Wychwood Festival 2024 – The Music Festival That Offers So Much More – Day 1

by | Jun 6, 2024

I was looking forward to Wychwood, a local to me music festival that offered so much more than simply music, it offers comedy, activities and workshops for all to get involved with, quite simply it’s a festival for all the family and I can see why its one of the best family friendly festivals out there.

Sister Sledge @ Wychwood Festival

Sister Sledge @ Wychwood Festival (Sam Holt)
Sister Sledge @ Wychwood Festival (Sam Holt)

From a musical perspective, this weekend’s line up is incredibly varied. Headliners for Friday night were Sister Sledge, but there were many more acts on the other stages, those on the smaller stages were not be dismissed in any way, and are just as important as those on the bigger stage, the Sam stage.

Some people may have come for the Barrioke, a themed karaoke hosted by Shaun Williamson, better known as Barry from Eastenders, while others may have come to hear the Teddy Bear Ladies from TV’s The Repair shop reading from, and promoting their book Bartie Bristle And Other Stories.

Friday afternoon started with Scottish rockers Big Country, who played enthusiastically with a passion that was obvious, they were full of power firing on all cylinder as some would say. They played fan favourites such as Look Away, In A Big Country and Fields Of Fire, not only had I enjoyed their powerful set but it was obvious the assembled crowd at the main stage loved them, I guess they set the pace for what was to come. It was only after their set I discovered that it was their vocalist’s first gig with the band, quite the baptism of fire.

The Hoosiers, a band I had come across before, followed. I’m informed their name derives from their time in Indianapolis where people are referred to colloquially as Hoosiers. I loved their matching attire or their stage wear, it looked very effective. The guys opened with Choices, a song from The Illusion Of Safety album, and their set was varied, a lot of the set was made up of songs from the Trick To Life and Confidence albums, they even squeezed in a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun for good measure, playing a solid set they were well received by the crowd.

Corrine Bailey Rae was someone I knew very little about but was interested in discovering more. She has an interesting background initially classically trained, before moving through the jazz scene to settle as a singer songwriter, tonight she performed songs mainly from her latest album Black Rainbows and there were so many influences coming across as she performed. I particularly enjoyed the third song in her set, He Will Follow You With His Eyes, that she spoke so eloquently about as she introduced it. All in I was quite taken by her set.

Seventies Soul and RnB stars Sister Sledge headlined Friday night and came out to a long intro… that became Lost In Music perhaps one of their biggest hits, it really set the party spirit alive. The crowd loved it, and the band clearly enjoyed hearing them singing back to them. All five of them at the front of the stage were coordinating their moves effectively, the three sisters were joined by two male singers. More hits such as Frankie and He’s The Greatest Dancer followed. Although they have a good back catalogue of albums, I found most of their big hits came from 1979’s We Are Family LP, and it was the title song from that record they chose to close their set with. And it was an inspired choice, especially with the friendly family atmosphere of the day, one espoused by the ethos of this festival.

Live review and photography of Wychwood Festival 2024 @ Cheltenham Racecourse by Sam Holt on 31st May 2024

Nothing In Their Way As Keane Conquer The O2 On The 20th Anniversary Of Hopes And Fears

Karin Ann (Press)

Karin Ann Teams Up With Suki Waterhouse For Heart-Stirring New Single ‘i was never yours’

Slovak singer-songwriter Karin Ann has unveiled her stunning new single, i was never yours, marking an evolution in sound and storytelling for the rapidly rising artist. The track — co-written with Suki Waterhouse and Harrison Whitford (Phoebe Bridgers) and produced by Benjamin Lazar Davis (Maya Hawke) — finds Karin blending folk, country, and indie rock into a sound that feels both intimate and cinematic.

Amy Macdonald (Olivia Rose)

Amy Macdonald Shares Empowering New Single ‘I’m Done (Games That You Play)’

Amy Macdonald continues her remarkable run as one of the UK’s most enduring singer-songwriters with the release of her...
Blair Davie (Press)

Blair Davie Unveil Deeply Personal New EP ‘First And Last’

Scottish singer-songwriter Blair Davie has released their highly anticipated new EP, First And Last, via Giant Music —...
Joyce Manor (Dan Monick)

Joyce Manor Announce New Album ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ Alongside Lead Single ‘Well, Whatever It Was’

California punk favourites Joyce Manor have announced details of their upcoming album I Used To Go To This Bar, due for release on 30th January 2026 via Epitaph Records. The band have also shared the lead single Well, Whatever It Was, accompanied by a chaotic and comedic Lance Bangs–directed music video that riffs on The Great British Bake Off, featuring cameos from comedians and musicians playing UK rock icons.

Third Eye Blind @ Islington Assembly Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Third Eye Blind Bring Chaos, Charm And Catharsis To London’s Islington Assembly Hall

An ominous, synth-driven hum filled the room at Islington Assembly Hall, a restless Thursday night crowd buzzing beneath it. Then — silence. A heartbeat later, the guitars of Thanks A Lot burst to life as Stephen Jenkins strode onto the stage in crisp white trousers and a beanie, his guitar hung low, his every movement theatrical. The room erupted. Without a word, Third Eye Blind were off and running — all muscle, melody and memory.

Darius Rucker @ Utilita Arena Birmingham (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Country Spirit Soars As Darius Rucker Brings Nashville Energy To Birmingham

It was a night of country music highs at the Utilita Arena Birmingham as Darius Rucker brought his unmistakable voice and charisma to the city. The South Carolina-born star has long been a bridge between country traditions and mainstream appeal, and his stop in Birmingham underlined why he remains one of the genre’s most enduring figures. Before the headline act took the stage, the crowd was treated to a journey through some of country’s brightest stars, each setting the mood in their own way.

Fickle Friends (Daniel Alexander Harris)

Fickle Friends Bottle The Chaos Of New Love On Single ‘Joe’ Ahead Of Self-Titled Album

Brighton indie-pop favourites Fickle Friends have unveiled their latest single Joe, a bold and chaotic anthem that...
W.A.S.P. @ Hammersmith Apollo (Louise Phillips)

Blackie Lawless Reigns Supreme: W.A.S.P. Ignite Eventim Apollo With Shock-Rock Fury

Blackie Lawless is to Rock what the Milky Bar Kid is to chocolate, an unforgettable icon with a legendary status who seems to defy the normal rules of ageing! And tonight at the packed Eventim Apollo he is a man clearly intent on giving the audience a night that they will never forget.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing