Playfest 2012 // New Eccles Hall nr Quidenham, Norwich

Playfest 2012 proved to be a great festival experience, if not a damp one. The rain was relentless but there were plenty of tunes tempting you into the bustling warmth of the tents. The layout was much the same as last year with the main stage set as the focus in the larger field framed by the graff wall from last year and a blank canvas we would see progress throughout. The field itself felt less sparse with more decoration, multiple amusement rides, flags, bunting and of course the Porta Party and its neon veterans travelling round the site gaining more revellers wherever they went.

The main stage wasn’t opened until the Saturday so we sought refuge in The Full Colour Arcade. This was a small, enclosed tent, which owing to size, decoration and projected visualisations felt like an intimate dance experience. It featured local Norwich acts Bogart, Basics, The Lick and resident Color DJ Perfection. Perfection played a rip roaring DnB/old school jungle set, which went down a storm for the last set, leaving the crowd flooding into the camp site at 1am wanting more.

The other tents housed different genres, should festival-goers fancy a change of scene. The dance area was also home to the Rebel Lion Roots arena playing raw roots reggae bringing together the finest DJs, live vocalists and musicians. The vibe was electric and unmistakable. The majestic bass vibrations soothed you into a comfortable lull accompanied by live musicians such as Maya on flute and Lloyd ‘Duppy Clark’ on sax. This tent was quite the family affair, with children racing around the tent, playing on the instruments and getting a better view from parents’ shoulders. Jah Munchies amplified the vibe with their tasty wholesome veggie food, the perfect recovery item from a heavy night.

The third tent in the dance area was run by the Pow Party Boys. Large in size, it welcomed many out of the rain to enjoy a staple diet of mash-up tunes and - in their own words - ‘a house party in a club’ -in a field!  It’s a shame their student focused ethos didn’t quite make it to the festival bar!

The early cut off of the music at 1am is a shock to the system for any avid festival-goer and the party continued into the campsites. No doubt there were a few poorly heads and bleary eyes the next day but a throng of fitness lovers arose for a bout of Zumba (admittedly I was not one of them). The class was held in the Pow tent, the energetic rhythms thundered out of the sound system, which made for quite a unique Zumba experience… or wakeup call for those of us who were in no state to participate.

Playfest is very much a daytime affair and this year was full of the bank holiday weekend buzz. When the sun was shining (which it occasionally did) the main site resembled a village fair with groups propped up at the bar and families on blankets in front of the main stage. The first acts appearing on the main stage both Saturday and Sunday were competition winners. Kings and Crowds won a twitter competition beating hundreds of bands to grace the main stage. Similarly Port Isla won the first Rocket from the East competition. These UEA boys, who take influence from the likes of Fleet foxes and Neil Young proved a hit among the growing crowd.

As the night crept in and the face painted youngsters began to dwindle in numbers, the party vibe became more apparent and the crowd more raucous. The main stage headliners for Saturday were The Big Pink, Sheffield boys an gal Reverend and the Makers, followed by the Pigeon Detectives and Ash. Besides a few lengthy stage changes between some of the acts, the crowd only grew in size and energy. The Pigeon Detectives added the spice of spontaneity and invited all the dressed up children on stage with them - an offer which was eagerly accepted - and the stage was bombarded by a host of crazily dressed, manically dancing kids, which resulted in big smiles all round.