End of the Road must have magical powers. For the past five years, dark skies and chilly rain have dominated the British Isles in August. Yet, every year on the second weekend of September, the sun comes out to scorch us as we sit – cider in hand, macaw squawking from a nearby tree – to listen to folk music. This surely confirms that End of the Road is the best small festival…ever.
Boutique, folk, whatever you want to call it, End of the Road is sheer beauty. The location at Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset, where the Big Chill was born so many moons ago, is magical. Its strange little buildings, quirky on site houses and Gandalf-fit tower make it even more fantastical and the residents macaws and peacocks, unphased by us lot hanging about their home, only adds to the wonder.
This year, more great bands are lined up, including Wilco, Yo La Tengo, The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade and Iron & Wine. The Low Anthem, one of the first signings to End of the Road records, also return and are sure to leave their audience wiping away tears of wonder just like their performance last year. A back-on-the-scene Edwyn Collins also makes an appearance.
But while the festival has attracted such greats as Fleet Foxes, Richard Hawley, Midlake and Mercury Rev in the past, it’s never been about the biggies. End of the Road is sitting in the sun with a cider from the famous Somerset Cider Bus, listening to some beautiful folk singer from somewhere you’ve never heard of before having your socks blown off by some amazingly weird musician that makes you think differently about your record collection. It’s like Forrest’s mama’s box of chocolates. I hope and prey newcomers have something like Bob Log III to experience.
This year, such delights as The Ruby Suns are sure to bring some amazement to the weekend, Tom Brosseau shows off his new band Les Shelleys and Cate le Bon will be in her element in front of an audience used to hearing something alternative. Iceland’s Ólöf Arnalds, already pretty established in her homeland, is also sure to find a new following here and I urge all folky festival goers to check her out or forever regret it. The comedy line-up is also the biggest and best I’ve seen since this festival began.
A woodland disco, secret piano, handmade and limited edition posters and a tree library are just some of the other enchanting extras that make End of the Road one of the best small festivals in the land, as well as some scrumptious food (and not a chip in sight). It’s also perfect for kids, but families do not dominate so there’s plenty of room to have one too many ciders and stumble back to your tent in the wee hours (helped by the fact that camping is just a stone’s throw from the festival site). 2010’s festival – it’s fifth anniversary – has just sold out, so you’ll have to wait ’til next year for this delight if you haven’t got a ticket yet.
Words by Gemma Hampson
