Like all good things, they must come to an end. And on Sunday, this year’s Hardwick Festival concluded after three glorious days. And Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft was the ‘Lucky Man’ who topped the bill on the final day of the event.
Throughout the weekend, there has been some incredible talent from the North East featured on the bill. On Sunday afternoon it was the turn of Hayley McKay to kick off the proceedings on the main stage. Bedecked in sparkly trousers, a green top and a cowboy hat the UK country artist was the ideal start to the day. Songs like recent single Saviour On A Hill, and Hayley's award-winning track Wild West were well received by the Hardwick audience.
Local lads The Volunteers made a welcome return to Hardwick. The band made their annual performance on the Tree House stage. And the group were more than happy to celebrate Hardwick Festival’s 10th anniversary. Looking back over Hardwick's line-ups over the last ten years The Volunteers would have been on most of the festival's bills. And what a great way to mark this milestone in the event’s history by having the band on the line-up once again.
Young North East group Camel Island hit the main stage early in the afternoon. The group won a contest to play the festival via the Road to Hardwick event beating some stiff competition in the process.
‘Dreams’ came true for fans of legendary group Fleetwood Mac via a mid-afternoon appearance from one of the UK’s leading tributes to the iconic outfit - Fleetwood Bac. Songs like The Chain, Little Lies, and Go Your Own Way were the ultimate soundtrack to a glorious sunshine-fuelled afternoon in the fields.
Jeremy Healy made his second appearance of the weekend with a mid-afternoon set at the courtyard in front of a packed-out room. Fellow superstar DJs Brandon Block and Graeme Park drew huge crowds on the Into The Woods stage with their arsenal of dance anthems.
There was a strong presence of bands and artists from the North West on Sunday afternoon's bill. The Lightning Seeds were the first of those to take the main stage. Songs, like You Showed Me and Sugar Coated Iceberg, were a hit with the Hardwick crowd as inflatable footballs bounced around the audience. There were even Liverpool FC flags and shirts present in front of the stage.
Fellow Scouser Jamie Webster continued the Liverpool theme with a politically charged set. The Liverpudlian’s sound sits somewhere between Gerry Cinnamon and Billy Bragg. A rendition of Fickle Fran was an apt inclusion on a scorching day in County Durham as the audience sang the lyrics to the song that included the line 'The Sun's Out in the City' … whilst the artist’s take on The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer was a great addition to the set.
The Tree House Arena featured a stellar line-up of emerging and established artists on Sunday. The New York Brass Band brought something a bit different to the proceedings, including Ska music with a brass twist. Although the band's name suggests they originate from Manhattan, their location is a little closer to home, in fact, it's just a short trip down the A19 to York. Subsequently, a ferocious set from US-originating group Shelf Lives blew off the cobwebs in the afternoon.
However, the top of Sunday’s second stage bill was also going to be a huge draw. A massive crowd was in attendance for Tom Meighan who fired up the fans with classics from the Kasabian repertoire as well as his solo material. The indie anthems continued with second stage headliners Reverend and the Makers. Frontman Jon McClure had the whole crowd bouncing to anthems like Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Stockport's Blossoms were the precursor to Sunday's headliner. A crowd-pleasing set including songs like Honey Sweet and Charlamagne pushed the musical proceedings towards the finish line.
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Sunday is often a day reserved for praise and worship. For music fans, an evening of 'Urban Hymns' courtesy of Richard Ashcroft was always going to be a treat – and the Hardwick crowd were of course all singing from the same hymn sheet. Timeless classics from The Verve's repertoire such as Space and Time, and a beautiful airing of Sonnet was the perfect way to conclude this year's event.
Richard Ashcroft’s headline spot was the icing on top of Hardwick Festival’s tenth-anniversary birthday cake.
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