Bearded Theory is possibly the first (major) festival of 2024 which opened its doors at Catton Park in Derbyshire on 22nd May and closed them again on 26th May. With overcast skies, some sunshine and a drop of the wet stuff planned for the weekend, festival-goers and music enthusiasts alike are preparing for whatever else the weather gods may throw at us, but us Brits are quite hardy when it comes to weather, after all, it’s only a bit of rain, which turns to sloshy mud fest but hey, it’s a British festival, dig out your wellies and suck it up, buttercup! 

This year's lineup was INCREDIBLE, I attend a lot of festivals and I think that this has set a very high bar for other UK festivals to strive to meet in the future. With a diverse array of acts ready to set the many stages on fire across the whole weekend, from the legendary Jane's Addiction, the pop perfection of Future Islands, the raw energy of Amyl and the Sniffers, to the timeless alt-rock vibes of Dinosaur Jr and the unapologetic attitude of Sleaford Mods, Bearded Theory promises an explosive mix of talent that is not to be missed. 

Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the heart and soul of Bearded Theory, uncovering hidden gems as we unearth them, backstage stories, and the amazing atmosphere that will leave you craving for more. Let the countdown begin to an unforgettable festival adventure! 

Friday 

After a rather energetic gig from the very lively and exciting ‘Erotic Secrets of Pompeii’ in Exeter on Thursday night, I arrived home just after 1am, with a planned wake up of 5am to hit the motorway ‘up North’. I ended up snoozing until 6am and spent a further hour packing the van with all the essentials before setting off.  

I arrived just after midday, collected my passes and wristbands and found somewhere to park up for the weekend. I trudged through mud for what seemed like hours (15 mins) and found the main entrance and I was away! 

The press tent was situated behind the main stage through a wardrobe, via a ‘house of mirrors’ and accessed via a makeshift Moroccan palm readers caravan, okay it wasn’t hidden that well, but you get the gist! 

As I unloaded my essentials for the weekend, PIP BLOM were just striking up, so I dashed out, well, yomped out and hit the pit for a few photos. I’ve never seen this band before and was pleasantly surprised, their music was bass heavy, indie pop which really fitted well as an opener for this year’s festival.  

The only thing that’s going to limit me dashing about this weekend is the mud, it is EVERYWHERE! I’m hoping for a couple of dry days as I was told that the ground has very good drainage, so providing NOBODY walks on the mud, it may start to clear up a bit as the weekend progresses.  

IST IST over at the Meadow tent next and after a brief soundcheck, they were away, knocking out their unique blend of hard-hitting post punk which really got the tent going. The band have released a number of live albums and judging by today’s performance, it could easily have been added to the list! I even managed a handshake with the frontman as he was loading his gear down the ramp from the stage to their van! 

IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE injected some colour into what was a dull day, their fusion of funk and soulful grooves did the trick and put smiles on everyone in the audience. Eno led the charge with a tremendous costume, dripping in colour and patterns, the rest of the band looked pretty dapper too! 

Despite the overcast skies, LAMBRINI GIRLS lit up the Meadow Tent with all the colours of the rainbow. Their set included crowd surfing, trans rights, workplace harassment. They also talked about TERFS which is a term I am unfamiliar with, I found out that it stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, and I now know there are a lot of them out there in the world! 

PEAT & DIESEL ventured from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis to entrance the main stage with their blend of Celtic folk-rock, with all the folk instruments to hand, they had the place dancing in no time at all. This is the type of act that would go down really well at Beautiful Days Festival in Devon later in the year, I’ll have a word! 

We broke for food and enjoyed a couple of chicken Gyros which were delicious, lots of chicken, seasoned fries, salad and lashings of sauce, I’m unsure which sauce we had as when the young lady asked me, I just said yes, so it was probably a combination of all 5 of them! We’ll be back tomorrow with another food review for you, so keep your eyes peeled!   

THE BIG MOON’s set was smooth, laid back, polished and perfect for today as the sun had just started to peep out from behind the clouds and their blend of summer infused indie pop was just what we needed to get through the rest of the day. They said it was their first show for a year, come to think of it, they might have said that it was their first show this year (as in 2024) and tonight was their opening night. Whatever they said, it was great to have them gracing the main stage at Bearded Theory! 

I nipped into the backstage area for a wee and bumped into MERYL STREEK, I apologised for missing his set and he went on to tell me it was quite possibly, the BEST show he’s ever done (thanks for that then!) After an email to the press team, we sat down to chat about Bearded Theory whilst The Big Moon were playing in the background, it was fun! 

Whilst we were chatting, we also saw the frontman from Future Islands and Kevin Rowland from DEXYS, amazing star spotting there! 

The atmosphere was palpable before BOB VYLAN took to the stage, the photo pit was full, so I stood back to watch the mayhem ensue! Bobby and Bobbie took to the stage and Bobby led us through a few minutes of stretches and meditations to loosen up our bodies and minds ahead of the action kicking off. 

After a few songs, Bobby got fed up being on stage and leapt onto the barrier before going for a bit of a surf in the crowd. They played tracks from their latest album ‘Humble as the Sun’ as well as older crowd pleasers such as ‘Northern Line’, ‘Wicked and Bad’ which had the desired effect in whipping the audience into a frenzy! I am pleased to say that there was no stage invasion as we saw at Beautiful Dats Festival a couple of years back. Come the end of the set, Bobby was stripped to the waist, bouncing around the stage like a young puppy, damn that man is FIT! 

There was a rumour doing that rounds that DEXY’s had cancelled at the last minute which I thought was strange as Kevin Rowland was sat two tables away from me in the backstage area earlier in the day. I trudged over to the big top to check out Marika Hackman’s first couple of songs which were the perfect antidote to an afternoon of running around snapping bands and artists. Her laid-back tones soothed my inner soul and left me wanting more but I could hear commotion on the main stage. 

As I returned to the main arena, a massive crowd had gathered and onto the stage walked Mr Kevin Rowland, accompanied by his band. It’s been a while since I have listened to Dexy’s and without suggesting the cliche number 1 song that EVERYONE associates with the band, it was great to hear his soulful tones backed by the brass section and violin. ‘Gino’ sounded exquisite whilst ‘Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile’ took me back to the days of teenage school discos!  

I decided to walk half of my gear back to the van as the thought of traversing a slippery path, loaded down with expensive camera gear was not a good one so I missed the majority of the THERAPY! set, I did walk back to catch the dying embers which consisted of a full tent and a ton more people trying to get a view from outside. 

FUTURE ISLANDS were well into their show, this band have always amazed me, a combination of the worst ‘Dad Dancing’ you’ve ever seen, coupled with a performance that wouldn’t look out of place on a stage. Samuel T. Herring was cavorting about the stage, pulling at his face as if trying to remove a mask whilst the band remained static, pumping out their polished pop perfection. It was an immense show and one that I stood in the pit to enjoy. 

NEW MODEL ARMY are a band that I have had the pleasure of interviewing and shooting many times in the past, last year at Beautiful Days in Devon saw Justin Sullivan performing an acoustic set with Dean White which was well received. This time around, it was the full band and the vibe let off by them was immense. The songs sounded so complete, rounded and powerful, something the audience reacted to and set the big top alight throughout the show. They dug deep to produce a setlist that delved into just about every nook and cranny and included fan favourites as well as some more obscure numbers for the hardcore fans that had come to see their heroes play. 

dSaturday 

I woke refreshed after a sleep in the van, it was 9:30am, time to rise and face the day. After some homemade scrambled eggs, I enjoyed a quick bed bath (via wet wipes), sprayed myself with enough deodorant to serve a rugby team and headed into the main arena.  

The mud that was causing a few issues on Friday night had firmed up somewhat and, although still causing issues, wasn’t as bad as it could have been had it have rained overnight. I yomped through to the main arena and saw that there was a barrier blocking access to the main stage area (and press tent). I saw a friendly security guard who allowed me through and then, it happened!  

The opening tones of ‘Mountain Song’ rung out across the arena, could JANE’S ADDICTION be sound checking already? I picked up my pace and as I saw the main stage, it was clear that it was a just the audio being played out. I did stay and watch the guitar tech go through a bunch of Dave Navaro’s various licks which pleased me no end. No sign of Perry yet, I dare say that after their recent shows, he’s probably still tucked up in his bunk, getting some much-needed rest ahead of tonight’s performance. 

I heard backstage that DIVORCE were no longer playing, but PET NEEDS had taken their mainstage slot, so, every cloud! I saw Johnny and George getting out of their van and had a quick chat with them, they had played earlier in the festival and had not planned on being back here, but when the call came, they were keen to deliver. 

I had a feeling that I had seen the main stage opener PRIMA QUEEN previously, I couldn’t tell you where, but the name rings a bell. I was wrong, I’ve never seen this band before! Their set was the perfect way to open a Saturday on the main stage, people were no doubt feeling a tad fragile after Friday’s exploits and their gentle, indie-folk music was the perfect way to nurse sore heads and bring people into a new day. 

Buckle up folks, as it’s time for PET NEEDS to take to the main stage! 

From PRIMA QUEEN to PET NEEDS, what a transition, the former being quite chilled and relaxing to a band that have just nailed 8 cans of Red Bull each (other energy drinks are available) 5 mins before their set. Energetic is an understatement, they had the crowd clapping along, bouncing and singing choruses back to them by the 3rd track, something you don’t see very often, especially at a festival where not ALL of the audience are your number 1 fans. They performed some amazing tracks including ‘Separation Anxiety’ and ‘Tracy Emin’s Bed’. 

I wandered over to catch THE MEFFS but they must have started early (or the main stage was running late) as I wasn’t allowed into the photo pit owing to that pesky 3 song rule! I did stay to catch 5 mins of their set and I enjoyed their version of ‘Breathe’, the entire tent also seemed to enjoy it! You really never know just how much noise a duo can make, THE MEFFS is proof that they can easily blow your eardrums without a lot of effort! 

GOAT GIRL calmed the storm that PET NEEDS had created on the main stage with their subtle blend of indie-folk that was well received. It was a little problematic taking photos in the pit as they were in a crescent formation towards the back of the stage, meaning that unless you were 8 feet tall, you were only going to get photos of their heads. I had a cunning plan and left the pit to walk to the accessible platform where I sweet talked the nice man on the gate to allow me in for a few minutes to get some shots of the stage. 

PUNK ROCK FACTORY took over from where PET NEEDS left off, playing a high octane set of covers of classic pop songs but in a punk style, think Blink 182 mixed with Kate Bush and you’re not far from the mark. They played a tremendous version of ABBA’s ‘Mamma Mia’. For me, the highlight of the show had to be their fantastic version of the theme tune to POWER RANGERS, oh yes. I was stood outside, indulging in a bit of Perry Farrell spotting (no news yet folks) and they played a speed-metal version of the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme tune, amazing! Sorry, one more, their brilliant version of ‘Let It Go’ from the Frozen movie! If you like these guys, you’ll love a band called ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMIES, go check them out. 

WARGASM were quite simply OFF THE SCALE, from the get-go, they had the audience eating out of the palm of their hand, Milky clearly opted for the ‘less is more’ look with her thong, matching bra and a bullet belt, the show started with her wearing a leather jacket but this was soon discarded as the sun beat down onto the main stage. I’m not familiar with any of their music but I can say that anyone into hard metal infused rock music with screaming vocals would fall over themselves to watch this amazing act. I caught up with Milky after the show and reminded her that I chatted to her at a festival in Torquay called BURN IT DOWN a few years back, she laughed and said that WARGASM are headlining the festival this year, so there’s a chance that our paths may cross again! 

SLEAFORD MODS took to the stage as the sun continued to beat down on the arena, it wasn’t long until their blend of electronic beats and adrenaline pumping vocals charged the audience into overdrive. The last time I saw them, Andy (music) was stood behind the laptop, not moving much but this afternoon saw him in full ‘Bez’ mode, dancing around the stage, throwing shapes as Jason delivered his politically charged venomous poetry at 250mph. Key tracks from the set for me included ‘Mork n Mindy’, ‘T.C.R.’, ‘Jolly Fucker’, ‘TISWAS’, ‘Tweet Tweet Tweet’, and a sublime version of ‘West End Girls’ by Pet Shop Boys which went down a treat. 

As time wore on, the excitement on the main arena was felt by all, it wasn’t long until the Saturday headline act JANE’S ADDICICTION would take to the stage and deliver their performance. I made sure that 20 minutes before they started, I was stood side of stage, ready to get a good vantage point in the photo pit which was going to be RAMMED. I could see Dave Navarro warming up on the side of the stage and Perry Farrell on the other, good to see that the main players were fit and ready to go! 

The set opened with ‘Up the Beach’, the opening track from 1988’s ‘Nothing Shocking’, the opening bassline set off the audience and when the guitar came crashing in, it was as if fireworks had gone off, the power was immense and being stood in the pit right in front of a HUGE bass sub which felt like it was punching me in the chest! 

Being in the pit meant that we could only shoot the first 3 songs, I was in a daze and cannot remember the order, but I do recall ’Had a Dad’ sounding amazing, this was followed by ‘Been Caught Stealing’ which I had hoped for later in the set, but hey, I got to see them perform it whilst stood 5 feet away from them so I’m not moaning! 

The set grew from strength to strength with tracks including ‘Ain’t No Right’, ‘Mountain Song’ and the sublime, acoustic tones of ‘Jane Says’ which bought the temp down and allowed a mass singalong which bought tears to my eyes.... 

They even managed to debut a couple of tracks live which were ‘Heaven Gong’ and ‘Poppy’, which was a treat for the die-hard fans.  

It was incredible to see the original lineup on stage once again, the chemistry was immense, the music and vocals were sublime, a real ‘pinch me’ moment for any fan of the band. 

During one of the later songs, a lady entered the pit and sat down to watch the band, after a few minutes she walked past me again and stood by the back of the stage, looking puzzled. I walked over to where she was and asked if she was okay, she said that she needed to get back to the compound but didn’t want to walk through the muddy puddle. I said that there was only one way back as she had come out of the pit the wrong way to get there without getting covered in mud. Being the gentleman that I am, I offered to carry her to the compound (as I was already ankle deep in mud), she laughed and said that she couldn’t possibly get me to do that, ten seconds later, she was on my back having a piggyback ride to dry land by the compound. En route, I asked her if she was with the band, I almost dropped her when she said her name was ‘Etty’, that was the name of Perry Farrell’s wife, surely not?! Yep, I had just given Perry’s wife a piggyback ride backstage so she could keep her feet and boots dry! 

Once I had deposited her to dry land, she thanked me, and we parted company. I stood side of stage for the last couple of tracks and waited a few minutes for the encore, I can’t recall the song that they played but there were drums lined up on the front lip of the stage, Perry sang whilst the other three members took to the drums, creating an almost tribal beat which was really atmospheric and was the perfect way to end their headline set. 

Now, the next ten minutes went a bit crazy.... 

I walked around to where their tour bus was situated and waited at the foot of the steps for them to leave the stage, Dave Navarro came down first, I managed to get a high-five from him before he was whisked off to the compound to rest up. I then waited for what seemed like forever for Perry to show up, he did, his wife at his side as they descended the steps. I was chatting to a nice chap who was head of traffic for the festival and naturally told him about the piggyback incident earlier on, he then asked Etty how her piggyback ride went and she pointed at me, tugged at Perry’s arm and said “there he is, that’s the guy I was telling you about, he carried me over a muddy puddle backstage”, I thought I was in trouble but Perry took my hand and thanked me for being so kind to his wife and asked if I’d like a picture....er, yep, that’d be nice I muttered out loud. Etty took the photo and I thanked Perry for all of the music that he had put out over the years via Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros and his solo material, he smiled and said I was ‘so sweet’, what a guy! I will be dining out on that story longer than Bob Geldof has been about his disliking of Mondays! 

From that moment on, I was a mess, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t think straight, I had just met one of my all-time musical heroes and he was SO NICE, for all the people that say “never meet your heroes”, screw that, I have (on a few occasions) and they have all been so nice, approachable and happy to chat. 

I walked back to the press area, telling anyone and everyone what had just happened, packed up my bags and yomped back to the van for sleep #2 ahead of a wet looking Sunday. On my way, I ventured into the big top to check out 10 mins of ORBITAL’s set, having photographed them in Exeter at the start of their Green/Brown tour in April, I thought I'd give the pics a miss as it was rather dark and you could only see the ‘lights’ of their eyes! (see what I did there...) 

Sunday 

I woke to the sound of rain midway through the night, nothing that was going to cause a flood but enough to loosen the mud that had started to firm up a bit on Saturday. As I ventured back on to the site, people were starting to pack up their tents and load their cars for a quicker getaway after the main acts had finished later in the day. The breakfast bus was as busy as it ever was in the morning, people queuing for their bacon baps and coffee.  

After 10 minutes onsite, I made an executive decision. The weather was looking really bad for the day, wall to wall rain, high winds in the afternoon and with me parked in a field, I knew that if the ground had loosened up with the rain and with people possibly leaving early, I would be stuck until I could get towed out by a tractor or a 4X4. I said my farewells to the press tent crew and made my way back to the car park to head off.  

I knew that I would be missing some key acts that I had looked forward to for some time including DESPERATE JOURNALIST, BIG SPECIAL, ENGLISH TEACHER, DINOSAUR JR and AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS but hey, you can't win them all and hopefully, I will catch a couple of these later on in the year in other muddy fields somewhere else in the country. 

I managed to catch up with a photographer who was sticking around for the Sunday and said that he’d be happy to send a few images to me of the bands that I’d be missing, these are included in the Sunday gallery for you to enjoy. 

So my weekend was cut short by a day, but I wasn’t sad, I’d got the chance to see a bunch of amazing bands over the two days that I was onsite. I met some great photographers and chatted about our favourite acts, and I even managed to bore the pants off anyone that was willing to listen to my piggyback ride story and of course, the highlight of my life, meeting PERRY FARRELL and DAVE NAVARRO from JANE’S ADDICTION!  

Will I return in 2025? You try and stop me! Next year, I’ll be there for the full 3 days, ensuring that I cover as much of the festival as I can. This year, I felt that didn’t provide as much coverage as I could have done but the mud was so bad on the Friday, it really made getting around the site quite treacherous and you can only be in one place at a time. So, I’ll put in my request for a week of sun ahead of the 2025 festival and limited rain over the weekend! 

See you in 2025!  

Friday & Saturday images © Andrew Hobbs Photography and musomuso.com

Sunday images © Des Fitzgerald