REVIEW: Highest Point Festival from a first-time perspective

Monday, 16 May 2022 16:05

By Ross Chapman

Richard Ashcroft on stage at Highest Point. Photo by Nettlespie Photography

Our reporter and first-time festival-goer ROSS CHAPMAN says that the opening of the Highest Point festival was a night to remember.

Lancaster’s annual Highest Point festival started off in style on Thursday night.

Thousands were out in force in Williamson Park to watch pulsating music performances from The Lottery Winners, Reverend and the Makers and Richard Ashcroft, with all three acts seemingly as excited to be there as the crowd was.

It might have come as a surprise to first-time festival-goers like myself that the atmosphere was so palpable from the moment The Lottery Winners introduced themselves to the second Richard Ashcroft left the Main Stage.

All three acts, who all originate from the north, were keen to emphasise how good it felt for them to be back performing at restriction-less festivals again following the uncertainty Covid placed on live events in the last couple of years.

The location Is just perfect for the occasion. Williamson Park is the number one place in Lancaster to witness the picturesque views of the city, Morecambe and the Lakeland Fells. Additionally, the music was flawless in terms of sound quality with not one technical error throughout the night. The event was incredibly well-organised, from security to hospitality.

The Lottery Winners started the night off with a bang. The group, who hail from Leigh, are on the rise and their growing popularity, particularly in the last couple of years, is more than understandable having watched them live.

Their set was impressive and it was almost like they’d been performing at festivals for decades.

They were the performers who got the most involved with the crowd, exchanging banter with those at the front and telling everybody to join in with their choruses. Lead singer Thom Rylance’s personality was infectious and his excitement mirrored that of the crowd, making the band’s set even more enjoyable.

Sheffield’s Reverend and the Makers were next up to perform on the Main Stage and they certainly didn’t disappoint. It seemed like with every song they performed, the crowd became more and more lively.

Their most well-known hit, ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’, sounded as good live as it does recorded, if not better. Front man Jon McClure was also indulging in the high spirits of the crowd, encouraging everybody to ‘bounce’ to practically every one of the group’s songs and, in the instrumental of their final song ‘Silence is Talking’, sending a positive message: ‘brothers and sisters, let’s all be together’. You know a 45-minute set was good when it only felt like it lasted 10 minutes.

Then came the headliner of the night: Richard Ashcroft.

The former The Verve vocalist had a 90 minute slot and he delivered with a blend of music from both the 90s group from Wigan and his solo career.

Even though I had heard most of his songs, he still managed to blow me away with his vocal range and enthusiasm for the gig. From the second he began strumming his guitar to ‘They Don’t Own Me’ the crowd became electric once again and, from 9.30pm until 11pm, nearly everybody sang along with Ashcroft, especially with his closing number and all-time classic ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. The rain that lightly fell in the final 20 minutes of his set only added to the experience.

This was only the first night of a three-day event, with the likes of Clean Bandit, Sigala and Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Friday and Saturday.

I would highly recommend Highest Point, regardless of the artists performing. It is one of the newest and most vibrant festivals in the UK - the biggest in the local area. It is a worthwhile experience purely based off the atmosphere and beautiful surroundings.