Stereo MC's, and Dreadzone are as scorching as the weather

A local festival with Dreadzone, Stereo MC's, and Mad Dog Mcrea, we just had to jump in our campervan and head for Plymouth's Volksfest. I was expecting a car show with music, but in fact it was a festival proper, and it opened my eyes to a whole new type of festival.

We arrived as the sun was beginning to set on the Friday of three days of decent music in the sunshine. This festival wasn't just a music festival but a themed festival, the theme being Volkswagens. Now in its second year Volksfest had already sold out, and there were people outside desperate for tickets as we drive into the picturesque tree lined Newnam Park. The site of numerous festivals we've enjoyed over the years.

It's not all campervans though, above the flat arena and and the Clubs parking areas, the spacious hillside flanking the festival is dotted with tents beside cars, and more campervans, dune buggies, Beetles, and Bajas. There's blocks of loos but water points aren't marked and we never find one anywhere near us. Good job I'd filled our water tank at home.

Above the site up a steep incline was the day parking. This weekend coincides with a bigger more boisterous VW event in Cornwall, and looking at those who are enjoying the sun many with their dogs over this weekend, this event attracts mainly families, and older van fans. Those that I spoke to felt the other event is too dance music and 'chav' youth orientated.

Whether it's by design or an accidental mockery of the other event, the festival's own 'Dance Music' tent is a school disco of kids, and the occasional dressed up elephant, pirate or fairy all getting down to the rockin' beats. The second programmed stage is actually never very busy, and doesn't attract a crowd all weekend. Beside it a smaller stage by festival sponsors City College Plymouth, has more live acts and attracts a few casual wanderers.

As we wander around on a warm night in May, we get a feel for the enclosed arena, many of the stalls have closed for the night, so we watch the fire show with 'Flame' and grab a bite to eat from the familiar festival food stalls. Returning to the covered main stage to enjoy the last two acts of the evening, and watch the fun on the centrally placed Bucking Bronco outside, the place is buzzing with people enjoying the music and the night. First up Irish punk folk band Black Friday, with the weekend anthem 'Whiskey In The Jar', and the rather excellent Sex Pistols Experience, delivering all their songs in a replication of the original act, it's an enjoyable end to the night.

A slightly overcast morning greets us the next day, and with no music until noon, it's a chance to sample the delights of festival shopping with a whole new slant, Volkswagens! As we enter the arena we're handed a bag of goodies, programme, car stickers, handy roach material advertising something, a key ring, and more.

The festival tat is based around the car brand, and surf themes also predominate. The large kids area has little ones dashing about everywhere, and there's numerous other festival goers looking at the lovingly converted or restored vans, retro styled items, car parts, festie clothes stalls, and paintings. There's folks getting air brushed tattoos, graffiti painting, trying circus skills, and more.

However for the number of tickets sold, I'm wondering where everyone is, clearly most of the audience opt to hang out all day in their campers or tents, and there's the occasional waft of barbecue along with the suncream. This is a fact backed up by food traders who tell me that their sales are flatlining. Could this be a sign of the credit crunch? It's too early in the season to see, and the fact that many people can self cater in vans distorts the reasons behind it.

The early acts attract sparse crowds in the tent, with many preferring to loll in the sun outside, and enjoy their drinks. It would seem bar taking are also down, in fact the last barrel of ale on Sunday lasts the whole night, and it's clear that the revellers are here on a budget.

All the acts are appealing musically, there's not an act I see all weekend that isn't a fairly decent act. Okay there's a few camped together near us, that are your usual anti-social site trashing self absorbed prats, and in fact their gaggle of trashed fans are more entertaining to watch than the bands. But even though they are musically accomplished, as usual it's kids with no soul or spark, and the only people they entertain are their plastic sunglass wearing fans, the rest of us prefer to rock out to bands with heart in their tunes.

The Saturday night's entertainment suddenly switches gear as the temperature cools, although the tent had filled out earlier for singalong covers by the Belfast Busker, including 'We All Live In A Yellow Campervan'. The evening climaxes with a frenetic jig about to Mad Dog Mcrea, and the mighty Dreadzone, who start late after sound set up problems and still serve up a rich set of new and old classics.

Sunday has not a cloud in the sky, and as the temperature rises, Beetle and camper owners are feverishly polishing their cars ready for today's show and shine. The offroad Bajas fire up their engines and blast up the hill above the campsite for a day of off road challenges. There's a few workshops going on for kids, but it's the display of souped up cars, tricked out vans, immaculate engines, and jaw dropping interiors which take centre stage, and suddenly the arena is busy in the daytime, the compact site is big enough for it not to feel too crowded.

Today has an even better line-up of music with Melosa, getting the legs working with their Devon reggae, and again it's not until the temperature starts to cool that the crowds appear for Circus of Sound. Hazel O'Connor, packs the tent, and The Scribes bring their clever free flow rhymes for the kids, and Stereo MC's, are fantastic getting the whole place jumping with their mix of classic tunes, and are an impressive festival closing headliner. Quality. The whole crowd are swathed in steam as they spill into the cool night air.

Overall the event felt more like a festival than a car show, the ebb and flow of the tide of festival goers took some getting used to, the festival arena was quiet until the sun dropped each day, populated mainly by children enjoying poi, skating, and the kids area. There were workshops on but there seemed to be no clues as to when they were on. There were blackboards at the entrance but these listed the music and not what else was available.


My only other surprise was the lack of real cider, it was billed in the programme, as were cheaper prices of £2 a pint, and the lack of recycling options, bins were few and far between. I was surprised how clean festival goers kept the place without being prompted, apart from some who preferred to trash the place, and nearly broke the litter cleaner who just stood shocked at the sight for sometime on the Monday. We hadn't brought bin liners, and none were handed out on arrival, but the helpful staff at the box office soon furnished us with one.

The diverse crowd took some getting used to, the strong music line-up of festival groovers had attracted a high dreadlock count of hardcore festival punters, and alongside them were the owners of smart chrome polished Dubs with their well dressed kids, who were a lot less used to festival life, and a little less relaxed, and keen to stick their kids right in front of the PA stacks. Well done the organisers who provided earplugs, even if some mum's thought them unnecessary. Fortunately the toilets remained in great working order throughout the weekend, and the only real culture shock for them was their surprise at not being allowed to have their little 'uns on the barrier for the headliners.

The terrific little laid back little festival came to a close with light rain on the Monday as we packed and joined the lines of VW campers on the roads out of Plymouth, an impressive convoy of well cared for vintage vehicles, we tagged along for a while sporting our Volkfest sticker in the window, and the first sunburn of the summer. We'd shared a well-organised sunny weekend, in a picturesque location, with good tunes, good entertainment, a real ale or two, and some wonderful dubs to oggle, terrific.

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