Supernormal

[dmillburn]

So it's finally Supernormal time tomorrow after the year off and I can't wait - it's my favourite festival by a long stretch and I've really missed it. Anyone else there? We couldn't make the first two but since we first went in 2012 it's been the musical highlight of the year for me.

As usual the line-up is a fairly even split of stuff I can't wait to see and stuff I've never heard of (and at least one of the things I've never heard of usually goes on to become of of my favourite acts - in the past that's been Giant Swan, Sly & The Family Drone, TOTS and loads more). In terms of the obvious stuff I'm looking forward to there's Moe, Dalek, Henge (the good one, not the wacky one), Quijaku, Hen Ogledd, Acid Cannibals, Pet Brick, Cocaine  Piss and loads more, but it's the stuff that surprises you that makes it Supernormal, like Luminous Bodies with their spunking lobsters a few years back.

For me it's all about HAQ123 at 4.30pm tomorrow, because it's going to be fucking ace to have my daughter and godson's band playing my favourite festival. The kids first came to Supernormal with us when they were 3 and 4 years old (they are now 10 and 11), so they really have grown up here and love it as much as we do, and them listening to bands over the years at SN has been a big influence on them wanting to be in one of their own.

If anyone didn't get a ticket before it sold out and is regretting it (and you should be) there's a few cheap ones flying around on the event page. When we first went in 2012 the festival was in doubt and needed to sell tickets, so we press ganged loads of our mates into coming. All of them have returned every year since, bringing more people, with them and feel the same way about the festival as we do, so I can pretty much guarantee you won't regret it. Even the weather is looking alright for it now - chance of a shower or two Sunday, but all good apart from that. Do it.

[Bobby Treetops]

I was about to start a 'what do I go and see at Supernormal' type thread, but I'll bunk a lift on this thread instead.

Although I know what I'll be doing at 4.30pm tomorrow.

[sevendaughters]

oh wow Justice Yeldham is playing, a must see!

[sardines]

Blood Stereo are always good value
Cocaine Piss make an enjoyable racket
Tomoko Sauvage and Gwenifer Raymond for the mellow comedown.

[chveik]

Qujaku's first album is great. they're hugely influenced by Swans but that didn't bother me.

[Petey Pate]

I'm here now, as I'm volunteering. Looking forward to the music tomorrow and if anyone wants to meet up let me know.

[Bobby Treetops]

Opps....

[Bobby Treetops]

Let's try again, heavy weekend man....

Well that was a blast, sorry I didn't arrange a mini-meet while I was there.

Highlights
Justice Yeldman, fucking hell! A man who makes a living by playing a bit of glass so intensly that it leaves him with a blooded face afterwards.
Meeting and talking to people on the first night, and then bumping into them again all weekend. What a friendly festival.
The Pad Thai place.
Haq123, you've got some talented children there dmillburn.
The stage invasion when Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi played Revolution by Spaceman 3.
The bloke I saw all weekend carry around a deck chair where ever he went.
Watching the visual during Blood Stereo while mildly tripping.
All the late night DJ sets in Red kite.
Walking into Ewa Justka's set to be punched in the face with heavy techno sounds and strobe lighting, like unexpectedly wandering into a Berlin night club at 7am in the morning. Amazing stuff.
....and so much more great music, fascinating talks and fantastic freaks.

Lowlights
Currently being back at work.
The moody women in the tent next to us...

See you there next year.

[dmillburn]

I'm still recovering but that was an absolute whopper of a weekend, my favourite ever edition of my favourite ever festival.

I've probably forgotten half the stuff I loved but various musical highlights included:

Acid Cannibals
Qujaku
Horsebastard
Petbrick
Cocaine Piss
Dalek
EP64
Drone Orchestra
Moe
Henge
Soft Issues
The 30 years of rave set on the Friday.
Electric Matthew (who properly fucked my hearing up, and I've only just lost the ringing in my left year today)
and obviously HAQ123 was a bit of dream come true for me, and the kids absolutely loved it (especially getting to crowd surf at the end).

I missed out on a whole load too, I spent next to no time in the Vortex and hardly ventured to the barn or the Beef stage, but you can't do everything. I'm probably most annoying at missing out on a visit to the black mass in Beelzebub's Buggy, which sounded absolutely fucking insane. They kindly bent the rules to allow my 10 year daughter in with my wife (thankfully skipping the bit where they give you poppers but still including the but where you get covered in Satan's tit-milk and kiss his arse) and she loved it. Hopefully it will return next year and I'll get to check it out myself.

More importantly than the music though is that it's full of absolutely wonderful people, and I love bumping into people you only ever see there and picking up again as if it was 2 days since you saw them, not 2 years. In 8 years I can't remember one single dickhead at the festival, or anyone even being less than lovely, which is some feat. I've really never been to anywhere like it where everyone you meet is just totally sound.

Pro-tip for next year - swimming at the lido at Wallingford a couple of miles down the road is the perfect way to recover after over-doing it the night before and got me through the Sunday.

It's still the best festival I've ever been to by a long way.