After last year’s impeccably timed freedom weekend edition, GALA Festival smashed it out of the park once again for their 6th edition, which fell on a sun-filled double bank holiday weekend. We headed down to south London to catch as many rays and beats as we could before someone mentioned, ‘Her Majesty’. Here are our favourite moments of the weekend in a format your triple hangover can handle.
Hunee christens the new Beacons stage
If there’s anyone who knows how to keep those freedom day feels going, it’s Hunee. Amidst a packed-out Beacons stage – a new addition for 2022 – Hunee brought his unmistakable joy and transcendence to Rye Lane Park, with airings of burgeoning talent Wallace’s debut release (Tartan 001) doing bits.
© Rob Jones (www.instagram.com/@hirobjones)
Gilles Peterson takes down the monarchy
Radio 6 veteran and Worldwide FM founder, Gilles Peterson likes to make the odd statement, and this was never gonna’ be an exception. After a shout-out to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on the mic, he preceded to power into the Sex Pistols’ ‘God Save the Queen’. It wasn’t quite as profound as it was on that boat outside the Houses of Parliament, but we’re sure it reminded a few people about just what kind of regime the monarchy is.
Courtesy sets the tone for the Dome
The Pleasure Dome has always felt like the spiritual centre of GALA festival and this year was no different. While Move D and DJ Harvey chugged out slow balearica on the main stage, pulses were racing in the steamy tent all day long, not least during Courtesy’s unforgettable set, which actually brought her and the odd punter to tears. An edit of Venga Boys’ ‘We Like to Party’ was our highlight.
© Rob Jones (www.instagram.com/@hirobjones)
Job Jobse completes trance
After some reassuring disco-house pumpers from Gerd Janson on the Patio, we popped back into the Pleasure Dome to see if Job Jobse was causing a ruckus as usual. We found him churning out trance like it was 1999, before a killer two punch of Olive’s ‘You’re Not Alone’ into a naughty remix of Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ to finish.
Jeremy Underground and Marcellus Pittman bring the sun
The party continued on Saturday, with Jeremy Underground followed by Marcellus Pittman drawing a huge crowd on the main stage. Both selectors were on fine form, with disco and house winners for days pleasing a surprisingly fresh crowd. After the decidedly emphatic GALA in 2021, this year felt a little more understated, and refreshingly so.
© Rob Jones (www.instagram.com/@hirobjones)
Horse Meat Disco take it home
It really does feel like GALA, Horse Meat Disco and the Pleasure Dome are synonymous by now, and this year’s their closing set felt ritualistic. Rare-groove classics melted into an unexpected remix of Kylie Minogue (not the new Peggy Gou one), before ABBA and X-Press 2’s ‘Lazy’ took the roof off. Last year’s GALA felt like the first party on earth. When Horse Meat Disco were finishing it felt like the last party on earth. Boy, have we missed that feeling.
© Rob Jones (www.instagram.com/@hirobjones)
