Smashing Mirrors

The Wickerman Diaries - Day 1

Wickerman was an intriguing proposition for me this year. I’ve noticed in myself a shift over the past number of years from being more interested in what’s happening at a festival, to how things are happening at a festival. What I mean by that is, even if my favourite band were playing T in the Park, I’d still seriously think twice about fighting my way through hordes of bams to see get to see them.

park up, crack open a can

Wickerman hasn’t in it’s 9 year history developed a reputation of being at the cutting edge of musical greatness. Instead it offers a stage to great (maybe just good) bands of yesteryear to play to a crowd of people who are purely interested in enjoying themselves.
Their headliners don’t make front pages and the festival itself is somewhat under the radar of most people, most notably, the TITP ‘lets get blazing’ contingent. This has contributed to Wickerman’s most famous asset, it’s friendly and hospitable atmosphere. Quite a strange thing really when you consider the culmination of the weekends celebrations is the burning of a giant wicker effigy in reference to the demise of an unwanted police officer in the fairly sketchy original movie.

This was my first encounter with Wickerman and despite the lack of outstanding headliners (although my younger love for Ocean Colour Scene was bound to show itself at some point) we made the journey down full of anticipation, especially having the night previous pored over the Solus Tent (new bands) line-up.

The rain that had sent me out on a panic waterproof buying spree was absent and in fact forced another panice sunscreen buying spree.
The place is beautiful, not somewhere I’ve ever spent much time (despite an ex living really close by, that could have been handy!) but definitely somewhere I’ll be back to visit. Sunset on the campsite with beers still slightly cold was a great way to spend the evening.

The two of us that had made the journey down were later joined by a rowdy crowd of old friends who had gotten stupidly lost. Pitching tents in the dark (as you can see, I chose to document, rather than help) was entertaining but brilliant when we discovered that someone had inadvertently packed a small house instead of a tent. In there for the night with things that will be left to the imagination. Needless to say, it didn’t make for clear heads in the morning.

to be continued…