Once again I find myself near the end of my summer music festivities. Unfortunately work commitments have meant missing more than I would have liked this time around, (Sonisphere, 2000 Trees, the list goes on...), but on the positive side it makes you appreciate each weekend spent in a field just that little bit more. It was Hevy Fest that provided such relief for me last weekend, and as we navigated the Kentish countryside, meandering through the dark, narrow roads, a mug of wine in my hand, I was the most relaxed I had been in weeks.

The first thing I noticed upon my arrival was how small a festival it was, with the arena area being one of the tiniest I have ever seen on my travels. Apparently able to house upwards of four thousand over the weekend it appeared that less than a quarter of that had actually turned up, but considering this marked Hevy's return after a years absence it's understandable, and did little to kill the vibes of the camp-site and its residents (including myself).

Friday was spent equally dispersed between the main stage and the two smaller tents, with The Safety Fire being one of the first viewings of the day. Technical riffing with heavy emphasis on the groove is accompanied by melodic vocals, breaking into heavier sections with a decent scream or two. Although not my favourite band within the genre they have a solid live show which shows in the crowd numbers - a good start to my afternoon. 

A fairly eclectic mix considering its name, next up on the main stage was Three Trapped Tigers. If you're familiar with any of my writing you'll have probably seen me rave about them before, but one more time can't hurt. This was the best set I've seen them play in at least a couple of years, and their signature synthesized, angular madness forever has the ability to put a grin on my face.

Back into the heavier side of things next were Brutality Will Prevail, and damn are they heavy. Somewhere between hardcore and metalcore they certainly do their name justice, inspiring a glorified riot in the middle of the pit, (I would love to see the madness filmed from the go-pro strapped precariously to the head of one very brave/stupid mosher). After launching a few unwanted 'beatdowners' away from my general vicinity I vacated the tent minus my hearing, the useless foam providing little defence from their viscous audio assault.

Thankfully two of the headliners I was most excited about over the weekend didn't clash. Kudos goes to the organisers for this, as it meant I didn't miss a beat of Tesseract on the third stage. A definite highlight of the weekend, this band bring new meaning to the word groove. Tight, progressive and melodic all at once, with monster riffs and epic soaring choruses. I'm sure the wine helped but this was certainly one of the best festival performances I've seen from any band all year, essential viewing for any modern metal fan.

Now this summer has been filled with nostalgic performances that take me back into my teens, and Hevy Fest kept true to form with Finch bringing the main stage to a close for the night. Most of you might remember the band for the more emo orientated 'What it is to Burn' album, but their lesser known 'Say Hello to Sunshine' in 2005 was way ahead of the curve, and hearing the likes of 'Insomniatic Meat', 'Ink' and 'Bitemarks and Bloodstaines' live for the first time really took me back, sounding as good as I had imagined they would eight years ago. Half way through their set the guitarist seemingly fell from the stage, briefly knocking himself out before returning to play the remainder. Definitely deserving of some commendation there.

Before Saturday’s music commenced I thought it an appropriate time to re-fuel my body before any more alcohol consumption, as Friday's pre-breakfast sangrias were a decidedly dangerous move that foreboded the rest of the evening’s antics. This was one area that was particularly disappointing to me, with only four stalls on site selling any food (two of which were the same I might add). Forgiving them on account of the festival's recent return from the dead we ventured up to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, which was accessible from the main arena, for a free look at a wide variety of animals, (and a much needed sandwich). It was a nice touch and added something different to the usual festival experience.

Getting us back into the music after our fleeting wildlife retreat were The Hell, part piss-take, part chuggy-riffed tomfoolery. Not but four strings between the bass and guitar, this four piece are perfectly fun festival fodder, garbed in bandanna face masks whilst throwing out giant inflatable hammers into the crowd to beat themselves with. Highly enjoyable daytime entertainment. 

More suited to my tastes however were Empress AD at the same time over at the second stage. Crushingly heavy riffs are interspersed with just the right amount of melodic weirdness. There's a hint of old 'Cult of Luna' in there, but a bit more progressive and agitated. An awesome find from a band that deserved a much bigger crowd that day.

As I began to tire from the hardcore in the smaller tents, the main stage began buzzing at the prospect of a good ol' skank. Capdown provided the first of many, and the crowd really came into form for the next couple of hours. Mixing rock, punk and ska the sound of a brass section was a welcome one, the audience (including myself) the most active I'd seen them all weekend. 

But it was definitely Reel Big Fish who stole the show for me a couple hours later, as another bout of teenage nostalgia washed over me. Remembering times of playing FIFA 2000 on my PS2 with 'Sell Out' blaring out the sides of my tiny television, I danced merrily (and drunkenly) along to each tune, singing loudly along to the words of 'I want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend' – a situation I have found myself in on more than a few occasions –

Overall it is the eclecticism of Hevy Fest that makes it such an enjoyable little festival. Obviously there are still some kinks to iron out, and a bigger push is needed to secure it's place in amongst the ever growing UK festival scene. But there's definitely something unique here. With a push in numbers this could be one of the most exciting little places to visit on your festival travels, and I'll be interested to see what tricks they pull out of the hat next year.

*Note*

I lost both my wallet and my passport on separate occasions over the weekend, and was subsequently handed them back at the welfare tent. A huge thanks to my guardian angels, and the welfare team for being so awesome! I definitely need to do a few good deeds to even out my karma, heavier festivals often get a bad rap for situations like these. Just goes to show you...

Reviw: Liam McMillan Photos: Chris Poots