It’s fair to say that if you didn’t venture into The Allotment Jack Rocks Stage at this year’s Y Not Fest then you made a big mistake. A platform for true rock and roll, up and coming headliners of the future and a brother/sisterhood that is constantly growing and evolving, This Feeling gives a real shot at success to those who are willing to throw themselves head first into a world where music is King.

Not one band performing over the weekend played out to a tent that wasn’t crammed with festival goers eager to witness the birth of the bands of the future, Noel Gallagher even taking time to promote This Feeling and all it does for new artists during his headline set on Saturday. Noel followed an incredible set by Catfish and The Bottlemen, who sprouted from a seed that This Feeling helped to water.

Thursday headliners at The Allotment, Otherkin, hurtled everyone into day one with a gigantic bang, performing to a rammed tent who screamed back the lyrics to ‘Ay Ay’ and carried frontman Luke Reilly back to the stage after singing out in the centre of the crowd. Other notable Thursday performances included The Wholls who delivered a rollicking dose of punk rock and heavy guitar, a great set from Bristol based band The Jacques who have a surefire hit with ‘Eleanor Ring Me’ and also Yves and FAERS who delivered high class indie pop sets. A great start to the festival.

Friday made way for more new talent. Kicking off proceedings were Birmingham’s The Assist, who played a set of Twang-esque indie dance to a packed tent. Other sets included Judas who are held together by the incredible drums of Sam Horvath and headlined by John Clancy who couldn’t look more like a rock pop frontman if he stuck a label on, it won’t be long before these get big. Ditto Fronteers whose gorgeous La’s harmonies will carry them far and the stadium rock sound and performance of The Jackobins. Cupids mesmerised and thrilled in equal measure (the most talented duo in indie right now are Sid and Jake) before Paves brought the spine tingling screams of Luke Shield and instrumentals to air guitar to insuring the whole tent was undoubtedly in the zone. Broken Hands, who’re mates with Catfish, showed they’re well on their way to joining their mates on the main stages (it’s when, not if) with a set of indie bangers and a frontman built for the big stage. Seeing them play to a packed tent, it’s pretty thrilling and we all feel lucky to have witness a band clearly in their ascendancy. Baby Strange almost bring the tent down with their snarling snotty indie anthems before headliners Black Honey delivered a set with so much grit and daring drawl that I had to stop myself getting  up on stage and kissing frontwoman Izzy Phillips by the end of the first song, the whole tent mesmerised by her every word and sexy snarl. Bands finished, the This Feeling DJs stride out to keep the party flowing, closing their set with everyone singing Oasis’s ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ as the sound was finally turned off by a rather stressed looking sound man. A special moment to finish a special day.

Sahara, Scotland’s best new shoe gaze band, blew the Friday night hangovers away. Up next Cabbage, who’d not been to bed, took to the Saturday stage and delivered a captivating performance as always, it’s impossible not to enjoy watching these guys do what looks like piss about on stage, but the performance is so natural and earthy that it’s refreshing. April, who’ve been compared to Oasis, didn’t let their heroes down with a set that is destined to grace the biggest stages in Rock n Roll. Trampolene snarled and swaggered with an elegancy only Jack Jones can, The Spitfires playing songs off their new album ‘A Thousand Times’ drew in a huge crowd, all singing the words back in their face, whilst Hello Operator rocked out to yet another heaving tent delivering hit song Stephanie with an intensity that engaged all, Little Barrie brought their relentless Rock ‘n’ Roll groove to the tent with an incredible set. Every single member of every single band watching these three musicians play had their jaws on the floor. An amazing live experience. Headliners Little Comets drew in a huge fan following and delivers a rip roaring set of cult indie hits, despite competing with Noel on the main stage. They’re taking their time but these comets will fly big one day, of that there can be no doubt.

Sunday struggles? Not here, not in this tent. It’s powered by the passionate energy only Rock n Roll togetherness can bring. It’s worth mentioning a big part of that is the bands (and their fans / friends) who’ve been camped here since Thursday. Yes, I’m looking at you Paves, The Wholls, Hello Operator, White Room, Bel Esprit, The Jackobins and The Assist. These bands, without fail supported all the other bands, watching, cheering, hanging out backstage. That doesn’t happen anywhere else and it’s a powerful force. Today it feels like unstoppable in this tent. Bel Esprit thrilled, their slacker rock sparking life back into a packed tent, ditto No Hot Ashes, the perfect band to get people dancing again with their brand of indie funk punk. EasyLife, a brand new indie band from Nottingham, played the biggest show of their fledging career to date, whilst Bang Bang Romeo blew the crowd away, a show so good, so emotive, so powerful, they had multiple audience members in tears. White Room, yet again, mesmerised. This band will be massive, of that there’s no doubt. They know it, the audience know it, we all know it. Which brings us nicely onto The Shimmer Band who headline Sunday and bring four amazing days to a close. The Bristol boys clash with main stage headliners Madness, but no-one gives a fuck about them in this (rammed) tent. Combining influences such as The Verve, Oasis and Kasabian, there is absolutely no doubt that these boys are heading the same way as the three afore-mentioned giants of Rock n Roll. Future headliners of the main stages, here’s no doubt in anyone’s mind here.

This tent (and all those in it; playing, photographing, writing, stage managing, and of course watching) is THE future and anyone who is in any way a part or connected to the wonder that is This Feeling will tell you so without a moment’s hesitation. It’s why you’ll see Blossoms, Pretty Vicious and The Amazons hanging out here at various points of the weekend, this is where it’s at. If you haven’t experienced it yet, do it now or live to regret it, it’s magical and refreshing to find a camaraderie so raw and an atmosphere so feverishly tangible. See you at the next one…

Words and photos : Nina Almond