love him and his bizarre views and he did a brilliant set regaling tales of taking his ageing parents dog-sledding, which of course went ludicrously wrong, interspersed with weird and wonderful songs. I wasn't disappointed, next time I will get down the front to see him in all his glory.

We got ready for the final act, Jimmy Cliff, and the main lawn emptied after Bill, so there was loads of dancing space; our little ones were still running round, and next to us the Pitt-Rivers monument was filled with large colour changing balloons which looked amazing in the dark, and made for some great photos. Jimmy just finished off a brilliant weekend with 'The Harder They Come,' 'Many Rivers To Cross' and we did some proper reggae skanking to 'You Can Get It If You Really Want.' It was definitely the amazing music, the entertainment for everyone, the location and the very lucky weather this weekend which made it my all time favourite, and I can't wait to get back there for more next year.




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