It's the end of May which means one thing, it’s time for WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL!

Wychwood is a Three day festival on the site of Cheltenham Racecourse, it’s a truly family orientated festival with plenty for the munchkins to do with story readings, loads of games and activities. The food was great, with the usual range of festival food including yummy Burgers through to Mac & Cheese which I (may) have had a few times) mmm….. Whilst it’s not a massive festival, I guessed at around 6000 people were in attendance.

So, I’m onsite and the music has commenced with a bang. There really was something for everyone, from rock and indie, to pop. Acts including Abbie Ozard, Amy Moore, and Mary in the Junkyard played in the Garden Tent and whilst they may not be to my taste, they showed great potential and are definitely ones to watch as they continue to develop their sound.

The highlights of the festival for me were undoubtedly Big Country, who played a blinder. This is a band that formed way back in 1981 and, despite some lineup changes along the way, are still performing to massive crowds throughout the world. Their performance hit a high with "In a Big Country", a song which had everyone singing along. The sound was phenomenal, featuring unbelievable guitar work with three guitars, bass, and drums – truly a tough act to follow!

I was really looking forward to seeing Peter Hook and the Light, but their set kind of fell away, especially when Peter mentioned, "You can see I used to hang around the Sex Pistols," which summed up the somewhat shambolic performance. It was a shame as I know people that have witnessed their set in the past and raved about how good it was, full of Joy Division and New Order classics as well as his solo material. Maybe I’ll try again at a regular show in the future to see if works out any better!

The Stereo MC’s, on the other hand, were flawless. They truly "connected" with the audience (see what I did there?), delivering a classic performance. Texas was another real crowd-pleaser, with hit after hit, Sharleen Spiteri had the audience eating from the palm of her hand from the moment she stepped on stage.

Then Sunday arrived, and for once, the sun had his hat on! Seth Lakeman was just phenomenal. The multi-instrumentalist blew everyone away, sounding at times like Steve Earle. If you get the chance to catch him live, don't miss it – he was a real standout at Wychwood and I’m sure he’ll shine wherever he plays.

The Lightning Seeds had the audience singing along to favourites like "Three Lions" and "Lucky You" which was a sight to behold and finally, the one and only Seasick Steve took to the stage with his inimitable style, performing songs from his new album, Backbone Slip as well as tracks from his plentiful back catalogue.

And just like that, it was all over, all that remained was to pack up my camera bag, say my goodbye’s and embark on the long trudge back to the car-park and the long drive home! Until next year!

Words and Pictures (©) by Leigh Bruin.

Friday Gallery including images of Big Country, Corinne Bailey-Rae, Genevieve Miles, Sister Sledge, The Feeling. The Hoosiers

Saturday gallery including images of Abbie Ozard, Amy Moore, Mary in the Junkyard, Peter Hook & the Light, Stereo MC’s, Texas and The Coral

Sunday gallery including images of The Lightning Seeds, Seasick Steve, Seth Lakeman and The Futureheads