Common Prayer / Spaceships Are Cool / Chapel Club @ Truck Festival

Is there a prettier corner of Britain than wherever Truck takes place, near Oxford? Probably not. Stopping off at a nearby council estate for supplies (no, not of that type) produces a Sainsbury’s as their one-stop supermarket. Even the rough bits are nice!

From its name, Truck doesn’t sound appealing, images of Eddie Stobbart enthusiasts and leather clad womanisers spring to mind. Perhaps for shame, the crowd is predominantly local teenagers and youthful hedonists. But unlike its weekend peers, (faux-boutique fest Secret Garden Party, fashionable twee-con Indietracks or the niche-commercialism of 1234) Truck manages to keep a level head and an eclectic mix when throwing a party loaded with sweet and simple pleasures.

There is little at Truck this year which could be described as loud or ostentatious. Usually, this role is performed by advertisers and self-aggrandising egotist revellers. En bref, I enjoyed it. There were some big names on the bill, which came as a surprise to some; there were some little acts on the bill, which surprised no one.

There are easy highlights from across the board. Chapel Club on the smelly stage (aka The Barn) ended their show on a weird high. Potentially not their best performance by a long stretch, but the band showed a level of cohesion rarely achieved. The sheer amount of grace carried by the each member was astonishing: singer Lewis Bowman looks more composed than, say, Dave Gahan. Despite the varied success with their sonic pursuits they still managed to hit the occasional apex.

Elsewhere, Spaceships Are Cool showcase their new materiel in The Bee Hive. It’s a whirring, psychedelic sound that’s surprisingly inviting. Bubble guns fire fairy liquid orbs across the stage as the band – all in orange jumpsuits – negotiate rolling rhythms and off-kilter sounds.



Another highlight would be Common Prayer in The Village Pub. Capturing the sound of upstate New York, they reminded us that Truck isn’t so little; what with Truck America in April. One of a few foreign exchange bands to make the trip this year, not only are they joined by festival organiser Robin Bennett for a song on bass, but they are joined by a selection of enthusiasts from the crowd to sing on a blistering final track of stretching harmonies and beautiful chord changes.

When other festivals look to brands, bands, or both for success, they continually fail in creating truly unique moments such as these.

Post-Scriptum

Here’s a recording from the festival after-party on Sunday night. It captures the festival in a way words alone couldn’t.