With more and more boutique festivals popping up each year, Standon Calling – a 5,000 capacity festival set in the grounds of a 16th century manor house in Hertfordshire – has a lot of competition. This generation of festival goers want much more than just a glorified gig in a field. Thankfully, Standon delivers. Whilst boasting an eclectic, though not exactly cutting edge, lineup, it’s the riotous partying, friendly atmosphere and intimate nature that keep the crowds coming. The convenience is also a big pull. You can’t argue with a festival that is just 40 mins from London, boasts its own heated swimming pool, offers spacious camping close to the action, and a site that you can navigate within a matter of minutes. All this plus enough stages, tents and art installations to keep you more than busy.
The crowd is diverse, ranging from hedonistic Londoners seeking a messy weekend in the country; youngsters venturing to their first festival; to families, drawn by the child-friendly, safe atmosphere. Judging by the number of familiar faces and old friends we bump into along the way, it’s clear that Standon has a loyal following. That the festival continues to improve each year is perhaps one of the reasons why fans return. Previous feedback about crappy food stalls and uninspiring presentation both seem to have been heard by the festival organisers. On the food front, the likes of London gourmet burger joint Byron Burgers made its first appearance, a welcome addition for the meat lovers amongst us. The festival popped on its creative gloves by commissioning street artists to adorn the fences and letting the Heritage Arts Company loose in the forest with an interactive whispering woods installation. However the most colourful thing about Standon has to be the festival goers themselves. Inspired by Standon’s fancy dress theme, which this year was the somewhat vague Journey to the Ends of the Earth, the whole festival becomes awash with colour come Saturday afternoon - a fantastic sight in the shimmering sun.
Friday’s music got off to a slow start. Competent sets were delivered from Brixton funksters The Thirst and alternative folk rockers Mary Epworth & The Jubilee Band, but their draw was not seductive enough to tempt many of the crowd away from setting up camp and firing up the bbqs. It was Norway’s CasioKids who really kicked things off. Their upbeat and slightly twee synth-pop provided an ideal backdrop for sunset. With hands in the air, and the crowd joyfully bouncing, it set the tone perfectly for the weekend ahead.
Things stepped up a notch further with main stage headliner Beardyman, who mixed beatboxing with loop pedals and an array of effects pads. He had the crowd raving from the first note and trounced my initial skepticism that a beatboxer would struggle to pull off a headline set. Deftly taking the crowd on a musical journey through hip hop, breakbeat and drum & bass Beardyman also treated us to some theatre, with impressive lights and some whacky costumed dancers.
Friday night’s main stage exploits ended on a high and the crowd practically danced all the way to the after hours entertainment. After midnight, Standon is all about the DJ’s, with the infamous Cowshed and the Meantime Discovery Stage (a new addition focusing on all things bass-heavy) showcasing eclectic sets from the likes of The Nextmen, Toddla T, Shy FX and the almighty Julio Bashmore. Before we knew it, daylight was creeping in and all that remained was a chill by the bonfire - the perfect end to a perfect first evening.
A brief downpour on Saturday afternoon led us to the Salon, a covered bar hosting cultural speakers on topics ranging from lessons in origami to a virtual autopsy (not as gory as it sounds). After catching the end of a lecture on the history of booze (very apt) we were introduced to the next act: “did you know that 1 in 100 of your friends are functioning psychopaths? Author and forensic psychologist Kerry will explain exactly how to spot that highly functioning psychopath in your life…..” Concerned to ensure my secret remained as such and with the rain easing outside I tempted my friends to skip it and head back to the main stage. A decision which proved very popular when King Charles erupted on the stage with his contagious, 80s-tinged pop - kind of like Adam Ant meets Buddy Holly. The ever increasing crowd danced in the sun and hummings of his cover of Billy Joel’s “We didn’t start the Fire” could be heard well after he abandoned an audience seeking “one more!”.
As the evening draws in, Breton take over the Cowshed with a set that is urgent and direct. Mixing layered synths, with math rock guitars and the occasional hip hop drum loop, the result is best described as intelligent sounding art rock. There’s definitely a hint of Foals in there, but the crowd is certainly not complaining. On the main stage, headliners Death in Vegas seem misplaced. Their set is moody, atmospheric and competent but is for many an unwelcome slowing of pace after the energy fueled set of !!! (Chk Chk Chk), which had whipped the crowd into a frenzy just moments before and cemented their place as a festival highlight.
Sunday moves at a more leisurely pace, with Willy Mason’s wonderfully intimate afternoon set perfectly placed for a lazy contemplative sundowner. Fans of the blues-tinged country folk singer were treated to a rare privilege as a result of his allocation to a stage far more modest than his credentials. Festival stalwarts Gabby Young and Other Animals and Dub Pistols kept the crowd entertained at the main stage before evening fell and Fat Freddys Drop closed the festival with a solid set of dubby groves and some rather special dancing courtesy of one band member sporting on yellow Kappa jumpsuit. We were not laughing at him as he pranced across the stage, we were laughing with him and that is Standon all over. It’s a festival of friends. Perhaps this vibe has something to do with its origins – the festival started with just 25 mates, a swimming pool, a set of decks and a birthday BBQ – it really does feel like an extended house party and one i’ll be sure to drag a few more friends along to next year.
Published on 08 August 2012 by Ed
