Public Enemy urge SGP goers to unite to fight the power in Russia and Palestine

The Secret Garden Party 2014

Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th July 2014
Mill Hill Field, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2PH, England MAP
£175 adult weekend (+booking fee) - SOLD OUT

Daily capacity: 32,000

It's an enforced early start on the Saturday due to what can only be described as traumatic conditions inside the tent due to the heat making it utterly unbearable. But that leads to some enforced exploring and we stumble into 'The Artful Badger' woods offering all sorts throughout the weekend including a medication clinic called 'Barefoot Doctor' and 'Masked Meditation.' However, when we came in it was some old dude spinning vinyl, but there was shade and good tunes. That's the ticket first thing this morning thank you very much.

We stroll across and get a dip in the Great Lake, no better way to rejuvenate you after the night before and the hellish morning after. We get out in time for to catch a bit of Morcheeba. The last time I seen them they supported QOTSA and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. A much more suitable bill for them this time around and they work fittingly with the weather with a sun kissed version of 'Let's Dance' proving to be one of the winners of the weekend.

We can just about cope with the heat again and so bask in the sun a little while until the Dub Pistols come on the main stage. The first thing that strikes you is that this is a bunch of seemingly middle edge men in suits but despite their appearance they have stores of youthful energy which ensure their performance is full of gusto. A full band offering that goes beyond a mere boring DJ set, of which there were many this weekend. There sound incorporates reggae; dancehall, punk and electronica into one little neat bag that is their own inimitable one. One of those bands that won't fail to win over new fans whichever festival they do.

The Rhumba Rum Bar has possibly some of the strongest alcohol at the festival with a variety of rums which it would be wise to pace yourself with, the stage is another little delight in a festival full of them with a world music policy that seen many gravitate towards it over the course of the festival.

We get in a good position for Public Enemy, one of the most important if not the most vital hip-hop act of all time. Their particular focus point of hip-hop seems especially poignant when the whole world is seemingly going to shit. Flavor Flav and Chuck D touch upon the issues going down in Russia and Palestine and urge us to unite and come together under music as a way to act against it The two main Public Enemy men have us eating out of their hand with 'Bring the Noise' 'Don't Believe The Hype' and 'Fight The Power' especially going down a treat. Flav and Dj Lord give this own special solos which get the crowd going wild and everyone in Public Enemy seems to have a vital role, except those guys who stand about in military garb doing little else for the whole set. Seriously, what is with those dudes?

We make our way into another bar that seems to be going absolutely loco and with a disproportionate amount of man on man action going down too. Unbeknownst to me we've arrived into SGP's own gay bar that is pretty damn fun and is actually presented as 'ET phone Homo'. How can you not like it? There is some ropey dancing and all sorts going down in arguably the funniest tent of the weekend, we dance the night away in there until the small hours and like most people go to bed well beyond a reasonable hour.