10 THINGS WE LOVED ABOUT ONBLACKHEATH 2016

Words: Victoria Purcell

1 Country Girl
Saturday night headliners Primal Scream took their time in the build up to Country Girl, which made it all the more wonderful when the track finally dropped and the crowd, already buoyed by a fantastic Hot Chip set and plenty of Primal big hitters, went nuts! Check them out at Glastonbury in 2013:

2 The glittery sign
Nobody can resist a photo with the glittery ‘ON’ sign. Getting a shot without somebody jumping up to pose in front of it, however, required patience! The sign even had its own minder…

It’s all over till next year #OnBlackheath you were amazing! #FestivalSeason #LiveMusic #LondonLive #LondonFestival #LondonLife #SummersOver #TillNextYear #Blackheath

A video posted by The Resident (@theresidentlondon) on

3 Cool for Cats
The crowd went nuts when Squeeze, from just down the road in Deptford, burst into Cool for Cats. The sun was blazing, the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir – who had taken to the stage earlier on Sunday lunchtime – popped back up to make the experience even more magical.

4 DJ BBQ’s ensemble
DJ BBQ is quite a guy. He does food, he does music, he does good banter and he knows how to dress. Well, that’s assuming everybody loves a guy in a skin-tight American-flag bodysuit. As well as providing great beef and tunes throughout the day – smoking beats and meats – his burger van is where those in the know flock for the ‘afterparty’, and he still managed to show us all how to really barbecue chicken at the John Lewis Chef’s Stage on Sunday.

5 James’ Tim Booth dancing
When Tim Booth dances, the world watches. Here is a man without inhibition. Here is a man whose dancing take me right back to Clubland 1990. Here is a man you want to go out on the tiles with. We’ve missed James. Tragically they didn’t play Sit Down, but the crowd went nuts when they played Laid.

6 Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch dancing
Oh we have been spoiled! So many wonderful displays of carefree prancing! Stuart Murdoch knows how to rock a stage. And when he invited some members of the crowd up onto the stage to dance with him, well, there were shapes being thrown the likes of which I’ve never seen.

7 The charming Edwyn Collins
A girl just wants to feel special, and when Edwyn Collins croons that he’s never met A Girl Like You before, you feel pretty special. He rocked the Heavenly Stage on Sunday afternoon with some excellent musicianship from Edwyn and the band.

8 A well-timed loo break
You know that feeling when you pop to the loo and catch one of the early 90’s biggest tunes? That. Saint Etienne just so happened to be breaking into Only Love Can Break Your Heart as nature called and, wow, I’d completely forgotten about this track. Add it to your favourites list!

9 Getting soaked and not caring
Never have two days been such polar opposites. Gloomy skies and persistent rain dominated Saturday, while Sunday was all blazing sunshine. Not that that dampened spirits as the crowd awaited Hot Chip on Saturday, letting loose to Over and Over, One Life Stand and more.

OnBlackheath 2016 got off to a rainy start

10 A Sunday Smokestak
It’s the Sunday afternoon after the Saturday night and you’re feeling less than 100%, but you know that, at the far end of site, just by the John Lewis Cookery School, there’s Smokestak. Their low and slow cooked beef brisket in a bun, served up with just a few chopped chillis for company, is one of the best things you’ll ever eat.

Beef on beef. That time we got imaginative on #nationalburgerday @streetfeastldn #bonemarrow #pickledredchillis #brisket #agedpatty | thanks for the shot @dinesphotography

A photo posted by SMOKESTAK (@smokestakuk) on