Heatstroke hedonism: Boomtown 2022 “The Gathering” review
All images from Boomtown’s website/press office.
Sweaty, smelly, strung out – and this was just half an hour in. You would’ve thought a three-year Boomtown hiatus ample time to install a ski lift, perhaps, or a giant escalator, for those climbing that imposingly high hill to the entry gates.
The immersive city crept into view, recognisable yet changed, stages clustered into the Matterley bowl itself rather than slung across surrounding hills like previous years. This proved to be a boon, with minimal walking required; as the temperature soared, festival punters seemed to be operating on survival mode (even more so those who’d opted for early entry on Wednesday).
Organisers had thankfully acted fast to combat this. It was impossible to reach any destination without being water-gunned at least twice, by exuberant actors taking their newfound dousing power very seriously. Main stage Origin came complete with garden hoses, installed to spray grateful ravers who found themselves quickly baking in the sun.
Though releasing the musical line-up only days before gates opened – to much nit-picking and criticism – festival organisers certainly delivered a spectacular range of genre-bending performances. Zenith stage cranked out electro and techno like there was no tomorrow(land); big bands in full swing serenaded spectators at the Engine House. Forest venues Tangled Roots and Hidden Woods provided welcome DnB-soundtracked shady respite.
New main stage Grand Central garnered crowds for a range of fan-favourite acts over the weekend. De La Soul and Kool & The Gang both featured to great acclaim, encouraged to continue playing for encores; Four Tet graced fans by dropping new track ‘Rumble’ featuring Skrillex and Fred Again… Standout sets came from Boomtown regular Kae Tempest, capable party-starters Gentleman’s Dub Club, and the ever-groovy Koffee.
Of course, other main stage Origin also provided a range of notable names. Noisia, Born On Road, Inja, Mungo’s Hi-Fi – not to mention the formidable Shy FX. It’s crucial to note that Boomtown is veering away from expensive big-name acts, in favour of highlighting smaller, up-and-coming performers. Queer DnB syndicate Unorthodox commanded Origin’s crowds with precision on Friday evening, drag queen DJ Nathan X serving up beats with a practiced air one would expect from someone with years more experience.
After years cooped up indoors, DJs relied heavily on crowd-pleaser tracks to keep the masses from wandering – if ‘Police In Helicopter’ was the sound of 2019, this year ‘Circles’ by Adam F could be heard mixed into almost every set, regardless of genre.
Even with over 40 main venues, three campsite stages, and woodland parties, music spilled out onto the city streets. We strolled past Cam Cole one-man-banding with glee outside of an inventor’s studio on Letsbe Avenue, before dipping into a street party surrounding the Transformers-style PFP Robot, replete with sound system, over in Area 404.
One oversight by organisers was the large amount of indoor stages; the ever-popular Scrapyard, this year commandeered by staple speedbass name Mandidextrous, lay within a sweltering black tent – which turned into a veritable sweatbox in the weekend’s heat. Large crowds impatiently queued outside venues with reduced capacity. For those who could find it, hidden stage Dubtendo welcomed big names Bou and Turno for a secret set – sadly disappointing many, bar those lucky 200 crammed into its capacity.
The general daytime mood of the city was largely one of bewilderment – sun-dazed punters who hadn’t clued up on the theatrical elements staring agog, as they were dragged into a mournful street procession by the crochet-adorned Traumaville Cabaret, or accosted by the lawfully questionable Boomtown Bobbies.
Many attendees keen to follow the storyline sought employment on Letsbe Avenue, filling out ‘CVs’ with laudable references from motley characters (I was ‘hired’ for the commendable task of taking a picture of a wasp, for which I was generously rewarded with Boomtown dollars). The Jobcentre 2.0 jubilantly held court on Sunday, with games at their Office Christmas Party. The Inconvenience Store were also on vicious top form – flinging paint, flogging hand sanitiser (it was glue) and – as my photographer unfortunately found out – spraying fish oil onto any brave-slash-oblivious soul entering their venue. In other zones, you could join the mysterious Temple of Zero for wifi-based blessings, or befriend pirates at the STII Clinic.
When fans slunk out of the festival grounds on Monday morning, it was to a hacking chorus of coughs that would befit a plague-ridden medieval town; ‘Boomtown lung’ struck heavily, caused by impassive clouds of dust kicked up from the sun-dried grounds. Yet – despite exhaustion and illness – all seemed satisfied by their weekend in Winchester; many will likely choose to return for next year’s instalment, “Chapter Two: The Twin Trail”.
