The wonders of space
REVIEW BLUEDOT FESTIVAL JODRELL BANK
JUST three short years ago, who would have imagined that the country’s most instantly recognisable music festival would have a Macclesfield post code?
That was before the launch of Bluedot.
You would have to travel a long way these days to find a festival backdrop more dramatic, more inspiring or, let’s face it, more social media friendly than that provided by the towering Lovell Telescope.
Since the first Bluedot in 2016, this long-weekend event dedicated to music, space, science and general fun-seeking has gone from strength-tostrength with stronger line-ups and a visibly busier festival site.
Around 10,000 people are believed to been present at Jodrell Bank for the latest instalment to watch bands, such as headliners The Flaming Lips, Chemical Brothers or Future islands, listen to talks by eminent thinkers, such as Richard Dawkins or Alice Roberts, enjoy the comedy of David O’Doherty, Robin Ince or Casetteboy, or just mooch around and take in a bit of whatever they fancy.
Work commitments mean we miss the Halle orchestra open things on Thursday night with a special collaboration with the Blue Planet BBC TV show.
Instead it is Friday night headliners The Flaming Lips who kick things off for us with a show of colour and craziness.
Dozens of beach balls bounce across the heads of the audience, inflatable robots spring nine feet into the air and a light show bathes the telescope in an oozing, psychedelic glow, as the Oklahoma band performs choice cuts from a stellar 35 year career.
Organisers will be hard pressed to find a better fit for next year’s event than Wayne Coyne’s band of 21st Century hippies, their off-beat songs sending out a message of love and hope, and conveying a sense of wide-eyed wonder at the beauty of the world around us.
Night falls before they give us their tribute to David Bowie and the occasion, a sparkling version of A Space Oddity, but their rousing final song ‘Do You Realize??’ reminds us the sun doesn’t really go down ‘it’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round’.
On Saturday, the biggest queue of the weekend, snaking its way across the main arena turns out to be for an audience with Richard Dawkins, who is discussing the future of evolutionary biology and the role of science in society.
Across the field the Radiophonic Radio Workshop delivers a storming version of the Doctor Who theme, while children enjoy editorial sessions with the junior Time Out team nearby.
As well as his showingstopping Friday night spot, Flaming Lips frontman Coyne, treats fans to a ‘conversation’ with Jodrell Bank’s professor of astrophysics Tim O’Brien.
Challenged to describe