Festival Review: 110 Above Festival - August 2021
After a long two years without drinking warm cans of cider, being covered in mud and lugging camping chairs through train stations – we were ready to return to festival life at 110 Above Festival.
I attended 110 Above a couple of years ago and it was my idea of heaven; a clash-free weekend of the most current bands on the indie-alt scene, the beautiful countryside surroundings of Gopsall Farm and incredibly reasonable pint prices. This year’s festival was no different and, I would argue, even better than the last.
The experience kicked off on Thursday evening with a series of intimate performances in the Old Town Hall. The first act we caught was The Howl & The Hum, who began the set with a magnificent acoustic rendition of ‘Hall of Fame’. The band, fronted by singer-songwriter Sam Griffiths, then moved straight into ‘Until I Found a Rose’ and the atmosphere was mesmerising: relaxed, respectful and utterly intimate. Another stand out performance was the well-known ‘Hostages’ – it was a fantastic start to the weekend.
Next in the Old Town Hall was Nottingham based Amber Run and the band treated the audience to stripped back performances of hits such as ‘I Found’ and ‘5 AM’. One surprising moment was when the band strummed a chord that vaguely sounded like Wonderwall and the excitable crowd began an impromptu rendition of the Oasis hit. Nevertheless, Amber Run did not falter and closed the intimate Thursday night with a strong performance.
We woke up to glorious sunshine coming through the tent on Friday and prepared for our first act of the afternoon: singer songwriter Tilly Valentine. Valentine’s infectious energy and stage presence drew a large crowd to her early set in The Gopsall Inn as she performed tracks such as ‘Table for Two’ and ‘Retail Therapy’.
Remaining in The Gopsall Inn for the rest of the afternoon, I was excited to catch up-and-coming Liverpudlian rockers The Mysterines. Arguably, the intimate nature of the stage was too small for both the audience and the sound of the band as feisty front woman Lia Metcalfe owned the room. Playing their newest hits such as ‘In My Head’ and ‘I Win Every Time’, The Mysterines were spirited, self-assured and ultimately proved that they are destined for larger stages.
Moving over to the Elizabeth Stage, we then experienced a fantastic and mosh-pit laden set from Black Honey. All-round formidable force Izzy B Phillips began the performance with the wonderfully heavy ‘I Like the Way You Die’ and the stomping beats of the track captivated the audience from the very first note. The band then transitioned onto a series of popular hits including ‘All My Pride’ and ‘Corinne’, in which Phillips herself entered the crowd to interact with the ever-welcoming audience. My highlight was ‘Spinning Wheel’ in which the western-inspired, echoing vocals move into a cacophony of screams – the live performance of this track certainly showcases the brilliantly cinematic talent of Black Honey.
Sports Team stormed the Friday night headline slot on the Commune Stage and demonstrated their undeniable talent as one of the biggest up-and-coming bands on the indie scene. Fronted by the wonderfully eccentric Alex Rice, the band began with an exhilarating performance of ‘Here It Comes Again’ before proceeding to treat the audience to a series of their most well-known tracks such as ‘Camel Crew’ and ‘M5’. The on-stage presence of Sports Team is a force to be reckoned with, from the enthusiastic movements of Rice to the emotionless expression of keyboardist Ben Mack - this band is one to watch.
The night finished with a late but nevertheless energetic performance from the charismatic SPINN in the Old Town Hall. SPINN never cease to provide a fantastic visual experience, as lead singer Johnny Quinn delivered an energetic and hip-driven dance movements of their catchy hits ‘Is There Something That I Missed?’ and ‘She Takes Her Time’.
The Saturday of 110 Above began with relentless rain as we crammed into the Old Town Hall to escape the bad weather. This proved to be a great decision as we managed to catch Liverpool based four-piece Courting and their chaotic performance of ‘Slow Burner’. The band demanded our attention as the lead singer entered the audience and selected a member of the crowd to come on-stage and perform the cowbell for the final section of the track. It was truly spectacular to watch!
The skies soon cleared and next to take the stage was Manchester based Abbie Ozard who drew a smaller but attentive crowd to perform her hits ‘Heartbreak Radio’ and ‘Pink Sky (Endless Summer)’. Ozard’s smile never ceased as her gorgeous vocals and honest lyricism filled the Old Town Hall.
In my opinion, YONAKA’s Saturday evening set was the highlight of the entire festival. Opening the performance with their recent release ‘Seize the Power’, Theresa Jarvis oozed with confidence as she strutted around the Commune Stage and it was impossible to tear your eyes off her. I first experienced YONAKA at Leeds Festival in 2017 and I predicted huge potential for the band – their performance at 110 Above proved me right. The audience seemed to also share my adoration for YONAKA as members of the crowd screamed the empowering and chant-like choruses of ‘Clique’ and ‘Rockstar’. Overall, it was an utterly explosive performance that shows YONAKA are better and better each time that I see them.
The final act to take the Commune Stage on Saturday night was Reading rockers The Amazons. Opening with ‘In My Mind’, the reception of the crowd was wild as the audience screamed along to the words with lead singer Matt Thompson. The performance was filled with punchy hit after hit, from the classic ‘Stay With Me’ to the more recent releases of ‘Fuzzy Tree’ and ‘All Over Town’. Thompson also praised YONAKA during the set – the band must have enjoyed their earlier performance as much as I did! The Amazons then demonstrated their unpredictable nature as the band ‘ended’ the set but soon returned to perform a chaotic, on-the-spot combination of their hits (‘Junk Food Forever’) and covers (Bowie’s ‘Rebel Rebel’).
Determined to see the most amount of bands possible on the Sunday of 110 Above, I began my afternoon at the Commune Stage with The Pale White. The alt-rock trio treated the crowd to performances including the formidable guitar riffs of ‘That Dress’, ‘Medicine’ and ‘Glue’; this is a live band that I need to experience again in the near future.
We then flocked to the sunshine covered slopes of the Elizabeth Stage as I had been recommended (numerous times over the weekend) to catch ISLAND. ISLAND performed a blissful and more chilled-out set than other acts that I had seen over 110 Above and a particular highlight was ‘Octopus’.
After the rain returned again, we then crammed under the cover of the Commune Stage to catch indie favourites BLOXX. It was clear that BLOXX relished the experience of playing live again and this was particularly evident during an energetic performance of the wonderfully boppy ‘Coming Up Short’ and ‘Go Out With You’. As a long time BLOXX fan, I was also delighted to hear the distinctive and stomping guitar sounds of ‘Curtains’ from their earlier released music.
Baby Queen was next to show off her talent as undoubtedly one of the most exciting up-and-coming artists on the 110 Above line up this year. Performing a selection of her pop hits, including the irresistibly catchy ‘Want Me’ and ‘Dover Beach’, Baby Queen well and truly owned her Sunday evening slot on the Commune Stage. I can also confirm that meeting Baby Queen in person is equally as wonderful as her performance – this was proved as she handed out tequila shots on her tour bus after the set.
110 Above’s finale was performed by the brilliant Sundara Karma who played a set list laced with both tracks from their recent ‘Kill Me EP’ and much loved fan favourites from their debut record ‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect’. The audience erupted for the performances of ‘A Young Understanding’ and ‘Olympia’, whereas the newer ‘O Stranger’ and ‘YOUR TOUCH’ received a quieter response. A particular highlight was ‘Flame’, in which Oscar Pollock confidently strutted around the Commune Stage and the performance of ‘Explore’ provided a strong and euphoric close to their headline slot as the driving guitars and eccentric lyricism demanded the attention of the entire audience.
Each time that I have attended 110 Above it has demonstrated itself to be a weekend like no other; it is intimate, well run, and produces an inescapable sense of communality. The festival demographic encapsulates the fact that it is the perfect environment for seasoned festivalgoers and families alike, showcasing the most exciting bands on the indie scene in what feels like a garden party.
This festival is utterly unmissable – 110 Above, I will see you again next year!
Words by Jess Foster
Photography provide by 110 Above Festival Press Office. Photographer credits: Jake Hasledine and Ami Ford