It's just one day to go until Splendour open its doors for a full weekend of performances, food and fun in the sunshine. The historic event will now take place over two days instead of one starting on Saturday, July 23 to Sunday, July 24with performances from Happy Mondays, Supergrass and Richard Ashcroft.
When it comes to organising a huge event across two days with thousands of guests, hundreds of crew, countless performers and their team, there is a lot that can go wrong. Luckily, performers at Splendour are in very safe hands thanks to Phil Muhaire, Artist Liaison manager who has been with Splendour from the very start.
This year marks the first since Covid restrictions forced the festival to postpone the event for two years. This has caused chaos when it comes to getting the festival ready to open ahead of this weekend.
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"I've been doing Splendour since it started and this year we have gone to two days which has doubled the number of bands we are having to deal with, manage and look after. The workload and what we are trying to accommodate is so much bigger as a result," he said.
"During the pandemic, a lot of people who work in the industry in terms of suppliers went bust, closed or moved onto other jobs. We are busier than ever this year but we have fewer resources to draw on so we've been juggling that. You can feel a little bit rusty after not doing it for two years but you just have to get your head down and get through it."
Covid aside, there has never been a typical day for Phil on site when Splendour gets going. Even the best-laid plans can go wrong when the festival gets going.
"With the best amount of planning, things can still go out the window no matter how many spreadsheets you draw up. You can only book so many people so I may get an email from a manager to say we need to feed two extra people or a band member is bringing their children or someone has dietary restrictions," Phil said.
"Most of the week beforehand is taken up with trying to collate all of these things and then supervise the dressing rooms so they are comfortable and nice. You need things like fridges or irons in there. Of course, the bands have riders which can be a bit of a challenge. This time we have to finish it all at midnight, clean it all out then get it ready for another day so it's going to be exhausting this year."
Band rider requests can be the stuff of legends with many celebrities demanding certain candles, drinks or food. It comes down to Phil to coordinate the shopping list and make sure that everyone gets what they need to stay happy backstage.
"We've had bands in the past who have asked for caviar or fresh Lillies in their dressing room or particular brands of candles. To a certain extent, you can negotiate it down as we are at a festival at the end of the day and it's a case of managing their expectations. I get an endless rider of what they would like in an ideal world and I try to chisel that down to fit in with the finite resources we have."
He added: "Most bands have been lovely to deal with as they understand that we are doing our best to make it work. A few years ago, a band did ask for 48 sandwiches for the end of the night for the bus. They came to me to ask where they were so we made up all the sandwiches with stuff left over. They ate three of them."
Artist requests aside, Phil says the most enjoyable part is watching people enjoy the show and seeing the reputation that Splendour has built up over the years.
"I find working in the music industry, the most enjoyable part is watching thousands of people have a good time and knowing you helped to make it happen. On a personal level, when bands and artists come up to say they have had a nice day and that they appreciate the effort we put in for them. It really does lift you even though it's only a few words," he said.
"It's also knowing that Splendour has become an institution and has a great reputation with bands and artists. It's great to see all the old faces too as I've worked in this industry for a long time so there are people I do tours with and then they play here. It's nice to think, we've done a good job here."
The music industry was saddened to learn of the death of bassist Paul Ryder of Happy Mondays on Friday, July 15. Many fans wondered if the Splendour gig would go ahead. Phil is looking forward to catching the gig but reckons that it will be an emotional watch.
"The Happy Mondays will be an emotional gig so I'll be very interested to see that. In terms of the opening acts, it's great to see some of the new brands coming through as we've had Jake Bugg and Do Nothing in the past. Nottingham has become a musical hotspot which is due, in no small part, to Splendour and DHP."
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