DocksFest 2
For the second consecutive year I journeyed over the country to the east coast to go to DocksFest in Sunny Cleethorpes. Last year had my faves, Frank Turner and Lottery Winners on. There was Feeder and Razorlight too. The latter were the headliners but I got of as they were starting as my legs were a little worse for wear. I don’t know how many peoples walls I sat on as I made my way back to where I was staying ,but it was quite a few. This time I took a chair (a really nice one which compresses down to fit in my wee rucksack) and I definitely didn’t want to miss any of the headliner—as this year it was the Charlatans.
I ended up contacting the organisers due to restricted mobility and, largely, not wanting to stand for too long. They confirmed it was okay to bring a chair, and there wouldn’t be any chairs provided. In the end the information that no-one could bring chairs in general turned out not to be true, there were loads sitting back from the stage in chairs they’d bought. Meanwhile in the ‘Accessible Area’ where there were apparently to be no chairs provided it was replete with decent chairs. So I needn’t have brought—or bought—mine. My chair though is pretty damn good and I'm sure it will get used. Wonder whether I’ll get it out on a camping trip this year?
Anyhoo, all was mighty fine and I ended up seated through most of the festival from Corella (around 4pm) through to the end (10:30ish)—and that meant the walk back to my hotel was a lot easier than last year (and I saw all the headliner's act). The hotel was a lot nearer to the DocksFest site (the Meridian Showground) than last year’s place too, which no doubt also helped.
Corella
Maximo Park
Ash
I missed the first couple of acts as I didn’t think an eleven hour day in the same place would be ideal for me. Of course the beer was excellent from the organiser Docks Brewery. And I ended up sticking largely with Clap Clap Fish after a Hard Graft. Must say I really liked the ‘Hard Graft’ T-shirt in the style of a Grand Theft Auto comic, wouldn’t have minded getting one if I was in merchandise mode.
The Charlatans
The Charlatans
Corella got me into festival mode easily enough and they were followed hot on the heals by Maximo Park (who I last saw in 2005 at the time of A Certain Trigger). They were excellent. Originally I thought that they should have been second on the list behind the headliner. That said, I thought Ash were bloody excellent when they came on from start to finish. So it was a good call actually to put them second on the poster. Of course the Charlatans were the main band and I loved ‘em. I headed up towards the stage for some of their songs; other than when I went for a beer or a toilet visit it was the only time I left the seat in the ‘Accessible Area.’ I chatted with a few people there and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
It seemed a little less busy than last year. But last year I was stood at the front so it wasn’t going to feel the same to me anyway: not exactly comparing like with like. The line up at this year’s festival, and last, deserves to be sold out and enjoyed by all. Good beer, decent venue, and a top line up—at a good price. Oh and there was no rain at all on Saturday—Result!! What’s not to like!?
On Friday I made it to Docks Beer, in Grimsby, and on Sunday I went to a few pubs in Cleethorpes. Assuming it’s on again next year I expect there’s a good chance I’ll get down (well, over) there again.
I ended up contacting the organisers due to restricted mobility and, largely, not wanting to stand for too long. They confirmed it was okay to bring a chair, and there wouldn’t be any chairs provided. In the end the information that no-one could bring chairs in general turned out not to be true, there were loads sitting back from the stage in chairs they’d bought. Meanwhile in the ‘Accessible Area’ where there were apparently to be no chairs provided it was replete with decent chairs. So I needn’t have brought—or bought—mine. My chair though is pretty damn good and I'm sure it will get used. Wonder whether I’ll get it out on a camping trip this year?
Anyhoo, all was mighty fine and I ended up seated through most of the festival from Corella (around 4pm) through to the end (10:30ish)—and that meant the walk back to my hotel was a lot easier than last year (and I saw all the headliner's act). The hotel was a lot nearer to the DocksFest site (the Meridian Showground) than last year’s place too, which no doubt also helped.
Corella
Maximo Park
Ash
I missed the first couple of acts as I didn’t think an eleven hour day in the same place would be ideal for me. Of course the beer was excellent from the organiser Docks Brewery. And I ended up sticking largely with Clap Clap Fish after a Hard Graft. Must say I really liked the ‘Hard Graft’ T-shirt in the style of a Grand Theft Auto comic, wouldn’t have minded getting one if I was in merchandise mode.
The Charlatans
The Charlatans
Corella got me into festival mode easily enough and they were followed hot on the heals by Maximo Park (who I last saw in 2005 at the time of A Certain Trigger). They were excellent. Originally I thought that they should have been second on the list behind the headliner. That said, I thought Ash were bloody excellent when they came on from start to finish. So it was a good call actually to put them second on the poster. Of course the Charlatans were the main band and I loved ‘em. I headed up towards the stage for some of their songs; other than when I went for a beer or a toilet visit it was the only time I left the seat in the ‘Accessible Area.’ I chatted with a few people there and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
It seemed a little less busy than last year. But last year I was stood at the front so it wasn’t going to feel the same to me anyway: not exactly comparing like with like. The line up at this year’s festival, and last, deserves to be sold out and enjoyed by all. Good beer, decent venue, and a top line up—at a good price. Oh and there was no rain at all on Saturday—Result!! What’s not to like!?
On Friday I made it to Docks Beer, in Grimsby, and on Sunday I went to a few pubs in Cleethorpes. Assuming it’s on again next year I expect there’s a good chance I’ll get down (well, over) there again.
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