Billed as a Refined Unwind, the Magic Loungeabout returned to the stunning grounds of Broughton Hall, near Skipton in Yorkshire, last weekend. Now in its third year, Magic Loungeabout offered a feast of avante pop, fringe cabaret, and other quality festival fare.

The location is truly excellent, with the arena held essentially on the lawns of the 16th century stately pile. The hall provided an imposing backdrop to festivities, particularly so after dark, with some imaginative image projections on the imposing facade. Set in 3,000 acres, the grounds are no less impressive; indeed the camping fields were some of the prettiest this reviewer can recall at any festival. We camped alongside the brook that winds its way through the site and had rabbits around the camp, whilst at dusk the brook came alive with bats swooping low over the water and tent. Lovely! In keeping with the nature of this festival and the crowd it attracts, both the arena and camping areas were absolutely spotless with a hard working army of volunteers ensuring a pristine environment at all times. Other festivals would be wise to emulate the dedication of both organisers and punters in keeping a beautiful location beautiful. Add to that plentiful and clean facilities and it’s no wonder this festival attracts a discerning clientele…None more so than those staying in the extensive ‘Glamping’ area. This offered everything from a dedicated concierge service, complementary breakfasts, top notch showers and facilities, to free wi-fi!

Whilst not a dedicated ‘kids’ festival, there certainly appeared plenty to keep the younger children occupied whilst the adults enjoyed the music without any visible signs of excess. A large main stage dominated the arena with two further club/bar tents nearby. The Fringe Tent being slightly away from the main area. Music policy was largely, but not solely, disco funk, house, and dancefloor classics. The Fringe provided non-music happenings including cinema, theatre, and cabaret. Whilst all three areas offered throbbing club nights once the main stage acts finished, if we did have any reservations, it related to the fact that entertainment away from the main stage appeared somewhat sparse at times during the day. Given the spacing of main stage acts we did appear to experience a degree of ‘down-time’ in-between acts. Some ridiculously early morning scheduling (for this bone idle reviewer at least) of 9am for Richard Fox, and 10:15am for the excellent Stuart Maconie did not help us here! The Fringe provided some quality daytime theatre and cinema events, but ideally the quality and pricing of this event justifies a second dedicated music stage in this reviewers ‘umble opinion.

And what of the music? The festival positions itself as a purveyor of quality pop, and this certainly was the case, but with enough variation to satisfy most tastes. There was some real quality on offer here. We were served everything from Chic to Benjamin Francis Leftwich, to The Charlatans. Luckily the weather held up with only a few ribbons of rain to drive the crowds from the stands.

Chic headlined on Friday as they were splendid. Nile Rodgers reminded us that he was a producer of note, working with everyone from Bowie to Madonna. Indeed probably the track of the night was a storming version of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. All the classic Chic hits were there including Everybody Dance, Good Times, and of course Le Freak. The whole arena was bopping away. Great Stuff. We rounded off the night with some excellent funky jazz infused dance mixes from DJ BEN.

Saturday saw a fine set from young talent Lucy Rose before arguably the set of the festival from Belfast’s finest - Cashier No.9. A unique sound, incorporating west coast vocal harmonies and Indie shoe gazing rhythms and lots more besides. Whatever, its Todd’s fine use of acoustic guitar to interplay with the thoughtful electric rock of his partners which generates their distinctive sound. A truly excellent set. Do catch these guys at a festival near you soon!

More quality from Chew Lips before the headliners Inner City let rip. Famed for disco dancefloor fillers like Good Life and Big Fun, the band is dominated by the presence of electronica legend Kevin Saunderson who treated the crowd to some driving Detroit Techno to counterpoint the silky vocals of his compatriots.

Sunday witnessed some lovely melodies and vocals from Lets Buy Happiness and the fabulous Jenny O, before Benjamin Francis Leftwich hit the stage. Celebrating the success of debut album Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm, and off the back of an extensive US tour earlier in the year, this was a class act. Like most shrewd talents, the guy has wisely surrounded himself with some quality musicians. Deep and thoughtful acoustic numbers, nicely balanced with the full band letting rip where appropriate, this was a great set which had the crowd enthralled.

Disappointingly, the otherwise excellent Charlatans played a surprisingly short headline set with no encore, despite the protestations of an enthusiastic crowd. Primarily featuring the fine portfolio of songs from the seminal Tellin’ Stories album, celebrating its 15th anniversary, they truly are a fine band. Unlike some of their supposed counterparts, The Charlatans are a working band; they have never been away! You can tell. They sound as tight as a nut and the music is delivered with a nonchalance that belies years of hard touring. Stretch it to nearer 90 minutes next time please guys!

We ended with a highlight though – over in the Fringe we caught the magnificent late night Misti Valentine’s burlesque show (part of the excellent Sneaky Experience ‘s Forest Fringe Finale). Entertainingly rude, and with just the right amount of pathos to counterpoint the merriment, this artist highlighted what quality non-music festival entertainment is all about. A maelstrom of gender identity… entertaining and challenging on multiple levels. Cracking Stuff. Then straight into a late night screening of Alice In Wonderland! What a finale!

Full details of Magic Loungeabout 2012 HERE.

 

Article by Barrie Dimond