Welcome to Hard Wired
You know it's summer when the reams of summer festivals start advertising
themselves, encouraging all and sundry to parts with the sort of money
that seems extortionate for the privilege of sitting in a field with
potential trench foot risk from flash rain. And there's so many to choose
from... O2, Wireless, Glastonbury, The Big Chill, and GuilFest. Ah, yes,
GuilFest.
As 2008's GuilFest approaches, personal memories of this family orientated
festival come flooding back to me. It still seems to have retained the
true meaning of what a festival should be, rather than just turning into a
corporate commercial stink fest. You do get the feeling that the
organisers care enough to make sure there's something to keep everyone
happy, and retains some of the peace and love, tolerant, oh go on then,
call it a 'hippy' vibe, that you'd associate with music festivals of yore.
GuilFest 2004 was a dream line-up if there ever was one. Headliners were
Blondie, The Stranglers and The Damned, three legends from the punk and
new wave era that have never really lost their appeal, though the same
can't be said for their hair. (I was barely able to control my excitement
when I heard they’re going to be on this year too.)
That year I was accompanied by Horsham's very own Trinny Woodall – we
scoured the clothing tents and replaced our suburban jeans by festival
chick-chic. Ah, memories of the smell of alfalfa and chips drifting across
the field as Debbie Harry's voice carried across the field still remain,
and how the hairs on the back of my neck really did stand on end...
Anya Hastwell
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