Unfortunately due to other commitments i couldn't attend the festival until the evening, but when i arrived i was greeted by friendly faces who told me that the whole day had been brilliant. With the music starting around lunch time and the wall to wall hot sunshine and not a cloud in the sky what more could us Cornish folk want from a festival.
With a quirky airsteam selling tea and coffee, and a bar on tap with Skinners beer and a field lined with flags, windsocks and fairy lights this really felt like a festival how it should be with simple pleasures and all about the music. (No over commercial advertising at this one :")
With bales of hay doted around we perched on a bale and watched the first act of the night for us which was Elijah MC and instantly i was very impressed with this talented guy. Looping and sampling all his own sounds to create a very dub steppy sound. This was received incredibly well by the crowds with everyone up dancing and whooping and cheering as the level of the sounds he created increased. Really impressive to watch one guy create so much music just from his voice.
Next on the line up on the main stage was the Jeramiahs, a band very local to Watergate and with a crowd of local supporters they certainly played to impress and were fantastic. With their unique Pearl Jam esque sounds it's hard not to get lost in their music and with their songs containing beautiful words it's impossible not to enjoy their set. From rocking electric guitar rifts that you can really loose yourself in to amazing vocals that make you want to shut your eyes and belt out the words and really powerful band that i would recommend every one tries to see if they are playing locally.
Now the next band needs no introduction in my opinion the highlight of the night and a band that i've had the pleasure to follow for many years. Wille and the Bandits are just incredible. It's very hard to describe their music, with guitars, bongo's slide guitar and some incredible base add some gruff and often powerful singing some psychedelic rifts and you have wille and the bandits. It was really good to see them play and capture the crowd. Many years ago i saw wille and the bandits play at Boardmasters on the Jagermeister stand with just a handful of people. Last night the crowds were singing along, dancing and jumping to their music. A really good set, every time i see this band they get better and better and have become slightly addictive to see them when ever they are playing locally.
To finish the night were Backbeat Soundsystem with their selection of dubstep cross reggae. Another infectious band were you can't help but dance along. With the help of a bale of hay to dance on it was a perfect end to a wonderful festival. Finishing the festival with their well know encore of a reggae version of Pendulums Tarantula, the crowd went wild and ended a very enjoyable very perfect Surf and Roots festival at Watergate Bay
Thanks for reading, here's to the next Cornish festival.
Mandi - Photobrook Photography
