LeeFest is the result of Lee Denny doing exactly what his parents told him not to do and have a party in the garden while they were away on holiday.

7 years on LeeFest is established on the festival circuit and by concentrating on what matters to their customers they have created a truly wonderful festival.

LeeFest is a not for profit event and seems to have a great DIY ethos, why buy things when you can get a few mates to make them, which gives it a unique feel and save’s money. There’s also little risk of money being lost on the merchandise as you customise the t-shirts yourself with the year and a few other stencils, so any stock left over can be sold again next year. LeeFest shows with commitment and with a passionate team behind it that a small but well run festival can be a huge success. At the same time 50% of the money made from the festival goes to charity so you’re also doing your bit as well. 

Apart from the music there are plenty of workshops you could join in including how to make nipple tassels; because lets face it you never know when you will need them. There was poetry readings, a chill out area plus a couple of tents with music pumping out all day. Then there's the Shisha themed café with colourful cushion's, ping pong tables strewn around the site and that big pink pig for the kiddies or grown ups alike to pose on for that photo to remember. Let’s not forget the cow for graffiti artists to show off their talent on.

We arrived on Saturday to catch the tail end of the Sound of Guns set, who were followed by Bwani Junction who brought the sun with them.  Bwani Junction are the perfect band for the middle of the day slot, their music being uplifting and not dissimilar to Vampire Weekends in style. They managed to get the audience up and dancing finishing their set with their current single ‘Two Bridges’.

Mid afternoon we were treated to one of our festival highlights of this year Man Like Me. They not only drew one of the biggest crowds but brought along a party vibe feeding off the crowd to deliver a set full of energy and fun. With some well choreographed dance moves and some adlibbing, all we can say is you need to see them live (YouTube does not do them justice). Their playing at numerous Festivals this year so make sure you don’t miss them.

Following Man Like Me was always going to be a challenge, but BIGkids put on a good set albeit to a smaller but appreciative crowd.

The Lion Lounge had a number of bands from BBC Kent’s Introducing programme, and it clear the county is well blessed with upcoming talent. Lion delivered a set of good indie tracks, and Broken Hands set was more about classic rock with a feeling of Golden Earring.

As the sun began to set Mystery Jets came on stage to a rapturous response, they seemed to be pleased to be back in England and more importantly performing at LeeFest.  Their set included a mixture of old (Some Purer, Serotonin and the finale of Flakes) and new material (Greatest Hits), the good news is, is that their new tracks are as strong as their back catalogue.

The festival had a laid back feel and the festival organisers who are a dedicated team hardly saw a band themselves, so as to make sure everything was just right.

LeeFest is a 2,000 capacity event, small and intimate the ideal festival for a family to introduce the festival goers of the future to. You were able to get to the front of the stage; no huge crowds, no queue’s for the toilets or messy litter to detract from the arty installations around every corner to amuse the young and old alike.

Although a bit off the beaten track there are numerous ways to get there including car share options and The Big lemon bus based in Brighton running directly from the site.

The acts we saw were all of a high calibre for a very reasonably priced ticket. If this year you missed out watch this space as LeeFest 2013 tickets will soon be on sale.

For a snippet of the festival here’s a little video of what you missed.

Photos Matthew Richards