Photo Credit: Jack Delve and Caitlyn Ebsworthy
For the first weekend we can remember, Boardmasters had the sun shining throughout. Arriving on the first day felt as always like the first day back at school, familiar but all new at the same time. We were back on the Cornish coast and ready for whatever it had in store for us this year.
FRIDAY
Getting into the festival we noticed that it certainly felt smaller in terms of its general footprint, but also attendance wise, it seemed far less hectic. This was especially noticeable when crossing from stage to stage which, after last year, was certainly needed and well addressed by the festival.
Our first must-see was James Marriott opening the new smaller, yet cosier, second stage ‘Mordros’ (previously Land of Saints.) Marriott has been an unstoppable force amongst the UK indie music scene for the past couple of years which was evident by the size of crowd he drew in considering the relative earliness of his set. Thanking the audience for coming down right from the outset, a highlight for us was his fan favourite Him which got everybody into the festival spirit very early on. 9/10
This year Boardmasters introduced a ‘Special Afternoon Guest’ slot on the Main Stage for each day, for Friday, it was Kaiser Chiefs. For what its worth, when we saw this initially on the line up we somewhat felt it was a lazy act choice, but not for the first time, Ricky Wilson immediately made us eat our words. He’s everything you want in a front man, he’s non stop; intense and unpredictable. Kaiser Chiefs are proper festival veterans, and it didn’t take them even a song to get the crowd bouncing. Energy went from stagnant to fully charged in a matter of moments. Our questions over their relevance with this generally young audience were squashed, it was so far the biggest crowd of the day and went down a storm. Their set was packed with hit after hit, Everyday I Love You Less and Less and Na Na Na Na Naa being screamed back at Wilson and with every song he seemed more animated and enthusiastic. A weekend highlight, not just a Friday one. Fair play KC’s, we look forward to seeing you again soon. 8/10
Later on at Mordros, Alfie Templeman took to the stage opening with his highly danceable however due to a very unfortunate clash, he just didn’t attract as much attention as he should have considering his and the demographic of the festival. Despite this, his set sounded unbelievably great live, most likely due to his recent extensive touring schedule and we would love to see him back at Boardmasters in the future, hopefully at a more desirable set time. 7.5/10
What can we say about RAYE? How do you some up an act like her? Generational talent for starters. Every genre, tick, not a problem. She has a range and stage presences like no other right now. She can sing you a ballad and she can rap you a verse. Not a problem. Most impressively is the effortlessness in it, a phrase, overused, but not when where she is concerned. She pauses for dramatic effect before unleashing the most devastatingly beautiful note she has in her arsenal, finishing with a beaming smile as it it were nothing. The big band staging fits the set so well, she’s front and centre but also giving her band the spotlight they deserve. We feel like we’ve come to witness a megastar just before she truly takes off, not to say that she isn’t already a huge deal, but she has the potential to go fully supernova. Opening with Oscar Winning Tears and then giving a performance worthy of best actress is quite something. RAYE is one of those acts where British pride, and that’s not something we think we can be proud of much these days, does really have meaning. This is a young artist with so much more to come and is fully deserving of any and all accolades she is achieving. What a superstar. 10/10
SATURDAY
Saturday saw a second YouTube Personality turned singer but this time on the main stage, Arthur Hill. Although his personality and music did fit the vibe for the seaside festival, the formulaic crowd interaction made the set fall flat for us. “Does anyone here like iced coffee? This song is called iced coffee!” And “Is anyone here called Lily? This song is called Lily!” Sums the afternoon set up and left us fairly underwhelmed. 5/10
From the beaches of Australia to Fistral Beach in Newquay, Ocean Alley brought us right back into the sun kissed hypnotic summer feeling. Their sound feels nostalgic, like the soundtrack to an old film but contemporary. Almost like the perfect partner to a summer highlights reel. Baden Donegal leads the band with a calm but gripping performance. Of course hit song Confidence was a real crowd pleaser but another highlight was Tangerine which bathed the MORDOS stage in a warm orange glow. 7/10
DEADLETTER was a band that had not been on our radar before and made us very surprised after seeing them. The combination of the band’s saxophone player and the lead singer’s unpredictable dance moves juxtaposing their indie rock sounds was really refreshing. They were reminiscent of Sports Team who were also at the festival although we didn’t get a chance to see them! DEADLETTER is definitely a band that we are eager to see in the context of their own show in the future and we wish them all the best! 8/10
We raced back down to the second stage to catch Hard Life the band formally known as Easy Life. And while the band may have had to lose its name, this certainly didn’t mean losing their fans, we are pretty sure this was one of the busiest sets in Mordos of the day with many people hurrying in to catch them. The band rose to fame through their song Skeletons, made famous by video game FIFA, and this went down very well with those huddled to catch them. Another highlight was Sangria which played early on and the crowd really loved. It was again great to see a band looking so happy to be performing and this clearly resonated with the fans there. 7/10
SUNDAY
We were particularly excited for Bradley Simpson’s set, as he was one of our ones to watch in the build up to this years festival. He didn’t let us down. Having an early set on the Sunday is never easy, but Simpson was clearly there to make the most of it. He is wonderful with the audience, actually taking to the time to talk and be authentic rather than some pre-rehearsed jargon. Funny and charismatic, he carries his showmanship into his performance and he delights those waiting to catch him. His smaller set only allows for a few songs and he manages to squeeze in all the big ones from his new album including Always Like This and Picasso. Another highlight was a cover of Hot to Go by Chappell Roan, a fun little addition to an already excellent set. There isn’t much more we can say about Simpson that was haven’t already said, excellent performer, excellent songwriter, and an all round brilliant “new” artist. 9/10
Certainly this year’s most controversial act following their Glastonbury performance in June, Bob Vylan had one of their first performances after what must have been a very hectic summer for them. Starting off with a guided meditation session with the crowd then taking a jab at a group of MPs, the bands sound was a strong change from everything else that happened on the Sunday but was definitely welcome. Bob Vylan is here to stay and the proved it this year on the main stage. 9/10
Myles Smith might be one of the biggest up and coming names in the pop world right now and by the size of the crowd you could see why. He attracted headliner numbers into the main stage area which was reminiscent of to us of when we caught Sam Ryder perform a few years prior. He made a point of saying it was a dream of his to perform at the festival and it was lovely to see how passionate and enthused he was to be there, walking out in what looked like disbelief at the crowd gathered to see him. Almost every song was recognisable, Smith having had multiple viral sensations. Songs such as Stargazing, Wait for You and Nice to Meet You could be heard sung back from all corners of the festival site. 7/10
Our penultimate act for this year’s festival, we knew that Franz Ferdinand was going to be incredible. Having never actually performed at Boardmasters in their career (they were supposed to in 2019 which was cancelled due to poor weather), we could tell that they were excited to be in Newquay. Lead singer Alex Kapranos’ trademark stage energy was in full force, which was also being rubbed off on the other members of the band. This set had some of the biggest draw and fullest crowd that we could see as this band is a mainstay in the British indie canon and was certainly not one to be missed. 9/10
Our final act to see was not the main headliner, but the freshly reinvented Wet Leg. This band is one that we had wanted to see at the festival since we started going and the wait was worth it! Catch These Fists, the lead single to their newest album was immediately contrasted by a single to their self-titled debut record, Wet Dream. The band couldn’t have chosen a better run of songs to open the final set of the weekend to. Between the smoke and strobe lights, you could see Rhian Teasdale at the front and centre of the stage whereas previously being almost a co- frontman with Hester Chambers. This new era of the band has left us feeling very excited to see how they shape their corner of the music scene in the years to come. 10/10
And there we have Boardmasters 2025. The general feeling was way calmer, less crowds of people and more smaller groups and pairs enjoying the days, even leaving this year felt a lot easier. But that doesn’t all mean it made it better, the music was lacking and when planning who to see, at points we were really stuck! If Boardmasters can stick to its better stage planning while increasing its music quality, we think it has the chance to reinvent itself slightly. We want to see more bands, more new and emerging artists, that’s what we loved when we first came a few years ago and that’s what it feels like its missing now. Championing new music for young crowds is the best way to keep the industry going and for UK festivals to have longevity. Too many times this year we were waiting around as there were either big gaps, nothing on stage or DJ’s filling slots.
We want more music. Hopefully next year we see this taken onboard, we want to see Boardmasters back at its best.
Written By: Jack Delve and Caitlyn Ebsworthy
Photo Credit: Jack Delve (The Wombats, Kaiser Chiefs 1 to 5, DEADLETTER, Arthur Hill, Bob Vylan 1 to 3, Franz Ferdinand) and Caitlyn Ebsworthy (Keo, Kaiser Chiefs 6 to 9, Alfie Templeman, Raye, Ocean Alley, Hard Life, Central Cee, Bradley Simpson, Bob Vylan 4 to 6, Myles Smith)
