Psicle: May 2025

So Wide Awake goes ahead despite a court judgement that it is unlawful as some local Nimbys who are self appointed "guardians" of Brockwell Park take Lambeth planning to court over a planning technicality. Fking entitled twats who want to stop people having fun as it blocks off a relatively small part of the park for a month or so. Their main argument being that if it's wet then it ruins the grass as it disappears under mud. It's fking grass. It grows back. That's what grass fking does. That's why parks are mainly grassed over as it's resilient. The park has had large gigs for decades and it's probably people who've more recently moved into expensive Herne Hill who hate having to walk their darling doggies in a slightly different area of the park. The grove that they all whinge about is usually congregated by underage drinkers anyway. So waste more of Lambeth's money fighting pointless court cases so that it's not spent on child services. These people probably don't depend on those services and are more worried about their pooches shitting in a different place to normal. Probably have to spend money on dog psychiatrists as a result. Anyway, Lambeth have got their way as they have passed a quick ruling keeping the festivals within planning consent. You gotta fight for your right to party! OK, that was a tongue in cheek Beasties song but the sentiment is valid.

Sorry about that. It makes my blood boil. We'll come on to Kneecap later.

Anyway... the day is glorious so no chance of mud today. Yay! Debbie and I tootle down to the park at a very reasonable time on our trusty steel steeds (well, Debbie's is - mine's an aluminium alloy). We queue up passing multiple "amnesty bins" and soon enough I'm being electronically searched by a wand just in case I forgot to put my knife in the bin and having my nads sniffed by a dog just in case I forgot to ditch the drugs which is the last hurdle to getting into the festival itself. Why was I the only one asked to turn round whilst being wanded so everyone else coming into the festival could eyeball me. Ageism that's what it is!

Now in we make for a bar then mooch down to the main stages and catch Donny Benét who delivers a nice start to the sunny afternoon regaling us with a sort of 80s pop rock vibe but it's nice enough sitting in the sun. We wander towards Mermaid Chunky who sound like reggae by AI and we carry on wandering ending up watching a great punky set by Gurriers who are Fontaines DC-ish and the first of the Irish bands of the day. Debbie particularly loves them elbowing her way into the crowd (it's in a marquee) with me following trying not to be so tall. We're fired up now and head for Warmduscher for a typically genre hopping set of dance, punk and country vibes. It's that time of day where fast punk rock is the order of play and we go see the band that to me is the best punk rock band of the moment indeed of the last year of so the phenomenon that is Snõõper those anarchic speed merchants apparently playing Egg Punk from Nashville, Tennessee. The guitarist has a great mullet, if that's not an oxymoron which it definitely is but as mullets go his hits the mark. And there seem to be a lot to judge both on and off stages today. Back to Snõõper I can't help myself and handing jacket and phone to Debbie and swigging the last of my can I join the happy throng jumping around at the front aka mosh pit. Jeez they know how to keep a mosh going at full tilt. Their trademark papier mache headed green insect alien puppet without strings thing moves into the mosh with us and we all try to pat them on the very large head. This is what bands should be about. Seriously fast excellently played punk rock with weird stuff going on too. I stagger out at the end needing fresh air and a drink. Next day my right kneecap (ironic) is very stiff. Not sure why just the one. Note to self: do not mosh at Glastonbury as you are cycling in France four days afterwards. To conclude the Snõõper tale we go up to the main guitarist as he's packing away his stuff to say hello and ask if he remembers us at the Windmill. He doesn't seem impressed but maybe he's hyper and busy. Later Debbie spots him wandering around when I'm at the toilets and chats to him waiting for me and we have a good natter together and take another photo just like outside the Windmill. He asks about Kneecap and we say we'll see him later in the year at Alexandria Palace supporting Hives. I correct him on the name and tell him it was the first TV broadcast from there and we then say bye as his eyes are glazing over. Thanks Connor.

By this time we have met up with Becky and her friend Christine who's made the trip from Belfast. We see a couple of songs by English Teacher but they seem a bit dull after the last few and so we wander about and catch a recommendation that is Frankie and the Witch Fingers who, like ET, have quite a crowd but they sound like turgid heavy metal. Too slow. We head for Sprints who are on the 2nd stage so quite big and they liven us up again with a good punk show. Another Irish band as is the next act that is the magnificent CMAT. Now if you described CMAT I wouldn't bother listening but I stumbled across her at EOTR last year and loved the energy and the tunes. She has a great stage presence and makes the main stage her own. In a flowing red dress that she struts about in and does high kung foo type kicks the other couple of women in the band have similar dresses and the men are wearing white shirts with black ties and black shorts. A couple in tight lycra running or cycling shorts. So quite a sight on stage. CMAT belts out the tunes but that's not to say she can't sing cos she is great. A very accomplished act with the right amount of chat and humour to keep us all on side. The music is great too being a sort of alt country with just enough rock n roll blues edge to really kick it. Great set. All four of us wander over to see Fat Dog on the next stage and although hotly anticipated they were a bit so what I don't think helped by the sound which wasn't great for some reason. Maybe should have gone down the front or go see them in a small venue. Maybe they were having an off day or the sound tech was. Returning to the main stage the place is packed for Kneecap. They play a great set of hard core rap sung mostly in Gaelic.

Soon enough the gig has ended and hopefully not irritated the locals too much as it's only 10.30. We wander back towards the bikes over pristine looking grass and the paths before saying our farewells to Becky and Christine then cycling home. The courts said that Wide Awake is dead. Long Live Wide Awake!