onsdag 15 Sep 2010, 8:41

Fri 10 Sep – End Of The Road Festival
Year Three for me at the Fifth year of End of the Road and yet again I wasn't let down.

The addition of an extra night was inspired (albeit you suffered for it the next morning!) and doubly wonderful with the 'secret' addition of Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan in the much, much improved Tipi Tent. The Tipi was still there and deserving of the moniker, but opening out into a much wider space made it much less squashed - event though it was rammed to capacity most days and nights purely due to the quality of the artists performing.
Even so, loitering outside sipping mulled cider from the new position of the cider bus meant that you could still enjoy the music even if you couldn't get inside.

The food was still top notch and playing the drums with the charming and wonderful chefs from Moorish on Sunday night was a highlight for me. As was the can't-live-without-it breakfast Kedgeree - queuing behind Steven Adams for the same breakfast just brings home how truly lovely and down to earth the ethos of this festival is - the artists mingle with the crowd, camp, share the same food, showers and weather and indeed it was a beautiful moment when my Australian friend was lost for words to find The Low Anthem sitting crossed legged on the floor beside her in the Tipi Tent watching Daniel Lefkowitz.

The Mountain Goats were stand out for me, as were Brakes, Freelance Whales, Smoke Fairies, Singing Adams, Errors and….ah….it actually seems unfair to distinguish any one artist as every stage and area brought new and wonderful music to suit whatever mood you needed - be it jangly guitar, sweet blues, gut-wrenching electronica or stripped down folk.

So after four days of wonderful music I bought my early-bird tickets again and in just the nick of time - selling out in just nine hours just sings testament to the fact this festival touches people in a way others just don't. It has a magic all of its own and that it hasn't changed or morphed into a beast of its success is a credit to Sofia and Simon. Thank you. I hope to be on this road until the very end.