22-12-2009Live reviews - Guilfest

Fun, Fun, Fun with Brian Wilson and er..... Lemmy!

Having booked my ticket for Guilfest many months ago I was instantly drawn to the festival by my one pop pleasure; the ultimate legend that is Brian Wilson the master mind and musical genius behind 60's superstar's The Beach Boys and after witnessing a triumphant return to form in 2007 with his Lucky Old Sun tour the chance of seeing his greatest hits roll into the capital was too much to miss. Top that off with the chance to see Motorhead for the very first time and our local hero's the Happy Mondays headlining the Sunday there was plenty of entertainment to be had. Setting off on the long journey down the M6 and culminating in a well timed nap through the M25 traffic (the benefits on not being the designated driver) and we pulled into Stoke Park for Guilfest.

I noticed a few things straight away, the camping was on a much smaller level that any festival I had previously attended but with such a range of acts on each day it was unsurprising that they mad the majority of their ticket sales in day passes. The fun filled family orientated event appears as a showcase for the town of Guildford and a bloody good one at that. The close proximity of the venue to the main centre of Guildford meant that they work to the local, and well present amenities were about as far as a walk from the Leeds campsites to the main stage. This meant numerous McDonald's breakfasts, a trip to The Star in where previous Rocksnail cover stars played their first ever gig and meeting a friend who now resides in Guildford made this a totally different preposition to anything else I had ever attended.

FRIDAY
So after pitching camp in the as then unmarked disabled area we proceeded to drink our way into Friday morning before eventually settling down in eager anticipation for the coming day. An 'All Metal' tribute to the Bee Gee's kicked off the day in timely fashion and the band wowed crowds with their unusual take on the pop songs from the men with (apparently) no nutsacks. Another act that enlightened the day was Twin Atlantic making waves at the moment and performing on the Rocksound cave. The cave was the place where all the youngsters got away from their parents who were over at the main stage and they were eager to take the freedom and run it wild in the form of moshpits. Outcry Collective were also another act who stood out from the cave and they tore into a set mainly consisting of new songs from the albums articles. I caught the band because I was there to see Your Demise although they unfortunately had to pull out of the festivities.
This month's cover stars The Wildhearts front man Ginger took to the main stage for a solo performance that holds more straight up rock than the more diverse nature of The Wildhearts. Battling with bad weather and wind didn't help sounds but when it was there it was hugely entertaining. The Strangler's took the stage next and being the hometown hero's once formerly known as 'The Guildford Stranglers' gave them instant appeal. They sounded tight and as they played through a set littered with classics they became easily the best band of the day so far, the likes of 'Peaches' 'No More Heroes' and signature classic 'Golden Brown' stirred the cockney punks to a rapturous applause.

As the daylight faded the nights main acts were due onstage and they didn't keep the fans waiting for long. Motorhead, the loudest three piece in the world as they refer to themselves, took place at the front of the stage, looked out over a rainy sky and welcomed everyone before launching hell for leather into classics from throughout their time in a set that was full of everything you wanted to hear as a Motorhead Fan. After a quasi rockstar moment where Lemmy threatened to go off stage if anything else hit his whilst he played (something about losing an eye) the crowd seemed somewhat stuttered in how to react. I think it was just the man with the mole's own way of imparting his renowned dry sense of humour. More things flew and the band didn't leave so all was well. 'Another Day In Heaven' and epic guitar and drum solo's served to highlight the individual members own importance showing that Motorhead should in no way be perceived as the Lemmy show. He rages about politics, gives a big 'Fuck You' to Gordon Brown before the dancers come out and entertain everyone. With old guitarist Wurzel joining them to beef up for the likes of 'The Ace Of Spades' and 'Overkill' and then ending the night on 'Motorhead.' I headed back to the tent my head buzzing from the beer and the overdriven guitars, falling asleep in awe of what I had just witnessed.

SATURDAY
It seems many men in the audience had seen the same picture in the festival guide of the Dolly Rockers and as we headed to the main stage for what was nothing more than a bit of eye candy and light entertainment the pop trio did their best to dance their way through the set, musically it's probably best if I don't pass judgement. Then it was all about the tents where I witnessed some of the greatest acoustic displays, in the acoustic tent of course. This was the festivals biggest draw to me, the ability to see a range of people whom would never have before come to my attention. On band that sticks out was Redwood in the acoustic tents, all of the members must have said their prayers because as they were about to play the rain lashed down and they gained easily the biggest audience of the weekend in that particular tent. They had the songs to match and as such went down an absolute treat and I watched as fivers were exchanged throughout for CD's.

Manchester's The Charlatan's gave us some well needed local voices and they drew a large crowd of obviously well entertained punters. Culminating their set in 'The Only One I Know' the band were showcasing why they have always been there or there about during the tenure as post punk rockers.

Then it was all about one man, Brian Wilson the guy who made music what it is today, arguably. Performing tracks with his fantastic backing band he tore through hits such as Fun Fun Fun, California Girls, God Only Knows and Dance Dance. Perhaps the one thing that makes Mr Wilson so appealing still is that as a composer he knows exactly what he can and can't do and as such has constructed a band that can present the songs in the nearest form to their original glory whilst still being a totally active member. It was heart-warming and drew a smile to the faces of everyone in the rain soaked field and by far a worthy end to another great day. Slinking over to the dance tent to catch the end of Pendulum's DJ set we danced into the early hours aided and abetted by copious amounts of booze.

SUNDAY
Sunday began in the most unusual way for a festival day, team Rocksnail took a trip to the water park literally two minutes away from the camp site and spent the morning on diving boards, waterslides and wave pools getting a much needed wash at the same time. It was such a luxury to have this in such close proximity to the site and set us up for the final day of festivities. Goldie Looking Chain went for the fun and it must have made all the parents there with their youngsters feel very awkward, all good natured but still awkward all the same. The Wailers livened the mood with the reggae infused classics such as 'One Love' 'I Shot The Sheriff' and the timeless classic 'Buffalo Soldiers' even a Michael Jackson tribute appeared and was sung with excellent range.

Over to the rocksound cave to catch another of our current favourite artists 'The Ghost of A Thousand' did what they are doing all over the UK and played a brand of pure aggressive punk rock that gets the adrenaline running at fever pitch. The Happy Mondays were coming on the main stage so we took our position and waited. Although they played extremely well it was all to easy to notice the reliance on honorary member Bez, as Shaun reluctantly stepped forward only a handful of times and appeared as if he wanted to focus solely on his vocals. Still it was all in good fun and Bez acted like a rappers hype man to close the festival with the dance like a lunatic nature that has made the band, and their fans famed the world over. All in all a fantastic weekend and definitely a wonderful advert for a superb host city!