More about: End of the Road Festival

Situated in the rural parts of Dorset, UK – End of the Road closed up festival season with a weekend of scenic views and incredible music.

Steamy, sweaty, and shoegazy, Pigs times 7, dominate TIPA stage with a hot show of psychedelic riffs, stomping bass plucks and boisterous vocal delivery. It’s a show packed with energy, and whilst short of a mosh pit, its thudding with eager headbangs. Sweat is streaming off of frontman Matthew Baty’s face, as he mocks himself as a “Poundland Freddie Mercury,” – his words not ours. The sound quality for this set is incredible, with all the current discourse as of recent – it was great to be at a show, with such good-quality music. Maybe too good though, at times I honestly thought I could feel the music pulsing through my body…. Steamy fog lingers in the air, as the vibrant stage lights bounce of and around the walls of the tent. The atmosphere of the fans in this gig is pulsing, blood thirsty even, with each track signalling its own dramatic / climactic sequence of instrumentals. A 40-year-old birthday balloon hovers lonely around the crowd, amongst eager teens floating their way above a wave of pushing hands. The feedback ricocheting from Baty is a boastful and mesmerising touch – Pigs were a great introduction into the festival weekend. 

Introducing our Friday EOTR experience are experimental rock outfit, Keg, a 7-pieced group. Putting on an high-energy show, Keg put on a hectic show at the Blue Top tent as vocalist Albert Haddenham bellows into his mic whilst running across the stage scarlessly. Introducing the audience with a ton of sexy sax, the energy and pure stage presence Keg have is completely illumining – they really are a band you don’t want to miss. Musically curating a sound somewhere between extra-terrestrial and like you’ve just entered a dodgy zoo – hear me out, this is a compliment. Keg have mastered a sound so violently discorded, that it oddly makes so much sense. During ‘Kids,’ Haddenham belts, “I don’t like my kids,” followed by an uproar of laugher and cheers. If there’s one thing, we’ve learnt at EOTR, it’s that, it’s a very family friendly festival, but this line went down a treat. 

Playing the same stage shortly after, (we promise we venture outside of this tent), are experimental project Mandy Indiana. This show was a mixed bag, at most moments’ frontwoman … vocals felt unnecessary. There were only a few snippets of their show that really stood out to me. Instrumentally, this band has a ton of potential, their sound is rock heavy with speckles of abstract electronic work. Dare I say it, but Mandy Indiana could easily work as an instrumental 3-piece experimental group having seen them live, I think it’s fair to say they’re quite like marmite, but worth the watch. 

The Boat venue was already packed out by the time Snapped Ankles arrived, with some eager fans (including myself) intertwining themselves in bushes as they tried to get a closer look. Snapped Ankles waltz on kitted out in hair suits, it’s a cross between a group of Chewbaccas and Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. All I can think about is how ridiculously hot it must be inside of there. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt across these first two days, it’s that EOTR is the most scenic, and aesthetically pleasing festival I’ve ever been to. The décor and stages really are amazing, the atmosphere in the night creates a completely different environment, with the fairy lights and different coloured led lights shining upon tree branches. Snapped Ankles put on one hell of a distorted show at The Boat, between their creepy outfits, to the electronic, drum and bass fused music, and autotuned spoken word, it honestly felt like I had joined a cult, even if I had, I think I’d stay. Their crowd was the most I’d seen fans move across the last two days. 

Concluding our night at The Woods for Black Midi, (this will be the third time I’ve seen and reviewed Black Midi for Gigwise in the last three months). An obsession? No… Great band? Yes. Friday night’s performance was another great one to add to the list. Making their way through their latest album Hellfire, (plus the hyper-charged, ‘John L,’) Black Midi put on an electric show with tracks vocally and instrumentally moving at god speed. Fans at the barrier ferociously headbang, dipping in and out of unison as Black Midi spell-bind the crowd with thudding drums, and illuminating guitar work. By now its pitched black outside, and the cute fairy lights and multicolour LED lights wrapped around the trees around us, make for a scenic touch. Black Midi close our Friday night out with a bang. 

Our Saturday started off with an unusually nonchalant vibe, as we made a move towards TIPI stage to catch the blissful scenes of Coco’s melodic set. Bringing some very relaxed Sunday vibes, between Coco put on a show of nonchalant tracks with pleasant harmonies and delicate composition. There’s a lot of great vocal talent across this band, and whilst it was a really zen show, it wasn’t quite the Saturday start we had anticipated.

Back to TIPI for TV Priest, and the adrenaline is pumping. Entering stage looking *very* formal in his suit, is frontman Charlie Drinkwater turning up the volume and atmosphere from our last set. TV Priest put on a lively show, but still not quite our cup of tea. You’re probably thinking, why have you spent the last two shows watching acts you didn’t quite like? Well, the great thing about EOTR is that there really is an inventory of music options. Sometimes you take the gamble, and you win, and sometimes you don’t.

There’s a very big family element to this festival, probably more so than any other I’ve ever been to. But our next show, was definitely not exactly the type of show you’d bring your kids too. Playing TIPI stage, to a completely packed-out tent is industrial pop, and queer icon Lynks. Walking onto stage to the sound of ‘here comes the bride,’ in a very camp camouflage gimp mask, and trousers – Lynks puts on a sweaty show with backup dancers and vocalists Showergel. Lynks really put a spin on our Saturday, playing the sluttiest pop tunes in broad daylight, fans eagerly gathered into TIPI with gimp masks, latex, and sheer clothing. The atmosphere for this show was truly great, everyone was beaming with energy, Lynks would shout something, and just like clockwork the audience would shout it right back. It was like an adult pantomime – this may not sell it for you, but it was great for me. Introducing his set with bubble-gum pop, ‘Everyone’s Hot (And I’m Not),’ a very simple track, yet boasting with an addictive hook. Lynks’ music is one thing: a simple bop with an addictive hook. His lyrics are pretty trash, but honestly, in the best sense. It was rare if you weren’t laughing or dancing along to this set, it was a brilliant burst of energy. “This next one is called Hey Joe, not by Jimi Hendrix, it’s by me.” Lynks later welcomes Grove for ‘Bbb,’ otherwise known as, ‘Big Bad Bitch.’ Lynks later covers Courtney Barnett’s ‘Pedestrian at Best.’ Singles that really stood out across this show were definitely, ‘Silly Boy,’ and ‘Str8 Acting.’

Heading into the woods to catch another ‘new’ artist on our radar, is Jockstrap – a project by Black Country, New Road vocalist Georgia Ellery. In short, this performance was completely compelling, and easily one of our weekend’s best highlights. Up until then, I’d never heard of Jockstrap, having only known Ellery for her work with BC,NR, I was really impressed and just totally blown away by just how much of a contrast Jockstrap was from her previous work. Consisting of Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, Jockstrap is a cross between industrial techno and folk tinted acoustic singer-songwriter stuff. As for the latter, this really did not appeal, but as for Ellery’s vocals and the electronic production of the more hyper-focused singles, this was really, quite a euphoric and dreamy set. Jockstrap have scoped a definitive sound, completely orgasmic to the ears, and totally unpredictable, a really great show.

Closing the night with headliners Pixies, I think this may be the moment I passed out? That was an unnecessary joke. Seeing Pixies live was definitely a really big moment for me, the atmosphere of this show was insane, fans belted the words to their hit singles, ‘Hey' and ‘Where is my Mind'  as though their lives depended on it. The setlist for this show was great too, introducing, ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven,’ as their third single of the night and straight into ‘Debaser,’ felt completely surreal. I really didn’t anticipate hearing these tracks so early in, but I was overjoyed to.

Starting Sunday on a calmer note, we watched a live podcast with presenter and drag queen Ash Kenazi interviewing Lynks. Discussing his live performance persona, coming out at 14, working in the queer scene and unexpected collaborations. Held in a very beautiful, with fairy lights, Lynks struts on to the sound of his very own song, ‘Bbb,’ followed by comical comment, “oh, I hate this song.” This podcast was absolutely great, and totally packed out before it had even started. Everyone beamed in aur at the two conversing about making music and performing, between Lynks’ humorous one-liners, and Kenazi’s fab interview delivery, everyone was in giggles. We can confirm a good few facts: Lynks has sadly not had sex whilst in the mask, yes, we’re sorry to let you down. Lynks’ feature with Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes was a last-minute plan. And the most wholesome one: Lynks is on a journey on learning to unfilter the things he once felt he needed to. Quoting, Bob the Drag Queen: “the sides of yourself you’ve supressed probably aren’t as terrible as you think they are.”

Jumping over to The Boat to catch the last 15 minutes of O. Consisting of drummer Tash Keary and Joe Henwood playing a baritone sax, together O. are an industrial jazz duo, that take you on a hypothetical acid trip with their hypnogenic sounds. Across the weekend EOTR introduced us to a lot of new experimental music, with most artists making some magic on pedals and synthesisers. It really is the festival to discover new, and niche music. We’re sad to have only caught the last section of O.’s show, needless to say, it was an incredible show with addictive loops.  

Ending our Sunday with a shoegazy mood-rock performance from Canadian outfit, Cola. With a mix of fans swaying at the front to others setting themselves a comfy seat on the floor, the rain poured in the background as Cola put on a swift set of mellow post-punk tinted tunes. Cola seeds us off with a very nonchalant end to our weekend, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time EOTR.

See photo below by Richard Gray

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More about: End of the Road Festival