Reviews

The organisers of Eastern Haze had it all planned – a deliciously eclectic line up, a wonderful venue and a whole weekend’s worth of entertainment – and then came the rain.

And, as the festival begins on Friday, forecasts predict two months of rain in one day. Unsurprisingly, both stages are near deserted.

Things are just beginning to look brighter as Lynchburg Tenn take to the Other Stage – a stage dedicated to showcasing the region's musical talent. Their performance is engaging – loaded with jagged riffs and gravelly vocals, and all executed with a swaggering confidence. With the weather on their side, their blend of carnal, distorted garage rock soon rallies the festival goers.

Over at the Main Stage, however, things are taking a more unconventional direction, with a baffling set from Dyframix – a yin-yang partnership between Nick Burman, who's one of the UK's leading didgeridoo players, and Stef Man, who's a psy-trance DJ.

Shelter from the storm

But it isn't long before normal service resumes and with the rain pouring down once more, I head to the club tent which is one of the festival's many under-cover areas.

Here I find armies of ravers, all in the thrall of DJ Hixxy and MC Storm. With their furious hardcore beats and infectious energy, the duo show that, when it comes to dance music, Eastern Haze clearly has the edge on Latitude, Suffolk's biggest music festival.

Friday evening draws to a close with a performance from The Blockheads – joined by guest vocalist Phill Jupitus filling in for the late Ian Dury. In between songs, the comedian tries to make light of what's been a rather mixed day – but he fails to bring the crowd to life.

When Saturday comes

But come Saturday afternoon and things are looking up. The festival grounds are looking packed, and, as it hosts folk-punk seven-piece The Mustard City Rockers, so is the Other Stage.

On such a small stage, there's hardly enough room for the band and their instruments – which include an accordion, a violin and a looming double bass. The Mustard City Rockers are quite the find - when it comes to musical talent and political anger, they have both in abundance.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s club tent is hosted by Pam's House – Norwich’s finest hard house team which had its origins in Suffolk before moving north. As well as top DJs, the party promoters have brought with them luminous structures, stacks of speakers and a troupe of florescent-clad dancers.

Children of the sun

Saturday's entertainment finishes with a performance from quirky, psychedelic rockers Space Ritual – a band formed by former members of Hawkwind which exists in tandem with Dave Brock's band which retains the original name (listen to the Nik Turner interview for the full details>>)

They're one of the few bands who take to the Main Stage with confidence, and, rife with eccentricity, their music soon seizes the attention of the audience.

Sunday service

Come Sunday morning and the mood at the festival is remarkably different. With the evening set to close with a performance from The Bootleg Beatles, anticipation is high.

To ease the wait, I spend some time at the open-mic acoustic tent, watching local folk artists sing songs loaded with piercing pop culture references and caustic wit.

This is another of Eastern Haze’s strengths. There are many more chances to get involved than at other festivals, with open-mic areas and the Talk stage.

Come 'ead

And, finally, it's time for the Bootleg Beatles. For the masses in front of the Main Stage, their performance is well worth the wait.

It's compelling, generation-gap-bridging stuff, and a fitting celebration of the 40th anniversary of the release of the iconic Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Despite its hit-and-miss start, Eastern Haze finishes on a high, with a crescendo of applause.

When it comes to big names and glamour, the festival might struggle to compete with Latitude. But, when it comes to diversity and interactivity, Eastern Haze is streets ahead.

Hazy conclusions

While the rain did put a bit of a dampener on things, the Eastern Haze promoter Seb Fosdall says it was a fairly good turnout: "It was nowhere near capacity, but it went well. The weather didn't help at all and it made things difficult getting things in and out of the site, but we coped.

Plenty of space for tents

"The bad weather meant we didn't get as many people turning up on the day as we'd hoped, but given the rain elsewhere in the country we were lucky the event still went ahead.

"In terms of making a profit we'll be okay and we'll definitely be back next year."