By Matt Haynes
(Image: Official Event Poster)
This review covers the running and organisation of the event.
For 'Amplified Festival Part II: Stage 1 Bands', click here
For 'Amplified Festival Part III: Stage 2 Bands', click here
As the alarm goes off at 6am, I question why on earth am I getting up this early on a Saturday when I could be laying in bed dreaming sweet dreams. ‘Don’t be like that’ I tell myself as I mumble that the two black socks I have in my hands aren’t the same shade of black. ‘Today is for a good reason. This is your first (and only) music festival of the year! You’re going to have fun!’
After I board the bus to go into to town to then walk to the car hire place (the pre-travel before the main travel), I’m on my way to Corporation in Sheffield (with a minor detour to Derby to pick up one Bastion King aka IN MY LENS Photography) so we can witness the 9th rendition of Amplified Festival, a single day event that aimed to promote grassroots bands from all over the UK (and even featuring a band from overseas, but more on that later)
The last time I found myself in Sheffield was earlier this year, when I came to watch Phoenix Lake during their album release tour – which was also the first time I visited Corporation for a gig, something I’d be hoping to do since my early days of being within the scene. Whilst I was looking forward to returning to the venue, I was eager to see not only the bands on the bill, but also how a one-day festival between two stages would fair in a venue such as this. In the build-up to the event, organiser Andrew Holland and his second in command Vickz Beauchamp (collectively operating under Amplified Media…easy to remember considering the name of the festival) were in touch regularly – sending updates about how the day would unfold, what attendees such as myself could and couldn’t do and more. For me, it was interesting to see how the transition from paper to real-life was going to take place. So, to kick off this 3-part review, let’s look at the overall running of the day.
First things first – location and venue. Considering the choice of bands meant they were all travelling from all corners of the UK (and again, one band coming from overseas), that left Amplified the logistical challenge (or nightmare, take your pick) of where exactly the event would be held. Considering bands were coming from all directions, it had to be one as central as possible. But it also had to be one that could accommodate the rotation of 12 bands over the running day. Looking at the good ol’ map, Sheffield was a very central location for all to travel to. Iconic venue, accessible via car or train, plenty of hotels and eateries nearby whilst also serving a variety of drinks and food in the venue…Amplified knew exactly what they were doing choosing the venue for their event.
Inside the venue was incredibly busy from the get-go. Staff and crew were walking between the two stages, ensuring everything was in place ahead of the bands’ arrivals whilst also making sure the venue was clean and tidy. Upon arrival, the first thought was to track down anyone at Amplified so we could ‘sign in’ and check where we could set up ready for the day. We did manage to track down Andy - who was busy checking in with everyone else – so he radioed Vickz to announce we arrived. Within seconds, Vickz appeared behind us, passes in hand and ready to show us what was what in the backstage area. What was nice about these passes is that each one was personalised to the media outlet wearing them. A small touch, but one that I felt made a significant difference so that each outlet felt welcomed and as part of the family on the day.
Having arrived around 30 minutes before the doors opened, we took ourselves to the backstage area to set the bags down and get the cameras ready (well I say ‘we’, this was Bastion’s responsibility. I wouldn’t trust me with £££s worth of camera…plus a majority of them would have been set in selfie mode even if they didn’t have said mode…). Down the corridor were 3 rooms – 1 spare green room for bands/media folk to relax or conduct interviews, a ‘all bands’ green room which had a variety of snacks and drinks available, and the dressing room which was to be shared by the headliners Siamese and The Five Hundred. Again, a nice little detail I picked up on with the green room was that Amplified had taken the time to try and cater to all dietary needs. Vegan, gluten-free, meat, cheeses, fruit, sweets, alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks…Amplified could easily branch out into the catering business should they choose to. Whilst some may think ‘well sure, its just food. Bands still got to eat’, it’s the fact that Amplified went out there way to accommodate to as many as possible. 12 bands with multiple members means a lot of food would be required, and with them focusing on performing and running their merch tables, knowing there was some quick food and snacks nearby was a reassuring measure to help keep the bands’ energy going over the day. Of course, Amplified also stated that the food was available to all including media folk like ourselves. Again, a nice little gesture of consideration to those who were invited to the event.
Outside the chaotic energy of everyone running around and trying to ensure the day ran smoothly, there was an incredibly strong sense of community from start to finish. When we arrived on Get Heavy’s behalf, we were instantly met with friendly smiles from anyone and everyone. Earlier in the year I started using the mantra ‘Community over Competition’, an aspect I focus on religiously when attending shows under any circumstance. It’s no secret that the grassroots scene has been struggling in recent years, and what makes that harder is when certain individuals make it more difficult by mistreating those around them. But Amplified Festival made it clear as day that this was a tight community that valued the idea of family and unity. The main reason everything ran so smoothly is because everyone did their part as well as going above and beyond. It was refreshing to see everyone lending a hand here or there, no matter how big or small the gesture was.
I could go on and on, but there are some points I’ll touch on when I do the music based reviews. To summarise this particular review – how successful was this year’s rendition of Amplified Festival? Incredibly so. Why? Because no-one treated it as a competition. Everyone treated this as a chance to unite and bond through their love and passion for grassroots music. From the organisers to the venues, bands to the fans – everyone was respectful and communicated clearly. From my perspective, there was no confusion about where to go, what you could and couldn’t do…the fact that everyone was within walking distance and timed in such a way that bands and fans had time to prepare themselves for each slot was executed perfectly.
Amplified Festival get the chance to return next year with their 10th anniversary, something that can be a rarity in the modern scene due to constant changes in the logistical side of it all. But if the team at Amplified can replicate what they did this year, along with bringing on such an talented range of bands, I can easily see them celebrating 20 and 30 years.
Amplified – I tip my hat to your efforts and contribution to the musical scene, and certainly can't wait to see what and who you have in store for next year's event.
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