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home » festivals » Larmer Tree Festival » Larmer Tree Festival 2011
Larmer Tree Festival delivers a relaxed start to the weekendLarmer Tree Festival 2011 reviewFriday 22nd July 2011 The Dorset sun greets us beating down hard as we arrive on site for Larmer Tree Festival 2011. Held in the beautifully tranquil Larmer Tree Gardens, it seems odd that a garden with 4000 punters in it can maintain any air of tranquillity, but somehow it all seems so relaxed.
My only gripe (well there has to be one doesn't there) is the amount of stones lurking just below the surface of the ground in the campsite. It makes it tricky to get the tent pegs in (let's see the organisers sort that one out!). Seriously though, our arrival is totally pain free and the beauty of the site more than makes up for a few stones, which are no match for a peg and mallet combination. The campsite seems to have a very high toilet-to-punter ratio and the urinals cut down on queue times for all. The wash facilities, showers and campsite taps are in good supply too. All these things add up to make an easy time of it for everyone over the weekend. The programme at Larmer Tree is jam-packed and although we arrive after Jools Holland and co. on the Wednesday, taking time out to study the events of the weekend is as essential as the first beer after putting the tent up. Workshops, bands, theatre, street performers, readings, films, the list goes on and the surface is barely scratched. Larmer Tree has more to offer than many festivals four times its size, and yet still retains a friendly village fete undercurrent.
We saw Delta Maid earlier in the year and she didn't hit the spot for me on an overcast afternoon. As the sun sits low in the sky in these beautiful surroundings, her country blues coupled with a pint of ale from one of the bars is exactly what's required for a relaxed evening.
I make it back to the packed main lawn to hear Imelda May cover 'Tainted Love'. Her voice is magical and by all accounts the rest of her set has been equally spellbinding. While I had been bouncing up and down to banjo and fiddle, Imelda May has been bouncing her beehive to double bass fuelled rockabilly and even keeping the toddlers bouncing past their bedtime. As we head back to the tent to put the weary kids to bed I reflect on a great day. I reckon my favourite band of today was sitting on the lawn and listening to The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain. Their covers of Wheatus' 'Teenage Dirtbag', AC-DC's 'Back in Black' and Kiss' 'God Gave Rock n Roll to You' were particularly good. The kids are worn out and we sit outside the tent underneath the cloud-free sky for the time it takes for a swift nightcap and take in the chilly evening air. It's been a great day and we all sleep well in preparation for the next day's adventures.  review by James Tayler photos by Andy Pitt 
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