Hop Farm Festival

The stated aim of Vince Power's Hop Farm festival – which takes place just an hour outside London – is to "return live music to its roots". The fact that this year's festival took place on two of the hottest days of the year may have helped it live up to this promise, providing the kind of family picnic atmosphere where dads and babies dance to Blondie and women breastfeed to Bob Dylan.
Following on from a well-received set by Blondie (where 'Hanging On The Telephone' and 'Atomic' called for full-on crowd participation), the stage is set – with a gold mic stand emblazoned with the letters 'VM' – for our Friday headliner. He may not have as many crowd-pleasing hits up his sleeve as Debbie Harry, but Van Morrison impressed in a more understated way, keeping us swinging with 'Brown Eyed Girl', 'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You', and the gorgeous 'Moondance', before treating us to a divinely soulful take on 'Into The Mystic' – a beautiful end to the fine summer evening.
Saturday was a touch less relaxed, as the temperature rose and the crowds piled in to see Bob Dylan play his only UK date this year. With far more tickets sold than for the previous day, it seemed the event was creaking under the pressure, and Vince Power has since posted on the Hop Farm site promising to address issues with long queues and a problem with water pressure.
Still, nothing could take away from the incredible supporting line-up, with Laura Marling, Pete Doherty, Seasick Steve, Mumford & Sons and the mighty Ray Davies all playing the Main Stage before Dylan's headline appearance. It's hard to single out one act for praise: Marling provided us with gorgeous heartfelt folk tunes, Doherty was accompanied by a Union Jack-waving ballerina (we swear it wasn't Kent native Stuart Clark) and Seasick Steve got a teenage fan on stage for a touching serenade of 'Walkin' Man'. But the soon-to-be stellar Mumford & Sons were an undoubted highlight, pouring enthusiasm into their upbeat folk-rock set. Ray Davies, meanwhile, wins a Spirit of the Festival award for a perfectly placed 'Sunny Afternoon'.
Fans waiting for a hit-filled set from Dylan left disappointed, with sing-along classics somewhat thin on the ground. But his voice sounded strong, through a beautiful rendition of 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right', and a powerful encore of 'Like A Rolling Stone'. And finally, fittingly for a crowd that spanned all ages, we were sent off into the warm summer night with 'Forever Young'.