Trucking the trend: a Truck Festival 2011 preview

What to expect, who to see and a Spotify playlist

Daniel Lomas - 14 July 2011

"Oxford Town, Oxford Town..."
Abingdon's low-key, independent Truck Festival returns for its 14th Hill Farm outing with a blindin' bill of British folk, theatre and dance.

Truck Festival was launched in 1998 by members of the Oxfordshire band, Goldrush, in response to big festivals like Glastonbury becoming too commercial.

A decade on and Worthy Farm is now home to megastar pop divas, with supermodels, film stars and footballers tip-toeing around in the mud backstage. Hill Farm, however, remains a humble, microcosmic equivalent – and a favourite among small-festival lovers.

The event thrives in its modest scale, and with the help of volunteers, creates a much-loved family-friendly festival. It returns stronger each year with a solid line-up of indie, folk and dance acts and this year is no exception.

Established artists like Graham Coxon, Saint Etiene and Edwyn Collins are set to appear alongside some of the most exciting emerging British talent around, including Dry the River, Johnny Flynn and Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

You can expect modern twists of folktronica from acts like Gruff Rhys and Tunng, but also the all singing, all morris-dancing traditional folk and shanties of Bellowhead.

Camden-based newcomers Tribes bring their take on 90s US grunge to the Oxfordshire countryside, Pete and the Pirates will be commandeering a train over from Reading to provide some indie-pop, and seasiders, The Go! Team, will be popping up to do that hip-hop/indie-rock crossover thing they are pretty great at.

In addition to the live music, there is plenty of weird theatre, comedy and cabaret going on around the site and in the Boxford Dance Arena you'll find fairground rides, a cocktail lounge and a graffiti expo as it hosts a weekend-long disco, dubstep and techno extravaganza for those who love a glowstick as much as a banjo.

Here's a video guide to who you just HAVE to see.

Johnny Flynn
The rosy-cheeked charmer looks like he rolled out of an orchard and onto the stage.



Tribes
This promising ode to the mid-nineties is a cracking track. Hopefully not their only one.



The Go! Team
Go! see them - if only for this one. Surely the catchiest indie tune of 2010.


Dry the River
See the harmonious quintet perform the angelic 'Bible Belt' on a canal boat in Amsterdam. Not a hooker in sight. Lovely.


Edwyn Collins
Scottish 'A Girl Like You' bloke has other decent songs too, like this one:


If that is not enough to get your Truck buds tingling, download VF's Truck Festival 2011 Spotify playlist here.

Sounds good, right? Does anybody have any questions?

Yes! Me, me, me! When is it exactly?
Truck Festival 2011 takes place from 22-24 July.

Oh, I'm totally cancelling my trip to Tunisia. Where, where, where?
It is in Steventon (near Abingdon) in Oxfordshire.

Oh yay! That is like so close to daddy's house! How do I get in?
Ideally, you will need a ticket: Truck Festival 2011 tickets are on sale now priced at £99 for adults, £79 for youths (13-17 years) and free for under 12s (ticket purchase required). Day tickets are also available.

Click here to buy Truck Festival tickets.

Click here for the full Truck Festival 2011 line-up.

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