We Out Here Festival Is Built With Love
We Out Here returned for its fifth edition at Wimborne St Giles in Dorset, for a four day music-fuelled spectacle spanning sounds of jazz, soul, hip-hop, house, funk, afrobeat, electronica and more.
Creating ‘a space where everyone with a passion for incredible music and club culture can belong’ is the intention of the team behind the festival, and they achieve just that. There’s a unique sense of community bound by the fact that everyone there is gathered for the mutual love of really good music. The team’s knowledge and immersion in the UK club scene is evident – its inclusivity of grassroots party-starters, DJs, soundsystems, radio stations and promoters has made the festival a staple calendar event for music heads countrywide.
The festival’s parameter can be paced in about 15 minutes, but with so many elements and hidden gems it feels more expansive. Housing 15 stages in total, from vast to intimate spaces like the Lemon Lounge, Love Serve Bar, Tomorrow’s Warriors Big Top – the home of emerging talent, plus crate-digger central – Near Mint Record Store. Once in a Blue Moon Café and Brawnswood allowed you to dine to the backdrop of a band or DJ, while WOH Radio was presented in collaboration with Worldwide FM, Audio-Technica and NAM Soundsystem who blessed the audiences’ ears with their four-stack tannoy and JBL cinema system to deliver every beat and every conversation on air with crisp precision.
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Friday night saw the enigmatic Sampha dominate the main stage with a magnetic performance that showcased his percussion abilities as much as his vocal range. His live rendition of Roy Davis Jr. and Peven Everett’s track ‘Gabriel’ was a welcomed ballad take on the iconic house track. Corrine Bailey Rae’s eclectic set was an ode to the evolution of her artistry over her 20-plus-year career. From electric guitar to chimes she embraced sound in all forms, and with a story behind every song her thoughtfulness as an artist shone through.
André 3000’s highly anticipated flute set split the crowd, an anti-climax for some, while others revelled in the joy of seeing the hip-hop legend realise a new sense of self in improv ambient woodwind. Sunday saw Obongjayar perform an explosive set, that wavered between vulnerability and rockstar energy, his confidence maximised in knowing the infectiously jazzy ‘Point and Kill’ will never miss.
One of the best things about the festival is even at the busiest moments, there is always room to move. Respect for everyone’s space to dance is an unspoken law which makes the whole experience so much more enjoyable.
The Love Dancin’ tent maintained an electric energy, Mr Scruff & Friends 14-hour takeover on Friday night was peppered with moments of magic. Joined by Charlie Dark, Kwasi and the incredible vocalist Vanessa Freeman for a non-stop funk extravaganza, which transported you back to the 70s.
A new addition this year, the Studio Monkey Shoulder stage recruited the UK’s best party-starters to curate each day’s proceedings, honouring the vital work of grassroots promoters. Highlights included a live set by Manchester’s seasoned MC Chunky, Fiyahdred bringing their signature bouncing UK funky to the dancefloor and Me Gusta Collective whose energetic set was a seamless blend of afrotech, kuduro, baile funk and reggaeton, with MC Dréco on hype duties.
The Grove was the destination to take you into the early hours, tucked into a corner of the festival that by night you could easily miss. The stage is enclosed by a wooden structure that frames the stage to give it an intimate feeling that makes a rave stomping ground feel special. Miche and Rainer Truby provided endless two-step grooves while re:ni b2b Mia Koden supplied a booming selection of rap infused bass-heavy edits.
Moodymann’s Mahogani Music takeover of the Rhythm Corner on Saturday night was a once in a lifetime musical experience that brought together Detroit musical legends – producer Waajeed, Des Andrés aka DJ Dez, and Flo Real alongside Moodymann himself – gathered to celebrate the life and musical legacy of their late friend, collaborator and pioneering musician, Amp Fiddler. Five-hours weaving through Detroit’s sonic story of funk, soul, house and hip-hop, laced with anecdotes of Amp, the musical city’s history and iconic scratching. Timeless music for the soul at its very finest, the beautiful tribute will be etched into the minds of everyone gathered on that dancefloor.
Discretely situated in a far corner of the field, The Bowl is a special kind of dancefloor. Specifically, one that is naturally carved by the earth so your literally enclosed by it, partying below ground level giving the stage an alter-esque feel. House royalty Ron Trent and Chez Damier set the levels on Friday with Chicago’s inimitable disco charged house rhythms.
The Lush Life stage spotlighted emerging and established live artists across jazz, R&B, soul and rap. From legends like Loose Ends to rising talent such as saxophonist and producer Venna and new wave rapper with an old age feel, Strandz. The weekend saw Jazz trio Moses Yoofee deliver the perfect Sunday sunshine set, while Ego Ella May’s blissful vocals had the audience in communal tranquillity.
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Interjections to the musical vacuum include The Sanctuary, a dedicated wellness area sat at the depth of the field. Providing a restful retreat immersed in nature, sweeping trees for shade and a lake you can plunge into for a wild swim. The consciously curated space offered a plethora of activities to help you reset and restore – from gong bath meditation, art therapy, capoeira, massages, reiki and yoga.
The Talk Tent brought an educational element to the festival’s offering, presenting insightful discussion on topics that intersect creative industries, and in conversations with artists, authors and promoters. In the Radical Rest: Notes on Burnout, Healing and Hopeful Futures talk, Evie Muir and Deborah Bankole spoke about how festivals are a place for escapism, offering us a temporary pause from the endless, tiring capitalist cycle. We Out Here provides that exact sanctuary, a true celebration of art and creativity in all its glorious forms.
Situated next door, BookLove – The Multicultural Travelling Book Store whose mission is to challenge the stark lack of culturally inclusive representation in libraries, galleries and on screen. As well as an impeccable selection of multicultural books, under their roof they presented storytelling, book signings and poetry workshops.
The cathartic nature of festivals means it’s often too easy to get lost in the escape and lose sight of the music, but We Out Here makes that an impossibility. The beautifully balanced programming guarantees a musical journey like no other, granting the opportunity to see pioneers and legends in the game on the same stages as the new generation of artists. Encompassing the breadth of the UK’s creative scene means collaboration is truly at the heart of the festival, which in turn wonderfully fosters a proper community feel that so many festivals lack these days.
Four days of the very best electronic and live music, side by side, shared with a community of like-minded appreciators of world-class music, it’s a no-brainer that We Out Here is the essential festival for music lovers.
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Words: Jessica Rogers
Photography: Ellie Koepke, Jake Davis / Khroma Collective
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