September 20th saw our biggest Willfest yet
From Kevan Garvey:
The Scandinavians have a word for it. Friluftsliv. A cracking scrabble score and an even better concept. It’s about living an outdoor life. Braving the elements, growing a brass-monkey pair. FriluftslivIt, the Northern European equivalent of “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes”. And at the culmination of Willfest 25, headliners SPG, had some of us not even bothering with clothes. The rain so heavy, music so intoxicating, that shirts were thrown into the rain drenched night, total musical ecstasy.
Willfest 25 was ambitious. We moved it from the warm, and welcoming haven, of Jo and Kev’s back garden, to Mapperley Farm. And boy did the move prove fruitful. With Two stages, The Courtyard and Mapperley Field, and add great food, Yoga, and Well-being stalls into the mix, it was simply awesome.
Both stages brought contrast, shifts in energy and vibes. The leafy Courtyard became a temporary trap for both the late summer sun and festival goers. The bar, cobble streets and chilled acoustic music. Parisienne café bar culture in Amber Valley. An accordion playing mime artist would not have made heads swivel. It was theatre for the chill. Until Johnny and the Raindrops brought their fun, energy and anarchic kids entertainment to the party.
Contrast that with the Mapperley field stage. Open, exposed and defiant. It was not bowing broken to the unpredictable late September weather. Gazebos, hay bales and festoon lit, it was all things, to all festival goers. Paradox, Masquerade, I’m Parallel and SPG mirrored the mercurial weather. They were mellow, raw, and chaotic. The music shone through the gathering gloom.
And when our headliners appeared, SPG, the skies finally relented to the doom-laden prophesy of the weather forecasts. The clouds unleashed themselves onto the Mapperley Field Stage. But no-one cared. It added to the atmosphere. Singing, dancing, shirts into the air, all heralded fitting tributes to a wonderful day. A true team effort. And as for friiluftsliv, in those moments of musical bliss, all festival goers became more a little more one with the outdoors and with each other too. Roll on Willfest26
