the cosy Easter edition of Alchemy ushers in the outdoor festival season

On a beautifully sunny & cloudless Good Friday evening we make our way for the short journey through Lincolnshire to this years first of four Alchemy Festivals. The Easter edition has had its capacity limited to just 500 people & is a sell out, after the previous two festivals success there was no reason to doubt this would sell out too. On arrival at the site near Tattershall we are met at our camper van & given our wrist bands, as we are in a campervan we are staying in the living vehicle field which is equipped with four portaloos & a stand pipe. I must mention the excellent toilet facilities which where kept immaculate all weekend & fully stocked with sanitizer & hand towels.

We made our way to the main event field & the first thing we notice is the field only has one outside stage, a small dance tent & only stalls down one side of the field as opposed to both sides & an island last time. The stalls where limited to a couple of clothing & festival paraphernalia type stalls. The Kaplick Stage seemed to have difficulties with actually putting bands on so we stuck with the dance tent for the night & then went for a warm around the large fire in the main arena, very cosy…

Saturday morning & the sun still shining & the temperature getting hotter, the radio weather person tell's us this has been the hottest & driest April since records began, if we can keep this up for the rest if the summer then 2011 could be a special year in deed. We make our way to the Kaplick Stage & Deferred Sucess are supposed to be playing but on stage is the soulful wistful Ruth whose summery acoustic tunes go down a treat with the sunny Saturday afternoon. The stage already running an hour late finally hosts one of my favourite discoveries of 2010 Deferred Success, for those that don’t know it seems you don't fail exams at school anymore your success is deferred hence how the band gets it name & how apt it is with politically incorrect tunes making up the set list. Personal favourite 'Razorlight Are Shite' seems to be popular with the small gathered crowd already, with one member of the crowd asking for their opinion on Razorlight… Never one to turn their act into interest they introduce bass player Chi who approached the lead singer last night asking if he could play with them, so the 13 year old Chi gets on stage & joins in. Keeping the everyone joining in atmosphere, various instruments are handed out to the crowd, so a noise consisting of tambourines, bongos, rattles & maracas can be heard around the festival arena. After much banging of the bongos we decide to enjoy some sunshine & have some tea.

During tea a thunder storm breaks out & the campsite seems to be full of people sat around watching & enjoying the thunder & lightning, thankfully the rain stays away, but the extra show is enjoyed by everyone. After tea we make our way back to catch Lapis Lazuli who are now running ninety minutes late on the Kaplick Stage & they seemed to take an age to set up, as we duly wait the expectation levels are high but oh are we disappointed, with their prog rock jazz fused instrumentals I pondered for some more lightning shows, but to no avail, a short pwer cut cuts the stage lighting but not the bands over self indulgent prog sounds... We head of for the dance tent to finish the night off.

Sunday & the sunshine is just as good as the Saturday. We make our way to the arena where I see the most bizarre sight, I cannot work out whether it is a band on stage or if it is a musical play group, but no it turns out it is the first band on today & already the stage is running an hour late. So the first band BelleBlue comprise a guy on bongo, female lead singer sat on the stage floor with 8 bit keys & a bearded guy with electric guitar holding a baby, yes a baby & to the stage right are two young girls who dance throughout the set.

The lead singer tinkles the keys in Kate Nash kind of way but her voice is oh so gentle & the songs are more like poems with a gentle twang of guitar the whole thing is fascinating to watch & I hve to pinch myself that this is really happening, in between songs they decide between them what song they will do next in between passing the baby around to quieten her up, like I say fascinating stuff & truly truly enjoyable. We go of to sample some of what Alchemy has to offer & have a go at the wood turning, we also have a go at the knitting tent & finally try to learn some circus skills. We then head back to the stage to catch some B&H who disappoint with their indy cum metal sounds. With work calling on the Monday we call it a day & head home.

Compared to the September Alchemy Festival we did feel there was very little to do this time around & the music was a little disappointing, however with the weather being what it was, made up for a good weekend away in a field with like minded people who no doubt we will all bump into again in September. When the entertainment should be more substantial & the crowds bigger.

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