poppedmusic

Words: Elena Katrina

Deer Shed Festival – North Yorkshire – 28th-30th July 2023
Instagram//Lineup//2024 TICKETS

Now in its 13th year, Deer Shed made its return to its home in Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Not only a music festival but one that really and truly looks after everyone. I can really attest to this on a very personal level. I’ve not been to a festival for 4 years. 2019 I was a very different person without children and with bones and ligaments that lived in their rightful places. I was full of energy and not in pain. None of that applies now but I was still welcome. Not only was I welcome, but when I found myself fall,(literally), head over heels with their festival floor. I was given so much assistance and not made to feel like the idiot that I felt!

Given the above situations, it’s safe to say that my plans for the weekend didn’t quite go to plan! That being said I still had an absolute best time. Everyone, from staff to festival goers, were incredibly friendly. I felt safe, not judged and happy! These are difficult things for me to feel currently so it’s hugely important for me to recognise this.

Our start to the festival began on one massive high- we bumped into Dream Wife arriving on site. I knew then my weekend was going to be everything I wanted and more. After a quick catch up I headed off to explore the arena. The first thing we saw were wrestlers, who made us and many kids on site chuckle and cheer then it was off to follow the sweet sounds we could hear coming from The Lodge Stage. It was here we discovered Speilmann – at least we managed to catch the very end of his set. I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be part musician, part comedian but he has stuck in my mind all weekend for his humour – stopping mid-song to say he wanted more photos from me – along with a cheeky pose and then a comment about loving the festival and how it was his reminder to use contraception! It really did tickle me. I did enjoy the music too – you can listen here.

W.H.LUNG and Steam Down were both unexpected treats. Neither act on my radar but both delivered performances that made me want to keep watching. W.H. Lung has a frontperson who has some super confident moves and they he owns them – It’s hard to remember the music when you’re excited to get a good shot! Steam Down – imrprov Jazz, not my thing, or at least I thought. Absolutely stunning performance with a myriad of instruments and feels, I’d make them a must see if I had the opportunity to catch them at a festival again.

Dream Wife were the first band I saw live after the rules started to ease from the pandemic. A very very much loved band in my eyes and my heart. I had wondered though how Dream Wife, a band with a love for passionate expletives, would go down at such a family-friendly festival but to their credit, Bad Bitches became Bad Witches, Fuck you ups became Freak You Outs and they were just so freaking cool and didn’t lose an ounce of credibility or angst with it. They acknowledged their youngest fans – telling the heaving tent a tale about a kid in the crowd who lost a tooth every time he watched them live. Another tale about how a kid had said “I saw you when I was five and now I’m bigger” – rightfully saying that they wished they’d had access to bands like them when they were younger. I now vow I’ll be taking mine to see them – even if it’s Bitches and not Witches! I would say this festival set might have been my favourite Dream Wife set ever – highlights included; “Sports!“, “Leech” and the set closing with “Let’s Make Out“( I’m not ashamed to say that I let out a big happy cry at the end). What a gidddy high.

PANIC SHACK were our pick of the day for Saturday and I was in such a hurry to get to them that I took a nasty tumble on the way which meant I only actually got to shoot one song in the pit. A huge disappointment for me but watching their set while I sat with my foot up on a camp chair and screamed along to the likes of Jui Jits You and The Ick. This is a perfect festival band – they’re loud, fast-paced, have catchy as-hell songs, they don’t take themselves too seriously and they know how to work a stage, a crowd. I want to become a super fan and see them everywhere. The most fun set of the weekend.

From that point on I mainly sat and hobbled from my spot to the main stage – I listened intently between sets to hear what was happening up at the other stages, wallowing in self-pity at not being able to hobble up the till to see and hear it properly. It did mean that I got to enjoy sets from James Yorkson and Nina Persson and This Is The Kit. I was always going to want to see Gaz Coombs play especially as I have never seen him perform his solo material. He was absolutely wonderful, I mean with so much experience under his belt it was hardly going to be anything other than perfect. The crowd were so happy, I was so happy and he seemed so happy. He didn’t seem to mind being temporarily upstaged by a giant rainbow to his left either.

Sunday began for us with an unplanned sit down to listen to Gordon Raphael in conversation with The Guardian’s Dave Simpson. If you’re not familiar with Gordon Raphael as a name then I urge you to take a little look at the production notes for The Strokes’ “This Is It” (incidentally seeing him on the album’s 22nd year anniversary of its release was additionally cool!). Hearing tales of being fired as The Strokes’ producer but still willing to work with them if the call were ever to come. We also heard about his advice for new musicians, his life now in Hebden Bridge and so much more in between. It wasn’t just the crowd who enjoyed this talk, Gordon himself told me; “I had a great time out there, didn’t know what to expect from Deer Shed, but it turned out well indeed!!” Maybe he’ll be back next year as a punter!

It’s a difficult task to write about Pet Snake objectively because she (Evelyn Halls) is one of my favourite people but I promise, hand on heart, that I can say that despite this fact, with my writer’s hat on, that she IS a fantastic singer, a wonderfully talented songwriter and that the crowds that were drawing ever bigger as she played, is no lie. She must be back again next year, I know how much she wants to be. She told the crowd it was her favourite festival and I’m not sure that she really ever wanted to leave! My only prior experience to Deer Shed of seeing Pet Snake live, is as part of her other project Clean Cut Kid and via shared live videos on Instagram. It was a wonderful and proud moment and my set highlights included “Coffee” and “Jacket.”

Following Pet Snake was Steven Bamidele who picked up fans who could give him some massive longevity in his career given that they were probably the average age of 6 or 7. One little one even approached him at the end of the set to give him a colouring-in that she had done during the festival. One of the most touching things I’ve ever seen at a festival and proof that taking small ones to festivals is a highly valuable asset not just for the future of festival promoters but for the music industry as a whole. Their adoration was not at all misplaced, Steven Bamidele has a beautiful tone and his set was over in a flash. I could have happily had another hour of it. I’m also struggling to think of when, or even, if, I have seen a backline band with two keyboards – it was pretty lush. I’m already looking forward to checking his next tour dates out.

Deer Shed’s Main Stage was host to Wales’ critically acclaimed artist Gwenno. I’ve never seen her before, never even really listened to her music either but found her to be an absolutely compelling live act to watch. I will admit though that my favourite parts included a big sing-along to a Cornish song about cheese, called Eus Keus and also a call to arms “do not forget that you are a part of the revolution.” Yes Gwenno, I may not see you again and I probably won’t sit down and listen to your back catalogue but you certainly struck a chord and I think you’re the bee’s knees now.

This day was The Big Moon Day for me! Having been watching this wonderful group for the longest of times the last time I saw them was actually from the comfort of my sofa while I watched them delight crowds at Glastonbury. There’s at least one, if not two, albums released since I last saw them play, even though the popped music team here have been on it. I was far from disappointed – this is a band who have honed their skills to the highest level – they move as one sometimes, just so cohesive and so natural. You’d be forgiven for thinking they were related, given the beauty of their harmonies and the tightness of their set. If you haven’t had a chance to see them yet – please do. Set highlights for me included “Cupid” and “Trouble.“

While Deer Shed festival is chocka with great music what’s most impressive to me is that I wasn’t there with kids and they were everywhere but it didn’t bother me. It didn’t matter if you were there for the family stuff or the music or just to chill and enjoy everything. That’s how I felt. I bumped into friends I wasn’t expecting to see. I chatted to other festival goers; I found some had been the last year, some the year before when it was socially distanced and some had never been before but they all had the same thing to say “we love it here!” – a sentiment that was echoed by almost every act that we say play too. We hope to go back next year and we might even take the kids! A whole level of new for popped music!

Deer Shed Festival has already sold out its allocation of Super Early Bird tickets for next year within a day of going on sale, so if you want in then get on it soon as they have a price tier system in place, as well as the ability to split the cost of your tickets over (up to) 10 months.

Listen to the Deer Shed 13 Offical Playlist here: