any review of Jungle Festival Begin by accepting the elephant in the room. It is a posh festival. Or rather, it’s a major middle-class celebration, a boozy, family-friendly event that places as much emphasis on upmarket “experiences” – a plethora of health and spa activities, horseback riding, archery and fine dining – along with music. In the same way. Squeeze a little, though, and it’s not like feeling isolated to be at one of the UK’s other major festivals in the bright sun of Oxfordshire on these four days – there’s just a little room to breathe.
The festivities begin on a slow Thursday. Suzy Raphael is a comedy by Michel de Svarte (which describes wildness as “just a garnish of pretty white… black people”) and Russell Kane, which begins its set lamenting that Covid canceled last year’s festival (it didn’t), before launching into a solid 40-minute high-energy, low-spec putter. Far more entertaining is the Duty Moonshine Big Band, whose charismatic mix of hip-hop, dance, boom, and jazz (complete with a seven-person brass section) packs the atrium stage.
Sophie Ellis-Bexter made her main stage debut Friday with a stunning selection of throwback pop bangers (a feelgood cover of “Disco Inferno”). Crowds gather for a well-received DJ set from Peggy Gou later in the day, before the first headliner of the weekend, forest, Pulling mostly from their 2021 album love in stereo, The British dance-pop group delivers a slick and sociable live performance; Songs like the lively, infectious “Keep Moving” and the disco-inflected “Talk About It” really shine in live arrangements. However, it’s all the same, and they don’t really make for natural headliners: their stage presentation leaves all but seven of the band’s members anonymous. (The absence of a stage-side video screen doesn’t help.)
In this regard, Saturday’s personality-first title couldn’t be more different. year and yearoldest music project It is a sin‘s Oli SikanderProvide a satisfying set with gorgeous stage design, flourishing video and elaborate dance choreography. Years and Years’ brand of beat dance pop has never really been my thing, but there’s an undeniable energy to the gig. The setlist attracts a lot more than this year’s night call (The catchy title track; Bliss “Starstruck”), material from two other albums released before Years and Years was converted into Alexander’s solo project.
Jungle headlines on Friday
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closing the festival on sunday HadesThe electronic music duo is best known for their 1998 track “Born Slippy.NUXX”, which featured memorably on the soundtrack. Trainspotting. Mixer Rick Smith and singer/dancer/all-round showperson Carl Hyde are both now in their sixties; There’s something so exciting about watching two old geysers bounce around like men half their age. My biggest highlight is the inclusion of the 2019 track “Star,” a silly, cryptic dance track that names celebrities ranging from Robin Hood to Ayrton Senna to Nye Bevan, while the names appear in large font on the screen behind them. Shine. Names like “Rosa Parks” coming right before “Johnny Depp” seem aimless. When he launched into “Born Slippy” at the climax, it was quickly forgotten.
None of the people I chat with around the campsite claim to have been tempted by the lineup—they were attracted by the experiences, or the (quite breathtakingly picturesque) countryside. But ultimately – inevitably – it was the music that provided the richest experience. Many standout sets are found off the beaten track: from shunta to Balkan folk music; Sparkling indie rock from Dutch outfit Pip Blom. Best of all, Irish band The Mary Wallopers had a mischievously brilliant set, whose open and gleeful contempt for the audience went almost completely unnoticed. If the music is that good, everything else becomes peaceful white noise.