a very enjoyable day with a laid back atmosphere

Splendour 2019

Saturday 20th July 2019
Wollaton Park, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG8 2AE, England MAP
£51.50 - sold out

Daily capacity: 25,000

This was my first visit to Splendour and I couldn’t help but be impressed by the location. Set in beautiful parkland with a backdrop of Elizabethan mansion, Wollaton Hall overlooking the arena, the site was something special. Arriving in the arena I was struck by something strange. The land sloped gently toward the main stage but the incline became steeper at the rear as it rose up a hill toward the mansion. It was around 1.15 and the arena was filling, yet there was only a small knot of people in front of the stage: most were heading for the hill at the back. It was only later that the logic of this was revealed.

First act of the day for me was Barns Courtney; fairly simplistic rock music with choruses and backing vocals, nothing outstanding musically, but they were a really impressive live band with a great stage presence. I’d planned to take a few photos and then head elsewhere but stayed to watch the whole set. They proved to be one of the highlights of the day. Slow Readers Club followed; a Manchester band with a Manchester sound but vocals that sound uncannily like Tom Smith of Editors. It’s the third time I’ve seen them this summer and they’re beginning to grow on me. As usual their hardcore fans chanting, “Readers, Readers” between each song were there at the front. Unfortunately the band didn’t seem to make much impression on the majority of the audience.

Splendour was billed as a family festival and it certainly was. I’ve never attended an event before where so many people brought deckchairs and picnic hampers: My first deckchair festival! The compere on the main stage repeatedly informed us that this year was the biggest Splendour ever and the biggest music event in Nottingham this century. The event was sold out and he kept telling us that there were 25,000 plus present. I would estimate the figure as significantly more than 25k but it could be that the thousands of deckchairs took up more space and made the crowd seem larger.

It soon became apparent why many of the early arrivals headed for the hill at the back of the arena. This was the designated deckchair zone. Unfortunately there were so many deckchairs that their presence spread further and further toward the front as the crowd grew. There were signs requesting, “No chairs beyond this point” but these were increasingly being ignored and there wasn’t enough security in place to enforce the rule. In reality there was no more space at the back for deckchairs and people had nowhere else to go. As a result the arena became very crowded and increasingly difficult to move around. As the day progressed and more of the audience began to stand it also became a health and safety issue; something that the organisers need to resolve if they put together a lineup that attracts so many people in the future. I’m unaware of any incidents or injuries and the atmosphere throughout the day was pleasant and upbeat. It’s just that the potential for harm was there.

Many of those who brought chairs and hampers also brought umbrellas; not something that I particularly appreciate at festivals as it hinders viewing but for once I was envious. The first couple of hours of the day were plagued by torrential downpours and there was little shelter available at the venue.

Next to grace the main stage was Louisa, an artist who meant nothing to me but who apparently won X Factor a couple of years ago. The middle aged “Readers” fans at the front were replaced by young women and teenage girls who sang along to her songs. Louisa delivered a short set accompanied by backing singers and backing tapes. To me, it sounded like fairly generic pop music but she certainly had a good voice and stage presence and went down well with those at the front.

Louisa

Rag ‘n Bone Man followed, drawing the biggest audience of the day and probably the best response. I’d seen him a couple of years ago and thought he had a great voice and a couple of impressive songs in “Skin” and “Human” but the rest of his material all sounded too similar. I was looking forward to seeing how he had progressed. Unfortunately he hadn’t. Playing a set still based around the Human album, the same two songs stood out with only a couple of new additions. Perhaps his future lies in more collaborations like his Calvin Harris effort or maybe he should hire songwriters as Liam Gallagher has done. Such a great voice is crying out for good material to sing.

The second “Confetti” stage brought us The Coronas and The Rifles during the afternoon, both fairly standard indie fare although The Rifles drew a large crowd and went down well; it’s apparently their third appearance at Splendour. Ash followed and for me were a real disappointment. I’d been looking forward to them and the energy that they invariably bring to their live shows. What we got was an exercise in lethargy with a band seemingly going through the motions. In complete contrast, All Saints were thoroughly enjoyable. We were treated to a predictable run through of their 1990’s hits with a brief excursion into their 2016 reunion album. The songs were familiar and pleasant but what stood out was the approach. In complete contrast to Ash, All Saints were laughing, smiling and thoroughly enjoying themselves playing on a stage. Their performance brought a huge crowd to the Confetti Stage and a well-deserved rapturous reception.

All Saints

A proportion of the crowd seemed to have been drawn by the more pop elements of Rag ‘n Bone Man and All Saints as numbers seemed to thin after their performances although this also could have also been due to families taking young children home to bed. Whatever the reasons it helped to ease pressure on the over long queues for toilets.

Away from the music there was a fairly typical array of stalls selling food, independent clothing and jewellery outlets and a funfair with rides catering for both adults and children. Bars operated a token system which seemed to function efficiently with typical festival prices. There were a few taps for water which became necessary as the day wore on and torrential rain made way for warm sunshine. I did take exception though to the price of water at £2.50 for a small bottle but something I needed to access the free tap water.

The evening brought impressive performances by The Specials and Manic Street Preachers. The Specials came first, mixing classics from their late 70’s / early 80’s heyday with some outstanding politically charged material from their recent Encore album like, “Vote for me,” “Embarrassed by you” and “10 Commandments” with Saffiyah Khan taking to the crowd. Such a pity though that they couldn’t find space in their 70 minute set for “Ghost Town.”

The Manics took to the stage to great applause, pausing before playing to commend the crowd and warning that, “It’s going to be a hard act to follow The Specials but we’ll do our best.” But of course they did! After opening with “Motorcycle Emptiness” they paused again to ask, “How many of you are from the 90’s? Huge applause brought a response of, “Well we’re a 90’s band.” They then proceeded to deliver 90 minute set focusing chiefly on classics from that decade with material from the recently re-issued Tell me the Truth album predominant. Before they’d finished, the ever popular Theme from Mash and Guns ‘n Roses, “Sweet Child o mine” had also been aired before bringing the set to a tumultuous close with, “A design for life.” I never tire of watching the Manics, but for me, Saturday night’s performance was probably the most enjoyable I’ve witnessed for over a decade.

Manic Street Preachers

So, my first Splendour was over. It had been a very enjoyable day with a laid back atmosphere which was brought to life with great evening performances by The Specials and The Manics. However, the organisers really do need to have strategies in place to deal with the deckchair issue and add more toilets if they hope to attract so many people to future editions.

review by: Trevor Eales

photos by: Trevor Eales