Brainchild Review 2018

Festivals

Becky Trout

02 Aug 2018

"A festival that’s as good for the soul as it is for the eyes and ears is hard to come by"

That’s exactly what multi-arts extravaganza, Brainchild, offers its devoted punters year after year. 

At the end of the weekend - despite feeling a little threadbare and fighting off the post-festival blues tooth and nail - there’s a real sense that you’ve been a part of something special and you can’t help but depart from the magical grounds of the Bentley Wild Fowl Museum feeling utterly refreshed and little warm and fuzzy inside.

 

It comes down, almost entirely, to the infectiously positive, inclusive and collaborative spirit of the festival and its intimate, understated and anything-goes vibe. Every year, this unique atmosphere attracts a crowd to match, meaning Brainchild is much more than the sum total of the events in its programme; it's a congregation of like-minded people, encompassing a progressive, hopeful and community attitude, and offering some bloody good music all the while!

And, whilst I could be here all day declaring my admiration for its soul-nourishing properties, I’d be doing Brainchild a disservice if I didn’t mention some of the musical highlights of the weekend which, in my humble opinion, are just as worthy of shouting about.

Whilst all of the music was diverse and beautifully curated, there were some acts that really stood out; although they took to the Brain stage (the festival’s main stage) towards the end of the festival, Penya are the first act to appear in my own personal highlight reel. And, I’m sure, from the electric energy of their audience, that I’m not the only one to say as much.

With their percussion-heavy, afro-Latin inspired grooves they really set the tone for the last night of the festivities, almost hypnotising their impressive turnout and making sure everyone was moving from the moment they set foot on the stage. 

 

30/70 and Oscar Jerome, who also performed on the Brain Stage - this time on the Saturday evening - are an incredibly close second. Melbourne collective, 30/70 put on an enlivening performance, offering powerful, soulful vocals, a dynamic horn section and plenty of electronic ear candy that meant no one could take their eyes off them. Then, much like 30/70, Oscar Jerome captivated a considerable audience with his unique and intriguing blend of soulful, jazz-infused rock. Brighton’s very own Footshooter also took to the Brain Stage with a lo-fi, bonobo-esque live-set, inviting a number of talented artists to collaborate with him.

Alongside this, buried deep in the woods was the festival’s electronic stage, the Shack. Surrounded by trees and weird and wonderful installations, night after night, this was the place to be for lively DJ sets from the likes of Shanti Celeste and Ben Hauke.

Once the music was cut at the Shack each night, dedicated party-goers would pile into the silent disco, headphones at the ready, to catch the last opportunity to cut a few more shapes. On the Saturday evening, the boys from DJ collective Vibe Library supplied the feel-good bangers and then, as is tradition, on Sunday night, festival organisers Joey and Bridgette took to the decks to treat everyone to one last rave.

 

I should also mention that, accompanying the Brain Stage, the Shack and the Silent Disco, were two more stages this year: the Kite Bar, where the Dylemma Collective truly wowed their audience with their uplifting and beautifully soulful sound and the Lemon Lounge which, with its intimate DJ sets and compact size, felt more like a house party than a festival stage! Here, the guys from CDR gave lucky punters the opportunity to hear their own tunes played on their formidable rig and energetic late-night jam sessions went down.

The beauty of offering so many stages is that everyone’s preferences are catered for; no matter what time of day it is, there’s always going to be something that takes your fancy. Unfortunately, though, this also comes with a price: you are almost guaranteed to miss something incredible as you can’t be in five places at once. But as there are so many incredible musical offerings throughout the whole festival, this is a very small price to pay!

Aside from the music, there was also a great deal more on offer throughout the weekend to keep us entertained and, of course, inspired. For those so-inclined, each morning came the opportunity to sweat out the previous night’s indulgences with a spot of yoga. Although I opted instead to take refuge in the shade each morning on the large collection of sofas provided, which was equally as pleasant I can assure you.

 

Then there was a whole host of workshops, including Eliza Hopewell’s empowering plate painting workshop, in which participants got to explore and reimagine the nude in art (and go home with a beautiful new plate), as well as disco bra making, life drawing, weaving and self-care. Added to this were film screenings, thought-provoking talks, enlivening comedy showcases, theatre performances and spoken word. Again, the only downside here, is that you can’t see and do everything - if only it went on for a week or two!

I couldn’t complete my review of Brainchild without talking about the food which, to my delight, was a far cry from the greasy burgers and soggy chips you might expect to find at a festival. My personal favourites came from the vegan stall which offered a fried ‘chicken’ sub and a B12 burger that easily rivalled the real deal. But there was also an avocado stand, pizza, toasties and burritos, meaning that there was a bit of something for everyone.

If you didn’t go this year then I urge you to rethink your life-choices. No, but seriously, get yourself there next time. Returning for its sixth iteration, this year was Brainchild’s biggest and best year yet, with nearly 2,500 attendees, new and improved stages and so much more to see and do.

 

Despite its impressive growth though, Brainchild has stayed true to its roots and hasn’t lost the spark, the intimacy or the collaborative spirit its become adored for, making it a weekend of wonder, positivity and community and always keeping us coming back for more.