We started with just 25 friends, a swimming pool, a set of decks and a birthday BBQ...
Then we had the bright idea of inviting some very special bands to play on our makeshift stage. It collapsed. But we honed our carpentry skills, asked some talented artists to play, and realised we had a festival on our hands!
The Standon story begins with the birthday barbecue of Festival Founder Alex Trenchard. Alex says he never planned to create a festival. It was always a party for his friends that somehow spiralled out of control, gathering unstoppable momentum over the years. But if you ask Alex when Standon became a festival, he is in no doubt.
"In 2006 the festival was still very much a garden party on the lawn of the Lordship. Okay, we had a stage and bands but it was all happening on the lawn. Do Me Bad Things headlined and after they finished their set we cut the lights so that everyone thought it was all over. We had actors dressed as fairies beckon the audience down to a secret stage hidden in a circle of chestnut trees at midnight. Fireworks lit up the sky and prog rock band The Early Years added a psychedlic backing track."
Do Me Bad Things headline the Lordship Lawn, Standon Calling 2006
"I still remember people’s eyes opening up and that sense of excitement — that palpable sense of wonder on people's faces as we walked down the hill to the secret glade. This was not what they had been expecting. They had been expecting to go back to their tent, go to sleep, get laid, whatever. And suddenly there was a whole new chapter. Standon Calling had burst the banks of the Lordship Lawn and a festival was born."
Since then we have grown from word of mouth and continue to flourish, but we retain our original ethos and commitment to championing new artists. You'll see the freshest talent here before anyone else – Florence and the Machine, Friendly Fires, Mumford and Sons, Bastille, Metronomy, London Grammar, Clean Bandit, Anna Calvi, The Maccabees, Mr Hudson and Paloma Faith all had their start at Standon.
De La Soul bring Standon Calling 2013 to a close
We’ve had classic sets from Public Enemy, De La Soul, Buena Vista Social Club, Super Furry Animals, Hawkwind, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force and Tony ‘Is this the way to Amarillo’ Christie, alongside the best of leftfield music, such as Sunra Arkestra and Acid Mother’s Temple. We’ve had Shy FX, Toddla T, Julio Bashmore, Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles bringing the party on the decks.
Standon Calling has always been as much about the night as the day. After the live music, taking full advantage of our 5am licence DJs, dancers and VJs take over our nightclub The Cowshed as well as homemade, micro-venues dotted over the fields. In 2011, we raved in a horsebox whilse in 2012 a secret dance stage amongst the trees was revealed at the stroke of midnight. We promise some very special surprises in 2015.
Our annual themes have included Lost In Latin America, Running Away From The Circus, Murder On The Standon Express, Gods & Monsters and Journey To The Ends Of The Earth and our audience are known to take the fancy dress competition very seriously!
We’re keen to exhibit creativity of all types: painting, sculpture, art installations, writing, interactive theatre, comedy and even cooking, to help our guests to spend a magical weekend indulging all of their senses. If you want to get involved in building the worlds we create don't hestitate to get in touch by emailing info@standon-calling.com
We're the only UK festival with a heated swimming pool, which comes in handy during the height of the British summertime. We’re proud to keep our fields clean and green: eco-friendly food caterers and our army of recyclers work to keep the festival sparkling bright.
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