Summer Flew (Me) By
Recapping a speedy season made great by festivals & friends
I intended to send this post on 1 Sept, at the close of my two month Substack sabbatical, but I couldn't bring myself to admit that summer was ending. This summer flew by quicker than any previous one I can recall, perhaps because I didn't travel outside the UK until late August. More likely, it’s because summer weather rarely showed up in London.
I shan’t complain, as I have spent the past two weekends in Lisbon, Portugal, and Ibiza, Spain, absorbing as much vitamin D and warmth as possible. Back in London this week, the weather has been cool and sometimes wet. It already feels autumnal. Before I accept autumn’s arrival, let's reflect on the sunnier days and happy memories.
Por exemplo:
Four out of the five weekends in August were devoted to travelling for music, starting with domestic trips to Margate, Kent and Wimborne St Giles, Dorset. The latter was the site of Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here. WOH doesn’t book popular headliners and mainstream names like all other festivals do, it’s dedicated to celebrating niche genres and international sounds. I have returned to the festival three times because it consistently has the highest quality and diversity of music curation that I’ve ever experienced.
I saw many great performances at WOH, yet my most memorable moments were boogying with pals in the perfectly-named Love Dancin’ tent. One afternoon, as I sat outside the tent, nursing a huge hangover, a familiar tune came wafting towards me. The keyboard awoke my battered brain, the beat forced me to my tired feet, and the singer summoned my body closer to the sound.
While I was groovin’ to “As” by Stevie Wonder in Love Dancin’, I contemplated the lyrics, which I had heard dozens of times before. Perhaps influenced by my vulnerable state, I became very emotional on the dance floor. I felt that Stevie was singing directly to me, reassuring and reaffirming my lifelong relationship with music.
Just as time knew to move on since the beginning
And the seasons know exactly when to change
Just as kindness knows no shame
Know through all your joy and pain
That I'll be loving you always
(Replace “I’ll be loving you” with “music will be with you” and maybe you’ll get what I was hearing?)
Stevie’s positive messages rang loud and clear in my hungover head on that August day, lovin’ dancin’ inside a festival tent in Dorset. Through challenges and changes, music is a constant joy. Music guarantees to make life better always. Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Wonder.
On the final two weekends of August, I attended two two-day festivals, All Points East in London and MEO Kalorama in Lisbon. This was the opposite experience to We Out Here, in that I stood in crowds of thousands and watched more than a dozen well-known acts commandeer massive stages. Because I love lists, the acts I saw over those four festival days in London and Lisbon, in alphabetical order, were:
Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Ezra Collective, Peggy Guo, Joy Anonymous, Jungle, The Kills, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Nation of Language, Phoenix, The Postal Service, Sleater-Kinney, and Sam Smith.
Half of those acts I'd seen previously, and I was so delighted with how The Decemberists, Ezra Collective, Jungle, and The Postal Service stepped up their live shows. Joy Anonymous, Massive Attack, and Sam Smith were new concert experiences for me, and all were surprising highlights; I say surprising because I’d heard MA were boring, and I wasn’t familiar with JA and SS’s music. Very different artists, totally different shows, but all three incredible live acts in their own way.
Finally, I spent last weekend on the gorgeous island of Ibiza for a friend's 40th birthday celebration. It wasn’t a music trip, but we did visit three famous night clubs on the island, and I was impressed by the range and vibrancy of the audiences and the music. The real highlight of Ibiza was the sun, beaches, and warm sea.
Evidencia:
Swimming in warm, open water is one of my favourite activities, one I indulge in far less often than I should. I suppose it's my second happiest place and state. I'll always prefer dancing in the sunshine to great tunes with my favourite people. I did a lot of that this summer.
I have compiled a playlist to capture some of the great feelings, moments, and songs of the summer. I wish there were more. I wish the summer was longer!