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<\/figure>\nKendal Calling asks that you \u201cleave nothing behind but memories\u201d and yes it is the\u00a0memories that I have firmly held on to ever since I drove away from the fields the\u00a0morning after it was all over, feeling that it had ended all too soon. \u00a0I could hardly believe\u00a0it would be a whole year before I had the chance to join the other 40,000 people who\u00a0had packed out its fields to do it all again, and it is those memories that will keep me\u00a0going until the summer of 2025 when this festival will celebrate its 20th birthday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are many festivals to choose from across the country if you fancy spending a few\u00a0days camped out under the stars in a field, tempting fate with the weather and enjoying\u00a0music, comedy and a variety of food and drink. So why choose Kendal Calling? And\u00a0what is it about this festival that has seen it grow from a small two-day event in Kendal\u00a0itself, to a four-day convention more than four times its original size in a beautiful deer\u00a0park several miles away from where it all started out? \u00a0<\/p>\n
The festival has hosted bands as big as Blondie, but it also gives a platform for new up-and-coming acts too. I love the fact that everyone who came along this year and all the\u00a0years before it will have had an entirely different experience because there really is\u00a0something for everyone, young and old. With bands and artists old and new, a variety of\u00a0genres, stages \u00a0in the open air, in tents , in fields, in woodland, in the day and also by\u00a0night you are guaranteed to find something you love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I arrived at the festival nice and early having secured a Thursday evening ticket, and I\u00a0cheat as some might say. I stay off site in a log cabin about a mile and a half away, but I\u00a0disclose this information only to persuade anyone who might let camping be the reason\u00a0not to attend a festival, to have a rethink. I find the contrast between the hustle and\u00a0bustle of the fields and a quiet place to lay my head is much needed after a long day\u00a0singing and dancing but I saw many people who loved the camping experience too,\u00a0having BBQs, a few cans of lager or their own parties right by their tents. At Kendal you\u00a0can camp in a variety of fields which caters for those who want to party all night long or\u00a0have a quiet family friendly experience. You can make it whatever you want it to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first thing that struck me as I entered the arena on Thursday evening was how busy\u00a0it was. It didn\u2019t feel like Thursday was an extra night that could be tagged on to your\u00a0weekend ticket, it felt like the start of the main event. As we meandered our way through\u00a0the throng of people I couldn\u2019t help but notice the colours. From the multi-coloured love\u00a0hearts on the flags beside the stage, to the pink and blue material woven into the plaits\u00a0of a girl\u2019s hair, \u00a0the sun was shining and all the colours of the rainbow were on display.\u00a0Paul Heaton headlined the main stage to kick things off and having never seen him\u00a0before I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. I was delighted to be transported back to my\u00a0teenage years and to have the chance to sing along and dance to familiar favourites by\u00a0his former bands, as his set covered not just his own solo material of recent years but\u00a0spanning his entire career including hits by The Housemartins and The Beautiful South\u00a0too. \u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6408-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Abbie Jennings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHaving recently acquired Rianne Downey as a guest singer, I loved the juxtaposition of\u00a0Rianne dressed in country girl attire, and Paul looking like your average Northern bloke\u00a0out for a pint. Their aesthetic difference was fun, but their vocal harmonies and how\u00a0they performed effortlessly together was sublime. If you didn\u2019t know, you could easily\u00a0assume that the two had been making music together for years and their set was\u00a0seamless. The audience was treated to everything from \u201cfish and chip supper\u201d the\u00a0recent single from his forthcoming album The Mighty Several, to Housemartin\u2019s\u00a0favourite \u201chappy hour\u201d as well as multiple hits by The Beautiful South. It was wonderful\u00a0to see so many people singing and dancing along as day turned to night, and as I\u00a0glanced up at the screen I saw many young people belting out the words to songs that\u00a0were released well before they were born. Towards the end of their set, balloons and\u00a0streamers were released into the crowd which gave a real party atmosphere. All-in -all\u00a0Paul Heaton was the perfect act to get Kendal Calling going and he really set the tone for\u00a0all the fun and conviviality that this festival is renowned for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is always a choice to be made at a festival about who to see. Do you take a\u00a0chance on someone new? Do you wander around and see what grabs you or do make\u00a0an itinerary and stick to it? I decided to do all of the above, but my Friday started with\u00a0Popped favourite, Tim Burgess, who every year has his very own stage known as Tim\u00a0Peaks diner. This small and unassuming wooden hut at the far end of the fields has\u00a0played host to many a secret set with appearances from The Libertines, Blossoms and\u00a0Tim himself. The venue is known for promoting grassroots artists and a charity was set\u00a0up called \u201chelp us help bands\u201d which directly supports new artists to help them as they\u00a0start out. I arrived half an hour before Tim was due to be on, knowing that when a\u00a0popular artist plays at Tim Peaks, it is difficult to get in. Turns out, I very nearly didn\u2019 t\u00a0make it. Once the venue fills up, it\u2019s a one out and one in rule and I made it inside just \u00a0in\u00a0time to hear Tim\u2019s set. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Never one for staying the same, ever evolving and reinventing the wheel, Tim played his\u00a0set alongside Helen O Haraf (Dexy\u2019s Midnight Runners) on violin and the RNCM\u00a0orchestra. With Tim on guitar, and the orchestra showcasing violins, flutes and\u00a0saxophones, we were treated to recent solo tracks from Tim such as Sweetheart\u00a0Mercury and Yours. To be as well as stripped back and reworked versions of Charlatans\u00a0classics such as Jesus Hairdo and Impossible, and The Only one I know. You would\u00a0never imagine that the main riff to this popular indie favourite being performed on a\u00a0violin could work, but it really did and the crowd lapped it up readily. \u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6409-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Abbie Jennings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHeading outside for some much-needed fresh air after watching Tim Burgess I waited\u00a0around to catch a Certain Ratio who were performing shortly afterwards. Not wanting to\u00a0take any chances, I made sure I got a good spot to see this legendary Manchester band,\u00a0who despite many line-up changes over the years have been going strong since the\u00a0hacienda days, having \u00a0formed back in 1977. Immediately reminiscent of early 90s\u00a0dance, A certain ratio fuse latin vibes with a hacienda sound making them stand out\u00a0from their peers and yet they still manage to sound fresh and new. They could become\u00a0anyone\u2019s new favourite band as despite having been around so long they have a very\u00a0accessible and catchy sound. They played favourites such as Do the Du and Lucinda\u00a0and dedicated The Big Emotion to the late Denise Johnson, a former member of the\u00a0band and renowned vocalist for the likes of Primal Scream and New Order. It was a\u00a0poignant moment as we all sang along to the words \u201c I won\u2019t stop loving you, I still\u00a0believe in you\u201d as we thought of her. Tim Burgess joined as a guest vocalist on \u201cGood\u00a0together\u201d and they closed their set with Knife slits water which showcased a stunning\u00a0three-part harmony to finish their very special performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Making my way over to The Calling Out Stage, next on my list today was Pip Blom.\u00a0Having \u00a0heard her on BBC Radio 6 I was very excited to see her for the first time. This\u00a0stage was entirely different to Tim Peaks, being a tent decorated with deep blue stars,\u00a0lanterns and sea creatures. I marvelled at the ceiling as I awaited the start of Pip\u2019s set. A\u00a0simple three-piece, Pip Blom and her band were all playing guitar and battled on\u00a0through several technical issues to give a fantastic performance. Their songs are\u00a0infectious and really get under your skin. Often gritty, very rock influenced and drawing\u00a0on genres of grunge, britpop and rock the band did not disappoint despite their sound\u00a0cutting out several times. Keep it together was a highlight for me in the set, a wistful\u00a0number with a wonderfully energetic chorus. \u00a0There\u2019s something special about a band\u00a0who makes you wanna dance without even realising that you\u2019re moving. I would highly\u00a0recommend seeing Pip Blom perform if you ever get the chance. \u00a0<\/p>\n
I finished my day on the main stage watching Noel Gallagher. I have never seen Oasis\u00a0perform live, and up until this point had never seen either Liam or Noel play to a crowd\u00a0either. Unsurprisingly, the arena was packed and the atmosphere expectant. As day\u00a0turned to night the audience swelled as Noel played a succession of his songs from his\u00a0solo ventures such as Pretty Boy and You Know we can\u2019t go back before turning his\u00a0attention to popular Oasis numbers which spanned the band\u2019s career. Even if you\u00a0weren\u2019t necessarily a fan of Noel Gallagher, you couldn\u2019t help but find the audience\u2019s\u00a0enthusiasm of the music infectious, and to see so many people smiling, swaying,\u00a0singing and dancing was as uplifting as it was moving. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Ending his encore with the well-known Indie classic \u201cDon\u2019t look back in anger\u201d it was as\u00a0if every one of the several thousand people who had turned out to see him came alive\u00a0and came together to sing this song. It took me back to a time when I recall the end of\u00a0an evening in a pub, bar or club where people would put their arms around each other\u00a0and fuelled with beer would belt this song out at the top of their voices. It reminded me\u00a0in that moment how powerful music can be and how certain songs can unite people as\u00a0they join in together with their singing. It was a very special way to close Friday evening\u00a0at this year\u2019s Kendal Calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6411-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Nat Argent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOn Saturday morning I was woken up by an Instagram message from a friend attending\u00a0the festival telling me I had to see Andrew Cushin on the main stage. Having no real plan\u00a0for the daytime, I decided to head over and see what the fuss was about. The first thing\u00a0that struck me was that this artist has a very loyal following from his hometown of\u00a0Newcastle. Donning their Newcastle United Tops and singing and waving their hands in\u00a0the air, it was clear that this was a well-loved artist with people who had made the effort\u00a0to come down and show their support. Having toured with the likes of Paul Weller and\u00a0Johnny Marr, and a song produced by Noel Gallagher under his belt, it was no surprise to\u00a0see that Cushin seemed very comfortable up on stage as he performed a solid set of\u00a0well-constructed indie tunes, reminiscent of the britpop days of the 90s and yet with his\u00a0own modern slant. Waiting for the rain was the highlight for me in his set, and \u00a0this was a\u00a0great way to start my \u00a0Saturday. As I wandered away to catch the next act, I felt sure that\u00a0this would not be the last time I stumble across this artist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having secured tickets to The Green Room I took the opportunity between acts to have\u00a0a bit of down time away from the crowds to relax and regroup. Now in its second year,\u00a0this space has expanded since last year and has sofas, deck chairs, its very own coffee\u00a0and food van as well as a bar and an area to get away from the hustle and bustle of the\u00a0festival. The upgrade is worth every penny in my opinion, and your ticket allows you to\u00a0use the posy privy toilets too with much less of a queue than than the various portaloos\u00a0across site. It\u2019s also a fab place to have a dance at the end of the night under twinkling\u00a0lights, giving \u00a0it a \u00a0very relaxed club lounge feel.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6410-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Abbie Jennings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFeeling refreshed, I headed back to the main stage to watch Kate Nash. Having just\u00a0released a new album and been signed to a new label, she played an energetic set of\u00a0hits old and new to a captivated audience. \u00a0Here is an artist who knows how to put on a\u00a0show. Watching her sing, dance, and throw herself around the stage with as much\u00a0energy and dynamism as I think anyone could manage, it was clear to see that Nash is a\u00a0natural performer, born to entertain. Some artists just play their songs, some use\u00a0carefully constructed choreography and others rely on gimmicks. Kate Nash gave 100%\u00a0to every song she sang and spoke to her crowd like they were friends of hers. She had a\u00a0real warmth about her, and seemed so touched when a group of boys held their phones\u00a0up which spelled out the words; \u201cI love you Kate\u201d She even asked a photographer to take\u00a0a picture of it. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout her set, she kept talking to the audience expressing her gratitude and then\u00a0singing happy birthday to a member of the crowd. She alternated between the stage and\u00a0the pit below, making a point of going close up to people and singing just for them, and\u00a0creating a real rapport with us during her set. She invited us all to escape the world\u00a0around us and everything going on; to stand in a field altogether and rejoice in her\u00a0music. Speaking about events across the country in the news lately she said: The\u00a0world\u2019s a fucked up place but you\u2019re all here standing strangers together enjoying music\u00a0and I love that\u201d. \u00a0<\/p>\n
I was never a Kate Nash fan particularly before seeing her today, but I came away with\u00a0so much love and respect for this artist. And there\u2019s no denying that her hits such as\u00a0\u201cfoundations\u201d which she ended her set with are bloody good pop tunes. She exceeded\u00a0my expectations, and I will always remember her candour and warmth that seemed to\u00a0come effortlessly with her performance. \u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6414-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Abbie Jennings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRed Rum Club, a Popped Music favourite, was next on my list. Although I knew the name\u00a0and had seen them on many a bill and gig poster, I had yet to see them play. Having\u00a0gained a steady and loyal following since starting out back in 2016, it is clear to see why\u00a0this Merseyside band are so popular. With instantly likeable and catchy tunes, what sets\u00a0them apart is the many rich layers of instrumentation that they create, with the trumpet\u00a0being the icing on the cake of the real party vibe that swirled around the arena as they\u00a0belted out their hits. I loved that fact that many of their fans had their own brightly\u00a0coloured inflatable trumpets which they waved in the air and pretended to play in time\u00a0to the music. Hearing songs like Angeline and Vanilla, it was made\u00a0clear to me why this was such a popular band. With riffs that can\u2019t help but get you\u00a0moving, I came away with these songs etched in my memory and before I knew what I\u00a0was doing, I had added these songs to my playlist and have been dancing around to\u00a0them ever since. As many bands and artists tend to do, they saved their best song til\u00a0last. Would You Rather Be Lonely closed their set, and is a real heart-wrenching song. I\u2019d\u00a0urge you to take a listen to that right now. If you\u2019ve ever loved an Indie anthem, you\u2019ll\u00a0love this. It is up there with one of the best songs I heard all weekend. \u00a0<\/p>\n
My only must-see band of the day was performing at Tim Peaks diner at 8 o\u2019clock so I\u00a0headed back over sharpish, eager not to miss the start. Mich Dulce and her midnight\u00a0callers started writing songs in lockdown and had just released their first single: \u00a0Love\u00a0could slaughter 1 & 2 a mere two weeks before performing at Kendal calling, their first\u00a0ever festival performance. Having already fallen in love with their dreamy summer-like\u00a0single ahead of seeing their set, I was really looking forward to seeing what they would\u00a0be like playing live. Consisting of six members and fronted by the dynamic Mich Dulce,\u00a0the five members of the band had embraced the high sea\u2019s theme of Kendal\u00a0calling this year and were dressed in sailor outfits, where Mich by contrast was wearing\u00a0a pretty pink dress with flowers in her hair and flowers attached to her microphone. I\u00a0loved the contrast between her and the rest of the band. They looked playful and fun\u00a0and I remember thinking that Mich looked like a woodland fairy, and reminded me of the\u00a0character Tatiana from Shakespeare\u2019s a midsummer nights dream. \u00a0<\/p>\n
As the music began to play, the crowd slowly got bigger and bigger. Whether they were\u00a0lured in by the alluring melodies, or felt enchanted by Mich\u2019s delicate and fairy-like\u00a0movements as she danced across the floor, something captivated them and drew them\u00a0in. The band only played five songs. But in that short space of time they attracted many\u00a0people into Tim Peaks diner, even Tim Burgess himself who couldn\u2019t resist having a\u00a0dance. Perhaps it was the cover of New Order\u2019s \u00a0Age of consent, or perhaps he knows\u00a0the sound of a good band when he hears one. Either way I feel sure that he, along with\u00a0most people who were fortunate enough to catch them fleetlingly, felt the same as I did\u00a0when their short but sweet set came to an end: we were all left wanting more! I don\u2019t\u00a0think is the last we\u2019ll be hearing from this band. Look out for their names on upcoming\u00a0tours and festival bills because you won\u2019t want to miss them.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6412-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Tom Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter I left Tim Peaks it was starting to get dark, so I wandered through Lost Eden to look\u00a0at the wonderful installations and illuminations on display. It was like walking through a\u00a0magical forest with all the bright colours and decorations. This area of dense woodland,\u00a0delicately enhanced by the addition of lanterns, fabrics and lighting offers a beautiful\u00a0addition to the festival and I stayed by the Woodlands Stage to see out my evening with\u00a0The Untold Orchestra, performing songs by Stevie Wonder. \u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s never easy to tell just how busy each stage is going to be, and this time it was jam\u00a0packed full of people in full party mode. The Untold Orchestra have only been going\u00a0since 2019. Inspired by Nina Simone, it is clear to see that the love of soul and jazz is\u00a0very much alive in their performances. Having opened up the festival on Thursday\u00a0performing the sounds of Abba, tonight their Stevie Wonder renditions did not\u00a0disappoint. I could hardly move for the crowds. All of us singing and grooving to \u00a0Superstition, Just enough for the city and Signed, Sealed, Delivered I\u2019m yours to name\u00a0but a few. I feel like there\u2019s nothing this orchestra couldn\u2019t perform. They were extremely\u00a0tight together on stage as musicians but they have a wonderfully laid back and soulful\u00a0vibe about them as well. Leaving the woodlands area to head home for the evening I\u00a0came away realising that they were just as good at getting the party started as they were\u00a0closing the stage for the evening. Definitely worth experiencing the chance to see and\u00a0they were certainly a fabulous addition to Kendal calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6413-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Tom Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOn Sunday morning I awoke blearly-eyed but had planned to get down nice and early \u00a0to\u00a0see Revivalry, a three piece from Cleethorpes. Having formed when they just thirteen\u00a0years old, the now sixteen year olds have been steadily gaining momentum ever since,\u00a0with support slots from the likes of Reverend and The Makers, and a recent record label\u00a0deal under their belts. They walked on stage with all the confidence and swagger of a\u00a0well-established band. I loved them for this. Their genuine appreciation for being there\u00a0and the clear enjoyment they were getting from the opportunity to play the main stage\u00a0was really quite touching and I found myself willing them to do well. I couldn\u2019t help but\u00a0think that at such a young age and playing at a family friendly festival, a band like\u00a0Revivalry could really inspire young kids to want to pick up a guitar, or learn to play the\u00a0drums. I was so grateful for the opportunity to realise this and glad that I had made the\u00a0effort to go and see them, as well as well-established bands that had been going several\u00a0decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was impressed with the way that band worked their crowd, inviting them to join in,\u00a0raise their hands and sing along. When the lead singer came into the audience and sang\u00a0an acoustic version of their song Blue Underground, it was a nice contrast to the indie\u00a0rock sounds that had come from the stage. It seemed clear to me that this young band\u00a0are giving their music everything they\u2019ve got and are gathering pace and critical acclaim\u00a0as they go. With so many Indie Rock guitar bands out there, what makes Revivalry stand\u00a0out from the crowd is the way they perform, getting under the skin and into the hearts of\u00a0those who come across them. I can\u2019t help but wish them well and I feel sure I will see\u00a0them again. Check out The Town on spotify and see what all the fuss is about.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6415-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Tom Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI\u2019d decided I wasn\u2019t going to watch the Lottery Winners this year. Not because I don\u2019t like\u00a0them, and not because I didn\u2019t want to see them, but because I\u2019d written about them\u00a0last year. However, as I searched for a comfy place to perch with the food I had just\u00a0bought, I heard the familiar sound of their songs playing nearby and couldn\u2019t help but\u00a0join my friends to sit and listen. This band are favourites of Kendal Calling having played\u00a0many times, and rotating around all the many stages that the festival has to offer. Last\u00a0year they played the main stage, and this year the crowd spilled out of The Parklands\u00a0tent. What makes the Lottery Winners so special is the stories that they tell with their\u00a0music. If the lyrics don\u2019t give that away, Thom Rylance makes sure he tells you and he is\u00a0every inch the perfect frontman with his unique mix of comedy, heartfelt storytelling and\u00a0raw passion. I loved hearing the story about how they played at 11:30am one year when\u00a0the gates didn\u2019t open til 12pm, and having played the festival most years since 2012,\u00a0these KC veterans never disappoint. If I could only choose one of their songs to listen to,\u00a0it would be Letter to Myself, a unique tune about going back in time and telling your\u00a0younger self to have faith, that everything will be ok. I love this band for that tune if\u00a0nothing else, because it\u2019s such a powerful message. It really resonates with me, and I\u2019ve\u00a0already played it to my kids. It\u2019s such an inspirational tune and it was a delight to hear it\u00a0once more bellowing from the Parklands tent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My Kendal Calling 2024 experience came to an end with Temples, who closed The\u00a0Woodlands Stage. Having bought their debut album and listened to it on repeat at the\u00a0time, I had somehow never seen them live. 10 years on and in the midst of its 10th\u00a0anniversary, the band have been touring the album and it was a delight to hear so many\u00a0of these tunes being played under the stars and surrounded by the enchanting\u00a0woodlands of Lost Eden. This wasn\u2019t just a trip down memory lane however, the band\u00a0have a total of four albums to date, with their latest one Exotico being released just last\u00a0year. With their roots in psychedelia, this Kettering band take you on a mesmerizing\u00a0journey with their live performance, with a wonderful blend of rock, harking back to the\u00a060s but with a fresh new groove of their own. Throughout their set I found myself getting\u00a0lost in the tranquillity and almost meditative nature of their slower tunes such as The\u00a0Golden Throne and having a proper dance to the hit Shelter Song. They ended their set\u00a0with a long swirling instrumental outro which I could have danced to all night. \u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/poppedmusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img_6416-1.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo: Tom Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIt\u2019s hard to describe exactly what it is that makes Kendal calling so special, but it really\u00a0is so much than just the music. It feels every inch like a gathering of like-minded souls,\u00a0having a break from reality and rejoicing together in the vast array of music on offer. The\u00a0atmosphere is always so joyful, whether it be created from children dancing in the mud,\u00a0people singing and dancing, or watching the colourful world go by. \u00a0Every time I sat\u00a0down at a bench I got talking to someone new, and not just polite conversation. It felt\u00a0like whenever I encountered a stranger I made a new friend, whether it be just in that\u00a0moment or whether I\u2019ll see them again next year. I never wait to see who is headlining\u00a0before signing up to Kendal Calling because I know that each year I go I feel more a part\u00a0of something special than I did the year before. I mostly certainly haven\u2019t left my\u00a0memories behind as the festival\u2019s tagline suggests, but rather they will sustain me until\u00a0my next summer in the fields when the 20th anniversary promises to be something very\u00a0special indeed. See you there?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n