LIVE (Photos): Deer Shed Festival, 2024 (Day 1, 26.07.2024)

Having fallen in love with Deer Shed when I attended for the first time back in 2022, and then going on to have another dreamy weekend at the North Yorkshire festival last year, I was very glad I got to go again this year. Highlighting a real family focus, whilst hosting a range of exciting new artists, it oozes the warmest of vibes and – being smaller in size than most other festivals – creates a space that feels comfortingly intimate; an inclusive safe haven for artists and fans of all genres and ages. Whilst providing a child-friendly environment, this does not take away from the quality and array of performances on offer for everyone to enjoy. Although I’d say I’m in the minority of attendees who does not have children (or isn’t a child themselves!), I in no way feel this to be hindrance – there’s still plenty of adult fun to be had, just in perhaps a slightly less intense, and more safe, environment than most other festivals. Which is no bad thing, in my opinion! 

Amongst those performing, a fantastic number of female, non binary and queer performers are represented, and I was lucky enough to catch lots of these over the weekend – a good balance of artists I already knew and loved, and those who I had not had the chance to see before.

After our seven and a half hour journey, and settling into our pre-pitched tent (a revelation saving so much time and energy that I will be doing it at every festival going forwards!), we make it to the main stage just in time to catch Liz Lawrence. A GIHE favourite and one of the first ever guests on our radio show, she combines a twinkling emotion with deep funk-fuelled hooks as her distinctive syrupy vocals narrate each reflective offering. From songs such as 2019’s ‘USP’ and ‘None Of My Friends’ to recent single ‘Strut’ (at the request of “the lad that said ‘can you play Strut for my mum?’”), and everything in between, a gritty splendour flows throughout, as the sun shines upon our first taste of live music of the weekend.

Next up, we head to the In The Dock state to witness the fierce power of OneDa. Declaring that “pussy power is a way of life”, she launches into a set of immense hip-hop infused drum ‘n’ bass anthems, all delivered with a ferocious swirling energy and seething passion. 

Following some tasty vegan gyoza, we wander over to The Lodge stage to catch some of the colourful “digital voodoo” of Nana Benz Du Togo. Emanating a majestic grace, as their voices and unique instruments combine to create uplifting anthems like ‘Liberty’ and ‘To Be Free’, their message remains clear throughout: as lyrics like “I wanna make my own decisions” resonate with a stirring poignancy, a deep empowering spirit oozes from the stage. Declaring that “women should be free to be what they want to be”, and describing their aim as being to “recover the place that our mothers lost to the patriarchal society”, Nana Benz deliver a wonderfully invigorating set; uniting the buoyant crowd in a resolute drive for change with a glistening joyous energy. 

To end the night, I swap from my usual position of spectator to ‘artist’… If you can call DJing that. Either way, I was on the In The Dock stage, playing tunes to a tent that ended up being full of people for the Silent Disco. Lurking in the shadows without being noticed is generally more my vibe, so needless to say I was quite nervous about it. But, despite the cursor key on my laptop deciding to stop working at just the wrong time, causing a few clunky ‘mixes’(and with most of my set clashing with Liverpool legends The Coral on the main stage), it was really lovely to see so many people dancing and singing along to the music I was playing. Noticing the number of young people who seemed to be enjoying it – making up dances with their friends and getting excited by certain songs – was particularly heartwarming, and I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to do it. So, massive thanks and love to Deer Shed for letting me unleash my danceable queer tunes onto the crowd (and hopefully my laptop cursor won’t break next time!).

Stay tuned for photos of, and words about, of Days 2 & 3 at Deer Shed – including some special thoughts about the kids’ activities from next generation GIHE gal Orla….

Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles
Photos: Paul Dawes / @GRNDglass

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Sing It Pink (22.07.2024)

For the July edition of Get In Her Ears’ Soho Radio show, Tash and Mari were in the studio spinning loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists.

In addition to shout outs to festival highlights from Glastonbury and bands to look out for at Deer Shed festival, Tash spoke to The Pink Singers – Europe’s longest running LGBTQ+ choir – ahead of the release of a brand new podcast about them, Sing It Pink, which is out on Friday 26th April via Aunt Nell Productions. Plus, there’s some major gushing about Shania Twain…

Artists featured on the eclectic playlist included Planningtorock, Happy Accidents, Katy J Pearson, Los Bitchos, Ae Mak, Lex Amor, Sharon Van Etten, ARXX, Breymer, Little Simz, The Go! Team, John Glacier and more!

Listen to the show below:

 

We’ll be back on Soho Radio on Monday 19th August from 12-2pm
 Make sure you tune in via www.sohoradiolondon.com

 

Tracklist

Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy (Planningtorock Rework)

The Pink Singers – Leaping Lesbians

Jamie XX (feat. Robyn) – Life

Catbear – Rush

Jasmine.4.t – Skin On Skin

Katy J Pearson – Sky

pink suits – Are You Gay Yet?

Los Bitchos – Kiki, You Complete Me

AE Mak – Low Down

Kelly Lee Owens – Love You Got

Tom Rasmussen – Shugs (Live Wire)

Lex Amor – A7X

John Glacier – 2 Hot 4 This

Loose Articles – Are You A Welder?

Sharon Van Etten – Every Time The Sun Comes Up

Roller Derby – Silver Jet

Squirrel Flower – Full Time Job

Billie Eilish – Lunch

Happy Accidents – Infinite Possibilities

Little Simz – Woman

ARXX – Good Boy

The Go! Team – Ladyflash

Nana Benz Du Togo – To Be Free

Breymer – Darkness

Shania Twain – That Don’t Impress Me Much

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LIVE (Photos): Deer Shed Festival, 2023 (Day 1: 28.07.2023)

Having fallen in love with North Yorkshire festival Deer Shed when I attended for the first time last year, I was super glad I got to go again this year. Highlighting a real family focus, whilst hosting an incredible range of exciting new artists, it oozes the warmest of vibes and – being smaller in size than most other festivals – creates a space that feels comfortingly intimate; an inclusive safe haven for artists and fans of all genres and ages. Whilst providing a child-friendly environment (with an array of activities organised specifically for them), this does not take away from the quality and array of performances on offer for everyone to enjoy. Although I’d say I’m in the minority of attendees who does not have children (or isn’t a child themselves!), I in no way feel this to be hindrance – it is still very much an ‘adult’ festival, just one that happens to also be a safe and fun environment for kids to be in too! And, amongst those performing, a fantastic amount of female, non binary and queer performers are represented, which makes for a pretty dreamy time. I was lucky enough to catch lots of these over the weekend – a good balance of artists I already knew and loved, and those who I had not had the chance to see before.

Having settled into our pre-pitched tent (a revelation saving so much time and energy that I will be doing it at every festival going forwards!), our first taste of live music of the weekend comes from Bristol dancehall artist Grove. With an immense, swirling energy, they treat us to a unique fusion of “deep and dark” trip-hop with funk-fuelled UK Garage beats. From songs lusting after MILFs (“true pillars of society“) – a sentiment which goes down well with the child bearing crowd of Deer Shed – to raging anthems berating power-hungry landlords and the monarchy, Grove offers a perfectly riotous joy to kick off the weekend.

Back at the In The Dock stage (though I feel they could well have headlined the main stage), Dream Wife are as dreamy as always. Blasting into action with a blistering rendition of the title track of their latest album, Social Lubrication, they follow this with some older favourites – “Hey, Deer Shed“, front woman Rakel greets us, before spinning into the joyous allure of ‘Hey Heartbreaker’. Although I’ve seen Dream Wife live at least three times before (the most recent time being just a few weeks ago supporting the legendary Le Tigre), this is the first time I’ve seen them perform to an audience filled with children, and it really is quite special. As predominantly young girls fill the first few rows, bopping up and down either on their own accord, or on the shoulders of their parents, the sense of awe and wonder is palpable; Dream Wife exude such a magnetising power and grace, and for these children to have a band of women/non binary/queer folk to look up to, dance along with and potentially aspire to be is something that’s truly inspiring and wonderful. Not that it should be a novelty or unusual, but – as Rakel reflects (prompted by 7 year old Erin whose tooth has just fallen out, just like it did seeing the band two years ago) – “I wish I’d had a band like this when I was growing up“. Attempting to make their set “PG” (with just a couple of endearing and necessary slip-ups!), Dream Wife hail all the “Bad Witches’ in the room, as they sing of wanting to “Freak you out” with an immense, fun-filled charisma, and deliver the poignant message of ‘Somebody’ with even more stirring magnitude than usual. A true force to be reckoned with, unifying and immersing audiences of all ages and genders with their trademark blissful charm and captivating majesty. And then, a fantastic set is made even more memorable as GIHE fave Straight Girl makes a special guest appearance, swirling across the stage and into the crowd with their unique fierce energy.


So, thank you Deer Shed for another gorgeous weekend, I’ll see you again next year (not even holding it against you that I came back with Covid…)! Stay tuned for photos of, and words about, of Days 2 & 3!

Words: Mari Lane / @marimindles
Photos: Paul Dawes / @pauldawesart

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INTERVIEW: Kate Webster of Deer Shed Festival

Last year I attended Deer Shed Festival for the first time, and I promised myself it would the be the first time of many as it was such a glorious weekend! Having not been to a festival for a few years, I was keen to find one that was as lovely as possible, and suited my needs of being perhaps a little older than the average festival-goer without missing out on any of the best new music. I wanted a festival that was inclusive, chilled-out, family friendly, and of course hosting plenty of amazing female and non-binary bands and artists… And Deer Shed more than delivered on all fronts.

Highlighting a real family-friendly focus, whilst hosting an incredible range of exciting new artists, the North Yorkshire based Deer Shed perfectly filled the festival-shaped-void I’d been feeling, and – with highlights from last year including Self Esteem, CMAT, Straight Girl, Nadine Shah and Denise Chaila – I cannot wait to return in a couple of weeks.

We caught up with festival director Kate Webster to talk more about Deer Shed’s roots, its ethos and inclusive line-up, some of the most special Deer Shed moments of years gone by, and more… Have a read below, and have a listen to our special Deer Shed 2023 playlist, featuring some of our personal faves who’ll be playing at the festival this year, at the bottom of this feature!

Hi Kate! 2023 will be Deer Shed’s 13th year – hopefully lucky for some! Can you tell us a bit about what Deer Shed is all about, and how it all started out?
Deer Shed Festival is a boutique music, arts & science festival based in North Yorkshire parkland, aimed at families who don’t want a dumbed down experience just because you have kids in tow.

What strikes me about Deer Shed and makes it stand out against other festivals at the moment is the good gender balance of the line up – was there an intentional and specific decision to do this, or does it just naturally pan out that way?  
I booked the festival up until our 11th year and initially it happened unconsciously just because of the music I like. After a while, we decided it make it a policy of the festival that our gender split should be 50/50 and also at least one of the headlines needs to be female and/or non binary. It’s been great – because of our size we have been able to give some deserving acts the chance of a festival headline. Can you believe that we gave Goldfrapp they’re first festival headline in 2018?! I find that bonkers!

Over the last 12 years, you’ve hosted some amazing bands and artists including Self Esteem, Nadine Shah, CMAT, Kae Tempest, Anna Calvi, Big Joanie, Ezra Furman, The Go Team! and Honeyblood, but has there been a particular set that stands out for you as a personal highlight over the years?
Kae Tempest for sure. It was 2017, they were promoting Let Them Eat Chaos which is a phenomenal album, and it was also their first festival headline. The actual performance was extra special to me and many of the audience that evening.  The skies darkened, the rain poured and in the distance, lightning flashed. It meant, for those who stayed (and a lot did), the whole experience was electrifying and so moving. I still get shivers now when I think about the power of that evening. It was like nature knew what the backdrop should be for that performance.


And this year you’ve got some GIHE faves playing (The Big Moon, Dream Wife, This Is The Kit, English Teacher, Sprints…). Curating such awesome line ups must be a lot of work – how do you normally go about it? Is it all based on bands/artists that have got in touch with you over the year? 
We’ve had a booker for the last couple of years – I think Covid meant the job had got harder and I needed a break. It was also a good time to get some fresh ears to help. However, as festival director, I still want input and I think next year we’ll bring it in house again. We generally start with a wish list and play fantasy festival which is great fun; the whole Deer Shed team are into music, so everyone chips in and has suggestions of who they have seen perform during the year or might have new music coming out. We talk to friends in the industry and agents, so see what’s going on. Practically speaking, we only start making offers in Autumn, so that’s the best time to contact us. We must get the headlines in place before moving down the bill which can take some time.

And for any upcoming bands/artists looking to apply for festivals next year, do you have any tips?
Start building a live following in your local venues. Practice to become a great performer and engage with your audience. A festival crowd is different to your own show – you have one song to win them over! Whilst a lot of artists get an online following and good streaming numbers, it doesn’t always translate to live.

There seems to be a definite focus on making the festival as family-friendly as possible, and when I was there last year it just had the nicest, most relaxed vibes I’ve ever experienced at a festival! What inspired the idea to do this, and stand out from other festivals in this way? 
When Oliver and I decided to give it a go, it wasn’t long after festivals like Latitude & Camp Bestival had started and there was no one doing anything similar in the north. I couldn’t see live music like I had done because of family commitments, and many events near by didn’t offer me the chance to see great music and have the kids entertained. So, Deer Shed was really built for me & my friends initially – music fans who happen to have kids. It turned out there were other people like me!

Do you feel much has changed over the last few years in the music industry’s treatment of new artists, particularly female and non-binary artists? 
I think there is more awareness of mental health and agents/managers are now more mindful over booking artists. I also hope the idea of booking a tokenistic female/non-binary act has come to an end… But I do still worry that some young female artists are led a certain way on how they present and what they wear. There seem to be some genres of music where I’m not convinced that a stylist/photographer/label didn’t have a brief to come back with a certain look.  

Finally, as we’re a new music focused site, are there any particular new bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
I’m totally excited that we managed to book Grove this year. I know they’re not that new but their energy, style & music is infectious. So good live! I’ve not seen Pet Snake live yet, but I’m loving the Liverpool based artist – alt folk/indie at its best, just great songwriting.  

Massive thanks to Kate for answering our questions, and for organising such a stellar festival year on year! Deer Shed Festival 2023 is taking place from 28th – 30th July and headliners include The Delgados, The Comet Is Coming, The Big Moon and This Is The Kit – more information here.

Get ready for the festival by listening to our playlist of brilliant bands playing this year here:

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