Beacons Festival 2014 Highlights
Tom Joy
Set in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales and under some stormy Skipton skies, Beacons Festival once again brought together some of the world’s finest musical talents, arts and unparalleled festival food. Void of all of the mainstream commercialisation of the bigger festivals, another successful year at Heslaker farm, despite Hurricane Bertha’s advances, confirmed Beacons’ status as one of the UK’s best weekenders. Impact saw everything from punk-hop to naked anti-feminists crowd surfing covered in lube. Here are some of the weekend’s best musical highlights:
PINS
Following a slightly squeamish public Q&A with Mancunian cult hero Dave Haslam, the fab four took to the Noisey stage and within the first verse had packed out the tent. Front-lady Faith had earlier warned Haslam “I won’t be standing still, just you wait and see”. Faith wasn’t joking, ending the set standing on the crowd barrier, and then lying in a heap. In a set laden with tracks from their brilliant debut album Girls Like Us, PINS also showcase newer material, slightly more polished and incredibly catchy. Their ability to now leave out earlier hits ‘Shoot You’, ‘Luvu4lyf’ and ‘Eleventh Hour’ shows that the Mancunian four-piece are moving forward, and fast.
Shaun Gordon
Eagulls
As the back end of Hurricane Bertha swept across the Yorkshire Dales, closing stages and leaving destroyed tents in its wake, underground heroes Eagulls closed a successful weekend in the Noisey tent. The hardcore remaining few fought their way into the tent and lapped up the malevolently brilliant post punk sounds from Eagulls’ debut self-titled LP. A rowdy crowd, including one who braved climbing the steep centre pillar and bombing off, roared along to a tighter live set which still keeps the raw animalistic spirit of old. P.s. Two fingers up to the stage manager who wouldn’t let them finish their set, despite demands from the crowd and band alike.
Ben Bentley
The Fall
A suitably weathered Mark E Smith rambles onto the leaky main stage on Sunday evening before their set temporarily falls foul of Bertha’s blustery overtures. In true Smith style he’s not for leaving, turning the amps back on, checking his words and ignoring the stage management’s orders to evacuate. Following a brief logistical change of set and safety, the Manchester legends return with a rip-roaring rendition of Mr Pharmacist to their throng of loyal servants. “Always different’ always the same”.
Ben Bentley
MONEY
Opening their set with an A cappella rendition of Dylan’s ‘Restless Farewell’ and leaving the audience stood captivated in silence; somehow Money’s characteristic purity and innocence seemed captured in the song. If ranking the festival’s performances by atmosphere, Money’s comes at the very top. It was perhaps in the band’s favour they were playing Beacon’s only outdoor stage, at dusk and with just a small enough audience to maintain intimacy. No surprises that it was impossible not to slip away in to their majesty of their set, with the effect of Jamie’s hymnal vocals lain against the blanket of synths.
Shaun Gordon Photography
Jon Hopkins
Standing in an elite group of electronic artists, Hopkins most likely knew that the skill of his performance would lie in playing on the audience’s anticipation as much as the tracks he played. Acting on stage as a master of his craft, his agile hands seemed to slice his equipment when watching him move. Just when the audience thought they may have been satisfied watching Hopkins DJ all night, gigantic, light-up, inflatable, bouncy-balls were projected from the stage in countless amounts. Not that Jon Hopkins’ music isn’t beautiful, but left with a choice between standing and observing or batting gigantic light-up balls away from yourself, defence against bouncy balls comes out top.
Giles Smith
Nai Harvest
Playing Friday afternoon on the Noisey stage and taking the stage name literally, Sheffield duo Nai Harvest ensured everyone was fully awake for the evening’s acts. With a sound similar to the more upbeat 90’s Emo of bands such as Cap’n Jazz, Nai Harvest’s live show offered a chance to become both passionately absorbed as well as tear the place up having a good time. Among others, songs such as ‘I Don’t Even Know’ provided an adequate invitation to move. Bringing with them a group bearing all the traits of a cult fan base it would suggest it’s all too easy to fall for Nai Harvest.
Michael Jamison
Sleaford Mods
The faces on those who were unfamiliar with what Sleaford Mods bring was easily enough to brighten up any rainy Sunday afternoon: shell-shocked. Having seen the Nottz duo play some tiny venues in the Midlands in the past, the Noisey tent was some step up which in turn saw Williamson and Fearn crank up their metropolis of discontent to 11. Tighter than ever, and with unbelievably perfect pronunciation, one of Britain’s most exciting acts rifled through their short sharp shoutalongs; ‘Jolly Fucker’ a weekend highlight.
Shaun Gordon Photography
Action Bronson
New York’s biggest and baddest rapper, Action Bronson, turned up at Heslaker Farm on Friday night to cause some havoc. Filling out the Noisey stage fit to bursting. Bronson commanded from the front looking like a weighty Pope addressing his people from the Vatican, with arguably more blasphemous language. Aided by a notably impressive hypeman, the two made a lethal lyrical combination on stage. Yet lyrics weren’t everything; Bronson delved in to British Pop Music at the end of the show sampling 80’s pop anthems including ‘Come On Eileen’ and ‘Sledgehammer’, igniting wild enthusiasm from audience members more under the influence of alcohol. A man who knows how to rap and how to work a crowd. Sadly nobody got body slammed.
Giles Smith
Keep your eyes peeled for interviews from Beacons with the likes of MONEY, PINS, Sleaford Mods, Indiana, Dusky, Kult Country and more…
Adam Keyworth & Ian Fillingham
Photographers credited, Slider Image by Giles Smith
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