Earlier this month we headed to Catton Park for Bearded Theory Festival 2026. Check out our review of Thursday and Friday here!
Thursday
First up on the agenda was Birmingham’s Big Special – a great way to decompress after the agonising ordeal of putting up the tent for the first time this summer. The boisterous pairing of Joe Hicklin on guitar and vocals and Callum Moloney on drums, electronics and production is a mighty force to be reckoned with, with a lot more bite than you’d expect from a two-piece outfit. There’s a really clear and broad appeal with Big Special, with big industrial sounds that provide more than enough to sink your teeth in. It was a pleasure to see the brummie duo graduate from the Woodland stage as up and comer underdogs to the heavy hitters they are now on the Pallet main stage. Young punks were giving it some welly screaming along to SHITHOUSE joined in full force by their older counterparts. A perfect way for Bring the Noise to kick off Bearded Theory weekend with a bang. 8/10
Thursday night’s headlining act was the punk rock powerhouses Lambrini Girls. Bodies were launched into action immediately in the pit, as the band left it all on the stage with their politically-charged, cutting lyricism and fierce, driving riffs. Phoebe Lunny oozes with such commanding stage presence on the mic as a true rockstar, while Selin Macieira Bogelmez shreds some real bone-rattling basslines. They used their platform to staunchly advocate for transgender rights as well as challenge the rise of Reform, and generated a hearty chant of “Free Palestine” which rung out around Catton Park. The band held back no punches as they unleashed punk rock perfection which was gratefully gobbled up by fans. 9/10
After being riled up by the incredible Lambrini Girls, there was even more high-octane fun to be had over at Big Ed – a massive tree with a face, and huge mushrooms springing out of its head. Oh – and FIRE springing up to the beat alongside the many DJ sets and dance anthems that sprung out from his lovely corner of the site. While there were many occasions where Big Ed was easily capable of luring people over for a boogie, the most difficult to resist occasion came on Thursday evening in the form of The Beatles Dub Club, who were there to provide thumping, bassy Beatles bangers to a crowd of people ready to boogie. They had remixes across the entire breadth of the musical spectrum – reggae, ska, funk, house and drum and bass. While it’s perhaps not the normal remit of Bring the Noise – this was a set that deserves an extra-special mention. 8/10
Friday
To start off the first full day of activities on Friday, the Meadow stage welcomed emerging indietronica band Adult DVD for 30 minutes of technicolour synth grooves, and punky dance. Their pulsing rhythms inspired much foot-tapping and hip-shaking amidst the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed movers and shakers of Bearded Theory. For those that are ready to dive headfirst into this new wave of quirky synth-punk, there’s a lot of potential here to get excited about, with instantly memorable tracks like Bill Murray and Doomsday Prepper dazzling audiences in their live sets. 7/10
Fresh off of touring with the incredibly en-vogue indie darlings, Geese, who are quite simply taking the world by storm, Westside Cowboy popped by the Pallet stage to say hi and wake up with some very excited campers. There’s so much buzz about Westside Cowboy at the minute, who have a brand new album around the corner coming out in August called It Goes On, which many indie-rock fans are marking down the days for. It’s not difficult to see why. Their harmonies shimmered in the sunshine, with gorgeous light and shade between hauntingly beautiful storytelling and anthemic builds. Even with a few instrumental hitches, the band have an abundance of chemistry and are producing such a tight and enthralling live offering. 8/10
On the schedule for the Woodland stage, something stood out which sparked a great deal of curiosity for Bring the Noise… an act called Taylor More Swiftly. Naturally, in the interest of proper journalism, we needed to find out what was going on there. Awaiting us under the multi-coloured bunting and towering trees was an amped-up, rock band covering pop megastar Taylor Swift’s catalogue of hits complete with a Taylor lookalike in a blue bedazzled sequin leotard that looked like it was straight out of the Eras tour. Featuring old school hits like Picture to Burn, Love Story and Dear John, the alternative tribute act was well-attended by young rockers who danced along to the familiar radio tunes with fervour, on the shoulders of their mums and dads. There were plenty of curious faces who stuck around for a pop girlie dance moment with a punk rock difference. The vocals were on point, the band was slick and all around a good, and unexpected, time was had by all. It just goes to show that you can never quite know what to expect from the hallowed fields of Catton Park during Bearded Theory. 7/10
Returning to Catton Field once again was Welsh four-piece Panic Shack with some kick-ass choreography and ferocious punk riffs. Sarah Harvey on vocals has some major rockstar energy with her scrappy style and incredibly witty lyrics. They’re fiercely defiant with feminist anthems that celebrate difference, independence and shaking up the system. Between Who’s Got My Lighter and the martial arts madness of Jiu Jits You, there was plenty to laugh along with, chant and dance to. One particularly striking image from this set was an infant being raised into the air alongside the lyrics “I don’t wanna hold your baby”, which made quite a few people chuckle. We’re sure it’ll only be a matter of time until the Cardiff rockers are back to bring even more smiles to the fields once again. 8/10
Getdown Services was easily one of the most hotly anticipated sets of the weekend and thus managed to attract a completely filled out tent for the occasion. Last time around, they gave an impressive performance on the smaller Woodland stage, which became one of the most talked about sets around the campsite, with crisps tossed out into the crowd and enthusiastic jumping about from a hungover, Sunday crowd. This time though, they were ready to kick things up a notch with highly catchy, highly danceable and quintessentially British tunes. They’re already on course for a meteoric rise, having featured on Jools Holland recently, and even on BBC News to represent their hometown of Minehead. It was clear a fair few punters had heard the buzz around the pair and were giving Getdown Services a first listen in the flesh, with plenty of giggling bursting out for tracks like Get Back Jamie and Don’t Cheese Me Off. Their witty sardonism and their post-punk funk is a joy to behold, and as with many of the bands on the Bearded Theory line-up – they’re only just getting started. They’re weird, high-energy and dollops of fun, which was in perfect harmony with the spirit of the weekend. 9/10
The first of three 90s superstar headliners was Skunk Anansie, shutting down the mainstage on Friday with roaring alternative rock anthems. It wasn’t a shock to have it confirmed that the legendary Skin is just as awesome in real life as you could ever possibly imagine, but it was certainly inspiring and arresting to see such a magnificent performer at work. The band shared stories of their time together and their rise to the top. Just as Lambrini Girls had the night before, Skin used her platform to denounce Nigel Farage and the rise of right wing politics, fitting with two of the band’s well loved tracks Yes It’s F***ing Political and Little Baby Swastika. The band’s performance was explosive and full of heart and soul with every stroke. Skin’s swagger, showmanship and immense vocal ability are mouth-droppingly good and hopefully inspired the students of the festival’s school to be authentically themselves and carry the same confidence and moral sensibilities as one of the greatest rockers to ever do it. 10/10
Keep an eye on Bring The Noise for our review of Saturday and Sunday!
Written By: Izzy Morris
