In the words of Pete Shelley and Shaun Ryder “where are we? Is it Dorchester?” Rhetorical of course but for the second year I did have to contemplate it myself. Iconic bands and musicians in a field just outside Dorset’s county town! Last year we were blown away by The Blockheads and Hugh Cornwall on the main stage. This year it was the Buzzcocks and late on Sunday evening a super set by the Happy Mondays.
There were some changes from 2013. Dance was more the focus this year. The weather was kinder. There were fewer toilets (or at least it appeared that way). There were more people. The stages had moved. An extra day had been added. There was less of a celebrity feel with last year’s chat about the presence of a stag party including comedian Russell Howard a bit tiresome. There was more fancy dress and fewer umbrellas. It felt smoother.
The joy of listening to bands and music that had not been heard before was a common experience from conversations with different people. Although the headliners serve to attract; the less well known are of equal importance once the festival begins. There were three stages: the Main; the Garden and the Curiosity. Unfortunately we missed the excellent Sketchy Dog who opened the Curiosity on the Sunday. A local band, we last saw them earlier in the summer at a ‘Stop the Badger Cull’ demo in Dorchester. In fact although we could hear the music… emanating from the stages we decided to wander more this year and absorb the vibe (after all ‘It’s the vibe’). In fact, the only sets that we watched in their entirety were later evening.
Whilst taking in Glen Matlock and his band we met up with Christine who had ticket 001. This was also her first festival and what better place to start (and possibly finish).
The last time she had seen Glen was at a Sex Pistols reunion at Finsbury Park back in the 1990’s. We also talked with an experienced festival going couple who were having a great time. Reading is next. We did hear a few complaints about the security as we circulated but given their instructions we found them reasonable and fair. The toilets got clogged on the Saturday and it was agreed that signs relating to the non use of wet wipes… might be a good idea for the future. Also at least double the number next time please. There was a lot of uncollected rubbish around the site which was at best unhygienic. The site and vendor staff were generally friendly and chatty and given the open spaces everyone came across as relaxed and in good spirits.
Professor Elemental & guests played to a packed Curiosity tent and judging by the reaction, a weekend highlight.
More sedate over in the Garden tent on the Saturday Gaz Brookfield played a great set.
Contrary to post festival rumours that Toploader played to only forty people it was more like a couple of hundred,
Given the peripatetic nature of our 2014 experience at Forever Sun it was the headliners on the main stage that we allowed ourselves the luxury of becoming static. On the Saturday evening following Glen Matlock we watched The Buzzcocks. Following on from ‘Boredom’ at the beginning of the set we did not recognise many for the next half hour. But then the classics exploded and we were treated to the likes of Harmony in My Head; Oh Shit!; Orgasm addict; What Do I Get; Promises and the set stealing Ever Fallen in Love. Stood with a couple of the members of local punk band ‘Nobody’s Heroes’ they were very impressed.
The second half was certainly their salvation with the watching throngs.
The closing band on the main stage were The Happy Mondays. Of all the great music and performances over the weekend this one was the pinnacle. Shaun, Bez, Rowetta and the band were on excellent form. Starting with a Parental Guidance performance they then relinquished this bondage and let loose. Song after song from their late eighties/early nineties zenith; this was indie/dance fusion under a setting sun in Jurassic country.
The classics; Step On; Kinky Afro; 24 Hour Party People; Loose Fit; Hallelujah and on and on until the encore of Wrote for Luck. They equalled The glorious Blockhead performance from last summer. And with Bez orchestrating the rhythm from the front of the stage and also reminding us to kick any political party that supports the bankers where it hurts come 2015 there was also the edge. A band that returned from the drug fuelled brink is now doing itself proud.
The same can be said for Forever Sun. The weather helped but this little festival is going very much in the right direction and as long as it can keep the corporates away it will continue to do so. Keep it up folks!
The Facilitators
