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Review: Solara Festival, Walton Castle – ‘Funk, post-punk and a missing headliner’
Set in a venue usually reserved for fancy weddings or golfing enthusiasts, Solara Festival was a two-day, multi-stage event put on by three local students with a vision of line-up equality.
I had chickened out of camping – unsure of what to expect and whether it would chuck it down. But nestled into the turrets of Clevedon’s Walton Castle was an event with buzzing spirit, nostalgic excitement bouncing around the castle walls.
Walton Castle in Clevedon was the unusual venue for the music weekender – photo: Solara Festival
FRANCES was my musical introduction: a pop-punk princess with all-female guitarists absolutely shredding.
is needed now More than ever
Next Badlands, the highlight of the Friday night. Funky, fun and sparkling, their set felt like a complete celebration, joy spilling out from the stage and into the crowd until the whole room was moving. Who knew you could mosh to funk?
And in the best fourth-wall break, soon the boys were down in the crowd, setting up a limbo circle and handing out shakers and cowbells. It was like the pure joy and utter chaos of when you hand a primary school class the percussion box – but with lashings more cider.
Badlands funk-mosh chaos at Solara Festival – photo: @miadrumgram
The Friday night headliner, Joely June brought a sophisticated softness, band tight and harmonies truly beautiful.
And the late-night DJ Work for Joy was a treat, managing to get the solid stone floors jumping. I haven’t danced like that since a night in the late, great Moles.
Joely June at Solara Festival – photo: @miadrumgram
As with anything new, there were some teething issues, and without publicised set times my lazy Saturday morning meant I missed some acts I was dying to see. But regardless, Solara’s Saturday was a string of heavy hitters.
Firstly KUDOS, dripping in shoegazing Bristol energy, brought a swirling haze of rock to the Nova mainstage.
Then Leo Baby on the Lumen stage, a folky, bluesy solo artist with a carefree charisma and melody chops to match.
Next Sober Sundays, effortlessly cool; interesting, polished without losing that adolescent audacity.
Sober Sundays at Solara Festival – photo: @madebycharlotte__
Truck felt like a guilty pleasure in the best way. Classic indie drenched in 2000s charm, with spot-on harmonies. Their comfortable, friendly energy made me want to hang out with them after the show. Then they could tell me how they landed on the quirkiest, pop-punkest rendition of Metallica’s Enter Sandman as their closer.
But Paper Crowns were the absolute peak of Saturday Solara. Post-punk so good I genuinely think it would be impossible not to enjoy. It was jazzy, circling, with spoken word and screaming alongside beautiful, rich vocals – imagine Black Country, New Road as a jazz club house band.
The sax player was enthralling; the band could see the audience eating out of their palms. It was the first genuine ‘one more song’ chant I’d been part of in years. I could’ve listened to them play for a lifetime.
The shake up to the night came from the unfortunate lack of headliner Felix Ross. While I was off sneaking in a quick game of pool, Felix Ross was sound checking, then packing up and heading back out the castle walls.
In his place, I was greeted once again by the cacophony of elation, Badlands’ trademark magnetism. Not one to let a stage go to waste, Badlands pulled off the ultimate encore to the day’s festivities – this time letting the crowd meet them onstage in that sweet spot between utter chaos and spectacular mastery of party spirit.
A fitting end to Solara’s so-called ‘party in a castle’, both castle and party guaranteed.
Main photo: Paper Crowns by Amy Overd
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