With a stickiness lingering in the hot air, we could have easily been heading to a music festival in a bustling city in Southern Europe. But, no, it may have been 30 degrees and sweltering, but instead, we were making our way to North London’s Finsbury Park, home for the day to Community Festival.
Celebrating the best of British guitar bands and new music, my companion and I were both excited and curious about the day ahead. For me, a UK summer festival exclusive from indie gang Two Door Cinema Club and sets from The Vaccines and pop rockers You Me At Six were the main draw, as they were each a band I fondly remembered listening to rather frequently in my late teens.
As we slunk our way through the gates it soon became evident that the bands still attracted a similar clientele: the crowds were young and excitable, though seemingly harmless and friendly.
After sipping a cider or two under the rays, it was time to head over to the main stage to catch the first on my hit list: You Me At Six. I instantly became awash with nostalgia, as the familiar punky vocals flooded the arena, provoking lots of movement within the crowds. The boys treated us to a selection of newer and older hits, the obvious favourites of mine being ‘Underdog’, ‘Loverboy’ and ‘No one does it better’ from their first couple of albums.
‘We are young, we aren’t dead, we are reckless’ stated Josh Franceschi, the band’s jubilant frontman, before leading into their hit ‘Reckless’.
A scrumptious portion of Pomodoro pasta from one of the many varied food stalls fought off those hunger pangs and made for the perfect set break. And, before we knew it, we were soon bouncing around to The Vaccines’ indie belters, a mix of catchy hits including the likes of ‘Post-breakup sex’, ‘No hope’, ‘I always knew’ and ‘If you wanna’. With the crowds swarming with energy, the balmy summer atmosphere paired with well-received tunes made it seemingly impossible not to let loose and revel in all the day’s glory.
It was time for the concluding set: our Northern Irish boys, Two Door Cinema Club. Donning eclectic outfits including the likes of a studded denim jacket, a bright red shirt and a trilby hat, the team’s combined fashion choices immediately set them off with an intriguing stage presence. Settling somewhere mid-way in the crowds, we were impressed with how spacious it was; we could actually watch the headline act at a festival and breathe comfortably at the same time.
The feel-good, tinkling indie tunes proved to be the ideal material to finish off a sublime day of music in the sun, including a string of fan-favourites such as ‘Undercover Martyn’, ‘What you know’, ‘Come back home’ and ‘Something good can work’. It was heart-warming to notice that intimate groups of dancing friends had formed, stretching back as far as the eye could see.
‘I’ve never been to a festival where everyone looks so happy, where everyone is dancing so much’ my friend’s voice muffled in my ear, whilst I tossed my arms up into the sky. It seems that summer Sundays really don’t get much better than this.