FESTIVAL GUIDE: Kendal Calling 2016

Name: Kendal Calling.

Where: Lowther Deer Park, Cumbria.

When: Thursday 28th – Sunday 31st July 2016.

Headliners: The Charlatans, Rudimental, Madness, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Also Featuring: Catfish & The Bottlemen, The Hives, Maximo Park, Ash, The Darkness, Everything Everything, Pete Doherty.

A Brief History: This will be the tenth birthday of the festival set in the beauty of the Lake District in Cumbria. In 2006 it began life as a 2 day and 900 person capacity festival, but over the last decade has firmly established itself as one of the coolest and fastest growing smaller festivals around. Since its opening year, which was headlined by British Sea Power, Kendal Calling has attracted some of the biggest names in music. Snoop Dogg, Blondie, Public Enemy, Calvin Harris and Elbow are just some of the names who have graced the main stage of Lowther Deer Park, and with Noel Gallagher and Madness due to be added to that, we suggest it is has not finished growing yet.

What We Said Last Year: “A bright outlook from the sky and the festivalgoers made the site illuminate with the prospect of an exciting weekend of live music. Unlike many other festivals, Kendal Calling provides a picturesque setting at the heart of the Cumbrian countryside. With stages hidden away in the forests surrounding the main stage and hills all vallying into view, it provided a perfect atmospheric air. It felt necessary to kick off the day with a coffee from Tim Peaks Diner, and so the weekend had begun”

How to Get There: 10 Minute drive from Junction 40 of the M6. Alternatively, 6 Miles from Penrith train station.

Gigslutz Top Tip: The Hives. This Swedish rock five-piece won’t be unknown to many after the emphatic guitar tracks ‘Tick Tick Boom’ and ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ saw them rise to garage-rock prominence in the early naughties. However, despite their recorded success, they have never receives the due credit for their show stopping live performances. For much of their set it may be more like a theatrical show than a gig, with full suits, top hats and freeze-frames being brandished throughout, but it all builds to create an almost hypnotic atmosphere, which usually culminates with lead singer ‘Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist running through a seated crowd and attempting to hurdle the barrier. Not to be missed.

Be Sure Not to Miss: Madness. If you haven’t experienced Madness lie before; 1 – What have you been doing? 2 – DO NOT miss out on them at Kendal. Anybody who has witnessed one will tell you a Madness gig is from start to finish a feature length pop-ska party, littered with classics throughout that the crowd can’t help but bounce around to. This is only going to be aided by the famously upbeat atmosphere of Kendal, and the fact it will be the last hurrah of the festivals Saturday night. Be prepared for non-stop dad dancing and flying pork-pie hats!

How to Get Tickets: http://www.kendalcalling.com/tickets – Be sure to pay the extra for a Thursday ticket, another day in the fields with Ash and The Charlatans for under £30.