News / / 29.07.14

Farr Festival

Bygrave Woods | 17-20 July

You can tell quite a bit about a festival from its door policy. If they’re hunting for weapons, its probably going to aggy. If they’re searching for narcotics, it’s probably going to be messy. If they’re checking ID…well, you’re probably going to be the oldest person there. But with the festival weather Gods shining brightly on Farr Festival, nestled in the not-so-rolling hills of Hertfordshire, it was no time for dwelling on demographics.

Crack’s afternoon began in earnest when the Alfresco Disco boys handed over to our very own Pardon My French with a summertime Bristol double header that got people off their feet and into the beautiful wooded glade where half the festival’s action took place. Out on the Main Stage, there was a distinct lack of punters for many of the festival’s live acts – so while Cardiff’s Face and Heel deserved a hushed adoring crowd for their subtle, melodic electronic duets, they probably hoped it would be comprised of more than half a dozen people.

An electrical storm filled the skies above the site at about 9pm, which unfortunately meant that the wooded glade – home to the festival’s best-attended and grimiest stage, the Badger Hole – had to be prematurely closed. Some acts were cancelled altogether (Scuba), while others teamed up for back-to-back sets (George Fitzgerald and Midland), but the end result was to herd more people towards fewer stages, which was no bad thing for the crowd camaraderie. Newcomer Rosie Lowe certainly benefited from the influx, and her all-girl live band gave a masterclass in sparse, composed, electronic-pop. Mount Kimbie, bringing their usual gloomy-faced stage presence, disappointingly descended into the self-indulgent aesthetics that sadly have somewhat dogged their transition from first to second album.

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Silliness was the order of the day from that point on, with Optimo and Bicep putting in four hours of disco-based romping. Optimo in particular blew the roof off, teasing the crowd with the instrumental identifying features of classics like Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, only to use them as simply a holding pattern for a new set of mixes. The crowd appreciated the craftsmanship.

Saturday began with Caribou’s now ubiquitous I Can’t Do Without You (we counted four plays at least over the two days) and several pints of restorative Pimms. Six hours of digi-dub later and the cobwebs had finally cleared, although the currently much-hyped Woman’s Hour didn’t really live up to expectations on the main stage, delivering a slightly stilted set to a crowd mostly chatting and facing the other way. Justin Roberston got things moving back in the Badger Hole, gently weaving strands of acid house and electro into the early evening melee. Anticipation was extremely high for Daniel Avery, a DJ who perhaps more than anyone else has gone from zero to hero over the past 12 months. Previous sets that we’ve witnessed have been remarkable: layered ambient textures building into powerful techno plateaus. But his Farr set was strangely disjointed: no flow and no feeling. It was left to Andrew Weatherall to pick up the pace, which he did with aplomb: heads down techno rhythms, spacey overtones and a sense of propulsion that lifted the crowd. There is a reason everyone calls him the don, and as the sun rose again on the Sunday morning scene, the hammered hay bales and haggard faces paid testament to a two-day party that showcased some of best techno, disco and house music around.

It was shame that the handpicked afternoon live acts (in no way just warm-ups for the evening DJs) didn’t get more of a look in, but on a weekend when Latitude and Lovebox were pulling London punters in opposite directions, maybe this was to be expected. Either way, the Farr festival organisers – who have grown this party from humble beginnings – should be applauded for putting together a line-up that was dripping in quality.

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farrfestival.co.uk

Words: Adam Corner

@AJCorner

Photography: Theo Cottle

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