The Secret Garden Party festival

This weekend, from the 20-22nd of July, I was lucky enough to attend the best birthday party of the summer; the 10th anniversary of the Secret Garden Party. What originally began a decade ago as an invitation only private garden party has developed into a marvellously eccentric weekend of music, art, food and fun. Luckily for the 30,000 festival goers, or 'gardeners' as they are affectionately referred to, the festival has managed to maintain the adjectives that give it its name: it remains relatively unknown, and the line-up is strong yet not over publicised; it unfolds a midst the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside with a picturesque lake as its centre piece; and, above all, it is a party arguably second to none.

The festival has many attractions, including a giant paint fight and a lake you can swim in. This lake also has a stage in the middle which is ceremoniously burnt down on the Saturday night for the punters pyromaniac pleasure. However, although it is not necessarily at the heart of the weekend, the variety of good quality music performed across the unique stages is not overshadowed by pure hedonistic joy. Here's a breakdown of my two favourite acts from the weekend.

King Charles

Until you have heard King Charles, it is hard to imagine his original blend of folk, rock n' roll and pop-electro, all performed with the spearhead of an egocentric lead singer. In his prime on stage the ‘King’ often looks like a blur of flying dreadlocks. This was the second time that I'd seen King Charles this summer, the first being at the Latitude festival, and it is indisputably the case that his performance at SGP on the Where the Wild Things Are stage was head and shoulders above the other, and not just because I watched from above. The stage was enchantingly entwined in a delicate wooden structure, but not so delicate to prevent me climbing up and marvelling from above as the West Londoner captivated his audience with his skilful guitar solos, poetic lyrics and pop melodies. He performed with a slightly tongue-in-cheek arrogance which left many teenage girls in the crowd (and to my surprise some fully grown men!) screaming for more.

This acoustic rendition of 'Love is the Cure' demonstrates the soulful lyricism which won him the prestigious International Song writing Competition in 2009, which has been judged by the likes of Tom Waits, Robert Smith and Adele. http://www.virginmedia.com/music/video/player/king-charles/love-is-the-cure-(live-acoustic)/1341407192001/#vid-1341407192001

However, for a better idea of what the gardeners at SGP experienced, listen to his song 'Lady Percy' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slm3BcOqMlk

Lianne La Havas

Although I missed Lianne's full performance at SGP I made sure I was present for her breathtakingly intimate acoustic set on the Living Room stage. This area imitated a living room with sofas to sit on, and although I was stuck on the muddy floor, my wet bum was quickly forgotten as Lianne strolled on stage and cemented herself as one of my favourite artists. Her skillful blues-esque guitar playing and perceivable confidence in her own ability meant that Lianne gave off the impression of being born to play music. Looking relaxed, and playing virtually the whole set with a smile on her face, are two examples of the many endearing qualities she possesses- she was definitely gifted with more than her fair share.

The first time I saw Lianne was whilst watching Later with Jools Holland where she performed her song ‘Age’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYDhQdzo4Io

I find that when Lianne naturally drops the cute girl persona and transforms into a strong woman that she is most captivating. At SGP, it was when she was reaching for the tough notes in her song 'Forget' that the smile disappeared and was replaced by a steely strength. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrdfvBVaA8

So yeah, they're my shouts for the weekend! But the Secret Garden Party is amazing not solely because of the great music, the stunning scenery, or the casual nakedness you encounter- what makes it truly remarkable is simply the spectacle of an awesome party!