This weekend saw award-winning independent festival Bearded Theory throw a progressive party like no other, with an eclectic lineup filled with buzzy new bands and household names alike. The Derbyshire event spanned five jam-packed days, underpinned by a palpable sense of community, family and grassroots ethos.
Intimate sets for early entry ticket holders kicked things off on Wednesday night, with over 10,000 more revellers flooding in from Thursday. SPRINTS’ blistering main stage slot on Thursday set the tone of the weekend, with this energy continuing right through into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Thursday’s headliners Soft Play treated the crowd to an hour of pure punk energy to kickstart proceedings, while Friday’s main stage openers Pip Blom played their brilliantly carefree indie to a receptive crowd, before Ibibio Sound Machine charmed them with their engaging and vibrant rhythms. Over in the Woodlands area, Girl Scout taught the audience how to say “Hello, how are you?” in Swedish alongside performing a scorching set and Bob Vylan further proved why they are one of the hottest acts of the moment.
The innovative award-winning OFSTED approved festival school took place on Friday from 9am-3pm and fostered quite the impressive curriculum. Key stage criteria was offered in unconventional but enriching formats that match the tone of the weekend, such as the creation of lineup posters for art class and festival planning for mathematics, along with offering workshops in yoga, percussion, parkour, graffiti, circus skills & acrobalance, crochet, puppet making, mindfulness and more.
Marika Hackman brought her gnarled indie-rock to the Meadow stage, flitting effortlessly between moments of acoustic emotional intensity and spiky guitar numbers. Over on the main stage, Dexys got the crowds moving with classics such as ‘Come On Eileen’, with fans old and young singing every lyric. The brand new CODA dance tent was welcomed with open arms by attendees, with class acts Leeroy Thornhill (ex-The Prodigy) riling up the ravers and Roni Size blowing the roof off the stage.
Prima Queen’s vivid storytelling combined with soaring string interludes enchanted the early crowds on Saturday afternoon, quickly followed by Pet Needs who left listeners highly satiated with their invigorating punk sonics. Solihull shoegazers BDRMM drew a huge crowd over on the Meadow stage, playing a totally engrossing set to rapturous applause, which continued long after they’d left the stage, and Green Lung hypnotised with their theatrical sludgy, doom slacker rock, causing mass outbreaks of head bangs and reflexive swaying.
A trifecta of organised mayhem burst onto the Pallet for Saturday night, with WARGASM commanding circle pits and relentless chaos, followed by punk moguls Sleaford Mods keeping the crowd hyped with their minimalistic-yet-eviscerating, post-punk witty verses. The night was finished with a bang by headliners Jane’s Addiction - joined by coveted guitarist Dave Navarro, marking one of his first shows back with the band after a three year break - providing a raw, thrilling and politically driven powerhouse headline performance.
Over on the Meadow stage, Orbital’s euphoric and transcendental techno set shone a light on their pioneering catalogue for their headline slot, then revellers flocked to the ever-popular Silent Disco, dancing under the fairy lights and flags that shrouded the Woodland stage canopy until the early hours.
Sunday kicked off with the annual fancy dress competition on the Pallet stage, this year’s theme focusing on retro future. The extraterrestrial extravaganza’s winners, a family dressed in hyper-realistic E.T. (1982) costumes, were chosen by a crowd vote, and saw them collect free tickets to next year’s festivities.
BODEGA stormed the Pallet stage with their angular guitars and melodic indie before hopping over to the Meadow stage shortly afterwards to play a set of pure Bob Dylan covers. Gentleman's Dub Club’s summery tones and passionate and mischievous blend of reggae, dub and drum and bass set the tone for the enthralling and energetic day to come.
Welsh six-piece Melin Melyn brought their psych-drenched jangly guitars and brilliant tongue-in-cheek humour to the Woodland Stage on Sunday, followed by Slope who gathered the two-steppers in tow with their eclectic and entertaining concoction of hardcore, funk & hip-hop. Indie sweethearts English Teacher showcased their all-encompassing angular art in all its glory, Dry Cleaning’s spoken word punk beguiled with a distinct-cum-demure intensity and Dinosaur Jr. wowed all with their timeless and implosive alternative rock on their headline support slot.
Ending the festival on an emphatic, euphoric high were final headliners Amyl and The Sniffers with their pioneering headline performance, who charged the main stage with a tireless and urgent punk rock confidence, and Baxter Dury, whose excellent complex and definitive performance on the Meadow stage further cemented him as an indie rock paragon. Reinstated with one last burst of life before the festival came to a complete halt, attendees then gathered at the Meadow to engage in a joint Time Warp boogie via a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture show.
Community is an intrinsic part of the festival; a genuine sense of camaraderie fills the air throughout, through not only the festival goers, but demonstrated by the activities provided on site. For those seeking escapism from the brilliant chaos of all the music, the Earth Area at the festival provided the perfect opportunity to take a breath and explore the eco-conscious, crafty delights on offer at Bearded Theory festival. There was a Lego tent, wooden pipe whittling, basket making, and many more crafty experiences to dip into, as well as an abundance of captivating performances, enlightening workshops, and thought-provoking discussions. The Earth Area was the festival’s vibrant hub of creativity, learning, and community, making it an unmissable highlight of the festival, while those who craved the experience of roleplaying being an artist on the bill could be found belting their favourite bangers out on the Karaoke bus, or indulging in a brainstorming battle in Sunday night’s special pub quiz.
As the curtain falls on the fifteenth year of Bearded Theory Festival, it’s undeniable that each year keeps getting better and better.
