More about: Truck Festival

Like a moth drawn to a flame, once a year, South Oxfordshire sees crowds donning bucket hats and swigging dark fruits descend on Hill Farm for an almighty celebration of everything indie. I arrived with some friends, some booze and excitement for the weekend ahead. One security guard mentioned his sadness that there weren’t going to be any Trucks on show after all. Taking its name from the local record shop, Truck Festival is firmly all about the music; and its 2023 iteration brought some of the most memorable performances yet.

Those who snapped up early admission saw The Wombats take to the stage on Thursday night. The age of TikTok has brought them a new generation of fans, and they were out in their numbers alongside the 00s indie heads to support. Tales of marsupials, lemons and Bridget Jones sound out as the last light hits across the site. Sounding tight and joyful, their energy-packed set was the perfect start to the indie escapade of the year.

Friday was a day of nostalgia as Kate Nash brought fierce fun to the main stage. Immersing herself in the crowd, she darts around hugging fans, asking them “Do you have any dickheads in your life?”, as they excitedly scream along to her angst-fuelled anthem “Dickhead”. New and old tracks alike have the crowd dancing along before her set is brought to a close with one of the biggest singalongs of the festival, as every member of the crowd recites every word to the iconic ‘Foundations’.

Over at The Nest, Spector proved themselves with big energy and even bigger tunes. From their infectious anthems to their never-ending charisma, this is a band who know how to command a crowd. The idea that anyone in that crowd weren’t enjoying themselves to the highest degree is simply unimaginable. With smiles and singalongs all around, Spector always deliver, and are surely one of the best live acts the UK scene has to offer at the moment.

Later, the main stage saw The Vaccines deliver a career-spanning set. With an ever-impressive back catalogue, they’ve cemented themselves as a pillar of the British indie music scene, with every track sounding just as fresh today as it did all those years ago. Hit after hit, they had the crowd singing along before Friday was brought to a close with Northern Irish indie rockers Two Door Cinema Club. Delivering a perfectly polished performance, their set was the perfect bookend for a day jam-packed with nostalgic bliss.

Saturday morning saw excited punters gather around in the rain for The Oxford Symphony Orchestra. Year on year they create more of a buzz as word of mouth gets around that this is not an act to be missed. From film scores to classical hits, and even special guests Clean Bandit, their set was a joyous way to start the day. The crowd were in for every moment. A woman exclaims, “This is gonna be a banger!”, as the orchestra announce ‘In The Hall of The Mountain King’. The chants are loud and the mosh pits are big as, between all of the costumes and crowd surfers everyone is immersed in the most wonderfully silly audience to be found at any festival.

As the day went on, the heavens opened and the weather forecast declared that there will be mud. Deadletter worked the crowd over at The Market stage with their cutting riffs and danceable post-punk grooves, before Maisie Peters and the DMAs respectively drew huge crowds to the main stage.

Moody clouds hung above as Saturday night headliners Alt J delivered their dulcet tones. After a day plagued by rain and mud, their set, although beautiful, could have used a little more oomph, as all of their more upbeat tracks were left until the very end of their set.

While the last morning of any festival can leave you feeling like a shell of a human, the positive affirmations and feel-good beats brought by Mr Motivator were the perfect solution for the Sunday morning scaries. The crowd powered through, getting their exercise in as they clambered through the mud with grins firmly plastered across their faces.

Throughout the day newcomers The Last Dinner Party and Stone provided some of the most talked about sets of the weekend. From the cathartic grace of The Last Dinner Party to the raucous scaffold-climbing angst of Stone, both acts lived up to the hype and then some.

Over on the main stage, Self Esteem welcomed in golden hour with an emotional yet empowering set. She took the stage with 97% written across her tie - referencing the 97% of young women in the UK who have been sexually harassed. A powerful statement to accompany a powerful performance.  Those in attendance were rewarded with a show which felt deserving of headline status. Friends across the crowd hugged each other as they fought back tears at final track ‘I do this all the time’.  Big, bold and ultimately joyous, this was a special performance, which sadly did not draw the crowd it deserved.

Under cover from the rain, Everything Everything packed out the Market Stage. The atmosphere was electric as their slick and heartfelt tunes had the whole crowd dancing along; letting us know with their final track ‘No Reptiles’ that ‘it’s alright to feel like a fat child in a pushchair’ - with the crowd all wishing they had that option to make it through the final hours manoeuvring around in the mud.

Despite the lethargy in the air, the final crowd of the festival gathered for Royal Blood to headline. Much like their music, their set was an intense but simple affair. There was no nonsense, only tunes. With just 4 strings and a set of drums, their sound is nothing short of impressive as track after track neither one of them appears to put a foot wrong. As the set nears an end, men roll in the mud and fireworks launch into the sky; marking the end of Truck Festival 2023.

"The scarcity of female acts topping the bill across UK festivals is something which needs to be addressed."

While there was no lack of female acts smashing it throughout the festival, ultimately another year of entirely male headliners isn’t a good look. Whether purely a wider ongoing industry issue or a symptom of the laddish indie rock culture, the scarcity of female acts topping the bill across UK festivals is something which needs to be addressed.

Overall, Truck Festival 2023 was a celebration of the silly, with bucketloads of indie nostalgia and upcoming acts alike. Although the weather wasn’t on their side, those in attendance definitively proved there’s no stopping a British crowd who are determined to have fun. I can guarantee not a single opportunity to open up a mosh pit or dance and sing along was missed. From Barrioke to a paint fight, Truck Festival fosters shenanigans for all the family; and as we left with muddy shoes and a buzz in our ears, we dream for the fun to continue yet another year.

See the view from the pit, captured by Katie McLellan-Salisbury:

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More about: Truck Festival