Kieran Webber
Director and Founder of CLUNK Magazine, CLUNK Events, and other CLUNK affiliate businesses. You’ll probably find me tucked away somewhere sending emails, listening to music, and creating content.
The Great Estate Festival has taken our hearts all over again with their 2024 edition and highlights the importance of independent festivals
The Great Estate Festival, a rambunctious affair tucked away in the brimming with green grounds of Scorrior Estate has long been a staple of the Cornish festival circuit. In fact, it was one of CLUNK’s first festivals we covered back in 2017, which was also it’s debut year. So, it’s safe to say we have an attachment to this humble little festival. However, due to a litany of reasons (including covid), it had been a few years since we attended. However, the announcement of The Darkness taking the Saturday headliner slot as well as bands such as The Pale Blue Eyes, Absolutely Anytime attending, we had to make our back to this merry gathering.
On arrival it felt like home again. The relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness of the staff, and the beautiful scenery, you truly cannot beat a festival in Cornwall. After collecting wristbands and passes from accreditation we made our way through an ancient forest through to the Secret Gin Garden, a place adorn with strange artwork, bunting, and life sized squirrel people. The festival leans into the weird and wonderful with masterful fashion. It’s hard not to be enamoured by the decor and artistic expressionism on display. It’s really like stepping back into time or into the friendlier side of the Alice In Wonderland universe.
As you enter the main site you are greeted with stalls of every variety, from vintage shops to some of the best food at a festival I have ever seen. Cornish food, Greek food, Fried Chicken, Tacos, and so much more, there really was something on offer for every taste and palate. In terms of drinks, you get to sample some of the finest that this land has to offer from Korev, Harbour, and Cornish Orchards. I want to give a particular shoutout to the Blackcurrant and Cherry cider from Cornish Orchards, truly a delightful beverage.
Musically, we were treated to fantastic performances from a wide array of artists. However, the highlights come from Peri Rae, the Cornwall based singer-songwriter who crafts emotively driven indie led by her ferocious vocals and commanding stage presence. Absolutely Anytime, a Cornwall via London band made up of members from The Rezner (real Cornish dons will know). It’s safe to say that this band are going to be the next big indie hit in a similar vein to Sports Team, Declan McKenna, and more. Keep an eye on this outfit and if you ever get the chance to see them live, DO SO.
Liverpool’s Shefu also came as a surprise, having not heard of them before the festival. They came out swinging with their anthemic, stadium ready sound. Not to mention their rock n roll antics that had the confidence of a band years ahead of this young outfit. Each member having their own flair and strong stage presence, ripping solos left and right, and flailing themselves around. It was a true spectacle and one that the festival will remember for time to come.
The Pale Blue Eyes, our kin from the other side of the Tamar, Totnes to be specific came and put on a remarkable show. They brought their experimental, borderline ethereal indie sound to the Great Estate and had the audience moving with ease. It was the perfect soundtrack to the beautiful sunset that was happening behind us as the ebb and flow of their psychedelic beats pounded through our chests.
Then finally, The Darkness came, saw, and of course, conquered. Playing most of the tracks from their debut album ‘Permission To Land’ it was a true treat for fans. It was a rock n roll experience that is perhaps lacking at many festivals in this day and age. The crowd were absolutely bouncing to every track, screaming the lyrics back towards the tiny stage for these colossal men of modern rock. They brought something that is sorely lacking in a lot of modern music, fun. Love or hate the band, you cannot deny that you left smiling from ear to ear and satisfied with the experience. Long may The Darkness continue to bring joy to festival goers across this land.
It’s safe to say that The Great Estate this year was nothing short of exemplary. An experience that is forever memorable, and one that continually impressed me throughout the weekend. It had been a while since we experiences The Great Estate and how we had missed it. This festival helped us fall in love with small festivals in a way we haven’t since we started. In a time where more and more of these grassroots festivals are closing it is SO important to support them in any way possible. The truth is, once we lose these spaces of joy, creativity, and expression, we may never get them back. The Great Estate is a shining example of the importance of such spaces and we cannot wait for next year.
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