With every Deer Shed Festival comes much anticipation. Upon arrival at Deer Shed the programme and lanyard teases the following years festival and tickets are on sale from September. A bulk of the line up is announced early in the year (sometimes in December), a massive spotify playlist is created and the kids begin to imagine the delights on offer.
DS10 was our 5th year. We go as three families with Sarah joining Andrew & his kids for the first time, which was lovely. You can find an extensive review of DS9 and DS8 by clicking those hyperlinks. Acts seen and the odd photo of DS7 and DS6 can also be found with a click or two (as can other reviews of gigs by clicking links throughout).
2019 was the 10th anniversary of this amazing festival and, for the first time, the standard festival ticket included Sunday night headliners and camping.
It’s almost without fail that we keep our fingers crossed for a music line up that meets our tastes. It’s a regular fact that we won’t know that many acts in advance. It’s also a guarantee that we’ll leave loving many new artists and bands. There’s loads of music that I listen to now that I wouldn’t have come across if it hadn’t been for this festival.
This year, I’ll start my review with the music.
Friday
RedFaces kicked off the main stage in style. I’d seen this band recently and so was pretty familiar with them. It seems highly unlikely, after this performance, that this will be my last interaction with this band. The kids had a blast watching them.
I watched some Gently Tender, from a distance as I took on board some food. Next up was a move to the In The Dock stage for one of my surprise highlights. Self Esteem were absolutely awesome. Loved it. A very chilled set from the ever-dry John Bramwell, on the newly styled Pallet Stage, followed.
The business end of the evening arrived with one of my most anticipated acts; The Slow Readers Club. They were brilliant in a packed and raptured In The Dock tent. Powering through tracks from all three of their albums in their own intense style warmed everyone up nicely for Anna Calvi.
The first headliner of the weekend was the supremely talented Anna Calvi. Guitars were shredded.
There was an original intention to catch a fireside performance in the woods from John Bramwell, but a busy first day meant that our tent was calling. The lovely sounds of a crowd enjoying a “silent” disco serenaded us into the night.
Saturday
For a number of reasons, I only strayed twice from the main stage on the Saturday. Activities, biblical rain and a good line up were the main factors.
My youngest daughter, Erin, dictated my first musical act of the day as she’d picked out Adult Mom from our playlist. A chilled half our at the Pallet Stage provided a calming start to the musical day.
Tom Williams and BC Camplight provided some excellent early afternoon entertainment, as we spotted the main stage deer had found an umbrella overnight.
Our final trip away from the main stage came with my first (and oddly last) trip to the Lodge Stage. The excellent Flyte were performing with added Staves.
We then bounced to Gruff Rhys, who had some excellent stage signs.
The rain, at this stage, had well and truly set in. Another eagerly anticipated act were on next; Sunflower Bean. The were brilliant. I was on the side of the stage of the keyboard player and he was compelling to watch throughout.
Some of the kids even got to meet Julia Cumming…
The rain didn’t stop anyone’s enjoyment of this great set, but it sure cleared the crowd immediately after. The Deer’s umbrella made it clear to everyone what had happened to the weather.
The rain sent the 12 of us back to our tent and the kids and partners decided they weren’t moving from there. The left Andrew, Ste and I to get changed into something dry (temporarily!) and head back to the main stage for the Saturday headliners; Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. I thought they were outstanding. Really tight set. I learned two things; they are Australian and they have three frontmen. They took the best headliner award in my book and I was left with the idea that I’d have a vinyl purchase in the future.
The night didn’t end there, as Ste and I headed to see some comedy at The Big Top (in a Deer Shed first for us). Reginald D Hunter made us laugh before we took on board another swift pint and called it a night. The paths were definitely showing the impact of the rain. The Deer Shed crew did an incredible job of minimising the impact of this on the weekend.
Sunday
A normal Sunday morning at DSF has me packing away the tent as Clare entertains the kids. It was great that this was a more relaxed affair, meaning I could relax into a final enjoyable day.
We saw every act on the main stage. You Tell Me opened up before I headed to see the excellent Callum Pitt for my final Pallet Stage viewing. Laurel was on the main stage after that for a really entertaining set.
Pip Blom and Palace followed before we headed to see the tremendous She Drew The Gun, In The Dock.
Steve Mason then provided a good set, before Ezra Furman closed the final night.
Amy & Clare even got to meet the man himself, although only Amy got the picture to prove it…
Music done. My highlights of the weekend were as follows; Sunflower Bean, Callum Pitt, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The Slow Readers Club, Self Esteem, Flyte and RedFaces.
All the other stuff
I say every year, that it’s not just about the music. There’s so much else to do and the layout of the festival has now improved so much that everything is easy to get to and it’s very difficult for the kids to get lost. We did / watched; tree-climbing, drift wood painting, Omni instructing, ink press, archery battle, wrestling, rubiks cubes, giant pinball, slime making, computer death battle and lots more besides.
Death Battle!
The kids loved it.
We loved it.
We found time for drinks.
We found photo frames…but wished after that we’d taken one in all.
We bumped into old friends.
We took photos our standard photos with the best of friends.
Here’s to Deer Shed 11. Thank you.
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