I had ’the fear’ before Boomtown: Chapter 1 - The Gathering. I’m not far off turning fifty and many would say I’m too old for five days of hedonism - and the heaviest and whompiest of bass lines - in Hampshire’s chalk hills. Especially during a heatwave.
They may have a point, but that’s not what was causing my consternation. My biggest fear was that this year’s Boomtown would be a disappointment.
After waiting three years to return to this crazy pop-up city, how could it possibly live up to expectations? Would it be able to recapture its former glory and magic?
Few events in the world have rivalled previous Boomtowns for their sheer spectacle and levels of creativity and immersion. A ‘living’ theatre and festival of arts and music like no other, Boomtown features multiple distinctly-themed dystopian districts, packed with detail and filled with actors and circus performers.
And then there’s the utterly epic main stages that mesmerise with their magnitude, and hypnotise with their ludicrous light and laser shows. Uniquely, it also has an interactive story-line that holds up a satirical dark mirror to our capitalist society.
Since its inception in 2009, Boomtown lived up to its name by rapidly expanding in size, scale and scope. However, there were concerns that the event may now be experiencing its own boom-bust cycle.
The last few years have been difficult for us all. And they've been especially tough for independent festivals.
Two cancelled events and soaring costs left the festival’s future hanging in the balance. Indeed, just days before the event was due to start, co-founder Luke ‘Lak’ Mitchell released a video statement saying “it is an absolute miracle that we are even here”.
It came amid disappointment from some quarters over a belated line-up reveal that was missing the big ‘headline names’ scheduled to play in 2020. There was also the controversial announcement of a new ‘cash free’ system - which seemed at odds with Boomtown’s ethos - and the revelation that this year’s ‘city’ would have a reduced footprint.
Lak said “bidding hundreds of thousands” for “big superstar headliners” was “not what we wanted to be doing”. Instead, Boomtown wanted to spend that money on “creativity and theatre”. “It’s important people see this festival as a new festival,” he added.
It was against this backdrop that ‘Boomtown: Chapter 1 - The Gathering’ finally took place, between August 10 and 14, with some 66,000 ‘citizens’ drawn to its magnificent maze of streets, alleyways and venues.
From my perspective, the decision to focus on the production rather than “names on top of posters” was absolutely the right one. The line-up has never been what Boomtown is about.
For me (and many others) Boomtown is a ridiculous escapist adventure that assaults the senses. It’s a throbbing theme-park for adults, that rewards the curious and open-minded.
Judged by that metric, Chapter 1 - The Gathering definitely didn’t disappoint. Every area was richly decorated and bursting with colour, charm and creativity.
Outside the main city’s walls, the woodland arenas - Hidden Woods, Tangled Roots and Tribe of Frog - were simply magical. And their dappled shade gave a welcome respite from the scorching sun.
The ‘city’ itself was a brilliantly designed labyrinth, that sucked citizens into its living theatre. It was a joy to wander around this weird wonderland, discovering whatever surprise lay around the next corner.
That could be one of the jaw-dropping main stages - such as the megalithic marvel that was Origin, or the disco palace that was Grand Central. Or you could find yourself stumbling into an intimate micro-venue with delicious decor, or a bizarre interactive theatre, in the pirate-infested Old Town, the steam-punk environs of Copper Town, the post apocalyptic Area 404, or the Amazonian-esque civilisation of Botanica.
Boomtown is a place to lose yourself - and find yourself. Its stunning staging and interactive immersiveness set it apart from other festivals.
And, despite all the trials and tribulations of the past three years, Boomtown once again smashed it out of the park. It remains an exhilarating and exhausting adventure and experience.
The fact that most of this was contained within the Matterley Estate’s ‘bowl’ - rather than spread across multiple valleys and hilltops - meant exploration was much easier than in recent years. Given the oppressive heat and dust, less time spent traipsing up and down hills was a definite plus in my book.
As for the music, while the line-up was (as always) heavy on the drum n bass and DJs, live music and genres such as reggae, punk, gypsy, disco, folk, electro swing, hip hop, funk and 101 flavours of techno could also be seen and heard across the city.
The soundsystem culture of the free party scene, from which the modern festival has evolved, was also well represented. These pop-up rigs, with largely unknown DJs, arguably featured some of the weekend’s best DJ sets and vibes.
Live performance wise, highlights for me were Slamboree and Beans on Toast - two very different acts who have become with synonymous with both Boomtown and each other, despite their wildly different styles. Festival favourites Oh My God It’s The Church were as gloriously entertaining as ever - and Kool and the Gang turned out to be the perfect act for Sunday night at Grand Central.
The latter brought together a diverse crowd for a kaleidoscopic celebration. Which pretty much sums up a big part of Boomtown’s beauty.
More so than many other festivals, it feels like a gathering of different tribes. It attracts people from across the spectrums of ages, genders, musical tastes and sexuality.
The Gathering saw this diverse smorgasbord of humanity united in the ‘bowl’, rather than spread across different valleys and hills as in previous years. After years of lockdowns, social distancing and increasingly divisive politics, Boomtown brought people together again. It was medicine for the soul.
Chapter 1: The Gathering was, as the name suggests, a new beginning - and a return to the Boomtown’s roots. Its opening ceremony harked back to our distant past, where we gathered beneath the stars and danced around fires, since time immemorial. The spectacular closing ceremony looked towards a future, which we must come together to create.
While Boomtown may not have been bigger than ever, many would agree that the festival’s 2022 city was all the better for it. Its citizens now wait with bated breath for Chapter 2: The Twin Trail, to see how this make-believe metropolis evolves - and how its story unfolds
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