Festival Clothes

Happy Friday everyone! Now with festival lineups and tickets being released, I think its about time to do another Festival Friday. Of course there are lots of things I could write about, but there is one very important part of festivals that I haven't really spoken about. OUTFITS!

Most festivals have a anything goes rule when it comes to clothes, the more your outfit clashes the better in most cases or just very little clothing at all works too. Although with the second suggestion may I remind you it can get pretty cold. However there are some festivals that are a bit like a fashion show (Coachella), now I'm not the most stylish person in the world, but I like to think I have my own sense of style. But I have done a bit of research and asked some experts and come up with some websites that seem to cater for the more fashion aware festival goer.

So anyone who knows me well will know I'm big into all things colourful, sparkly and shiny. Obviously not every festival calls for the same level of effort to go into what to wear. But that's where I intend to help you give you an idea of what kind of thing to wear to each festival to fit in or (even better in my opinion) stand out! 

Festivals like Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Wilderness, Shambala and Latitude as well as many more, usually have a fancy dress theme, or at least a day where you have to dress up over the weekend. Most festivals have released their themes for the weekends now, so get researching to make sure you are dressed to impress!

Have a little look at each of the websites to find a great range of awesome clothes and accessories. I have sorted the websites by who they say they cater for, however I would still recommend having a look at everything, because everyone looks incredible in glittery body suits. Enjoy!

BOTH

http://festivalfanatics.com/

The home of festival gear and accessories. All the coolest, funkiest and most unique festival and rave gear out there.

http://www.fairylove.com/
Bespoke wings and unique, magical dress up clothing and accessories for everyone.

http://shop.stateofdisarray.co.uk/
Dedicated to dressing party people and performers in the most awesome attire. See the universe reflected in your spandex.

http://www.foragedesign.com/
Design and produce clothing, pocket belts and bags, jewellery, and funky, fair trade, finger knitted hats.

http://www.secretemporium.com/en/

A creative platform for independent design talent.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SexGypsies?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Beautiful, quality charmed outwear fit for any festival and perfect to unleash your inner gypsy.

http://omgaiatree.com/
Stylish, comfortable clothing to live life in.

http://funkandflash.com/
Clothing that exemplifies the very best in the world wide festival culture.

http://phoenixrisingartists.com/
Warriors, regal... rugged.

http://www.beyondretro.com/en/
One-of-a-kind clothing and accessories, bring new life to clothing that promotes uniqueness.

http://rosita-bonita.myshopify.com/

Closed at the mo - open soon, Inspiration comes from glamorous fantasies of past times & faraway lands, & encompasses icons of folklore, myth & legend. With these influences, and a pervading sense of dreamy fun, Rosita Bonita creates tactile printed leather statement jewellery, which is at once nostalgic & novel.

http://jeeperspeepers.co.uk/
Sunnies with a blend high quality fabrication with new and vintage inspired design.

WOMENS

http://kucoondesigns.com/
Anti-trend, caters towards the stylish, adventurous, playful, yet practical woman.

http://www.ohmyhoney.co.uk/
Glamorous, feminine and chic, the nipped in waists and full skirts make any women look fantastic.

http://www.dazzleandjolt.com/
Makes colourful, playful apparel for those not afraid to stand out! Designs feature all over prints with a graphic twist and a kaleidoscope of exotic animals, tropical fruits, geometrics and cosmic wonders.

http://www.rosabloom.com/
Eye-catching and wearable, crossing the borderline between costume and ready-to-wear. Now most well-known for her sequinned pieces, such as leggings and leotards adorned with her trademark over-sized scale-like sequins.

http://www.katiejonesknit.co.uk/
Unique and fabulous knitwear.

http://www.janebowler.co.uk/
Unique tactile surfaces and constructed textiles which naturally evolve into what Bowler refers to as ‘wearable art’.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LOMstore?ref=condensed_trust_header_title_items
Colourful Luxury Festival and Party Fashion.

MENS

https://www.opposuits.co.uk/
If you want to look all business at a festival, these suits are the right way to go about getting into the swarve festival spirit.

Shambala 2015!

Now some of you may know I went away for two weeks with the festival catering company I work with, called The Hurly Burly (Great food, incredible music, the yummiest cakes ever, check it out). Anyway, the first weekend I spent at Shambala, a wonderful, little festival in Northampton. It's has one of the smallest sites I have seen this season, however still has 12 stages with plenty to see and do, even into the early hours of the morning. 

So I got there on the Thursday afternoon, caught up with my lovely friends/ colleagues and went out to explore the site. It was great to see a different set of stalls to the ones you see at every festival and as this was my first time at Shambala I wasn't sure what to expect, so it made a pleasant surprise.

Friday was when the main music started! There were very few artist I had listen to before at Shambala, but lots of names I recognised from other festival line ups. So I was very excited to find new bands and artist to start listening too. The first band I saw after I finished work on Friday was this awesome band called Electric Swing Circus. They were on the main stage, although they did have their own stage at Shambala, called Swingamajig Speakeasy. If you hadn't guessed Electric Swing Circus is a Electro Swing band. They had me dancing from the get go! Straight after Electric Swing Circus on the main stage was Dizraeli and the Small Gods (In case you don't know, I missed them at Green Man festival, so I was desperate to see them before they broke up). I first heard Dizraeli and the Small Gods psychedelic hip-hop sound at Green Man 2012, I liked them so much I even bought a T-shirt. It was great to see them at Shambala, one of their favourite festivals, they bought so much energy to the stage and are really different to your average 6 - piece band. I spent the next couple of hours grabbing some yummy food, and shopping for sparkly things. Until 9pm when I went to see one of my friend's friend DJing at Swingamajig Speakeasy. After a good dance there and being mesmerised by the girl hooping on stage, I went to see Formidable Vegetable Sound System, (try saying that three times really fast!) after one of my friends explained she was desperate to see them. Formidable Vegetable Sound System sing about the brilliance of Permaculture to a Speakeasy/Electro Swing sound. With the use of Loops from a laptop, beatboxing, a ukulele, a violin, a variety of horns and some interpretive dance, Formidable Vegetable Sound System but on a show like no other I had seen. I absolutely loved them, and they just so happened to be going to the next and last festival of my working season. So I knew they would be one I had to see again. They were easily my favourite act of the weekend, and one of the top for the whole summer.

So that's why Yield, by Formidable Vegetable Sound System is What's The Set List's Track of the Day!



Saturday saw our busiest day at work all season. We were absolutely shattered when we finished work, so we went to Coyote Moon Spa and had a session in a hot tub. It did mean we missed Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate on the main stage, but after the day we had, we thought it was fair enough. I had a lazy evening on Saturday, gathering my strength to party into the night. So at 12am I was ready for Roni Size on the Kamikaze stage. It was awesome to see such a Drum & Bass legend doing his thing, the only problem I found was the tent was in was the temperature of the sun. I watched most of his set until the heat got to unbearable, and ended up listening to the rest of his set from the chair swing ride next to the tent.

Unfortunately I had a double shift on the Sunday, so I didn't catch any music. However I did manage to have a break to see the Fireworks, which were pretty cool. No one was sure when they were meant to start, so a lack of organisation meant I was standing there waiting for almost half an hour. But they were well worth it.

For my first Shambala experience I would have to say it's the most different festival I have been to all summer. Easily the best for dressing up though, everyone goes all out, all weekend and has several costumes with them it seem. I had a wonderful time, even if I didn't see as much music as I usually do. For such a small festival it definitely has one of the biggest party vibes.

Festival Friday! Secret Garden Party

I'm finally back, it's finally Friday, both of which mean it's Festival Friday! This weeks Festival Friday is Secret Garden Party.

Based in Huntingdon, Secret Garden Party first opened it's gates to 1000 punters with one stage back in 2004. It opened as an alternative to the more mainstream music festivals. Now it has grown massively and has over 15 stages, as well as more than 26,000 punters flood through it's gates every year. However it has never lost that alternative or independent feel. 

One of the great things about SGP is the amount of care, time and thought that goes in to the site. Everywhere you look there is cool things to see and do, art work to admire, a hidden stage to find, a lake to swim in, and so much more. Each year there is a new theme, this year it was 'Childish Things', last year its was 'Beyond the Yellow Brick Road', the year before that it was 'Superstition', you get the picture. The themes are always well thought out and the site decorated accordingly. The punters take the themes very seriously as well, dressing up to the 9's and are so imaginative with their costumes. There is a huge variety of music at SGP, I would say pretty much every genre of music is covered. The line up is usually full of up and coming bands and artist, with some classics and big names thrown in. Previous headliners have included Gorillaz,  Blondie, Fat Freddy's Drop and Javis Cocker. 

Secret Garden Party supports lots of charities, but one that stood out for me was C.A.L.M. (Campaign Against Living Miserably). It's aim is to prevent male suicide in the UK, as it is the single biggest cause of death for men aged 20-45 in the UK. Personally I think many people don't realise how bad the situation is and don't fully understand depression and anxiety is not something you can just 'get over'. SGP had The CALMzone tent, where you could sit and chill on big sofas, take a load off and enjoy a good, free cup of tea. The CALM crew were there to chat to about the charity as well as anything and everything else you wanted to talk about. Follow C.A.L.M. on Twitter @theCALMzone, you can also use the hashtag #CALMSGP to find out more about C.A.L.M.'s work at Secret Garden Party.

Now for this year, Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th July 2015

Headliners: Jungle, The Cat Empire, Caravan Palace

Other artist include: Will and the People, Jack Garratt, Public Broadcasting Service, Lianne La Havas, Kate Tempest, Gentlemen's Dub Club, Natty, Honne, Temples, Roots Manuva, Kawehi, Darwin Deez, Beans on Toast, Rhodes, The Rumble, Ian Siegal, CC Smugglers, The Urban Voodoo Machine, Fleetmac wood, Chainska Brassica, Nizlopi, Rum Buffalo, Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Temple Funk Collective, Dizraeli, 

Links

SGP Website

What to Pack

C.A.L.M. Website

Glastonbury 2015!

So after a week at Glasto, I'm finally home again and fully recovered. Sorry about the lack of posts, it's been pretty mad and I was having too much fun at Glastonbury. I did have my first Festival Friday post scheduled to post on the Friday, however for some reason it didn't post. Oh well! 

I got to Glasto on the Tuesday last week, I started work on Wednesday doing the morning shifts throughout the festival. I went to see The Vaccines, The Courteeners, Billy Bragg, Gregory Porter, Pharrell, Kanye West, Lionel Richie, Lianne La Havas, Jamie T, The Who, Chainska Brassika and that's just the music acts I saw!

Lionel got the biggest crowd, which is unsurprising as he was brilliant and played all of his best hits. The Who put on a great show and although there was no guitar smashing, they did pull down the drum screen and knock over a couple of mics. However, from the moment he first got announced, to The Who making a dig at him during their set, Kanye West has to be the most talked about act at Glasto. There seems to be a divide between all that saw him. Some absolutely loved it, some absolutely hated it! From watching it again on BBC iPlayer, it looked better on telly than it did live. In my opinion, it was unrehearsed and I don't think Kanye was used to doing that sort of performance. I found that the long gaps between songs and the fact he kept stopping during the songs unprofessional and ruined the atmosphere. Not that there was much atmosphere as every time he got going and started to get the audience involved, the song would change or he would stop the performance. I'm not a giant fan, but I do know the big hits. I gave Kanye the benefit of the doubt and stayed for the whole set, many people left after 4 or 5 songs. The lighting was awesome, even if he did hit his head. Lee Nelson running on for less than a second to imitate the Taylor Swift incident  wasn't funny, and 'Touch The Sky' on a cherry picker was actually pretty awesome. There was a lot of booing and when he tried to sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and claimed to be the 'Biggest Rock Star on the Planet' while rapping 'Gold Digger', well I wasn't really sure what to make of that. I think I mostly found it funny, typical Kanye and all that. The fact is, he probably is one of the biggest stars on the planet at the moment. However I think 'Rock Star' is the wrong claim as that title was taken by the likes of Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury and now maybe Dave Grohl. But as you can see, he got me, all of Glastonbury and all that watched it at home talking. But was it talking for the right reasons?

My favourite act was Lianne La Havas, she was amazing, her voice was incredible as always and her set was perfect. Couldn't fault it. I also met the wonderful Gregory Porter after watching his set at West Holts on the Saturday. I embarrassed myself by being super uncool as usual, and then he made me feel worse by being super cool about it and signing my vinyl record of his latest album, Liquid Spirit and getting a picture with me. So that made my day/ year really.

This year I managed to have another explore, so found a lot more stuff and little stages than I did last year. I also was told to go and see Arcadia Metamorphosis, which was incredible! I also managed to get in to Shangri-la and all those areas, this time at night, so I got to see the full effect, which was amazing and felt like you were is a completely different world almost.

I think this year was better than last year for me, although nothing can beat seeing Dolly Parton live really, I got to see more acts that I really wanted to see and some I had seen before, so I got to appreciate them more. I saw a lot more this year as well and got to explore all the different areas properly. The weather was better as well which helped. 

Glastonbury 2015, you were awesome!

Let me know about your Glastonbury festival experience or what you thought about Kanye's performance in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

Festival Essentials, what to pack!

Whether you are a last minute packer or have planned each outfit for the past month, at some point you will have to pack for your long weekend of festival fun. 

So with a summer of music festivals starting just around the corner, I thought it best to start off with a packing list of what to take with you. From what I would class the essentials, to if you want to go all out and pack the kitchen sink (not literally though). This list has everything you will need!

Essentials

1. A tent,  so guy ropes, poles, pegs and ground sheets
2. Sleeping bag / duvet / pillow
3. Sleeping mat / Air bed
4. Wellies / Sturdy boots
5. Waterproof coat / overalls
6. Towel
7. Festival Ticket
8. Money / Cards
9. Enough change of clothes, incase you get wet / clean clothes to go home in:
• Shorts
• Jeans
• Dresses
• Trousers
• Skirt
• Tops
• Underwear
• Skirts
• Socks
• Jumpers
• Bras
• Tights
• Leggings
10. Phone
11. Head Torch / Torch
12. I.D / Driving licence
13. Camera
14. Lightweight / plastic bags, for dirty clothes or shoes
15. Toiletries, so you can at least pretend to be clean after not showering all weekend:
• Shampoo / Conditioner
• Toothbrush / Toothpaste
• Wet wipes (Biodegradable)
• Sun cream
• Contraceptives
• Medication, (Inhalers / Prescriptions / Meds info on allergies)
• Hand sanitiser
• Toilet roll
• Glasses / Contacts and solution
• Tampons / Sanitary towels
• Hair brush
• Dry shampoo
16. Rucksack, so you can carry all this stuff!

Not so Essential

1. Ear plugs / Cotton wool buds, for when you have a loud snorer in the tent next to you.
2. After sun, incase you are silly enough to not put sun cream on and get burnt
3. Sun Glasses
4. Chargers, however most festivals have somewhere where you can charge your phone or camera
5. Stuff to do when there is nothing on you want to see:
• Frisbee
• Ball
• Book / Magazine
• Hula Hoop
• Playing Cards
• Pen and paper 
6. Reusable water bottle
7. Hats / Gloves / Scarfs
8. Spare batteries
9. Camping chairs
10. Tent decorations, To make your tent easier to find and stand out from the crowd
• Fairy lights
• Bunting
• Hammock
• Flag, you can also use this when standing in a big crowd so people know where you are
11. Mini speakers, so the party can continue in your tent
12. iPod
13. Mallet, to help get those pegs in
14. Extra Blankets, it can get very cold 
15. Lantern
16. Cooking tools, it's best to figure out what meals you are cooking, then bring the relevant utensils to make that dish. Most festivals have food stands where you can get some amazing food from all around the world, however sometimes they aren't in the camping areas so on the day before and the day after you may have to make your own food.
17. Febreeze, for when your tent inevitably starts to smell
18. Rubbish / Recycling bags, help the festival by making as little rubbish as possible and recycle!
19. Car inverter, so you can charge things in your car
20. Shade awning, for when that little bit of sun breaks through the clouds.
21. Solar shower
22. Fancy dress outfits and other accessories to make you stand out from the crowd.
23. First aid kit
24. Mosquito repellant / sting relief
25. Locks, to lock bags or tents up

Now each festival is different, so sometimes you will find that things that wouldn't normally be essential items become essentials, best to check the festival website if you are unsure. Most festivals have stalls where you can buy many of the things on both of these lists incase you do forget something, however if you use these lists properly you shouldn't have to worry. If you think I have forgotten something or you have used this list to help you pack or create your own detailed packing list, let me know!

Welcome!

Welcome to What's The Set List?!

I'm Tessa and I will be posting all sorts of music related news, with everything from festival fun to new music releases and bands to look out for. 

I always listen to music, exaggerating slightly, but I couldn't live without music. I like a variety of music, and am always looking for new bands and artists to listen too. 

I love festivals, the atmosphere, the music, the mud! There is always something going on and when there isn't, you have just enough time to grab a quick 40 winks before it all starts up again. Last year I worked with a festival catering company, attending 8 festivals throughout the summer festival season. I would work in the mornings, then would spend the afternoons taking part on all sorts of festival madness. I will doing the same thing again this year and can't wait to share my experiences, both good and the bad, with you. 

You can also follow my updates Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you, as well are hearing your festival experiences.