Festival: Beat-Herder

18th – 20th July

The Ribble Valley

9/10

Set amongst Lancashire’s rolling hills over a tropically hot weekend, Beat-Herder was a fantastic and memorable affair.

Upon entrance to the arena, it was immediately clear that this festival was something special. It’s littered with quirks and clever little touches: a system of underground tunnels; a fire pit; a stone circle. But the best part was that 30 minutes after opening a large crowd was already dancing to thumping music. Listening to a remix of ‘Born Slippy’ on a great sound system in a large fort can only be described as good vibes.

Now in its eighth year as a festival, Beathearder originated as the free party ‘Toil Soundsystems’. Thankfully, it has managed to retain a non-corporate atmosphere. Food was cheap and incredibly and there was no limit on alcohol allowed into the arena. Security was relaxed, unobtrusive and even friendly. The punters were of varied age and everyone I met, from Dave the 62 year old pub owner to Kevin the 16 year old festival first timer, were having a whale of a time.  Saturday’s ‘H’ themed fancy dress was met with enthusiasm, with a cracking array of outfits on show.

To be frank, the line up for this festival did not send me running from stage to stage in the hunt for specific acts. Sure, big names such as Hot Since 82 and Eats Everything attracted large crowds, with their breed of house well suited to the festival.  But it was the unknown DJs that I have no chance of remembering that proved to be the most memorable part of the festival. Arriving at a buzzing stage with a view over the Ribble valley after a journey in an underground tunnel typifies the ‘Beats and Barminess’ that the organisers promised and delivered.

By Thomas Bearpark and Ben Glover