10 Tantalising Things Taken From Beat-Herder 2018:
Lancashire’s electronic mecca Beat-Herder has provided some extraordinary gatherings over the past 10 years and 2018 was certainly one of the best. Here are some of the reasons why we’ll certainly be back for more...
1. Orbital
“Is this actually happening to me?” asked an animated late 30 something clinging onto his youth as Orbital dropped Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is A Place On Earth right in the middle of a field next to the A59. Yes it is my friend and what a treat we all had. Satan, Belfast, Chime and Dr Who – hands in the air, the classics were all there. One of the all time top Beat-Herder performances.
2. Paul Taylor’s Secret Gig in the Church
Praise Be – only a few lucky souls were able to squeeze into the Saturday service and watch the master preach from his DJ box. The church is a small, intimate venue on the street and on Saturday night those who were praying for a treat certainly were blessed upon entering the church! All those there danced on pews and worshipped the anthem upon anthem that was expertly mixed by the amazing Paul Taylor. Those who were there weren’t giving up their seats until the sermon was finished. Oh, what a night; the secrecy making it feel even more sacred and magical somehow.
3. Helicopter Rides
At £35 a pop – there is no better place to take your virgin voyage into the Ribble valley skies. There is no better view guaranteed. The summer skies and hot sun contrasted beautifully with the bewitching Pendle Hill. Soaring high in the sky, you circle the Beat Herder festival and feel at one with the world above and the world below.
4. Angie’s Den
Snuggled bizarrely in the depths of the forest ‘Toil Trees’ you will quite literally stumble into the roots of this bar and order your drink like a giant would do. It’s an odd and equally delightful way to refresh oneself and make you feel bigger than you really are. After visiting the magical bar, feel free to dance like a giant amidst the swaying branches and pumping clubland beats.
5. Morcheeba Mastered the Main Stage
Thankfully, in the middle of a massive world tour, Morcheeba found time to grace the main stage of Beat Herder this year. Fans were not disappointed as they swayed and chilled to songs from the 90s to newer material released earlier this year. Their mix of trip hop, rock, folk-rock and downtempo beats made for a perfect gig from the professionals that are Morcheeba.
6. Nightclub Gay Paris
Fancy a game of hide and seek? Within the forest setting of Toil Trees, down a snickety path you happen upon a nightclub with dance floor and outdoor moonlit area too.
The dark and dingy corridor you pass to get through tricks you into thinking you will be disappointed at the end. Absolutely not! The small, square layout leaves out no details. As you dance you will notice all the ornamental decoration and fine details on the walls and shelves such as fluffy tigers and bone china teapots. Leading out from the decking you can sit in wooden seats formed around the base of the trees. Here you can be mellow for a while admiring the fairy lights and glitter which accompany the grand oak trees which were there before you!
7. E is for Fancy Dress...
Fancy dress at Beat Herder never fails to disappoint and this year was no exception. This year the letter chosen from ‘BEAT HERDER’ was ‘E’ and some of the more creative amongst the eggs, Egyptians and Eves were ‘Eddie the Eagle’ and ‘ET’ with ‘boy’ and bike tagging along too. Nothing was too skimpy and nothing was too daring; this is Beat Herder remember.
8. Beyond
Everybody loves a random tunnel – especially when it’s a brand spanking new area in Lancashire’s hedonistic capital. Over the bridge, mind the stream, past the branches and voila – options a plenty as you then have to choose your way out. Plan A – a boudoir of bedlam for the shades on (‘cos my eyes are gone) brigade, plan B – the Boom Box Stereo for the slightly more focussed and plan C – a room full of mirrors for those that simply want to escape into a different dimension.
9. The Balcony
It’s amazing what makes people smile – who would have thought that a balcony with 8 tiny rooms could have been such a hit? It was the making friends and influencing people version of speed dating, just going from room to room as happy as Larry. Also a great place to find cigarette papers if supplies were at zero.
10. Pete Tong in the Toil Trees
They don’t come any bigger than Pete Tong and this was evidenced by the pilgrimage towards the Toil Trees on the Saturday night. To be fair, unless you were Tarzan, you couldn’t get anywhere near the stage as a few thousand members of the Clitheroe Party Squad descended then danced through arguably Britain’s biggest woodland disco. The kids were happy, the wives were happy – everybody was happy.
Published on 01 August 2018 by Duncan and Louise Whittaker
