The May Day Bank Holiday saw the return of Get Together festival across the student’s union grounds. With a whole new set up, featuring six stages packed full of incredible live acts, the event’s second year looked set to be even bigger and better than its maiden incarnation, so our Web Editor popped along to check it out…
Don’t get me wrong, the inaugural Get Together festival was great! The line-up was top-drawer (Ibibio Sound Machine, Billy No Mates and Self Esteem to name but a few) and there was a real desire to enjoy live music again, after an all-too long, covid-imposed hiatus for venues and artists. However, exactly because of those timid steps into a restriction free world, there was an air of caution about the whole thing. It was definitely the first time I’d been inside anywhere with that many people for a long time and there was a certain amount of apprehension at ‘letting go.’
Photo credit: Lindsay Melbourne
Not so, this time around. Restrictions are a thing of the past and, while covid lingers, it has definitely taken a back to seat to people’s enjoyment of things like Get Together. The event’s new set up also helped, with an outside stage, as well as two stages in the Octagon, an amazing opportunity to experience live acts in Firth Hall, and the Foundry stage once again taking centre stage, meaning that there was plenty of room (and time – the event was expertly run and the timings were near bang on) to catch a bit of everything.
Photo credit: Jacob Flannery
The courtyard and steps outside the Octagon were bustling with gig-goers throughout the day, invariably taking five to enjoy some of the street food on offer from local faves Nether Edge Pizzas and the all-vegan Icarus and Apollo, who were set up next to the ‘Under the Bridge’ stage.
Photo credit: Lindsay Melbourne
Fully fed and watered, our first stop was Firth Hall, intrigued at the opportunity to take in the space usually reserved for classical performance in a different setting. The solo sounds of Etta Marcus was a welcome, if gentle intro to proceedings and Firth Hall didn’t disappoint as a setting.
Photo credit: Lindsay Melbourne
The festival really got going mid-afternoon, with The Blinders pounding out a, well, blinding set. This was the best performance I’ve seen from the one-time Sheffield residents, and I now firmly count myself as a fan. From there on in, we spent the majority of the day ambling back and forth from the Foundry stage to the Octagon, taking in sets from Phoebe Green, Pip Blom, Newdad, She Drew The Gun, Goat Girl, before headliners Squid took to the stage for a raucous, freak-out laden hour of noise and screeching vocals that Devo would have been proud of.
Photo credit: Jacob Flannery
Following Squid, and back over at the Foundry, we awaited Confidence Man. I was really looking forward to this, and from the moment DJs Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild took to the stage, covered in what looked like all-black beekeeper suits, the flamboyant Australian dance outfit didn’t disappoint. Janet Planet and Sugar Bones’ entrance was pretty mesmerizing, strutting to the stage with oversized suits complete with shoulder pads that would have made David Byrne jealous. The dance routines and the nostalgia-fuelled dance tracks were a proper vibe. A fitting way to end an amazing day’s gig-going. Can’t’ wait for next year.
