Nestled in the picturesque countryside of Devon, Beautiful Days Festival is more than just a music festival—it's an annual pilgrimage for those who cherish a unique blend of music, culture, and community spirit. Held every year at the enchanting Escot Park, just a stone’s throw from Exeter, this festival has grown into one of the UK’s most beloved events. Hosted by the legendary Levellers, who pour their heart and soul into curating the experience, Beautiful Days offers a weekend filled with unforgettable performances, endless entertainment, and a true celebration of the arts.
The 2024 edition of Beautiful Days promises to be nothing short of spectacular, with an electrifying lineup of headline acts that perfectly capture the festival’s ethos. Topping the bill this year on the Friday, The Saw Doctors bring their iconic mix of Irish rock and folk to the main stage, setting the tone with their infectious energy and sing-along anthems. Following them on Saturday, Richard Ashcroft, the former frontman of The Verve, will dazzle the crowd with his timeless voice and anthemic hits, offering a set that promises both nostalgia and emotion. And of course, no Beautiful Days would be complete without a performance from the Levellers themselves, who will undoubtedly deliver a rousing finale that showcases the spirit of the festival they so lovingly host.
But the magic of Beautiful Days extends far beyond the main stage. With six stages scattered across the park, there’s always something happening, whether it’s a dynamic set from an up-and-coming band, a high-energy DJ session, or a side-splitting comedy act. The festival is a true feast for the senses, and not just in the auditory sense. Wander through the grounds, and you'll discover a vibrant array of food stalls, each offering gastronomic delights from around the world. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty local pie, a bowl of spicy Thai street food, or something sweet to keep you dancing through the night, there’s something to satisfy every palate.
To wash it all down, the bars at Beautiful Days are renowned for their variety and quality. Stocked with an impressive selection of beers, ales, and ciders—many sourced from Devon’s finest local suppliers—as well as a range of soft drinks, there’s no shortage of refreshments to keep you hydrated and in high spirits throughout the weekend.
And with the weather forecast looking favourable for the entire weekend, the stage is set for another unforgettable Beautiful Days. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and see how this year's festival unfolded...
Friday
As we do every year, we try our best to get onsite as early as possible to catch as many of the first day acts as possible, this year, we arrived midway through the Levellers Collective, the Big Top was bursting with people trying to get a glimpse of the action and there were many in chairs outside the tent, soaking up the sun and ambiance as they performed.
HOTWAX were coming to the end of their performance on the main stage as we were picking up our passes and from what I heard and saw, this is a band to keep a very close eye on.
Hailing from the vibrant musical heart of Virginia, DAVID WAX MUSEUM has been steadily building a reputation for their infectious blend of folk, roots, and Mexo-Americana—a term they've coined to describe their unique fusion of genres. In the ever-evolving landscape of Americana and indie-folk music, they have carved out a niche which is as distinct and captivating as it is original. I chatted to the band after their set and they said that they were invited to attend and perform at Beautiful Days Festival and it coincided with a major tour of the USA which had recently come to an end.
It was off to the Big Top next fo Julian to check out GAZ BROOKFIELD, an artist who has captured the hearts and minds of audiences all over the world. Hailing from the vibrant city of Bristol, he is a singer-songwriter whose music resonates with honesty, wit, and an undeniable sense of humanity. Over the years, he has built a loyal following through relentless touring, heartfelt songwriting, and a commitment to staying true to his DIY ethos. His set was (as usual) full of fun and laughter as he sung about topical issues that resonated with the capacity crowd that had filled the big top for his set.
We were not familiar with a band called THE SCRATCH but after a couple of songs, we were well versed in their immediate and visceral sound. Hailing from Dublin, the quartet have carved a niche entirely their own, fusing the raw energy of punk rock and heavy metal with the more intricate, acoustic melodies of traditional Irish music, it’s the sort of thing that, on paper, shouldn’t work, but on stage, it was perfect! I chatted to the main stage compere John Robb whilst they were performing and he said that he saw them at Glastonbury at 3 in the morning and has been mesmerised by them ever since!
I dashed over to watch the amazingly talented and very ‘groovy’ ROBYN HITCHCOCK, I saw him in Exeter a few years back and his show was immense so there was no way I was missing his performance at the Big Top. For anyone not familiar with his work, Robyn Hitchcock is one of the most enigmatic and popular figures in the world of alternative rock and psychedelic folk music. With a career spanning over four decades, he has established himself as a cult favourite, blending surreal lyrics, jangly guitars, and a distinctive sense of ‘Britishness’ into a sound that is entirely his own. With an impressive back catalogue under his belt which covered work from The Soft Boys, The Egyptians and the plethora of projects he has worked upon over the past 40 years, there was no shortage of quality tracks to keep the audience enthused throughout his show. I even got to meet him after his performance and chat about his career, lovely chap!
It was back to the big top to catch a band called THE LOTTERY WINNERS, we’re no strangers to this band and having shared a birthday cake with lead singer Thom at Boardmasters Festival in 2023, we had a good catch up ahead of their performance. Moments later, they were on stage, doing what they do best, entertaining the masses on the main stage. Thom led the charge with a classic ‘call and response’ game where he pretended to be the great late Freddie Mercury whilst the audience played their part. Their upbeat set was filled with the heartfelt, hook-filled tracks which has helped to cement their place as the kings (and queen) of British Indie Pop. After a few poses on stage to please the ‘pervs’ (photographers), they kicked into their set which was heavy on tracks from their latest album Anxiety Replacement Therapy which went down a storm with the huge audience that came to see them.
THE SHARON SHANNON TRIO, a captivating ensemble that brings together the best of traditional Irish music with a modern twist had just struck up in the Big Top so we popped in to see what was happening. Led by the legendary Sharon Shannon, an accordionist and multi-instrumentalist renowned for her innovative approach to Celtic music, the trio is a real powerhouse of talent and creativity. With a career spanning decades, Sharon has become one of the most influential figures in Irish folk music, and her trio continues to push the boundaries of what traditional music can be. Their live performance was nit just a show, it was a celebrations of music and culture and this was clear with the audience reaction to every single song.
FAT FREDDY’S DROP is a genre-defying collective from Wellington, New Zealand that is renowned for their fusion of dub, reggae, soul, funk, and jazz. With their deep grooves, infectious melodies, and their improvisational live performances, they have carved out a unique niche in the global music scene. Tonight saw them grace the main stage at Beautiful Days where they performed a number of extended jams resulting in seamless transitions between songs, and an infectious energy that spread throughout the crowd as the night wore on. With a killer brass section, the sound was off the scale, this was all held together by a solid rhythm section which, at times, defied what I thought the fabric of music was, very impressive!
POKEY LAFARGE was another that we were unfamiliar with so we trotted over to the Big Top to see what was happening. Lafarge, from Illinois has made a name for himself across the pond in the blues and folk scene. His latest record ‘Rhumba Country’ encapsulates his love of music from far-ranging eras and all corners of the planet, including mambo, rocksteady and good old fashioned American rock n’ roll.
Next up was Friday’s headliner, the heart and soul of Irish rock in the form of THE SAW DOCTORS. Okay, I’ll come clean and I thought it was The Spin Doctors who had a hit in the 90’s called ’Two Princes’ but it didn’t take me long to realise that this wasn’t them! DOH! Following their comeback tour in 2023, Davy Carton (vocals, guitar) and Leo Moran (guitar, vocals) were joined by longtime band members to build a killer set which pleased the masses that had come to see them. Their shows are filled with sing-alongs, dancing, and a sense of camaraderie between the band and their audience that you rarely see these days.
The final act that we caught on Friday night was RICHARD HAWLEY, an artist we were familiar with but had never seen before. The stage was full of amplifiers, so many in fact, it looked like a music shop, all that was missing were the price tags! With 9 albums under his belt, there was no shortage of songs to fill his set, all were adorned by his soothing Sheffield tones which were accompanied by his classic songwriting and Northern grit realism. Joined by a huge band, he sounded incredible, we also counted nearly 20 guitars on stage which was very impressive, certainly beats my collection!
Saturday
The first act that we caught was PET NEEDS, hailing from Colchester, this plucky quartet bring the party to the stage whenever and wherever they perform. The legend that is Frank Turner met them years back and it wasn’t long until they signed to the famous Xtra Mile record label alongside other acts including Will Varley, Beans on Toast and Skinny Lister, from there, they toured relentlessly with their label mates across the UK, Europe and America, carving out a name for themselves and playing to thousands of people at the same time. Their recent album Intermittent Fast Living, is a portrait of a band riding high on the rollercoaster that is their career and it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon!
ANGELINE MORRISON graced the Big Top with her presence after lunch and provided a thought provoking and in-depth set which encompassed her multi-instrumental skills as well as songs lifted from her illustrious back catalogue which captivated the audience throughout. I used to promote live music events at our local pub and had the pleasure of inviting Angeline to perform on a warm summer evening in the Autumn, she was amazing then and continues to be so now.
With a back catalogue of 20 albums amassed throughout her 25 years in the music industry, THEA GILMORE took to the stage to perform a set which was as experimental as it was enticing to all in attendance. With a solo tour and a sold out show at London’s Union Chapel under her belt, she continued the run with a spellbinding performance on the main stage at Beautiful Days.
As well as The False Alarms and a plethora of instruments, NICK PARKER invited a coach load of kids to accompany him inside the Big Top as he took to the stage. Collectively, the 8 piece band performed a set which encompassed so many different instruments, I lost count, what I do recall is how well the audience reacted to each number, amazing stuff!
Next up, it was DUTTY MOONSHINE BIG BAND on the main stage and never before has the term ‘Big Band’ made more sense. Today, there were over a dozen of them on stage, kicking out a fusion of brass, bass and dance-a-long melodies that would make your Nan boogie on down. What started out as an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) project, soon morphed into a massive act that fused the elements of EDM with the appeal of big band swing music which fans have fallen in love with. Their set was the tonic people needed to get them in the mood for an afternoon in the sun, sipping their drinks whilst the sounds took them to another place.
CAST were up next on the main stage and despite my photographer claiming not to know ANY songs. By the band, he was happily singing along to the opening number! They put on a show which transported me (and countless others) back to the heady days of the late 90’s and the music that defined a generation. I caught up with John Power and Keith O’Neill after the show as they were about to tuck into a bottle of champagne, the goblets they were drinking from had been created after they melted down their platinum discs (so John told me!). We chatted about the good old days (The La’s) and had a laugh about the platinum goblets….
The camaraderie continued with INSPIRAL CARPETS, after a stunning set including all of their classics, we met up with Clint Boon (keys) to chat about a multitude of topics including his latest project, the writing of his memoirs, which promise to be a multicoloured affair with no stones left unturned… We chatted about other things, which, for legal reasons, I cannot write about here, just buy the book when it comes out and all will be revealed!
NEW MODEL ARMY were up next and we caught up with both Justin and Dean from the band before their set. After seeing them in the past as an acoustic duo, tonight was going to be the first chance we had seen them as a full band, something that I had missed and despite it being great seeing them in a more stripped back manner, nothing beats seeing them as a full band, the power and energy they put out there is second to none and needs to be seen to be believed. Safe to say, the set was incredible, the band drew on songs from the 1980’s to date and just about everything in-between. What a set, what a band, long may they continue!
Damon Gough (aka BADLY DRAWN BOY) is an artist that I have never had the pleasure of seeing before so tonight was going to be a good chance to catch him in action. Having relentlessly toured his ‘Something to Tour About: 25 Years of Badly Drawn Boy’ around the country, he explained to the people of the Big Top that he was about to embark on a 10 day tour of Australia and was feeling a little upset as he had to say goodbye to his kids before leaving to play at Beautiful Days. With the support of the audience, he managed to get through his set which drew upon his entire back catalogue. Keep an eye on his socials for whatever he does next.
I paid a visit to the gents ahead of the headline act and bumped into RICHARD ASHCROFT as I was leaving, I wished him all the best for his show and wandered to the pit to get some photos. I was concerned that other than the classics made famous when he was involved with The Verve, I wasn’t going to know many of his solo numbers but I surprised myself as the set wore on as I was humming along to many of them. I’ll admit that it was the songs from The Verve days that received the biggest reaction but hey, that was completely expected. What is amazing is that he went solo 24 years ago….that’s nearly a quarter of a century ago!
Sunday
The final day kicked off with a sublime set from PALE BLUE EYES, ethereal vocals, a deep groove and heavenly melodies prove that PBE are a force to be reckoned with. They have appeared on BBC Radio 6 Music a number of times and every time I hear them on the radio I can’t help thinking that they have finally made it!
ELLES BAILEY put on a cracking show over at the Big Top, her show was fast paced and full of the bluesy rock hits that have helped put her on the musical map, this was the first time I had seen her live and I will definitely be back to catch her again the next time she plays in the South West.
DUB PISTOLS put on an amazing show, it was great to see the whole band on top form as they ran through their high octane set of bass heavy numbers that got the crowd going on a Sunday afternoon. We’ve seen the Dubs play a number of times and they just get better and better. Catch them at their own festival (Mucky Weekender) in September.
POP WILL EAT ITSELF (PWEI) are a band that I’ve been into since the late 1980’s and although they’ve seen a number of lineup changes, the one thing that has remained constant is their music. Their set was filled with the classics that got the arena jumping and brought back the ‘Grebo’ vibe at Beautiful Days!
THE DUALERS are a 9 piece ska/reggae outfit that dazzled the audience in the Sunday sunshine. They certainly knew how to work a crowd with their string of hits that saw smiles all around the main arena as their set wore on.
HARD-FI are an act that I recall from the mid noughts and it was great to finally see them on home soil performing hits from their Mercury Prize shortlisted record ‘Stars of CCTV’. They are set to release a new EP later in the year, followed by a UK tour, more info as it lands.
I chatted to the one and only Rat Scabies backstage ahead of THE DAMNED’S immense set and he said that he is excited to be playing live with the band once again. Their show was on point and delivered the goods with tracks such as ‘Elouise’ really striking a chord with the capacity crowd that had come to enjoy their output. Dave Vanian and The Captain were on great form, their onstage banter was amusing and I never got to see if Dave let The Captain sing ‘Happy Talk’…..
The final act on the main stage and the reason that Beautiful Days exists were LEVELLERS, a band that I have had the chance to see over the past 10 years at BDF as well as in their heyday of the early 1990’s. As the years have gone by, their music has remained as relevant as it was the day it was written and the song themes remain true today. The set was followed by a great firework display that closed the doors on yet another Beautiful Days Festival.
The weather behaved all weekend which was a first for us, we come dressed appropriately for all weather conditions but luckily, we never had to break out the ponchos from their wrappers, they’ll keep for another year!
A massive thank you to ALL of the staff that contributed to making this another bumper year, the security team that kept us all safe, the traders and food vendors, the ‘behind the scenes’ people who made it all happen, the riggers, the runners, the roadies, the stage managers and anyone else I missed! Special thanks go out to Lady A, Biff Mitchell, Laura and Dave Farrow and my partner in Crime Julian Baird for some epic photographs over the weekend.
Tickets for the 2025 event are on sale NOW at https://www.beautifuldays.org/ and will take place between 15-17 August 2025.
See you next year!
Words by Steve Muscutt
Pictures © by Julian Baird
