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Festival Review: Fieldview
Wiltshire’s cherished Fieldview Festival returned with a bang this August 6-9 after a mini-hiatus, which saw last year’s festival condensed down to just 500 people including artists and crew.
Created by ‘Cameron Brothers’ Dan and James, Fieldview started out as a party for friends in their back garden in 2007. Eight years on, the now 3,000 capacity festival still retains that party-with-friends vibe, with all the fun of a larger festival, plus some bigger names on the line-up.
Late-addition headliners The Mouse Outfit (featuring Dr Syntax) and Crazy P joined one-to-watch acts like By the Rivers, Colour the Atlas and Henry Green, who have been cropping up all over the live music and festival circuit in the last year or two.
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Even Grandmother Cameron could be seen stationed around the main stage in her wheelchair, bopping away to the beats.
That being said, Fieldview is not massively about the line-up, and if that’s what you’re after in a festival then you might be better choosing another one.
Arriving at the festival site on Thursday afternoon, guests were given a lucky-dip wristband, rendering you a member of team Jaguar (roar!), Treefrog, Velociraptor, Flamingo, or Treefrog. These would decide your team in the group games the next day, which included a mass limbo and tug-of-war.
Fancy dress is taken seriously at Fieldview (see below), and this year’s Club Tropicana theme was perfect for the relentless sunshine which lasted the whole of the festival.
Music started at the smaller stage at 12pm and 4pm at the main stage, with a ‘secret stage’ (entered through a bookshelf-style door) opening from 12am and raging on until 6am – which illustrates my point about Fieldview being less interested in big-name line-ups, and more about a party with your friends.
Things to do in the day included Capoeira, meeting friendly chickens Beyonce, Mariah, Shaniah, Whitney, Britney and Shakira; and following a samba band around the festival site.
All that for less than £50 a ticket, makes Fieldview a new calendar highlight each year.