21 Aug 2011, Posted by admin in Chris,Thoughts, No Comments. Tagged festival, Review, The Fam

Crunk In The Cowshed

Photo by Tom Horton

Words by Chris

I guess size really doesn’t matter. The first thing that struck me about Standon Calling was how compact it was; it’s tiny, you could probably do a lap of the place in under 10 minutes.  This, however, does not mean it is any less of a festival.  The small size added to the intimacy of the place.  Rather than getting lost in a sea of people like at Glasto,  it’s the sort of festival where you would meet someone on the Friday and carry on bumping into them all weekend. To be fair, that could be a good or bad thing, but either way it was one of the charms of Standon Calling.

One of my favorite spots had to be the swimming pool. Yes, I know, I went all the way to a festival only to lounge by the pool.  But after your tent has turned into a sauna in the morning and after a heavy night of raving there is nothing better than throwing yourself in pool! This festival world would be a much cleaner place if they all invested in one.

The main stage showcased some great acts, and the vibe was always pumping, but for me the place to be was the Cowshed, Standon Calling’s very own club.  The Cowshed did not kick off well into the later hours, but for those who, like me, like their music a little bit faster and a little more repetitive, then this was the place to be. Normally going well into sunrise, it kept all the hardcore partygoers happy. Havana Club Paladar took over the Cowshed on the Sunday and the crowds were going wild to funky Latino beats and  scrumptious mojitos.

There was quite a family feel to the festival and there were great chilled out vibes during the day coupled with the craziness of the nights.  Everyone I talked to there loved this festival, particularly the size.  As the old saying goes, size doesn’t matter, and this little festival certainly punches above its weight.