Kendal Calling 2011 review

'The 6th edition of Kendal Calling is the best yet'

Phil Brady - 06 August 2011

Kendal Calling is an absolute success this year with a fantastic line-up, a wonderful location and one of the most fun festival atmospheres of the summer.

The 6th edition of Kendal Calling is the best yet. The Lake District’s premier music festival leaves a sell out audience gagging for more as Blondie (7/10) closes the main stage on Sunday. Donning her dark glasses Debbie Harry takes the mic like a weapon and spits the peroxide sounds of the CBGB’s all over the sun-drenched revellers with an attitude that takes most of these post-punks back to their youth.

The Cumbrian crowd jump around as House Of Pain (8/10) warm up the proceedings and set the atmosphere for Chase and Status (8/10) who deliver a sensational show. Both giving the fields of Lowther Deer Park a musical erection, while over on The Soap Box, Charlie Viech of The Love Police preaches to the faithful with his revolutionary ideas of social change and Mike Garry, a John Cooper Clarke styled Mancunian poet, tells us stories of northern youth and Tony Wilson.

The Cribs (6/10) seem naked without Jonny Marr on guitar but deliver a set full of vigour and angst that puts this “up for owt” crowd in the mood to kick out a musical note. The Lancashire Hotpots (7/10) seem to fit perfectly with this ale quaffing, chippy tea-chomping, flat capped and ferret flinging festival as The Riot Jazz Band (8/10) blow the Victorian boots off the steam punked-out Riot Jazz Stage.

Summer Camp (9/10) tucked away in a tiny tent play to an intimate crowd with a beautiful sound echoing throughout a nestling corner of the festival with healing shelters, lovely eateries and a retro dance hall.

Echo And The Bunnymen (7/10) look relaxed in the northern hemisphere, belting out ‘Killing Moon’, ‘The Cutter’ and ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ in a seamless and well rehearsed set. The Levellers (7/10) who are well versed on the festival scene, take their audience for a Celtic hoe down and the Cumbrian hillbillies rise from their watery depths to dance a jig until sundown.

The dance tent goes on until 3am with the likes of Mr Scruff (9/10), Nero (6/10), Craig Charles (6/10), Krafty Kuts (8/10) and set after set of bass throttling beats from a plethora of DJ talents. Putting Kendal Calling 2011 to bed, we let the deer roam free once again for another year.

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