Bastilles scorching set finishes the sun-baked Blissfields Festival perfectly

Blissfields Festival 2013

Friday 5th to Sunday 7th July 2013
Vicarage Farm, Woodmancott, Winchester, Hants, SO21 3BL, England MAP
£80 for weekend - sold out, only Friday available

Daily capacity: 3,500

This year has seen a lot of change in weather, with most festivals getting at least a sprinkling of rain. Blissfields by contrast was destined to be baked instead, and as the sun rose, so did the temperature, meaning that those who had hoped to sleep off the late night were forced out of even the most airy of tents by 9am.

Those hoping for a quiet start to the day to recover from the previous nights excesses would find no solace in the Bradley Bubble where punk rockers The Flying Alexanders were blasting the cobwebs away from a small but appreciative crowd, while on main stage things were only marginally better as Chloe Howl's sparky Lily Allen-esque pop entertained the crowd. Despite being only 17 years old, she had a naturally commanding presence on the stage that won her a few admirers. No doubt this won’t be the last we’ll hear of her.

Up next was Sam Smith, who I'm informed by those who know these things found fame providing vocals for Disclosure's 2012 hit 'Latch'. His set of soul driven songs brought to mind Simply Red at times – although I can’t decide if that is a good thing or not – the younger members of the crowd obviously knew him and enjoyed singing along to his better known songs. Can’t say it did much for me though.

Escaping the heat of the open stage we sought shelter in the acoustic tent for Charley Macaulay, someone who I've seen several times over the years and come out with mixed feelings each time. Last time she had a full band and was performing songs that she didn't seem entirely comfortable with. This time however stripped down and backed by an acoustic guitar and piano she seemed a lot more at ease with her own material, and delivered a soulful set that showed the strength of her voice off well.

Over the last couple of years the festival has started to bring in tribute acts on a Saturday afternoon, and this year it was the turn of The Silver Beatles to set the crowd going. Kudos had to be given to the John Lennon and Paul McCartney-a-likes for taking to the stage in three piece suit and a sheepskin jacket respectively – sweating profusely as they worked their way through the Beatles back catalogue for a mass sing-along. Matt Corby was also working up a sweat, but not caused by the heat, but by frustration at sound problems that plagued his set. When it worked Corby's set was one of the highlights, with his impassioned rock switching between rousing anthems and a fragility that brought to mind Jeff Buckley.

Away from the music in the games area was an opportunity for those who wanted to earn their way into the after show party by taking part in a mass custard pie fight. For those who didn’t get hot and sticky enough by throwing meringue mix at each other, there was the Dub Pistols on main stage to add sweat to the mix. Given their ubiquitesness at UK festivals I find it hard to believe that no one knows them by now. So if you have seen them please skip to the next paragraph. For the 1% who haven’t seen them, they are one of the ultimate party bands, performing a mix of ska, rap and dance music. Lead by frontman Barry Ashworth who has so much swagger that he makes Mick Jagger seem shy and retiring. Every performance is an anarchic ball of energy that always seems to end too early. This is their fourth time at Blissfields, and judging by their love for the festival it won’t be their last.

In the acoustic tent another Blissfields veteran was taking to the stage, having been given an afternoon to bring his friends along to play, Beans on Toast now finished the show with his own show. Traditionally known for being the posterboy for the festival drug culture, this was an interesting set from Mr Toast, as following several negatively received sets(including his show at last year's Blissfields), he's had a bit of an epiphany, deciding that the drugs were starting to control him rather than the other way round, and as a result given up the drug lifestyle and equally the songs that used to laud it. Sans drugs we got a nervous show from a man who clearly didn't know how his fans would take this new direction. Although typically shambolic – frequently interrupting songs to talk to the crowd, this new clean Beans on Toast was still as charming as ever. Like several artists through the weekend he struggled with the sound bleed form the main stage, meaning he had to abandon a few songs early as he was put off too much to regain his place.

On the main stage after the pleasant, if unassuming indie pop of Theme Park it was time for Bastille to headline the show. Bastille are a band that have broken big over the last few months, and no doubt will shortly be on their way to fill larger venues, as such this is probably the last chance to see them in a smaller environment – something both the audience and the band seemed aware of. Blissfields is a festival that gets under the skin of bands, and Bastille are clearly one of them – there was a sense that lead singer Dan Smith in particular knew this would be the last time they performed here for the next few years, and was determined to give a festival that has always given them a warm welcome a fond farewell. Bastille have a good collection of big anthems, but tonight they seemed that little bit bigger. Highlight of the set had to be the band's encore – starting with a cover of DeBarge’s 'Rythym of the Night' followed by the massive hit 'Pompeii' and a firework display which seemed to underline the glory of a set from a band at the height of their ability.

Although the main stage was over, there was still plenty going on in other corners of the site, and one of the more eagerly awaited sets was that of The D.O.B. – a collaboration between Mike Skinner of The Streets, and Rob Harvey of The Music. Apart those two musicians have both achieved critical success in their respective genres, and so the thought of Skinner's lyrics matched with Harvey's raw rock vocals sound like a match worth checking out. I guess the warning signs should have been in the fact they call themselves a 'project'. Whatever great things they could have done, what we actually got were a collection of fairly uninspiring, radio friendly pop anthems that entirely failed to excite me, or indeed the audience who were leaving in droves after the first few tracks. Having seen the phenomenal set form Bastille it was a bit of a downer on the whole.

Once again Blissfields seems to have struck it lucky, in every way. A great mix of bands and artists, some big names and stars of the future, perfect weather, a great site, fantastic food, reasonably priced beer, just the right atmosphere – even the usually dour and grumpy security guards seem to relax in the face of the charm this festival provides. All told this is a jewel in the UK festival scene, if you haven't been already I urge you to consider putting it on your calendar for next year – but be quick, as it is one of the few festivals that has managed to sell out every year despite the austere times and saturated market – that alone should tell you how good it is.

review by: Steve Collins

photos by: Steve Collins