24 July 2025 (gig)
01 August 2025
It was my first time at Truck Festival, deep in the heart of lovely Oxfordshire. I wasn’t too sure what to expect and came away, tired, but on a high! The festival itself runs over 4 days, should you buy the early bird ticket and get there on a Thursday, and this year, of all years, it was the right decision to do this, as the wonderful Bloc Party, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Silent Alarm album, were headlining. Hold on though! Let’s step back a little.
The festival setup itself caters to everyone. Food stalls are a plenty, with some wonderful food choices, from Greek, Thai, and Noodles to Toasties and the wonderful ‘Feel Good Food Hall’. If you’re on a budget, or even if you’re not the food hall is represented by 10+ local charities and a hoard of volunteers, with all profits going to charity. Pay extra in the Zodiac camping area and get the posh loos and showers, but really this campsite was clean, safe, and run by the most upbeat bunch of volunteers I’ve come across for a long time! Safe for families… you bet. It's small enough not to be phased, whilst still offering plenty of tents and stages to see the bands you want to.
Arrived on Thursday morning, a short wait to be let in just after noon, got the tent up, and wandered down into the arena to grab some food. Slate/The Kites and Corella (with a mosh pit visit from lead singer Joel) did more than enough to wet the appetite for the main course, Bloc Party… and boy did they not disappoint. "Helicopter," "Banquet," and "Modern Love" to name a few were belted out to the joy of the crowd; they were at their best for sure! Every night after the bands finished, there are DJ sets scattered around until the early hours of the morning. Why would you want to stop now?
Friday brought out some of the bigger hitters, such as Nothing But Thieves and Blossoms, but Lambrini Girls stole the show, and boy did they steal it. After a much-appreciated crash course on the mosh pit, from the extraordinarily wonderful Phoebe Lunny and her equally energetic partner in crime Lilly Macieira, the Brighton-based duo proceeded to crank up the chaos, and off we went, for what was easily one of the best sets of the festival.
Saturday brought plenty of surprises, and the absolutely out of this world "The Pill" took me in completely! Wonderfully in tune with each other, Lily and Lottie, with their unique humor and style, blew me away completely. The anticipation ahead of Wunderhorse was intense, for this is the band of the moment. Were they great? You bet! Technical difficulties on stage rather marred the performance. If you happened to be at the Market stage between 5:30 and 8 pm, then you really were in for a treat. Irish band Gurriers were highly anticipated, and OMG did they not disappoint! Unbelievable energy and the audience responded accordingly. How do you top that? Fat Dog, that’s how. Delayed 20 minutes or so, but for sure, once again, one of the performances of the festival. Let’s not forget Kasabian. It's 20 years since their debut album and, rightly so, they were headlining Saturday night at the main stage.
Special mention Sunday morning/afternoon to the Oxford Symphony Orchestra. They nearly stole the whole show, and the connection between those in the crowd and these wonderful musicians was a joy to behold. Kermit the frog was thrown into the audience, and there he stayed all day, living his best life! Franz Ferdinand were all we expected them to be, and more, and as we drifted towards Courteeners to close the curtain, it would be remiss of me to neglect to mention what was for me the highlight of the whole festival: Florence Road, from Bray in Ireland. Playing live, you appreciate the stunning vocals of Lily Aron, small in stature but a giant in vocal dexterity. Shades of Dolores O’Riordan hauntingly fill the air, but this band has its own unique sound; they will be massive, they should be massive. Lily Aron (vocals), Emma Brandon (guitar), Ailbhe Barry (bass), and Hannah Kelly (drums), the future can be anything you want it to be.
So, Truck Festival, what a find, what a wonderful few days, in a relaxed, friendly environment. Tickets on sale for next year already. I’ll be there, you should be too!
Picture credit: Josh Collins
