Continuing to develop it’s reputation for being one of the best summer festivals this year saw organisers/bookers DHP once again surpass all expectations with it’s booking of quality artists. And not just the headliners – we witnessed some stunning sets from bands who opened various stages at lunchtime. Bearded Theory brings a huge array of acts to it’s home in Catton, Derbyshire. Big, big headline names to a huge variety of young, new on the scene but no less hard-hitting bands playing those early afternoon slots on smaller stages. Outside of the three main music stages there’s so much going on. The Convoy Cabaret tent with it’s focus on the punk/indie scene, the eclectic, diverse range of bands playing the Maui Waui tent, the dance/techno/DJ emphasis of CODA tent and the chilled out vibes of the Something Else Tea Tent where you can watch old school punk, folk, spoken word and more and all with a decent cup of tea/coffee/liqueur coffee and a slice of quality cake. Plenty of bars selling drinks at reasonable prices and a decent variety of food places where prices seemed reasonable for a festival. Massive credit to the organisers in that you are actually allowed to take your own food & drink into the main festival area should you wish to do so allowing you to keep financial outgoings down after shelling out on a not cheap festival ticket.
There’s clothes stalls, a funfair, a wellbeing area where you can have a sauna or get a massage, a Children’s Village with workshops and games. There’s even an Ofsted recognised Festival School where you can enroll children up to Year 10 age and where everything taught meets National Curriculum standards but in a fun way. Book early (way before festival weekend) if you want a place for your young one. Enlightened schools around the country will then give an ‘educated off site’ mark rather than an ‘unauthorised absence’ one. There’s comedy, late night movies and crafts. Add in the fact that those who come to Bearded Theory seem to be some of the most friendly, inclusive, often eccentric festival goers you can meet, toilets that are kept immaculately clean throughout the five days and staff who seem to have been trained in award winning helpfulness, politeness and general loveliness and there really is nothing (for us) to complain about. And let’s not forget Big Ed, a giant forest head, blasting out every type of music you can imagine so long as you can dance to it and where there seems to be a 24/7 disco for the whole time you’re here.
After last year’s mudbath following a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours this year saw full on sunshine for most of the time, some cloud and just a couple of inconsequential showers. Trainers, sandals, your favourite pair of boots were the order of the day rather than wellies. Spirits were high, laughs plenty, the atmosphere relaxed, welcoming and, perhaps most importantly, safe.
So what about the music? If you want it you can find it – punk, post-punk, indie pop, electro, dance, folk, rock, spoken word and more. It’s all here and it’s all quality acts. What you won’t get is the same old line-up that you seem to find doing the summer festival circuit at many of the other weekend gatherings.
Like last year this year the festival is spread over five days. Wednesday is an optional add-on, not included in the main ticket price and is there mainly to help alleviate the otherwise huge amount of traffic that would descend on the surrounding country lanes on the Thursday.
Everyone has different favourite genres. What I love might be someone elses least favourite so there’s little point in lengthy descriptions of every band seen (with one very notable exception). Suffice to say that for this reviewer all five days were special with some real highlights every day. A few I’d never seen before turning out to be weekend favourites. Absolute standouts were:
Wednesday — Deadletter headlining the Woodland stage with their diverse range of post-punk, dance beat hooks and infectious beats. Sometimes tense, often frantic, always captivating Deadletter are the perfect start to a perfect weekend. Earlier on Jess Silk had been persuaded to open procedings in the Something Else Tea Tent and did so with a brilliant solo performance of her hard hitting, unifying, powerful protest songs. Headsticks also lifted us up with their super-charged blend of punk and folk. The first of their two Bearded Theory slots.
Thursday gave us superb sets from the Jess Silk Trio, blistering, frantic, punk from The Meffs, an uplifting, rock infused 30 minutes of African beats from W.I.T.C.H (We Intend To Cause Chaos), a beautiful tribute to Mike Peters from Headsticks who filled the slot vacated after Peters tragically lost his long battle with cancer, superb, pop influenced, electro-punk from CLT DROP and, of course, Fat Dog. Although their set was shorter than planned due to a medical issue in the crowd like all Fat Dog gigs within seconds there’s a heaving mass of people in a mosh-pit losing all inhibitions as the band pummell us with their exhilarating, relentless blend of massive, hypnotic beats. With singer Joe Love spending most of the set on the barrier there’s a real connection between band and fans. Each feeding off the energy of the other, neither letting up until the final notes of the final song. Brilliant. Mercury prize winners English Teacher headline, closing the main stage with their unique, immediately recognisable sounds. Songs that one moment can be quiet, calm, emotional and the next be errupting into soaring, guitar driven noise. And, in Lily Fontaine, a voice that soars across the arena.
I’d have gone home happy after just Wednesday and Thursday but Bearded Theory was just warming up.
Friday sees us dashing around a bit more simply because there’s so many great things to see. First stop The Vaselines who bang out an enjoyable 40 minutes of shoegazy indie rock. Still producing the goods nearly 40 years after Kurt Cobain cited their influence on Nirvana. Du Blonde was always a ‘must see’ and we’re not disappointed. Brilliant grungy-pop full of fuzzy guitars and uplifting melodies. Back on the main Pallet Stage Ezra Furman is one of the day’s real highlights. Creative, raw, urgent and emotional with lyrics describing a life you know Furman has really lived. The Meadow tent is packed for a glorious set of genre warping poppy bangers from Billy Nomates. Back on the Pallet Yard Act hammer out their non-stop, frenetic, funky post-punk noise and lyrics leaving you in no doubt about their thoughts on modern society with frontman James Smith leaping, crouching and twirling about the stage. Always great, today is no different. Our first trip of the weekend into Convoy Cabaret, the festival’s go to place for anyone who loves their punk rock, to catch both Gallus and Split Dogs doesn’t disappoint. Both bands smash out ear splitting, 100mph punk rock n roll. Both are fronted by vocalists who dominate the stage, in particular Split Dogs Harry – a maniacal Tina Turner if ever there was one. Both are brilliant. It’s three in a row as the next stop is Woodlands and a brilliant set of melodic street-punk rock bangers by Grade 2. Exploding with energy from start to finish there is absolutely no let-up throughout their 60 minutes.
Paul Heaton (with guest singer Rianne Downey) closes Friday night on the Pallet. Heaton is a national treasure of the music world, he’s sold millions of albums and judging by the number here to watch him that popularity isn’t waning. It’s a career spanning set with those ever popular Beautiful South/Housemartins songs – Old Red Eyes Is Back, Five Get Over Excited, Happy Hour etc – lapped up by those reliving their youth. But, much as I like his attitude to a lot of things, especially ticket pricing at gigs I was never a fan so I wander over to the Meadow tent and relive my own late teens watching The Sisters Of Mercy through a haze of fog and red/blue/purple lights. Andrew Eldritch still has that deep, gravelly voice and whilst the focus is more on their later output it’s great to hear Alice, Marian and Temple Of Love forty one years after first seeing them on a stage in Leeds, birthplace of goth.
Saturday and Bearded Theory steps it up even more with brilliant sets by ALT BLK ERA, The Lovely Eggs who, as they always do, absolutely owned the Pallet stage with their early afternoon set full of spikey, fun filled, quick witted comments and lyrics, distorted guitars and rock poses. Trupa Trupa are the band I’d never heard of that completely blow me away. Psychedelic post-punk vibes that twist and turn at every opportunity. Sometimes whimsical, melancholic and haunting. Sometimes brutal and loud. Mesmorising. Poland’s Trupa Trupa are a Bearded Theory highlight. On main stage Mannequin Pussy fire on all cylinders with their blend of punk, pop and rock. They’re quickly followed by Nova Twins and their huge sonic mix of distorted rock, rap, metal. It’s an intense set and infinitely better than when I saw them just two weeks ago in Wrexham. Sadly we cant watch the whole hour they’re on stage and we dash over to the Meadow for The Bug Club‘s wonderful lo-fi, pacey, quirky, indie rock that’s packed with humour and witty lyrics. Back to Pallet and if you thought The Pogues were a bouncy Irish band then The Mary Wallopers will blow you to pieces. Mixing covers of traditional Irish folk songs with their own material the atmosphere they create is electric and the field is jumping within minutes. Opinionated, political, anti-war, supporters of immigration and the benefits it brings The Mary Wallopers wear their hearts on their sleeves and are all the better for it.
It’s 9.30pm. Saturday has been a day packed with superb music from brilliant bands but nothing, absolutely nothing compares to what we are about to witness. Iggy Pop is phenomenal. Of course there were plenty here just to say they’d seen one of musics absolute legends. But for me, and others, this was something special. I bought my first Iggy album 45 years ago, saw him live in the early 80’s and the 90’s, albums such as Lust For Life, The Idiot, New Values, Party, Blah Blah Blah were never far from my turntable. And now I’m in the pit, staring at him through the lens of my camera. WTF? A real pinch me moment. Friends had messaged to say they hoped he wasn’t past his best. Nothing could be further from the truth. At 78 Iggy Pop still throws himself around the stage, still growls expletives between every song, still performs as if he has everything to prove to those watching. Iggy Pop is as good as he’s ever been. And the set list? For any Iggy/Stooges fans it’s jaw droppingly good. T.V.Eye, Raw Power, Gimme Danger, The Passenger, Lust For Life, I Wanna Be Your Dog, Search and Destroy, 1970, Some Weird Sin, I’m Bored, Real Wild Child just some of the twenty song set. A shame Nightclubbing was only played in part but who’s complaining? Not me. Iggy Pop gives it everything he has. No wonder he needs to be carried off at the end of 90 minutes. A gig that will stay with me for the rest of my days. As one singer from another band who played today said on social media “Every band who played needed to watch this performance to see how it should be done”.
It’s hard to come down after witnessing something like that but Ash, headlining Meadow stage, take us to the end of Saturday with their fantastic, charging punk melodies full of slicing guitar and rumbling bass riffs. Almost thirty years since debut album 1977 was released by the then teenage band the modern day Ash might be older and wiser but no less energetic.
Sunday. We’re beginning to feel the festival soreness in our legs but it’s well worth it. It’s hard to imagine anything beating Iggy’s performance last night but Sunday is yet another day of blistering performances that leave us on a real high. Woodland openers Home Counties deliver a superb set of upbeat electro-funk. Irresistable dance grooves to loosen up the calf muscles for the day ahead. Japanese punkettes Shonen Knife must have gained hundreds of new fans with their addictive poppy punk opening Pallet Stage. I can’t remember ever seeing a band looking so happy to be on a stage. Over 40 years since they formed in Osaka Shonen Knife are a joy to watch and have the crowd bouncing along for the whole of their 40 minute set. As they do later in the day when they appear on the Meadow Stage as Osaka Ramones and hammer out a simply glorious 30 minutes of Ramones covers. GANS blow the Woodland apart with their huge, abrasive noise underpinned with foot tapping beats, as do Bruise Control – a last minute replacement for The Miki Berenyi Trio. Non stop pounding beats, in your face garage punk. Bruise Control leave an impression that won’t be forgotten for a long time. A couple of hours later and Gurriers do exactly the same – a truly exhilarating, frenzied mix of raging vocals, chaotic stage presence, slicing guitars and drum beats. Unfortunately we dash off 15 minutes before the end to catch the last 30 minutes of another ‘must see’. Throwing Muses are superb. Intense, brooding, mesmorising. Despite seeing them exactly a week earlier that dash across a field was well worth it. In amongst all the noise we’d managed to catch The Selector and their upbeat ska that never seems to date, always has a crowd dancing. Public Service Broadcasting on the Pallet stage are, quite simply, perfect. The storytelling in their songs, the visuals, the musicianship. To me everything about this band and what they do is magical. ‘Go’ never fails to bring a feeling of absolute joy. It’s a carefully chosen set-list, the emphasis being on the louder, more guitar driven, dance based songs rather than the bands quietly contemplative output. Perfect to drown out those that stand in a festival field who’d rather hold a conversation than listen to what’s coming from the stage.
Manic Street Preachers are Sunday’s headliners. A great choice to close what has been a fantastic five days. Songs full of passion, anger and emotion delivered over a background of huge, anthemic rock. A fitting end to a perfect festival.
There were others. 40+ bands seen over an amazing 5 days. Every one of them giving it everything they had.
Bearded Theory is magical. The crowds, the atmosphere, the positive vibes, the variety of acts you can choose to see, knowing you’ll witness great sets by big name artists but also knowing it’s a guarantee you’ll see some of your favourite noise merchants tear up a smaller stage and that you’ll also discover someone new who then jumps right up your ‘must see again’ list. The clean toilets, incredibly helpful, friendly staff, the organisation, the reasonable festival prices and that feeling of safety when wandering back to your van late at night on your own. All come together to make Bearded Theory our favourite weekend of the year. Roll on 2026.
Photos/words: Steve White (except where indicated)
Gallery of all bands seen below:
