Crack

It’s not often Crack steps away from a festival with an uplifting feeling of satisfaction, usually it takes us days to emerge from my dazed state of fatigue to realise I actually had fun. But with the queues, squalor and agro stripped away, Standon Calling lets you dedicate all your energy to the abundant entertaining diversions on offer.

Without the big budget or sponsorship deals which help the summer festival goliaths sign top acts, Standon organisers showed their savvy for spotting talent by crafting a fantastically diverse line-up which managed to make a UK festival exclusive of Etienne De Crecy’s Beats ‘n’ Cubes show look comfortable alongside Cuban superstars Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club.

Metronomy got everyone in the right state of mind on the Friday by delivering a super tight set on the main stage, showing off the immense quality of the sound system which was consistent throughout the weekend. The samples and high-pitched vocals were artfully balanced, evaporating my feeling of anxiety at having another favourite band ruined by poor festival sound quality.

While the early-nights types were accommodated with supremely peaceful areas to camp, there was plenty going on after hours to keep the rest of us amused. Camp Alcatraz – Standon’s ‘Rave in a Cowshed’ - kept the legs moving into the night with DJs across the weekend working the crowd atop the shed roof. It’s pretty impressive what you can do with some netting and couple lasers.

The organisers also managed to serve up a platter of non-musical pursuits, filling the daytime with dog shows, drunken poets and murder mysteries certainly gave the festival its individual character. Undoubtedly though, Standon’s most unique feature was the swimming pool which not only gave everyone a well deserved mid-festival refresher, but doubled up as a great party area that also featured an underwater disco with different sounds above and below the surface.

Gabby Young and Other Animals were the standout early act on Sunday, laying the big band foundations, which culminated with Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club closing out a job-well-done all round. A classic act stepped in history, which kept Hertfordshire crowd swinging on the last night, they lived up to their well deserved legendary status. All in all, despite the Pool Police showing up on the last (and sunniest) day and the promise of a digital radio for every festival goer not materialising, Standon Calling easily clocked a place on our calendar for next year.

Words: Aaron Willson

http://www.standon-calling.com/

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