Y-Not Festival – Read about Thursday and Friday HERE
Saturday
Saturday morning at YNOT was a slow one for us, after the Friday night we had a much needed lie in followed by hash browns from the stall in paradise peaks, another huge perk of the site in the morning. The perfect cure to a hectic day full of great music the day before, I believe it was called “what a melt” and they served the most amazing toasties and hash browns, big shout out to them!
We then headed in to start our mission of making both sets of possibly the worst clash of the weekend for me. Happy Mondays and the clause. Happy Mondays on the MainStage was incredible, kicking things off with the amazing Firouzeh singing a flawless opening vocal. I’ve seen Firouzehquite a few times now preforming with the Mondays and I really don’t think there is a female vocalist out there currently a better fit for the role. Her powerful vocals and huge passion always makes for the perfect way to start the set off in style.
That went straight into the classic Kinky Afro, Bez was out and on top form dancing with that same groove and style as he did back in the late 80s/90s, he never lost it! The crowd Erupted, kids and adults alike on shoulders, the “freaky dancing” spreading across the fields as people try to copy the iconic moves. I love a happy Mondays set but especially at a festival, the vibes are always immaculate both on and off the stage. Down the front was signs asking for what I think is the crown jewels of festival season, Bez’s maracas! First lucky recipient was a young lad on shoulders midway into the crowd, the chances were very slim, but a pinpoint throw from Bez and great catch from the kid made for a brilliant moment of him catching the first one!
The second was a young girl down the front who Bez threw his final maraca too before the last song had even started, leaving him maraca-less for the last song. But of course, that doesn’t stop him. He still danced his heart out and in true Bez style was the star of the show.
Shaun cant go unspoken for though, he is doing incredibly well especially considering he’d just come off that huge happy Mondays pills and thrills tour. This cross generational crowd just can’t get enough, as 24 hour party people blared through the speakers it showcased how this Madchester scene has never disappeared, it shaped a generation back then and it still does the same to this day. “Your twisting my melon man!” Was a phrase I heard throughout the entirety of that Saturday at YNOT.
A timeless band that you just can’t miss playing these festival shows.
The Clause were then gracing the stage in the quarry. 30 minutes is never enough time for this band, I am always left wanting more when seeing them at these festivals. The Birmingham four piece took to the stage with there usual immense energy, and kept that going throughout the entire set.
The setlist was made up of the bands huge high paced hits. “Nothings as it seems” went down incredibly with the crowd, the lyrics “don’t waste your time wishing that you were somewhere, cause nothing matters when your six foot under” being repeated from the front to the back from the sea of eager clause fans. A fitting lyric to everyone living there absolute best life at YNOT festival, where all your worries go missing for that one long weekend.
The tent was absolutely packed to the rafters in the quarry, the crowds energy very much matching the bands from beginning to end…. Absolutely electric! By the time it came to there final song “in my element” the whole crowd were bouncing, with bassist Jonny Fife coming down from the stage to the barrier to further engage with the fans down the front. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind this band is onto huge things, MainStage headlines are definitely on the cards in the future for this band. They are phenomenal!
We then went for some food before heading back into the quarry to see the amazing Lucy spraggan, a must see name on any festival lineup. This was Lucy’s second time gracing the stage at YNOT festival after joining the Reytons for an incredible performance of buskers paradise the night before and she absolutely smashed both sets!
The crowd engagement and stage presence Lucy has is incredible, with the crowd in the palm of her hands straight from the off and throughout her set. “Woah woah woah woah woah!” Echoed from front to back as she preformed “run” to the lively YNOT fans. It’s always a special moment hearing Lucy sing “tea and toast” in any setting, the passion from Lucy and the fans alike singing it word for word.
Her Lyrics not only to this song but many of her others always seem the resonate with audiences wherever she’s playing, it’s beautiful! Another highlight of this set was her performance of “lightning” such an empowering song and one that crowds always never fail to sing back with all they’ve got. Lucy is an inspiration to so many and you can see exactly why. like I said, a must watch not only at a festival but her own headline shows too!
After this was one of my favourite sets at YNOT festival, it was such an incredible moment for me and felt so surreal. Inspiral carpets in the giant squid. Starting off with the decor of the stage, the giant squid’s hanging from the ceiling lighting up the tent were such a cool touch to this year’s festival. Especially at night it’s such a stunning stage to be at for seeing bands.
For me, the Inspiral carpets were one of my first bands I really got into, so I was already looking forward to the set on the Saturday night. This one just seemed to be so different… firstly, I know there is a bit of a debate about phones at gigs, I myself will record a few bits of my favourite songs to look back at but I know it’s a topic many have different opinions on. I have never been in an era without phones, so it’s always been the normality for me.
However one thing I noticed about this set was there was very little if any phones out through the whole set. As someone who never got to experience the madchester era this really did feel like I’d been transported straight back. Everyone was just enjoying the music for what it was, looking around and seeing everybody dancing and singing there heart out without a phone infront of them really made me realise what a beautiful time it must’ve been back then without them which is something I’d never had the pleasure of experiencing before.
We got a great mix of new tunes and older classics, inspirals will be bringing out there new album “burn like the sun” on January 29th 2027 and from what we heard on this night it’s going to be an absolutely class one. “This is how it feels” was my favourite from the set though, the whole crowd clapping to the beat, looking round and seeing all the bucket hats and retro t shirts singing and dancing there heart out.
As someone who has always been obsessed with that era, but never got to experience it, this was a moment I will never ever forget. They then had a moment where the instruments stopped and it was just us and Stephen holt singing that iconic chorus, it’s a struggle to find the words for this, just absolutely stunning! Saturn 5 finished off the set, one last dance for what was a top notch crowd they drew at YNOT festival. That iconic starting melody got everyone bouncing from front to back, the perfect way to end the set. Lived out a dream watching that set at YNOT festival, Inspiral carpets take a bow.
We then headed out and caught the last bit of two door cinema club for there Saturday night headline, we stayed at the back for this after missing the start of the set from watching Inspirals. However I think we had an incredible view. “What you know” begun and the crowd were immense, being at the back and seeing everyone dancing in the space, embracing there mates and just having the best time in there own little worlds is an amazing experience in itself.
Especially as someone who is often found down the front, it’s the moments like these that make festivals so special and memorable. Two door have some of the biggest indie anthems including Undercover Martyn and I can talk, which were much loved by the crowd on this Saturday night. The lights, the ambiance, the sound, everything was spot on.
What a way to end our Saturday night at YNOT.
SUNDAY
Waking up on the Sunday was very bittersweet, behind our achey body, non existent voice and very flat airbed we’d been moaning about since we got there on the Thursday…. We were all absolutely gutted the weekend was nearly over, it had all flown by so quick! However we still had an absolutely packed day of great music to watch, so we did just that!
We started off with the last orders on the MainStage, I had seen this band on socials but never live. This was the first but definitely not the last time! I seen more last orders t shirts on this Sunday at YNOT than the streets who were headlining MainStage, the fans were well and truly there and ready for it and they’d come in numbers!
These lads smashed it being second on the bill and I have no doubt we will see them climbing the lineup in the following years to come. The confidence and stage presence they had was phenomenal, they sounded great and the atmosphere could’ve been mistaken for a much later slot on that stage. Keep an eye out for these lads, the last orders.
After this I had a text from a friend saying “we’re at the giant squid, watching raised by owls. You should come see them” whatever I was expecting, it was definitely NOT this! The tent was packed for what I gathered was a much loved returning band to the festival, it’s very hard to explain this set to someone who has never seen them before but I strongly advice anyone going to a festival and seeing there name on the lineup to go and see it for yourself!
The frontman’s crowd control and the way he got everybody involved was amazing, we had head-banging competitions for very questionable t shirt prizes, mr blobby swinging round some pretty out-there objects at the barrier at the fans, and intense fast paced metal tunes that had everyone in the tent captivated. This death metal band knows how to put on a show, and for even for someone like me who isn’t a huge fan of the genre I couldn’t look away!
Next up for us was a trip back to the tent, to recoup, chill and grab some food before what turned out to be a huge highlight of the whole weekend for me. The cheap thrills in the giant squid, these lads had just preformed there biggest headline yet at the Liverpool Mountford hall the day before this set at YNOT, but you wouldn’t have known that.
Not because of the fans, because they were loud and proud, the tent was full from front to back. A sea of cheap thrills fans singing every lyric. However, you wouldn’t know because the energy they put in was astounding.
I can only imagine how exhausted they must’ve been after that gig in Liverpool, but they still gave 100% at this festival and gave the same energy as they did at that monumental gig. There new album “keep cheap” is due to be released September 18th, and we can’t wait! it’s set to be an incredible one, alongside a run of headline shows and more intimate record store shows too. These are must see and with majority of venues sold out already you need to act fast!
Down the front the fans were absolutely buzzing as the lads arrived onto the stage, hands were in the air, every lyric sung back to them with so much passion, this band really is something special. A highlight for me was “last orders” which is a favourite of mine from the lads, the tune paints a perfect picture in your head when your listening, it tells a story with its catchy melody and lyrics.
I adore that song! Of course “Walton vale” is another highlight that went down incredibly well in the giant squid, a song wrote about celebrating the lads roots and where there from while also talking openly about the struggle many go through not only in Walton vale but in many areas across the uk, it’s a song many can relate to on another level.
@sliceofindie I did my first ever write up with @RGM : REYT GOOD MAG !! I’d love to know what you think! Any feedback is very much appreciated, hopefully it transports you straight to the barrier at that huge @Y Not Festival @The Reytons headline🍋🟩🫶🏼 #thereytons #headline #ynotfestival #writeup #magazine ♬ original sound – slice of indie🍋🟩
Walton vale was where the band met as kids and found there voice, there sound and there passions. This song is always sung with so much pride from the band and crowd alike, it’s a belter. The cheap thrills are still incredibly underrated, big things are coming watch this space!
Next up we went to one of our favourite stages of the weekend, the pit. Where so many incredible upcoming artists were playing and being championed by this feeling.
This time it was to see Harriet rose, an amazing artist with songs relating to personal experiences that many often see a bit of themselves in. Harriets vocals alongside her hard hitting lyrics makes for a set you can’t help but love, “these days” was one of the songs she played which I’ve been listening to a lot since. The emotion behind that song as it was being sung by Harriet was breathtaking and you could see how much the songs really mean to her. It was also lovely seeing all the young girls amongst the amazing crowd she brought in at this set watching on in absolute awe,
Harriet owned that pit stage on Sunday and is a name you will definitely be seeing more and more and very deservingly. These days is one of the slower songs on the setlist, however small town chains was another i absolutely loved. This powerhouse of a song combined Harriet’s incredible vocals with a faster paced country-indie style which she preformed flawlessly.
After this was a bit of a clash for me and gem who I went to YNOT with, who took the incredible photos! I stayed in the pit watching the incredible Liam C (who we will get to shortly) whereas she headed to the MainStage to catch scissor sisters, here’s what she had to say about the set!
“Scissor Sisters were the act I didn’t know I needed to see until I did. They brought one of the most colourful and energetic sets of the weekend, turning the Main Stage into a huge party from the moment the band took to the stage. Their energy never dropped, with incredible vocals, extravagant costumes and a stage production packed with props and costume changes.
Their performance almost had a cabaret style to it and divided opinion among some festival goers, with one person taking to social media to say, “The indecency on show by Scissor Sisters was horrible. Have some class, it’s a kids festival!!!” Others were quick to point out that it isn’t a kids’ festival, and that there are plenty of other things to do during performances you don’t feel are suitable for children.
There was no denying the atmosphere they created with their flamboyant and risqué performance, with ‘Take Your Mama’ amongst the songs that got a huge crowd reaction. It was definitely a controversial set, but love it or hate it, it was one of those performances that had everyone talking long after they left the stage. Personally, I absolutely loved it!”
Despite all this, I am SO glad I caught the incredible Liam C in the pit at this time. Before Liam took to the stage he was introduced with a story of the pure graft and determination this lad puts into his music. Just 2 years ago Liam was lugging his stuff through these very fields at YNOT, playing tunes to everyone and anyone who’d listen, getting his name out there to hopefully one day get a chance to play it….. and here he was. For the last year, he’s been busking on the streets of soho, London and anywhere he could just to make enough money to keep a roof over his head.
He’s recently sold out his first ever UK tour, and that isn’t only for his incredible tracks, it’s from the effort and hard work he has and continues to put in. His passion is admirable and he deserves every success! When I tell you Liams energy was off the charts I mean it, he covered every inch of that stage and you could feel the passion radiating through the crowd. He was jumping, dancing and singing alongside the bouncing fans who crammed into the pit. “Dolla dolla” was one of my favourites of the set, there was 3 young kids in the front with there own homemade Liam C shirts and signs, as soon as it started they came alive, lyric for lyric bouncing about to the same vibe as Liam.
Looking around it was the same for everybody at that set, he’s created something very special and he’s only at the very beginning of his journey. As we got to the end of his set we was reaching the 3 final songs, however there was only enough time for 2 more. Liam played “cherryaid” first out of the 2 final tunes and wow, he came straight out to the barrier then right in the middle as he delve over it into the crowd. With a young lad he spotted on his shoulders the fans huddled round for what was an unforgettable moment for the young boy who by this point had the mic and was living his best life! It was hard to hear the boy, or Liam for that matter….
Not because of a sound issue but because of the sea of people singing alongside him, what a tune. He then sung Tina which left the now army of Liam C fans wanting more, and they weren’t the only ones. Liam pleaded for one more track and after they refused despite Liams best efforts they had a mob of people shouting back at them “one more song!” And “f the sound crew!” Liam has well and truly made his mark at YNOT festival, he burst onto the scene with clear goals set and he is well on the way to reaching every single one.
After this came yet another clash for me and gem. When she went and caught the snuts and I headed to the streets. This was a horrible clash for me, I love the snuts, but I’d never seen the streets before/had no plans to upcoming so I unfortunately had to make the tough decision to stay put at MainStage.
Despite the incredible lineup this year, they really did well to handle clashes and I didn’t find myself too overly stuck except from a few times here and there. These clashes are expected for a place that had so many incredible artists old and new in the same fields. Here’s what gem had to say about that set from the snuts in the quarry.
“The Quarry Stage was absolutely packed for The Snuts, with fans spilling out of the tent as there simply wasn’t enough room inside. Fans had clearly travelled to see the Scottish band, with Scotland flags proudly draped over the front of the barrier and being waved throughout the crowd.
The set included fan favourites Glasgow and Gloria, alongside newer tracks from their upcoming album, Joy In Short Moments. Frontman Jack Cochrane clearly has a soft spot for Y Not Festival and its crowds, taking a moment to thank them for being the people who keep “real festivals” alive. As a returning act at Y Not, and with their popularity continuing to grow at such a rapid pace, it’s hard to imagine a crowd of this size fitting into one of the festival’s tents even 12 months from now. A Main Stage slot surely isn’t far away.”
As I said before, I stayed put for the streets. And what an incredible performance they put on. The first half of the set was like a story we were walked through track by track and it was immense, you really couldn’t take your eyes off the stage. Mike accompanied by his incredible female vocalist Roo Savill who played the vital role of “Simone” the girlfriend of Mike through this hectic love story showcased Mike falling in love from the initial attraction and excitement to the cheating, arguing and further turbulent and breakup of this misfortune but all to common couple.
As the sun went down on the festival “fit but don’t you know it” blasted through the speakers, the fields erupted. Any sore heads or aching body’s was forgotten about for that last set, looking around realising it was the last of the weekend and everybody was giving their absolute all. Mike skinner took to the iconic bus stop where he wrote the phrase “YNOT is TONY backwards” where I heard a lot of “ahhh” around the fields as I think the penny dropped as to why the VIP area was called Tony’s! “Dry your eyes” was nothing short of emotional, as we reached the near end of the first half of the set this was one of them stand out festival moments that will never leave me.
Mikes storytelling and just his imagination and mind as a whole is something truly spectacular, many times in the set we were left speechless and also wondering why have we never been to see this before. As the second half of the set begun, the madness really started. Mike is known for speaking his mind which often leads to some pretty amazing moments throughout the set and oh did he do that! He soon spotted an alien quite a way back in the crowd, a light up umbrella circling over it which was now his spaceship.
This alien was later identified and named as the legendary, Tony. He made his way all the way up to the stage, sat and took it all in as Mike asked the crowd “do you believe in aliens?”. He sat and enjoyed a few songs from the stage including “has it come to this?” and “weak become heroes”both huge hitters and favourites amongst the crowd in this hit after hit second half.
Mike then sung “take me as I am” as he held Tony hand in hand and took him back to his spaceship and his very proud owner, marching through the crowd through the starstruck fans as he walked past and people watched on in awe. One of the all time best, the streets was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.
We walked away from that set in somewhat of a trance, what have we just witnessed? One of the best weekends of our lives!
After the high of the streets we headed to the indie disco where we drowned the sorrows of it being the last day, all the big hits were played out and the atmosphere was electric.
Everyone enjoying and savouring them final moments of a weekend where your only problems were who was clashing and if that airbed/tent could survive just a few more nights. Everything shut off from the outside world, the moments festivals are all about! The only downside we had for the indie disco was the lack of Reytons, but we will let that slide as we had a sing song to the lads on the way back to our camp ourselves….
In all seriousness YNOT you were incredible and we can’t wait to be back soon. We met some incredible new people, caught some of the best bands the scene has to showcase currently, ate some beautiful food and made memories to last a lifetime.
YNOT 26 over and out!
✍️ WORDS BY LILY DIMELOW FROM SLICE OF INDIE
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