Sunday.

Sunday at El Dorado is Gold Day. It’s plain to see that those embracing the Gold theme have vivid imaginations, there are a vast amount of variations on the theme; some sights are extremely pleasurable, whilst others are extremely shocking, and should not be seen in private, let alone out in public! A young Martin Fry (ask your Mum) would embrace the colours, I’m sure, just not convinced that he would champion the sort of look that goes with the colour nowadays!

Stone Cold Hustle

Sunday starts (for me) with Stone Cold Hustle (SCH) on stage. I’d been putting off getting soaked for two days on the trot, so I rocked up later than the main stage started. Hey, imagine if I’d have seen the previous bands and written about them as well! SCH are a 6 piece Funk band, out of Bristol. Formed relatively recently (in Bristol), during the spring of 2022, they are made up of musicians from the funk scenes upper echelons, so you expect class, surely?

As I trudged along the long and winding track back to the festival area from the carpark, I could hear that they were just taking to the stage. As I got to the stage area they were settling in. Their opening track was full on, you weren’t being eased in gently to this, not at all, even if it was a Sunday. If you had a fuzzy head, and I’m sure there were a few, then I’m sure SCH had every intention of clearing it for you, in their way of course! I do have to say that I was very disappointed to see that they were playing to about 10 people, going on what I’d seen and heard already then they deserved more.

The frontman was ‘hustling’, he was trying his best to perform, and to get the punters interested and down to see them. Slowly, very slowly, he succeeded, and the now Gold clad individuals  were slowly making their way to the stage. Those amongst them without thick heads were up and dancing, those with thick heads looked like zombies being offered a salad.

I watched from outside the pit, to start, to see the overall picture (forgive the pun). For a band who have only been together a very short time SCH were producing some crackin’ tunes up there. Their performance was very polished, very professional, belying their short time together.

and they certainly deserved to be playing a later slot, a slot when the audience is fired up, not just getting up.

Once again, just as it seemed they’d been on 10 mins the last track was being served up. I’d definitely go and see them again, they’re a band who will go down well somewhere that the audience are ready for them, somewhere dare I say that they’re appreciated, I’m not convinced they were at El Dorado? They have a very bright future ahead of themselves.

Eva Lazarus

Eva Lazarus is another name that I’m not familiar with if I’m honest, she doesn’t sit naturally within my music reach, although I have leant a lot about her through my research prior to the festival. Her self-description of “Big Voice, Big Bass is what singer cum MC Eva Lazarus is all about! Her music spans Reggae to Hip Hop, DNB to Jungle, and far, far beyond. Eva has even had a collaboration with Kofi Stone, who we reviewed earlier.

Rather than stick to a single genre Eva is known for her navigation of in the moment musical moods, and it’s dependent on the current atmosphere, and how she feels its going! She achieves this through her larger-than-life vocals, and we see this during her set! She chats a lot, I guess, judging the mood, and what to serve up next? Easy enough to do if you’re confident, and if there’s no physical band behind you I guess?

Ms. Lazarus serves up a set that the now previously lethargic individuals can get their heads around, it seems that unlike me, the audience seem to know a lot of her music, and they respond to her, and to it. Judging by the applause at the end of the set she is a popular figure within her ‘scene’. As I eluded to earlier, I don’t think I’ll search her out for any of my playlists, she didn’t impress me enough for that to happen. I can imagine she’ll be in the business for a long time yet though, and it’s not at all difficult to see why she is popular with ‘the kids’.

Willow Kane

Up next is WIllow Kane. She is Bristol born, but now London-based. Describing herself as “a vivid, genre-blurring pop provocateur” her highlights so far included winning the Ivor Novello Rising Star award in 2021, and being previously mentored by the legendary Nile Rodgers. She appears to be an eclectic individual, someone who tries hard not to conform too much.

She’s not far into her set when it is cut short by yet another storm. It, and a couple of other storm cells, had been threatening to make an appearance for a while; whilst we avoided the first two, they skirted North and South around the festival area it was only a matter of time before one did achieve the feat of making the organisers put a ‘Show Stop’ in place.

This one isn’t going to be a quick one either, there is continuous torrential rain, and the occasional bolt of lightning. Security are (rightly) busy pushing people away from sheltering under trees. The rain is so heavy the ground can’t soak it up for long, and it begins to flood and to flow. The music is quickly forgotten, and for one particular individual who may, or may not have had a few beers the opportunity to have some fun is too tempting; from the bar area on my left a cheer goes up, and from within the assembled masses a naked man appears, he runs about 20m and launches himself face-down down the slope towards the stage area, brave I feel! He slides some 5/6m and grinds to a halt, he stands up, and cupping his ‘manhood’ in his hand, he takes the rapturous applause that the crowds in the bars give him, waving with his spare hand, he returns from whence he came. Temptation proves too much and he’s off for another go! Perhaps not his wisest moment having survived any serious injuries first time around? The same scenario is again played out, save this time there wasn’t a third attempt! He walked past me a few minutes later, this time in a pair of shorts, there were obvious ‘marks’ on his chest and legs, so you can assume the reason he stopped was…….?

After nearly an hour the ‘Show Stop’ is lifted, alas there’s no time for Willow Kanes’ set to be restarted if the time plan is to be followed, and with an almost superhuman effort from all involved a turnaround is completed, and not too much later than planned the next group take to the stage.

The Vengaboys

That group, for they are a group and not a band, up next are the Vengaboys. I’m not going to write a lot about them, hopefully my images will do them justice? I can’t write a lot, because in the 25 years that they’ve been going, I suspect that almost everything has already been written! There can’t be many people on this plant who have not seen then perform, surely?

In brief though, just in case, and just for you, the original members of the Vengaboys are still there, and no, they haven’t lost anything; if you are asked to name a party band then without a shadow of a doubt the Vengaboys are the people’s choice, and probably yours as well.

They have a string of multiplatinum hits to their name, Kiss (When The Sun Don’t Shine), We Like To Party (The Vengabus), Uncle John From Jamaica, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, We’re Going To Ibiza to name just a few, yes you do know, deny it all you like!!!!

Grown men of all ages love them, they will dress in pink cowboys outfits and sing along to their songs, word for word, women obviously love them, children (of all ages) love them, (what does that tell you about what they listen to at home), and with that type of following I suspect that the Vengaboys have been doing something right, for a while now! You only have to stand in the pit and look out into the audience, everyone loves them, they are infectious!!! And they know what audiences want!

Right, as I said, I hope my images will tell you the Vengaboy story from the Eldorado Festival, enjoy them!

Time to sum up I guess? I’ve only scratched the surface of what the 2023 El Dorado offered, and what I’ve written is how I saw it, it’s my take on it.

Eldorado Festival you were certainly different. The target audience is, I think Gen Z, it’s not a festival for anyone over 30 years old. Personally, even though it’s a spit and a fart from where I live the jury is out as to whether I’d go back again.

Some of the less attractive points, and these are personal, and in no particular order:

No media facilities / info packs!

No running orders, so no ideas as to who was playing where?

The state of the camping areas, absolutely honking!

The openly visible drug taking!

The distances involved from the carpark to the festival area.

The good bits?

Again, in no particular order:

The diverse music.

The helpful security teams (as a photographer security can make or break your festival)

The artists (for the most) were onside, they were a pleasure to photograph, and to speak to, only the one ego!

The distance from my door to the carpark!!!

And finally, a huge round of applause please for the unsung heroes who made it work. I refer here to the First Aider on the bike, well done Fella, and for the litter pickers, silently getting on with their job with no thanks from anyone, but from me, Thank You, I noticed.

Right Reg, what’s next? [Ed. you tell me!]

Words & images: Haydn Wiltshire (Taff Rimages)

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