Stendhal syndrome

To get that real authentic festival atmosphere you don’t have to travel very far at all.

All but an hour down the road in the townland of Drumsurn, Limavady, nestled in a valley is a magical little festival named Stendhal – which I was pleased to attend recently, alongside my music-loving dad.

It isn’t new, though. Indeed, the boys and gals have been organising and putting on the musical extravaganza for 13 years now.

Starting with humble beginnings – that being just two stages in one field – the first ever Stenhal Festival featured a mix of local acts. A young English band named ‘Turin Brakes’ were the co-headlining, alongside Henry McCullough, a former Wings member, who was the only Irish man to play Woodstock. And while Mr McCullough passed away a few years ago, his legacy at Stenhal lives on via a stage at the festival that was named after him.

Fast-forward to today, though, and the now-annual event has grown tremendously: This year, nearly 10,000 festival goers made the pilgrimage to the scenic Drumsurn.

And the atmosphere there was simply impeccable. There were a fantastic mix of ages in attendance, from the youngest newborns to aged hippies, who remember attending festivals in the roaring ‘60s.

The festival has something for everyone music wise, with performers ranging from Hugo Duncan, to The Wailers, Turin Brakes, and Jack Lukeman, while acts like raucous Dublin trad metal punks, The Scratch, and Belfast’s upcomers, Chalk flew the flags for the younger generation.

Stendhal is also incredibly family-friendly. There are oodles of things to keep little ones entertained, such as a kid’s tent which operated from opening till 11pm on Friday and Saturday. There are also roving swarms of circus performers, including two angry French bees, a cowboy stilt walker and a dread-locked man blowing giant bubbles.

There is also a great selection of food, including vegan menus, with most meals costing around £11.

Other options included Thai dishes, South American street food, pizza and pasta – and, of course, the standard burger vans.

The alcohol tents weren’t badly priced, either, with cans of beer costing £3 and cider £3.20, or you could have two glasses – made of plastic, obviously! – of Prosecco for £7.

I have been going to Stendhal for years, and I love its unique and chilled atmosphere. Coming to think of it, I’ve never seen any form of aggravated behaviour. And there were so many highlights from this year’s festival to choose from.

I’d say my favourite set this year the Wailers, who expertly played their outstanding back catalogue.

Another highlight was Newton Faulkner, who was able to keep the throng of fans at the mainstage entertained while sitting down and just playing guitar. Not to mention that he did a fantastic cover of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

But my act of the weekend was, undoubtedly, The Scratch – four energetic Dublin lads who played a real chaotic mix of traditional, punk and metal. What a performance these boys put on late into the night.

I have never heard of – or seen – a band like them. Utterly unique.

I also never thought I would see circle pits and mosh pits during a gig where the band is playing acoustic instruments, with traditional music in the background!

These guys were the last to take to the stage after a fun-filled three days of camping, and provided a fantastic finish to a brilliant weekend.

I will definitely be back next year,

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