Standon Calling 2010: General Review

It was small.  It was thoughtful.  It was perfection.  How I saw so much, slept so little!  And yet, here are...

Things I’m sorry I missed at Standon Calling 2010:

• Efterklang’s smiles: As enjoyable as their music was from my tent during my attempt at a power nap, I wish I were close enough to confirm the text messages I got about how much their ear-to-ear grins lit up Sunday evening.

• Delorean’s last three-quarters of the set: Heartbreakingly, Delorean’s time got bumped to conflict with Buena Vista Social Club. I did manage to see enough to know I’ll see them again.

• Detective mystery train story thing conclusion: So what was that all about in the end? Whodunnit? What was “it” anyway? We're so curious!

• The sighting of a small girl really breaking it down on an antique side table during Ruby Suns: A talented tiny dancer, with great music taste to boot.

• Fancy dress competition: If only to know how the judges could have possibly chosen any single costume bunch over the many clever ensembles we admired all Saturday. We were pulling for the chain gang that actually roped themselves together for ace team effort.

• Hiking over the hill: A new friend showed us some amazing photos of the fields from the other side of the hill, but our 6am Monday hiking hopes were quashed by security kindly explaining that we wouldn’t be allowed back into the arena if we left.  We would say the wheat is always more golden on the other side, but nothing could have beat what we already had in Standonland.

• Stealing art: Allegedly, there was some art that festival-goers were allowed to make off with at some point.  Not sure if the result would have looked great in my drawing room, but it certainly would have made a fine point on my CV.

• The Dig night with DJ set by "Danny Silver:" The Dig held a lock-in in the Abandoned Cinema!  I don’t even know what that means, and now I’ll never know.

• British Sea Power’s big up to Big Jeff: Right before I got to their tent, BSP gave a wonderful shout-out to one enthusiastic punter who did his best to get the dance party started, front-and-centre, at what seemed like every single gig.  I was in good company for missing this moment, though--Gentleman Jeff was ironically in absentia for his accolade.

• Fancy dress sock wrestling (police v. strongman, strongman v. ninja, ninja v. ninja): The inspired denizens of the Spoken Ink yurt gathered so many onlookers to their socksport (first to peel off a sock wins the round! last stockinged foot standing wins!) that I couldn’t make out who was battling for the glory. Next time I want the view from the centre of the ring. Any challengers?

• Dire Wolfe on the Road to Standon: Our team knew we should have missed work to go to Thursday’s battle of the bands competition. Having had a thoroughly entertaining time befriending the fine chaps of this young Liverpool band, we put their EP on as soon as we got home. We are simply unable to let it stop spinning. Standon, it would make us so happy to see these guys on the main bill next year. We’ll most definitely be at their set, front-and-centre with Jeff.

Let this list be a signifier of what inexpressible joys we didn't miss. Blessed is Standon Calling, where every waking moment is a multitude of wonders. The most wondrous of all Standon phenomena is that every person contributed to the fun--we did not meet a single less-than-lovely person all weekend. So readers, if you want to come next year, be advised that they run a strict fun-in-fun-out policy.

Photos below show what we did manage to see. Click on the "Standon Calling" tag for more from the bands.

Photos happily provided by Team Note Well