Solfest 2024

Solfest, North Lakes Country Park, Cumbria. 22/26-August-2024 

Our previous, and first, Solfest three years ago was our first live music since lockdown happened. It was a delight with sunshine. Last year, which we were due to attend but had to cancel, also had good weather. This year the gods were cruel and delivered rain and high winds.

Sunday 18-August-2024.

We did a pre-visit to Solfest as volunteers to help out a friend of a friend with putting up the Palais de Phonix tent. This was the status as we arrived: poles up and the big top laid out.

The first move was to put in the wall poles at the corners and some at intervals around the edges. Then we crawled under the canvas and did some synchronised heave-ho me hearties on the ropes to haul the ridge poles up into position.

Unfortunately of of the ropes snapped under the strain and a cherry picker had to be brought in to install a replacement. Only afterwards did the crew member reveal that they were not keen on heights so extra kudos to them for stepping into the cradle.

Once the roof was up we put in the rest of the side poles, ratchet strapped them on place and put in the side panels. This was the state when we broke for lunch. We were at the back of the queue for lunch so, as they were nearly done, decided to head off for lunch at home.

So now I can add Roustabout to my CV.

Thursday 22-August-2024.

The weather had been so bad, lots of rain, that Thursday's event was cancelled. The fields were a mud bath and getting crew, equipment and attendees in and out was a nightmare for the organisers.

"URGENT UPDATE
Hi Everyone.
Due to last night’s adverse weather Thursdays Performances are cancelled and at this time we cannot let anyone onto the site.  After assessing the situation we want to pull all our teams together and work on making the site safer for your arrival on Friday instead.
We plan to open Friday at 11am and will be updating further this afternoon if this can happen sooner.
Many of us were up all night ensuring the tents and crew were safe.
We advise anyone who was planning to set off to stay at home and we will be emailing Thursday ticket holders about refunds or roll over Thursday for 2025 after the 2024 event [...]".

To give you an idea of the amount of recent rains, this is a run I went out on that morning. To say the paths were waterlogged would be an understatement!

Everyone agreed that the organisers made the right call albeit a tough one for them to make.

Friday 23-August-2024.

Even with the preparations by the organisers it was slow getting onto the site. We spent two and a half hours inching along the queue to get in. 

We had decided to go for the glamping option and hired a bell tent which turned out to close to the main entrance and also close to where we helped put up the Palais de Phonix.

It was "cosy". The bed took up one half of the tent but we had room for our camping table and two picnic chairs with all our bags in the eaves.

It turned out that the tent we helped put up leaked as it was a bit of a Frankenstein tent with four sections cobbled together from bits of other tents. In the end they had to take it down and rustle up a replacement in short order. The Palais was a 24 hr tent with a variety of acts and DJs some of whom put out thumping beats till 3am - not conducive to a good nights sleep as we were so close.

The skies had cleared even though the ground underfoot was still muddy and slippery. The first band we saw at the main stage were Toploader, best known for their 2000 hit single Dancing in the Moonlight.

The Solway Bar was host to a number of acts. Hardwicke Circus are a local indie rock band who were OK.

The next act were The Baghdaddies who rocked the Kasbah with some very Latin inspired tunes mixed in with Newcastle based folk songs. A lively and enjoyable set.

Back out in the field, on the main stage, we saw Tom Meighan, former front man with Kasabian who put on an excellent set.

Not being night owls we did not stay for the last act as we could still hear them in our tent.

Saturday 23-August-2024.

Saturday morning it was up early despite the sleep deprivation to do Silloth Promenade parkrun. A two lap, out and back course along the promenade in breezy conditions. Mary described it as 50% brutal and the Run Director agreed.

Back to the festival for lunch and a shower. The showers were excellent, nice hot water. We paid for off-peak showers as we were happy to pay less and wait till noon, especially on Saturday as we were doing parkrun in the morning.

Mylittlebrother are another Cumbria band To quote their FB page "Infectious harmony drenched indie-rock from the Cumbrian wilds. Single 'You Know Better' out now!"

The Amy Winehouse Band. Several members of Amy's original backing band with additional members. The singer was good, very similar to Amy (but obviously not as good).

De La Soul were good but we had done enough standing around so we slipped away and listened to the rest of the set from our tent.

The fancy dress suggestion for the festival was Greatest Hits but I saw many more people dressed as pirates. It was as if lots of people looked in their dressing up box and said "All I've got is Jack Sparrow so I'll go as that". You can't go wrong with a pirate outfit.

Sunday 24-August-2024.

A friend of ours is a member of Bjamba Samba / fusion drumming band. They had a slot on the Saturday in the general arena. 

On Sunday they were the opening act on the main stage. As the roadies were still setting up equipment they performed an energetic set on the ground in front of the stage. All still smiling and obviously having a good time despite the wind and the rain. The people who braved the weather to watch must have been family and friends. Still the band outnumbered the audience.

We then went back to the tent for lunch and listened to the rain drumming on the canvas. Looking at the horrendous forecast we decide to bail at that point. We ferried everything back to the car, fortunately not too far, and with the help of a borrowed glamping wheelbarrow managed all in two trips. It was then back off home for a warm bath and a relaxing evening.

It was a tough decision as my nephew, Chris, is a drummer with one of the main stage bands that evening: Dutty Moonshine Big Band. We were so disappointed to miss them. 

In the end the weather was so bad that the management team decided to abandon the main stage and transfer the acts into the tented venues. Presumably the acts scheduled for there got bumped off although I understand that they let the schedule run on a bit to give more bands a chance to perform.

Crap weather notwithstanding we have booked for Solfest 2025 and an off-site cottage so it should be a more relaxing affair. A little bit of a commute but quieter sleep and more civilised than a tent.