Standon Calling 2018 – Standon Lordship, Hertfordshire

Bands seen: Confidence Man, Goldfrapp, Marmozets, Gaz Coombes, Dream Wife, Queen Zee, London Astrobeat Orchestra, Pip Blom, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Gengahr, Shame, Nelson Can, Cuban Brothers, Tom Walker, Meggie Brown, Amazons, Pale Waves, Hudson Taylor, Jade Bird, Sam Fender

Standon is a good festival but it always seems like unnecessarily hard work compared to other ones I go to. But I had a good time over the two days.

I was working again and got a few interviews – Danish band Nelson Can, Dream Wife, Gaz Coombes (who was awesome) and Dutch band Pip Blom. Having agreed an interview with Paloma Faith beforehand, I spent a long time trying to get hold of her dick of a tour manager, who then didn’t understand why I didn’t want to do it four hours late, after I had packed up and was driving home!

Got there early enough to see Sam Fender play to almost no one on the main stage. In the next 3 years he’ll have 2 UK no 1 albums.

My festival highlights – Dream Wife are on top of their game at the moment, Gaz Coombes was excellent, Queen Zee had great tunes and great energy, and Confidence Man were a pleasant surprise for me – not the kind of thing I usually seek out at festivals. Although they are way too cool to accept being called “a pleasant surprise”.

Entering the festival

Sam Fender

Jade Bird

Hudson Taylor

Pale Waves

Pale Waves

Amazons

Meggie Brown

Tom Walker

Cuban Brothers

Nelson Can

Nelson Can

Shame

Gengahr

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Pip Blom

Pip Blom

London Astrobeat Orchestra

Queen Zee

Queen Zee

Bootleg Beatles

Dream Wife

Dream Wife

Dream Wife

Dream Wife

Gaz Coombes

Gaz Coombes

Marmozets

Goldfrapp

Confidence Man

Confidence Man

Confidence Man