REVIEW: Secret Garden Party [Festival Fever]

REVIEW: Secret Garden Party

Posted on July 28, 2008 6:32 PM
9 comments

beer%20tent.jpg Secret Garden Party
‘Come The Revolutions’ 2008
Huntingdon, United Kingdom

London has many things going for it, but there aren’t many opportunities to kick your shoes off, smother yourself in glitter and dance amongst the trees as the sun comes up. The best way to release the stress of the daily grind is to shed your inhibitions and release the inner child. People did just that at this year’s Secret Garden Party. I was warned about the cold, hard shock of post-Glastonbury reality but that ain’t nothing compared to the post-Secret Garden effect. When your gardener feet finally touch the ground, reality is downright over-rated.

The setting is idyllic; an unspoiled, foliage-packed property near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. After a succession of festival tent disasters, we opt for a cheap hotel in Huntingdon. It costs twenty quid to get there and we only make it back for one of the nights but it’s well worth the effort. For the more adventurous, free camping is available and it looks clean, easily accessible and organised to a tee. The line-ups are virtually non-existent and the staff members are all up for a good time.

This is one of the overriding benefits of The Secret Garden Party; the organisation is exemplary. Programmes are hard to come by but meandering reveals hidden grottos, activities ranging from cupcake decorating to reiki, giant twister and karaoke. It is also the perfect size; easy enough to cover the entire site in a day, with the likelihood of stumbling across old friends (and the new ones made along the way). This is the crux of The Secret Garden’s allure; the crowd it attracts is a diverse and creative one. Most of the people we chat to have been before and vow to return every year “So long as it doesn’t lose its lack of commercialism and retains its charm”. The money from the sold out ticket sales is used to create the whole shebang. There are no investor dividends, no big PR companies and no Director expense accounts and the festival is better off for it. From the moment you enter the gates, you’re faced with a magical world of fun. We waste no time joining in.

There’s a celebration to be had around every corner; the bands gracing the nine stages include Grace Jones, Morcheeba, Sons & Daughters, Shout Out Louds, Bonde Do Role, Lacrosse, Asteroids Galaxy Tour, The Wallbirds, Elle S’Appelle, Sunny Day Sets Fire, Married to Sea, The Infadels, Auto Kratz, Primary 1, The Shoes, The Mordekkers, The Gitzy Bag Hags, Man Like Me, Gypsydelica, and the Soul Jazz Soundsystem.

New mates can be made in abundance and our new favourite people include a poetry spouting Londoner, a French speaking puppeteer, a face painting mum, a Johnny Depp-lookalike, a giant white van driver and a trio of long haired, bronzed, six-pack equipped gifts from above. Some Secret Garden experiences should be kept just that; a secret. For the rest of you, here’s a brief daily summary.

bale%20hay.jpg Day One:
We don’t see much music on day one; not because there isn’t any (there’s plenty). Rather, because we’re too busy exploring. There’s hay bales to be climbed, costumes to put on, glitter to apply to random strangers, a lake to circulate, hula hoops to master and a giant wooden pirate ship to ogle (and dance on if you’re prepared to take a dingy out there). The festival site is split by an algae packed lake and party-goers pose for photos as they cross the bridge. We note the lack of tacky merchandise and unhealthy food stalls. It’s all about the goodness here. We only manage to find one bar on day one – and for many, it’s a meeting point and the one hilltop spot for decent phone reception. From the bar, you can see across the entire festival site; it’s a gob-smacking view. London couldn’t feel further away. The sun is out, people are smiling and the natural amphitheatre fills up as the main stage acts begin. We perch at the top, vino in hand and chat to some men in sequinned skirts. They too, are enjoying themselves. Our evening draws to a close at the silent disco; a strange and unsettling experience, but it’s 5am and the body clock is confused. Taking this into account, the day is best summed up by the punters themselves.

“I think this whole thing is a piece of genius really. The one opportunity that people get in the year to play, to love everyone and to dance around and be silly and not really worry about anything.”
– Jamie, Bristol

“I think this festival is all about crazy, chaotic antics and partying all at the same time. No holds barred, no compromise, just fun”
- Will (The World’s Tallest DJ)

“The festival is about love”
- Alex from outer space

“It’s come on a long way… five years on we’re sat on the bank, overlooking the main stage and remember when we were here – three hundred of us having a private party on the edge of the lake. I think this is the greatest party on earth. It’s a fact. It doesn’t get any better than this”
- Lindsay

“This festival is fucking amazing and insanely beautiful. It’s literally paradise. We’re camping in the North field and it’s just amazing. We’re virgins here; it’s our first time. Alphabeat were amazing!”
- Ayla and Sylva, Brighton

“It’s the most amazing festival ever in the whole world. It’s beautiful, everyone’s lovely. It’s greeeeeeeeeat”
- John-Henry Harris First Degree Burns, Bristol

“We’re here to have a really good time and a messy weekend!” - Eddie and Ian, Wiltshire

“This festival is absolutely great. One of the best things is their support of Grass Root bands that helps put together great performances for the people of Cambridgeshire”
- Simon Bates, Arco Iris (Cambridgeshire Community Samba band)

Day Two:

We feel like we’ve been hit by a bus but there’s a hell of a lot of bands we want to see and no time to waste. The revellers are out in force and the hay bales have become a resting place for casualties. The camp fire we passed last night is a smouldering, hay-packed mess. Glitter is smudged and costumes are on back to front but still the ‘Gardeners’ smile on. There’s a gypsy band on near the healing area and we lounge in the sun as the music takes hold. Strangers wander over and sit for a chat; making friends has never been so simple. Highlights of today’s performances include the heartbreaking sounds of Jay Jay Pistolet, an outdoor performance of Hamlet and Natty’s dreadlock swinging set. Natty too enjoyed the festival; he later told us he "Loved it, it wasn't corporate, nice vibe, cool people". I'm pleased to note he also had a surreal experience or two. "This guy came up to me with his guitar as I was on my way out around 3am and started playing some songs for me. I ended up booking him as a support act for a show I’m going to do".

As darkness hit, (dare I say it) The Hoosiers’ rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ stuck a chord. It was a song made all the more special when fire throwers begin to perform along the banks of the river.

In a magical build-up to Grace Jones’ headline act, the impressive pirate ship is set alight. As the former floating dance-mecca lights up the night sky, fireworks burst forth into the heavens. “Ooohs and aaahs” bounce off the amphitheatre’s grassy banks as hundreds of fire lanterns follow suit. Grace Jones sure has a tough spectacle to beat but she pulls it off with ease. The leggy Jamaican-American is hardly a spring chicken but the sixty-year-old looks hot. We’re transfixed by her legs up to the sky contralto vocals. She’s almost shown up by a group of extremely lucky female crowd members who are pulled on stage and gyrate against the sexy icon. What a moment in time for the fortunate few; let’s hope they can remember it. Grace and her two-octave spanning voice take us through a mind-blowing set which will no doubt help promote her new album ‘Hurricane’, out on 27th October. This time, the night doesn’t end; rather, we have a brush with a white van, a natter amongst a man-made spider web, some foot thumping in the disco tent, a Reggae boogie in the rain and some impromptu acoustic guitar. A fire lantern lands on my companion’s head while she’s answering the call of nature; a Secret Garden sign of good luck surely? As we drag our bedraggled corpses towards home sometime on Sunday evening, we vow to return. Creative inspiration has never come in such a fine-wrapped package. Let’s hope The Secret Garden Party never loses its charm. Don’t tell anyone how damn beautiful it is; who knows, maybe they won’t catch on.

Were you there? Share your random experiences and memories in our comments section.

The burning boat:

A puppet's-eye view:

Comments (9)

Paul S
Third SGP and boy oh boy did it rock!!!!!! Best to date!! Already looking forward to next year!!
Posted on July 29, 2008 3:59 PM

Sassy
I still can't get over how amazing it was. Did anyone else have any strange experiences?
Posted on July 29, 2008 7:21 PM

Alex
great blogging. got it down to a t!! bring on sgp '09!
Posted on July 30, 2008 4:31 PM

Magnus
Definitely the best festival I've been to. The atmosphere was amazing.
Posted on August 1, 2008 10:29 AM

anna
Did anyone see a singer called Azadeh, she played a few sets, totally blew me away with her voice! There were loads of her flyers in the Shelter lounge. She was a highlight for me!
Posted on August 1, 2008 9:19 PM

Nick B
Saturday night was amazing. Topped off by a large group of misfits diving from the top of the north haystack onto a huge inflatable, pink, rubber thing. Then meeting the bloke who built the pirate ship! Perfection
Posted on August 5, 2008 11:23 PM

Wench
The best bit for me was seeing the Correspondents, first in the absinthe tent, then on the main stage. They were the most up-lifting sets I've ever seen and danced like a crazy person too!
Posted on August 6, 2008 4:37 PM

essie
oh my god did anyone see Lazenby on the main stage on saturday - amazing! really rocked and made my weekend totally cool as never heard of them before reckon they are gonna be massiive!
Posted on August 12, 2008 5:01 PM

Jay
You missed the Habits Katie?!?!?! hahaha hope things good with you!
Posted on August 15, 2008 12:13 PM