Festival Review: End Of The Road Festival // September 2023
Another year, another brilliant end to the festival season. End of The Road is known to consistently improve every year and 2023 did not disappoint in the slightest. From live film scores and some of the best comedy in the land, to some of the best modern musicians performing on picturesque stages in the blazing sun. It truly had it all covered.
The party got started on Thursday with up and comers The Last Dinner Party followed by the magnificent Deerhoof, who really set the mood for the weekend with their unique and energetic setlist filled with some of their older catalogue from the 1990’s along with songs from their highly regarded release from earlier this year “Miracle-Level”.
Wilco closed the Woods stage on the first day, the Chicago-based band led by accomplished songwriter Jeff Tweedy lighting up the stage with their superb mix of country, folk, and experimental rock.
With some looking to keep the party going headed to the late-night DJ sets which took place around the site, others prepared for the star-studded day which was to come on Friday.
Fat Dog stood out as one of the high points of the day with their mixture of heavy rock and otherworldly electronic sounds, akin to rave music of the future. The subsequent set on the Garden stage comprised of the experimental krautrock of Horse Lords, a group from Baltimore who explore a very intriguing hypnotic, polyrhythmic sound.
Other highlights included the prominent psych-rock act King Tuff, the entrancing folky jams of Daniel Norgren, and the lively art/punk-rock of Bodega. Ulrika Spacek on the Folly stage absolutely teared the place apart with their eccentric shoegaze rhythms, whilst modern R&B specialists Greentea Peng offered a lighter style as the sun set upon the Woods stage.
Friday night’s headline spots were up next, with one of the hardest choices for many of this year’s crowd of 15.000 travelling to Wiltshire’s special festival. It was between psychedelia/art-rock group Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and the renowned Danish singer-songwriter Angel Olsen.
The pull both artists had on the night a testament to just how brilliant their sets have proven to be over the years, with many regarding these two as some of the most influential songwriters of the last decade.
Luckily, both crowds could meet straight after, with the magnificent electro-pop of Panda Bear & Sonic Boom brilliantly rounding up the first full day of this year’s End of The Road.
Still with two days to go, it would be hard to believe it could get any better than Friday night. This was proven wrong only halfway through the day, with superb sets from the likes of They Hate Change and their refreshing take on modern Hip-Hop combined with electronic elements and a handful of witty energy.
Other high points included the French/American indie group October Baby, the vibrant set of CVC and their psych-rock originating from Wales, the soothing grooves of Oracle Sisters on the main stage, and the Rough Trade signed folk influenced post-rock act Caroline also putting on a terrific show.
Electronic maestros PVA came through with a brilliant set, the trio improving their live performances every year as they went through their portfolio of mesmerizing synth-led explorations.
With rumours surrounding the set prior to the headliners on the Woods stage, various stickers were spotted around the festival site which led to the reveal of the rapidly rising Wet Leg performing a surprise show, where singer/guitarist Rhian Teasdale hinted the band was first formed at this very festival years ago. Although only having one album’s worth of hits to play from, Wet Leg put on a brilliant performance which did not disappoint in the slightest, even though Teasdale admitted she was feeling under the weather prior to the set.
Another night, another difficult decision for the crowds, as the electrifying hard-hitting emotional hits of Future Islands were to take over the main stage, whilst Grammy-award winning artist Arooj Aftab was to play on the Garden stage.
These were promptly followed by electronic duo Overmono, who shook the Big top stage to its core with their drum-and-bass and rave inspired frenzies.
Early Sunday saw a beautiful rendition of the Enys Men score by the Cornish Sound Unit, as most of the crowd still recovered from the previous night with the slow-building, electronic sounds backing Mark Jenkin’s latest film.
Standouts on the day comprised of the powerful electro jams of MADMADMAD, North American indie breakouts Geese, the instrumental doom metal madness of Divide and Dissolve, and The Murlocs with their brilliant set of psych-inspired hits.
Headlining were Ezra Furman on the Garden stage, whilst the main stage saw the versatile King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard take stage. Stu Mackenzie and his fellow bandmates did not disappoint with a set that started off with long, jammy psych songs and ended with the heavy material they have most recently put out, the crowd roaring along to Gila Monster as they closed out the festival.
This year’s End of The Road is another unforgettable year for the Wiltshire based festival, and one which elevates its’ reputation even further than last year. One of the most influential and innovative musical experiences you can have in the UK, and certainly one to keep an eye on for many years to come.
Words by Jay Cohen