Photo: WENN
Wilderness is well regarded for its posh nosh and myriad yoga lessons. The question is, can this festival, which is set in a lush green private estate deep in the Oxfordshire countryside, keep up the pace with other more dedicated music festivals?
Thankfully, in comparison to previous years, it seems they’ve really stepped up their game. Björk, Perfume Genius, and Seun Kuti are just some of our favourites. But unlike Glastonbury, where every second of your day your favourite band is playing, there's plenty of time for non-musical activities - of which fire walking, gong bathing, comical cricket, and Michelin star food are just some of the great things to do.
Considering the glorious weather, though, swimming in the cold lake and a wash in wood-fired mobile sauna in the healing fields is favoured; and at only £5 it offers a great value alternative to the lakeside spa, which you have to pre-book.
Feeling settled and refreshed, we set off to catch a set from hyped German nu-classical composer and electronic producer Nils Frahm, who draws an increasingly attentive crowd.
Today though, it's Björk that everyone's waiting for. The Icelandic artist arrives on stage in a red dress and mask, whilst stood beneath a huge kaleidoscopic visual backdrop. She opens with ‘Notget’, which is accompanied by a dramatic firework display. This track, like many tonight, is drawn from her latest album Vulnicura – a concept album chronicling her break-up with artist Matthew Barney.
Subsequently, a lot of the set is powerful emotionally and her vocals are heightened by string work from the Heritage Orchestra, and warped basslines from The Haxan Cloak (the onstage beatmaster also co-produced the album). This uncompromising approach reflects a bold statement of intent to indoctrinate the audience into the world she’s expressing in Vulnicura. Although she still plays from her back catalogue, lighter airy pop songs, such as ‘Venus As A Boy’, are eschewed.
The main stage ends at 10:30pm - slightly earlier than other festivals - but the night life at Wilderness makes for great consolation. We opt to go to the Artful Badger’s Black & White Bedlam in Revellers Village for a secret set from up-and-coming London-based rockers Bare Hunter. They create a raucous atmosphere in the packed tent, with their free-wheeling Johnny Cash-esque set - a perfect warm up for a late night rave in the woods at The Valley.
Day two is hotter still, and there’s perfect festival weather for a set from Róisín Murphy, formerly of electronic duo Moloko. She’s touring the release of her highly-acclaimed 2015 album, Hairless Toys, and her upbeat live electronic band combine hook-laden synths with funky rhythm guitar and live drums so well, they make us want to get our hands on a copy.
We remain at the main stage for headliners George Clinton and Parliament - Funkadelic. Without a doubt, the godfather of Funk gives us the most fun set of the weekend. The rockier side of the collective is prominent; flashy guitar solos that owe homage to Hendrix have an invigorating Van Halen-esque tone. Despite Clinton being 74, he looks immaculate and leads the carnival atmosphere on stage with buckets of charisma and energy that defy his years. The set highlight is, predictably, ‘We Got The Funk’ - and if they were headlining Glastonbury you’d be happy. For a mid-sized festival this is a real triumph.
With what feels like a perfect end to the night already, it’s impressive that we’re gifted another piece of magic; a glowing puppet held by a 40 meter crane roams throughout the crowd. This awe-inspiring display of ingenuity continues as 52 acrobats are suspended from anther the crane in the form of a human web. A flare then ignites the light sky making the whole experience even more surreal and impressive.
Day three sees Rhodes prove their worth as hotly-tipped newcomers (Radio 1 have been heavily playlisting them recently) with a set that evoked the spirit of James Blake. Things take more of a lively turn once Seun Kuti and his band arrive. The son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, has big shoes to fill, but as ever, he does justice to his father’s legacy.
Next up is Seattle-based four-piece Perfume Genius. Their soaring piano-based pop songs didn’t gather much of an audience, as a fair amount of attendees have packed up and gone by now - a shame, as their set is fiercely theatrical and dynamic and one of the most impressive of the weekend.
The final act to take to the main stage is Ben Howard, but we opt for a more upbeat end to the festival, with Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra’s set over at The Wilderness Stage. Their accapella covers of famous pop songs sound impressively close to the originals and the ever-bulging crowd at this smaller capacity stage lap up every moment. The highlight comes as the Wilderness Orchestra join them on stage for a version of The Prodigy’s ‘Out of Space’.
Shlomo then makes way for the Wilderness Orchestra, who take centre stage and play John Williams to an amused crowd. It's hardly an epic finale (Saturday took care of that) but it feels in tune with the atmosphere of the festival, and caps off a brilliant festival, that has so much to offer.
