Situated in the tranquil Raehill Meadows in Dumfries and Galloway, Eden Festival 2015 was all about the sunshine, the eclectic mix of music and a real community spirit amongst festival goers and the staff who work there. Essentially it is one whopping great warm hug.
Eden doesn’t just plonk itself on a bit of land, wreck it and move on. It’s whole ethos is on incorporating the land into the festival, meaning festival goers also had the opportunity to join foraging trails, plant their own flowers and herbs, take part in various workshops including laughter yoga or even build a den in the woodland area. According to their own list of principles and objectives, Eden strives to involve young people and the community to support creativity in an ethical way making for a family friendly atmosphere.
Once the tent was up, first stop was the main stage for Cut Capers, an eight-piece band from Bristol. They were made for the festival scene, with their blend of swing, ska, roots reggae and an element of hip-hop. Playing on the Devorgilla Main Stage, their early evening high energy set got pulses going and feet moving.
After working up a thirst, Rabbies Tavern offered a more traditional ‘old man’s pub’ setting with some delectable drinks courtesy of Thistly Cross Cider and William Bros beers. Over at the Furry Chillum tent, the cocktail bar offered a taste of the exotic while the Tipple Taxi provided Margaritas and questionable dancing. Eden also brought up The Bristol Skipchen and their pay-as-you-feel Rescue Food Ambulance. They are a Real Junk Food Project dedicated to eradicating food waste and marvellous cooks to boot!
Once I had some Dutch courage I braved it down the Helter Skelter – did I mention my fear of heights?! Once back on solid ground, it was time to catch the Monster Ceilidh Band who specialise in traditional folk with a contemporary drum ‘n’ bass sound. They gave an explosive set to which I was able to show off some nifty traditional Scottish dance moves which involved linking arms and spinning round, all very technical I know.
Also to grace the main stage were Bristol based Dub Mafia who are fronted by singer Eva Lazarus. It’s easy to see why they are a popular festival choice with their blend of dubstep, drum ‘n’ bass and world music, they certainly brought the party vibe.
Headlining the first night was a band who hate to be pigeonholed – The Cat Empire. All the way from Oz, the band take influences from various genres including jazz, funk and Latin. Each song differs from the last, but ultimately they are an infectiously happy bunch who just want to see their audience dance, and that they did. In a nutshell watching The Cat Empire is a truly joyous, euphoric experience.
A little wander up to the Lost Disco kept revellers feet moving with scratch master JFB on the decks, followed up by some funk and old school hip-hop courtesy of Featurecast. For those looking for something a bit alternative Swank and Jams were back this year with their eclectic mix of tropical tunes. The boys have established themselves as Eden’s resident DJs and specialise in funky mash-ups with a sprinkling of house, Cumbia and electro-swing.
It wasn’t all music though. There was a workout with Mr Motivator, always a happy face to see at a festival, paint fights, a Drive-In cinema and the Melodrome which welcomed storytelling, spoken word, magic shows and theatre from the likes of We Are Improv. The expansive art collective, Too Much Fun Club were also on hand to paint and play dress up in their fancy dress photo booth. For those who ventured away from the main site the option to go for a dip in the river and let of steam in a makeshift sauna was there to be taken advantage of also.
Now, it wasn’t hard to miss the various members of the Yellow Movement dotted around this year’s Eden Festival. They are an optimistic bunch who like to spread happiness and joy – it’s that simple. A number of bands are part of this creative movement, headed by Colonel Mustard and the Dijon Five. The band took to the main stage with their own unique strand of music which transcends genres. They deal in a bit of social commentary, comedy, rock and disco/dance. The Dijon’s are a true celebration of all things good in this world, and can’t help but put a smile on your face.
Ok, drumroll… the award for favourite festival find goes to Jamie and Shoony! Hailing from Edinburgh, this duo, now a four-piece have made a name for themselves around the city and are well known for their high energy performances. Now fast forward to Eden 2015, the boys played the Furry Chillum tent and brought the crowd indie with an urban punk twist and as another Yellow Movement member, they are free-spirited bastions of joy. Another notable member was Coatbridge based six-piece, Feet of Clay who brought some well-crafted, riff-tastic 90’s rock swagger to proceedings.
The Ghilli Dhu Dance Emporium certainly lived up to its name with a smattering of dance music powered by a bass heavy soundsystem amongst a canopy of colourful palm trees (not real of course!). The tent accommodated DJs from a wide spectrum of dance music, everything from drum ‘n’ bass right up to Soca, electro and techno was covered by Sam Binga, ASBO Disco, Kryptonic Sound Collective, Mungo’s Hi-Fi and Samedia Shebeen.
The Vishnu Lounge offered hammocks and cups of chai tea, and played host to some exciting new discoveries including the mighty impressive looping skills of Beat Box Sax and Edinburgh based Numbers Are Futile who are all about creating atmospheric soundscapes with elements of electronica and haunting vocals.
The two biggest names of the festival Ms Dynamite and Grandmaster Flash played back-to-back on the Saturday night, making for a hip-hop extravaganza. At first I felt slightly sceptical of Ms Dynamite, and what she would add to the evening but those concerns were quickly abated with a performance which was infectiously upbeat, only made better by her incredibly endearing stage presence. Cutting up the stage till the wee hours was Grandmaster Flash with a selection of old school tunes. The award winning DJ stated he could play all night, this was a welcomed notion that if allowed might have caused the soles of my feet to fall off from all that vigorous dancing!
Submotion Orchestra were headliners for the final night. They were the perfect end to the festival with their mellow dub, drum ‘n’ bass sound reminiscent of Massive Attack with a bit of jazz thrown in for good measure. The final night also hosted British DJ Quantic, who played across his impressive body of work – a fusion of funky beats and Columbian influences.
As a relatively small festival it’s not so much the big names that attract people to come along, but the spirit of the event. Eden Festival always has something interesting going on, from circus routines to fire shows and a mix of music genres to enjoy and discover – it’s never a dull moment and is fast becoming one of the UK’s top boutique festivals.