Jam-Fest 2 | The Review w/pics
Jam-Fest '24 - How it (really) went down...
Following last years inaugural Jam For Freedom Festival, came this year’s follow-on. The, new and improved (probably) Jam-Fest 2. I was there Saturday and Sunday (10th and 11th August) as photographer for the festivities and for this review. I’d been present in 2023, likewise taking pictures and following its gradual but steady decline into the stuff of freedom folklore.
Cambel McLaughlin, Jam for Freedom founder and festival organiser, has had his work cut out. From the condemnation of 2023’s Main Stage following concerns on it being up to ‘code’ and safety reasons, or the total absence of the ‘Organic’ food stalls advertised to refunds not being given and rumoured issues with acts and vendors not receiving payment, the first Jam-Fest was mired in cries of ‘grifter’, ‘con artist’ or worse. Cambel personally came under much scrutiny for his fledgling foray into the festival scene. It’s any wonder in some respects. It was a kind of Fawlty Towers-esq pantomime. Cambel, our protagonist, feverishly (yet somehow like a man realising his mistake at eating ‘the hottest’ chilli at the curry house at 3am after 20 pints) racing around the site, assuring the patient patrons that they’d “done really well to turn it around” and “we made it happen”. Meanwhile the main stage rendered useless and the now banned lake for swimming (again a health and safety concern) combined with the quickly turning weather, conspired together to make the freedom festival a swampy, stinky, sad and uncomfortable affair. It wasn’t all Cambel’s fault. He tried. Hard. He’d never done it before, what does he know about doing this? The fact remains, whatever the outcome, that he’d managed to put on something few thought possible only a couple of short years before. For that alone he deserves a level of respect. That said, in my view many of the more basic errors causing the greatest problems could easily have been avoided.
Despite the setbacks and wounds inflicted by 2023’s event, Cambel was determined to bring back a bigger, better more organised festival this year.
A new location, enhanced sound and lighting rigs, more organised camping, better parking and security, the list goes on in terms of the planned improvements for this year’s soiré.
Situated in St Alban’s, Hertfordshire, Springfield Farm (aptly named for its The Simpson’s reference) is set at the back of a trading estate down a long tree-lined gravel drive. This provides the perfect portal for transformation from urban landscape to rural idyl as you approach.
Arriving as I did on Saturday, I found there to be no choir of horns, nor queue of disgruntled festival-goers, rather I was greeted cheerfully by the one-man security detail at the entrance gate. I was asked for a ticket before letting them know I should be on the guest list. Credentials checked, I was offered my pink festival-branded wristband (the fully legit kind which, once clasped on with the little plastic clip, don’t easily come off, but for sheer brute strength - or if you’re that way inclined a pair of scissors), and ushered towards the open and roomy carpark to find a spot.
I noticed the presence of a police car near the entrance gate with a few stray officers dotted about keeping it company when I arrived. I was advised they were there to do some safety checks. To my knowledge, they never entered the festival proper, but remained near their carriage. I would imagine they were ensuring it wasn’t a hotbed of dissent during that weekends’ rioting following the tragic killing of three young British girls in Southport the weekend before.
Making my way into the site itself, just adjacent to the carpark, people mingled, chatted and ordered food while children played in the large open space facing the Main Stage. Even though no acts were performing the stage itself looked robust and usable. A good sign I thought. On day three they might have a fully functioning stage! They did.
The site did look great. Loads of open space bordered by information stalls, healthcare stalls, supplement stalls, massage and tarot. Plenty to get the mind, body and spirit into 5th (dimensional) gear. The World Council for Health has a stall and our friends at the ever-informative NOTB (Not on the BEEB) are also there in support with a stall and again, plenty of insights and information for truth hungry festival goers.
They’ve only gone and done it!, I thought.
By sundown on the Saturday evening I’d been treated to a number of great bands, artists and speakers, whilst also mulling about, grabbing some food (stay tuned) and generally soaking up the atmosphere. The weather, I am sure, played a big part in the revelry. The height of summer. Long, dry days and longer dry evenings. You couldn’t have asked for better, save only a couple of degrees cooler maybe.
The good vibes were contagious, and despite a few grumbles (mainly food and drink related), things were going relatively well. Sadly, much like last year’s issues around catering, this year could only be described as marginally better. You could be assured of something hot, so long as you were willing to wait. And wait quite patiently. As someone who spent a good deal of time working in the hospitality industry, I know how challenging it can be to accommodate large crowds. That being said, I also understand how simple it can be to easily turn a captive (relatively speaking) audience into an opportunity to ensure your paying customers have a thoroughly enjoyable experience, but also, if you play it well, turn a small profit. Most disappointing was the breakfast/brunch attempt, which had coffee machines not even turned on and no hot food available as thirsty, ravenous revellers approached the cafeteria (c.8am Sunday). I’d have thought a simple morning checklist, similar to the below, would have solved a lot of these issues.
JFF-F Operations Checklist (Morning):
Turn on coffee machines. check beans, milk and water are full.
Open and slice bread rolls and stack in bread crates, ready to use.
Turn on gas griddle - apply copious amounts of quality bacon.
Set out Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard AND Brown Sauce.
Card readers and a good cash float ready…
Go!
Simples….right? 🤷♂️
Some of the selection choices for cold drinks and food need revisiting. One small but meaningful example of this is the soda and soft-drink selection on offer, either solely from Coca-Cola or containing ‘aspartame’ and other nasties, and bottled water direct from everyones favourite Nestlé.
Despite the clear inadequacies of the hospitality arrangements, the attendees (and acts, speakers etc.) were all in fine spirits. I’d describe the atmosphere as gentle, or better, calm. Everyone going about their thing, striking up conversations, making their way between stages and stalls with friends, or simply soaking up the rays and listening to something new.
The crowd was a mixed bag. From weekend retirees to young middle-class families to healing hippies, old-school rockers and chilled-out Rastas. There were representatives from all the, now infamous, far-right™ groups 😂.
The acts I manage to catch, freedom favourites like Right Said Fred and lesser known bands and talent like Rob MyJob, Deuteranarchy and the angelic Nicola Mills, all are spectacular and a few a little surprising. For example, I had no idea that Gareth Icke is so talented. The man can really sing and has a wickedly moody voice. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if he really did smoke 40 fags a day as his gravelly tones suggest? Who knew?.. Or that Opera and Punk Rock would go so well together. I’m not convinced the running order was just a stroke of genius, but I do think the gods were on the side of those who devised it. Bands run seamlessly into one-man shows and singer/songwriters. The main stage is a triumph. Not once do I see any glimmer of the ghosts of festival past coming the haunt us. No, rather a well oiled machine. Professional in the kind of way that paying customers expect. I had heard this may be down to a possible hook-up with Right Said Fred’s AV people. However it came about, it made an enormous difference to the entire festival. The sound itself is delightful, clear and rich, just the way it should be. Everyone able to relax and enjoy the music. I would say also that the quality of the sound played a big part in the overall atmosphere of the event, bringing it up to ‘code’, so to speak.
The acts and speakers change over as patrons stroll around the site, giving the occasional wiggle, dance, shout-out or thumbs-up. It’s ‘chill’. No-one’s in a hurry. No-one thinking about the time, just enjoying a drink, a smoke, or something to munch on from the now gratefully fired up grill. I’m reminded of that scene from Airplane II (1982) starring Robert Hayes and Lloyd Bridges where they run out of coffee and all hell breaks loose. Fortunately, these passengers are more forgiving and the food supply remains intact for the evening.
It’s lovely too, to run into a few familiar faces. Philly-Jay Lay is in attendance, and gave a lovely talk and also a yoga session, as are some of the acts I missed from the night before, whose sets I sadly missed, but managed to meet.
I’m told that Brad and Joseph were incredible and I get a pang of having missed out on something great.
I did, however, get the chance to enjoy a feast of other speakers and music. Too many to list here.
Highlights for me were:
Comedians Tania Edwards and Alistair Williams - Both bringing some new material to the mix which made for a hilarious start to Saturday evening.
Funky Fathers - From the USA, I couldn’t really find anything on social about these guys (maybe someone can help?) but they were fantastic with a kind of Huey Lewis & The News vibe.
Mark Playne & Dr. T. - Mark Playne of Not On The BEEB and Dr T gave a rousing and hard-hitting talk on the possible dangers of MRNA technology within dental care.
Mark Playne and Dr. T @ Jam For Freedom Festival 2024 © Kerry Murray Photography Doozer McDooze - This guy was something else. I thought of a younger, less naff and controlled Ed Sheeran. Not looks wise obv, but very talented. I hope he doesn’t mind!
Doozer McDooze performs @ Jam For Freedom Festival 2024 © Kerry Murray Photography Kids Art - It was simply awesome! Such a great job done by all the folks who ran kids clubs and activities. It legit looked fun and the kiddos looked like they had a blast. All held in the wonderfully decked out JoinAVision tent.
The stars of Saturday evening and firm crowd favourites though had to be the brothers Fairbrass aka Right Said Fred.
As the lights came up and Fred and Richard take to the stage, the crowd is gathered ready. There’s been an eager sense of anticipation since early evening. Everyone is looking forward to seeing them. You can hear it in conversations as a passer by.
Theres a few hundred people in my clumsy visual estimation. Hardly the crowds that RSF are used to performing to. Not these days at least. A cursory glance through their Instagram will tell you much of what they’ve been up to. Largely performances abroad, primarily in Germany where we are talking 000’s if not 10’s of 000’s of people.
Nevertheless, by appearances alone, they might as well be. It’s a different kind of talent they exude, a kind of ‘star quality’ you might say. You can feel it. These guys are used to doing this. And they love it.
We’re treated to all the classics incl. You’re My Mate and I’m Too Sexy but it’s their new single Sweet Harmony, which kicks the crowd up a gear.
The stunning female vocals of Polly Antwi were a fabulous treat and addition to the stage presence of RSF themselves.
I’ve never seen RSF live until now and I can gladly say they’re even better, bigger, more fun than I could have imagined.
By the looks of the crowd, I’m not alone…
RSF were absolutely the highlight to a tremendous day but perhaps the whole weekend.
Sunday was marvellously hot and sunny. Not so good in a tent at 6am but perfect for whiling away the hours with good tunes, good vibes and great chats. Jam-Fest has a vibe all its own I’ve come to realise now. Theres’s a uniqueness about it.
I needed to be on the road at a reasonable time and wasn’t there for the full Sunday night line up, but if Saturday was anything to go by I am sure it lived up to everything the new and improved Jam For Freedom Festival was offering.
How would I summarise the weekend (at least the time that I spent there)? Well, it has to be taken into context against the backdrop of last year’s festival. The weather was hugely improved. That counted a great deal and I think it relaxed people in a way. No-one was concerned about impending downpours or where to take shelter should the heavens open. Everything was well laid out. The separation between the stage areas, kids zone, healing and camping was much more effective than last year and the running list of speakers bands and others was handled smoothly, barring the odd sound issue on the second stage (with all quickly remedied with no significant or noticeable issues). Each a big improvement on last year.
The danger with putting on an event like this, of course, notably with limited experience and funding, is that things WILL go wrong. It’s just a question of how wrong and how you mitigate them in the moment and for the next time. I’m mindful that this is a learning experience for Cambel and the JFF crew and already it’s clear that many lessons have been heeded from last year’s attempt. It shows. There’s a ways to go. Professional catering or a step up in how it’s currently self-delivered is needed. More polish, choice and quality in this area would make a big difference to the overall experience.
Even with the backlash from last year’s initial attempt, it can’t be denied that this festival and other festivals of this kind are exactly what we need. They’re important. They unite us, educate us and entertain us; provide us with an outlet and a resource. On these counts alone Jam-Fest 2 was a resounding success. Yes, there are things to improve and to get right…several, if we’re honest. But (and it’s a bit of a but) isn’t it really the case that its the will of the people attending that will make this and others like it a success. It’s a kind of goodwill, an egging-on or encouragement. Positive vibes, that will make these new freedom festivals great. And, yes, we patrons and benefactors to the events should expect, no, demand, a level above the basic. Something special. Something meaningful. This requires us to be real about what the people want. They do not want aspartame drinks…that much I know.
So, maybe its a firm nudge, rather than a sledgehammer to move the Rock of Cambel and turn the goodwill of the festivalgoers and good intentions of the festival organisers into the sort of support which has the potential to make Jam For Freedom Festival the must-do summer event for freedom lovers for years to come…
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Jam For Freedom Festival organiser responds to my review. See below
Hey Kerry, thank you for your recent blog and your great feedback. We will take it all on board!
And just a point that we refunded everyone last year that couldn't get in or had serious issues, and offered free tickets and various goodwill like partial refunds, covering hotel costs etc. No vendor or artist went unpaid. We also had a full organic food menu but couldn't keep up with the demand. We had karma cola and lemonade which is organic... its delicious 😁 This year we just couldnt afford it so begrudgingly went with regular coke and lemonade. I'd love to share the article around but would you be able to add my comment to it?
Hope to see you soon! 👍🎶
Great photography as always Kerry. Jam for Freedom is just not my thing even with a lot of acts that I would have loved to see. I need comfort not camping and a power shower is essential for me😏