Review: The Garden Party
Jessica Makin | 2nd September 2015
Art Installations by individual artists such as Mike Winnard
The Leeds institution that is The Garden Party celebrated its 10th anniversary this weekend with a two day festival right in the heart of the city. Once the site of an old brewery it is now used as a contemporary art space. The Tetley was the perfect location for this event, as we found out.
The sun was out as we arrived on the Saturday afternoon. We first encountered the SKINNY stage which featured the likes of BambooMan, Whilk & Misky and Honne. The music played was more relaxed than the other stages so this was the perfect opportunity to sit down and relax.
Joy Orbison at the FACT stage
Generally, queues were kept short by a group of organised and approachable bar staff. We grabbed a drink before arriving at the FACT stage for PBR Streetgang and Joy Orbison. Clashing with these at the Metropolis tent was Chris Lorenzo and Redlight, but this wasn’t a problem as all the tents weren’t too far away from each other.
Soul II Soul performing last weekend
There was an incredible atmosphere as the legends Soul II Soul took to the DUMMY stage as the sun set on Saturday. The day drew to a close with Heidi, Roisin Murphy, B.Traits and Dutch Uncles closing the different stages.
Julio Bashmore performing last weekend
Sunday boasted an equally impressive line up with artists such as Lonelady, Craig Charles, Julio Bashmore and Kerri Chandler. It was a lot busier on this day but the bars were still managing fine, toilet queues were non-existent and there was a real buzz amongst the crowd.
If I had to improve something it would be to have a few more food vans, as queues were a little long when I went. The quality and price of what you got however was excellent; the curation put on by Leeds Indie Food was refreshing to see at a festival of this stature.
Patrick Topping performing last weekend
My highlights of the weekend had to be Patrick Topping and Bicep who were both on at the FACT stage on Sunday afternoon. The atmosphere in that tent throughout the weekend was incredible. Grandmaster Flash was also a highlight. He closed the JUST A LITTLE stage on the Sunday evening with a unique mix of old and new songs that only he could pull off so well.
Overall the hype lived up to what this Garden Party event produced. The eclectic line up meant that it attracted a diverse crowd, all who seemed over the moon with what they were experiencing. The event was very easy to enjoy and I’d happily do it all over again this weekend! It’s safe to say that the post festival blues have kicked in.
Photo Credit: The Garden Party