GOOD WEEKEND FESTIVAL

We sent the intrepid, roving photographer (and now reporter!) Hari Deakin to check out the new, Hampshire-based Good Weekend festival. Read what she thought of the debutant event below.

The Good Weekend was just that, a good weekend. Scrap that, a Great Weekend (rename for next year maybe?). A quote from my fellow festival goer, “Music, pint, cheese burger, friends. Heaven.”. Simple. Much like the whole ethos really. All built around one main arena, Good Weekend hosted 2 Stages as well as an impromptu venue, The Bar. Other than the stages there was also a selection of carefully selected local trade stalls including Paella and the compulsory face painting.

The Den was a great venue that played host to bands that came from Winchester to Sweden, well Dalston. Names that we managed to catch were Baby Twin, The Lights, Pippa Marias, and the UBR Competition Winner (that we didn’t catch the name of) that provided an eclectic mix of folk and pop, as well as a cheeky bit of dubstep.

The Main stage provided a great variety of music on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday the focus was on the DJ sets on the main stage. I spent most time up at the Den, but I did catch Hint during the brief deluge at around midnight when everybody took cover. On Saturday however it played host to a number of bands both big and small. Favourites of Saturday were the female fronted Charlie and the Martrys, Kurran and the Wolfnotes, Hot Club de Paris (who got rescheduled so that they could be in bed at a respectable time!), and of course Art Brut. Very quickly it became apparent that this gig was about giving the fans what they wanted. Set lists were scrapped, and at one point Eddie Argos infiltrated the crowd and had everyone squatting on the floor!

I had a quick word with Bryony, part of the Good Weekend Team. Despite looking like she might need a long sleep and/or a drink she still seemed up beat and really pleased with how it had gone. I’m hoping that this is the start of something beautiful, and remember everything has to start small.

STREAM: Art Brut – “Modern Art”
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