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Embracing the chaos: a Bristol family’s first festival
With two young children, aged 1 and four, attending a festival is now quite a different proposition to days gone by, when I would plan which bands I was going to see and then actually get to see them.
This was a smash and grab festival experience, catching acts here and there when I could fit them in around naps, mealtimes and occasional meltdowns.
There were times when I found myself wondering if it was worth all the work it takes to keep two children fed, watered, safe and happy in the fierce heat and crowds.
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Best laid plans went awry, but we gradually found our groove as we eased in and learnt to let go of all expectations.
Persuading tiny ones to keep the ear defenders on can sometimes feel like a losing battle – photo: WOMAD
WOMAD is a gem of an event, and it felt like the right place to start our family’s festival adventures. Just big enough to feel there’s lots going on, but not so big it’s overwhelming, we could get across the site quickly even with tiny ones in tow.
The children soon went gloriously feral, dispensing with shoes, clothes and decorum. It felt like a safe place to let them run wild and free, my only real concerns the lack of shade and the battle to keep the ear defenders on.
It’s a festival that does its best to put children at the centre; literally, even, with The World of Children area nestled in between the arena and main camping.
There’s so much to try there, from yoga, musical storytelling, circus skills and giant marionettes, to body percussion dance routines and a daily high octane kids’ rave with bubbles, balloons and confetti.
All this coupled with an overwhelming sense of support and community as we exchanged looks of solidarity with other beleaguered parents, and received sympathetic smiles from older attendees.
Poco Drom’s punk-rock rave was WOMAD’s ultimate electro-dance party for kids that saw families take to the dancefloor together – photo: Mike Massaro
Musical highlights of the weekend included Defmaa Maadef, a female hip hop duo from Senegal. The technical difficulties they suffered at the Soundscape stage were easy to ignore as they put on a brilliant show full of sass and swagger. These two extraordinarily talented women have clearly found in each other their perfect artistic counterparts.
Another standout act was Bristol’s own Dr Meaker: live drum and bass with stirring brass and three sparklingly soulful vocalists who brought the party to Friday night with their explosive energy.
The singers were pitch perfect, and got the crowd moving with their seemingly impromptu dance routines. They give the vibe of a band perfectly in-sync with each other, but not overly-choreographed, bringing the fun and having fun doing it.
The crowd was wild, a cross-section of all demographics but with a strong contingent of hitherto unseen teenagers, perhaps drawn out to Molly’s Bar by the thrum of the bass – like moths to light, determined to dance hard through their brief night.
Senegal’s Defmaa Maadef brought sass and swagger to the Soundscape stage – photo: Simon Alexander
The perfect antidote to this luminous show was Bristol-based composer Daniel Inzani and ensemble on Saturday afternoon.
His contemplative jazz orchestration with a backdrop of arty visuals, reminiscent of tv static and chalkboard dust, sat well with the terminally hungover, as evidenced by the semi-conscious bodies strewn around the tent. Their last arrangement briefly ventured into surf-guitar territory, which was a diverting non-sequitur.
Deerhoof followed, a pre-dinner treat with their frenetic, chunky post-punk intensity offset by Satomi Matsuzaki’s sometimes saccharin, often sublime vocals.
Gogol Bordello’s mammoth set on the Open Air stage exuded an angry intensity, which must be exhausting to maintain for an hour and a half.
Vocalist Eugene Hutz seemed to take issue with someone apparently falling asleep on the front row, but their urgent pleas for freedom from oppression struck a defiant chord with the crowd.
Even artists brought their children to the festival – like the Flamingods’ vocalist showing off his son Archie to the crowd at the Charlie Gillett stage – photo: Simon Alexander
Like a World’s Fair of music, WOMAD’s programme is purposefully diverse, with global representatives bringing a flavour of their culture, cuisine and music with them.
The feeling of community and celebration was perfectly encapsulated by the traditional children’s parade on Sunday afternoon, a jubilant riot of drums and colour, cheered on by the whole festival.
So, was the festival worth all the inevitable hard work of attending with very young children?
The annual children’s parade was a riotous affair cheered on by young and old – photo: Mike Massaro
My sleep deprived mind is already filtering out the difficult moments, and my enduring memories will be of a sun-baked, joyful and friendly atmosphere, with moments of awe and wonder peppering the weekend.
My one year old asking for “more music” and dancing whenever she heard drums in the distance, and my four year old mesmerized by the stage lights and visuals.
Yes, it was worth it, and I’m already planning for WOMAD next year.
Main photo: Garry Jones
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