No Direction Home - post-festival thoughts...

[killyourtv]

Each to their own...

He did inpsire me to buy another fine real ale though

[Donny Osmond]

Few belated comments.

Firstly, I thought it was an excellent festival. Had hoped it would be a throw back to the early EOTR festivals & it didn't disappoint. We could only afford to do one of EOTR & NDH this year & both Marie & myself have no regrets that we chose NDH. Good site, friendly people, decent bands & good to be able to camp nearer to the car park. Bought early bird tickets for next year without hesitation.

Couple of small constructive criticisms...

- Hope someone learns from the folly of putting the car park entrance at the top of the steep slope on a rainy day. Took us about 2 hours to get into the site on Friday afternoon as people kept getting stuck in the mud - which could have easily been avoided if the entrance had been where they belatedly moved it to on the Saturday.

- Much as I love the likes of Low Anthem & Lanterns on the Lake it would be nice to see a larger proportion of new names on next year's bill. Artists like Trampled By Turtles, John Fullbright, Justin Townes Earle, Jay Farrar, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, Deep Dark Woods, Ramona Falls, Menomena, Will Oldham, Sweet Lights, Goldheart Assembly, Kathleen Edwards & so many more would be perfect at NDH.

[liarliar]

Nice to see Goldheart Assembly get a mention there...

Spoke to the band last year (year before that, perhaps?) and they would love to play at EOTR but felt the organisers believed they were too pop-y. Sofia has denied this so perhaps just a little misunderstanding, eh?

Loved to see them perform at EOTR.

[killyourtv]

- Much as I love the likes of Low Anthem & Lanterns on the Lake it would be nice to see a larger proportion of new names on next year's bill. Artists like Trampled By Turtles, John Fullbright, Justin Townes Earle, Jay Farrar, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, Deep Dark Woods, Ramona Falls, Menomena, Will Oldham, Sweet Lights, Goldheart Assembly, Kathleen Edwards & so many more would be perfect at NDH.

[Better Late...]

Very late getting to this - a house move has meant a longish spell offline. I really enjoyed NDH, and not only for the fact that it was a relief only to have a 2 hour drive to get there instead of the 5+ hours to EotR ! Even though I missed the Friday night (I *should* have moved house that day and by the time it was clear it wasn't going to happen, I was too dispirited to get my act together and esape to NDH instead) and didn't arrive till Saturday lunchtime, I felt I got good value for what I'd paid.I loved the small size, being among those who feel that EotR is verging on getting too large, but agree about the groups of larky teens/post-teens (at both festivals) whose sole purpose in going appears to be to ensure that they are seen and heard (including gallumphing round the family campsite at 4.30am dressed as pirates, calling merrily to one another...) And I agree that there's a time and place for small children, and after 10pm in the thick of amn adult crowd, being indulged by over-fond parents determined to make them the centre of attention for everyone in a considerabe radius, is NOT that time and place.

However, all things considered, a very promising start: I am hugely disappointed that I shan't be able to go next year but am hoping it prospers and will be on again when I can go.