06 June 2015 (gig)
06 June 2015
More party than festival, Vannfest was a collection of friends, family and known locals banded together to swig beer in a space too large. The bonus of this style was seeing children and animals running about the place and smiles everywhere. The downside of such an intimate organisation was the lack of a collective vibe that stems from people coming together for the tunes and beers, as opposed to being part of an already existing friendship group.
Most outstandingly given the size of the get together was the variation in music acts, such as Jinnwoo and Nick and The Sun Machine. The organisers themselves are acoustic guitar wielding singer songwriters, so no doubt this contributed to nabbing some loud acts to fill the stage with.
One of the best points of the festival was the workshops, particularly laughter yoga. The surrounding stalls were also very friendly, with glitter coated children running between jewellery and massage stands in the fields.
The promise of community for change style workshops, however, was unfulfilled. Given the lack of real social awareness as festivals grow in corporate strategy and thus dwindle in any real meaning, this was one of the most enticing aspects of the festival.
Given the fact that the organisers, a couple from London, had thrown the whole debacle together in 3 months, there are certainly going to be many aspects that they’d work toward in the future. The idea of the festival was rooted in excellent ideals, and hopefully aiming lower and smaller in future will fare much better for them.
