The Wickerman Festival 2010
Friday 23rd to Saturday 24th July 2010Kirkcarswell Farm nr. Kirkcudbright, Galloway, Scotland, Scotland MAP
£85 w/e incl camping, teens aged 13-15 £42.50, kids under 13 free
Saturday brought cloud and occasional drizzle, but the Glasgow Gospel Choir more than lifted the spirits. Singing a mixed set of backed and acapella songs from across the spiritual spectrum. This sense of being lifted was carried on in The Solus tent by Scottish two piece Conquering Animal Sound. CAS are almost impossible to categorise. They are certainly an experimental ambient electronica outfit and a bit trip hoppy - imagine Portishead backing Bjork. They generate their own backing loops as they play using voices, a guitar and a multitude of other percussive and musical instruments, so that songs start fairly stripped back building to a full, multi-level soundtrack backing the singer's haunting voice. It was an excellent 40 minutes.
Cleanliness on site was hit and miss through the weekend. Viking Jeff's litter picking crew did sterling work keeping the arena tidy throughout the weekend, though the sight of the disgraceful campsite on Sunday morning must have brought a real sense of despair. You get given bags for rubbish when you arrive. You can easily ask for more. There is no excuse for the absolute squalor some people seemingly like to camp in. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands, of £s of perfectly serviceable equipment - some clearly only used that weekend left behind. The toilets were mainly kept clean, though the campsite toilets were unusable due to a lack of cleaning by Sunday morning. Every urinal was overflowing by Saturday afternoon. And is there a reason why the organisers refuse to signpost water points? Not so you have to buy it in bottles surely?.
The entire site stops for the burning and the huge archer effigy was spectacular when the flames caught. It's difficult to go wrong with big fireworks and the festival put on a spectacular display. Back down on the main stage, an 808 State (DJ set) finished the night off in the arena, although Bass Camp ran 'til 5am again.
Overall, this was a great festival. The organisers' eclectic music policy and an overwhelmingly friendly crowd make it a brilliant way to spend a weekend. Mountain Biking, Grass Boarding, Ice Skating and a popular Kids area means there is something for everyone. Just don't try and separate us from our cash at every turn. And move that bloody bungee ball next year please!
review by: Phil Adcroft
photos by: Willie Macdonald
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