Review 2 for Barn On The Farm 2023

Differing perspectives are always useful, so with that in mind we had not one, but two of the TBGG team on the ground for this years BOTF festival. Here is Rosie’s take on events…

When you imagine a typical Gloucestershire farm, you think of some sheep, a herd of cows or two, some horses perhaps, and sure, Over farm has all these things, but unlike other farms in the local area, every year, in early July, if there is not a global pandemic or zombie apocalypse, the farm plays host to some of the best up and coming artists from the UK and beyond, who, since 2011 have adoringly returned year by year to play in barns which would usually house tractors, livestock or even an ostrich.

Barn on the Farm is unlike any venue or festival I have ever shot at before, before I had even stepped foot into the festival itself, I was greeted by staff blaring out indie rock bangers, smiling at the incoming crowds ready for the weekend to commence, but unlike other festivals that I have been to, there was an immediate sense of familiarity, of belonging, for such an iconic festival, they appear to have never lost sight of their original idea of intimacy, that fans and artists could dance side by side until the early hours without a care in the world, and this tone stayed prominent throughout my entire time at the festival; a feeling that I felt as soon as I dragged my tent out of the car.

Before I even get into the highlights of the festival itself, kudos must be given to the booking team for this year’s incredible attitude. The Barn team have always been the greatest supporters of young artists looking to make a mark in the industry, the festival considered by many as a steppingstone into the wider world of artistry and performing on a stage in front of thousands, and due to its smaller capacity, the Barn family allows these artists to flourish and develop into the type of performers that they strive to be.

Despite the small size of the festival in terms of walkability, I found the sheer number of sets to catch over the three days were incredibly difficult to fit in, which is a credit to all the hard work and organization that I saw go on behind the scenes from the talented sound and light technicians, with set times spanning from 30 minutes to over an hour.

Highlights for me from Friday came from the breathtaking Nieve Ella, who has shot to fame since dreaded lockdown days, much like many new artists, TikTok being the foundation for her well-deserved success. Nieve’s lyrics speak of the daunting fear of growing up, finding love and heartbreak all whilst trying to find her place in the world, her set was therapeutic, the screaming fans a sure sign that Nieve is only going to carry on reaching bigger heights as her journey to evident stardom continues. Later on, headlining the outdoor stage was Dylan, who delievered a stellar set, doing a cover of one of my favourite songs “ Kiwi” by Harry styles. Natasha (Dylan) much like Nieve ella has been suceeding in leaps and bounds, having suported Ed sheeran on his latest tour, whilst embarking on one of her own in months past. Dylan is the perfect formula of Pop, whilst still incorprating stunning riffs and rasp that could see her entering the relms of rock as her sound progresses. On the main stage the punters were treated to australian power houses Gang of Youths, and arguably, despite still very much breaking into the UK music scene, this band truly put on a show. Front man David Le’aupepe is a true rockstar, despite knowing that the crowd that stood before him weren’t as well versed in their songs as they were used to, he certaintly knows how to get a crowd going- standing up on amps and holding out the microphone, Le’aupepe lightly teased the crowd into thunderous dancing and cheering by the end of the set, and I for one will be taking the time to listen to as much of their discography as possible. Later on in the night, I ambled over to the famous “ Grandmas house” which after a bit of a wait saw myself and about 25 other people enter a small shack, and we danced to an eccletic mix of music under the supervision of ‘Grandma” until the early hours.

After a spotless first day ( I am devasted I missed some of the many acts) Saturday delievered everything and more. Instead of just focusing on the two bigger stages, I found myself drawn to the Wooden barn once more, and was gobsmacked by the beautiful acoustic set from up and comer Cartwright. The last song of his set “ Into the wild” in particular has given him a new fan, its reministent of the feeling you get when you go on a road trip and stare out the window imaginging that you’re in a music video when you are younger, and I’m excited to see what the Ben Howard- esque vocalist does next with his debut EP which is in production currently. Later on on the same stage, I managed to catch the set of one of my new found favourite artists Etta Marcus, and I was thrilled to see that her live vocals were just as perfect as those on her recordings. I strongly suggest you check them out.

On the outdoor stage saw Olivia Dean, who as per usual provided a show stopping set full with tracks from her debut album “Messy” which disects themes of family in particular in her track “ Carmen” which is a soulful love letter to her grandmother and the windrush generation. Despite heavier songs within her debut, Dean truly brought the vibe to the farm, and I was blown away once more by her charisma and beautiful energy, allowing her band to take on mind blowing solos, whilst still capturing the crowds attention as she danced across the stage. With a setting sun baklighting the entire stage, Dean got the whole crowd singing along to every word, and as I watched over the her teary fans, I couldn’t help but notice the love that this artist brings with her to every show. People, no matter their age were on their feet swaying along to her beautiful vocals, as she got the Barn on the farm family ready for the Main stages headliner: Bleachers.

Making their Uk headlining debut, Bleachers curated a mind boggling showcase of talent; with Antanoffs lyrcism weaving in and out of two pairs of drum kits, two saxaphones and a whole lot of good energy pounding out of the stage. You could tell that the entire band was exstatic to be there, with a flurry of jumps too and from the amps at the front of the stage, the set was a beautiful end to the day. I will say at times, the crowd did seem at a loss for words with some of the lesser known songs, but working with Jack Antanoffs aura, the lack of knowledge of some of the lyrics didn’t stop the crowd from screaming so loud it was probably heard from Gloucester city centre.

With many nursing their hangovers on Sunday, I made sure to get down early to see the first set of the day, with Edinburgh based Swim school, a band that has been gaining momentous traction over the past couple of years, with punchy vocals and an incredible presence on stage despite the hanging crowd, they truly deserved a later slot in the day to show off the vocal prowess of frontwoman Alice johnson.

In the middle of the day, the famous “ Farm band” which saw members of Flyte, Billie marten, Ber and surprise guest Sigrid ( who later played her own secret set at the wooden barn) play and unrehersed laid back acoustic set, calming down the crowd after a night of heavy festivities. All those vocalists melded together like they’d been perfoming as a group the whole of their lives and I am hopeful we may see more of them altogether in the future. Speaking of supergroups, Fizz made their debut festival apperance, comprised of indie pop legends Dodie, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown and Greta Isaac. They stunned the crowd in a display I can only describe as if a child drew mythical creatures, gave them anglic singing capabilities and stuck them on a stage.

Sunday was absolutely rammed with acts that id been desperate to see for a long while, in particular Flyte, whose silky vocals completely envlope you and trasnport you to sunsets drinking with your friends, “ white roses” blew me away live, its ethereal arrangements evocative of 60’s pop comparable to some of the beatles tone. This is a band I will be buying tickets for in the future, their set brought a much needed calm after a wild weekend.

By the time the sun set on sunday night, the entire populace of the fetsival crammed by the main stage, hoping to get as close as possible to Barn on the Farm veteran, Holly Humberstone. Since covid, Humberstone has gone from strength to strength, releasng a highly popular EP “ Falling asleep at the wheel” which has had rave critic reviews. In these last few years, Humberstone has be curating and perfecting her already poignant sound, with the highly anticipated debut album “ Paint my bedroom black” coming to us soon. with this being said, the barn was ready for Holly, and she was ready for us. Humberstone strolled confidently onto stage and played what vocally, I think could have been one of the best sets of the weekend. Every single word she sang was mirrored back at her at the top of our lungs, the crowd and hollys vocals working in pendulem as the moon started to rise. Holly was joined on stage by her new band, and they certainly work together like a well oiled machine. Humberstone was the perfect last night headliner, everyone was tired from the consistent partying, but she kept the crowd alive with constant interaction and thanks to those who gave her the opportunity to headline. Encoring with ‘scarlett’ the crowd errupted as the set ended, not wanting her to leave, and for them to go.

Barn on the farm is a brilliant example of what a festival should be, intimate, well run, and entirely thoughttful of the artists that they showcase, and the crowds that year by year, come back for more. The food, the views and the genuinity of each and every one of the volunteers, security anf festival runners themselves bring together a truly spectaclar festival that I hope will run for years to come. Whilst I couldn’t have covered every single set or stage, I will say this. Buy the ticket for next year, so you can see for yourself why this little festival in the middle of Gloucestershire means so much to so many people.