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IT has become a muc- loved date in the calendar for festival fans – and Standon Calling, in the heart of Hertfordshire, is nearly upon us.

 

The annual country shindig has close links to Camden and Islington, with acts from the area each year making their way to the beautiful site.

 

Recent performers who have rocked the weekend away include some of NW1 and NW5’s finest: Mr Hudson, DJ Bok Bok and the Book Club Boutique.

 

The Kentish Town-based Dig It Sound System has been at Standon for four years in a row now.

 

Dig It features a DJ booth built from scrap wood with a whopping sound system on top, and is pulled by a tricycle.

 

Dig It’s four DJs will be rocking festival-goers from the moment the gates open to the end of the weekend with an eclectic mix of vinyl party movers.  

 

Festival director Graham MacVoy has the arduous task of bettering what has gone the previous year.

 

The site, which includes a swimming pool and an all-night venue stuck in former farmyard buildings, has always been a great place to party – but Graham is never content to simply do what worked the year before.

 

He says: “We have a really creative ethos here and want the site to surprise people, so we put a lot of energy into making the place look incredible. 

 

“Standon is also an  artistic experience.”

 

The festival started as a birthday party for the site owner, Alex Trenchard, but soon grew from being a barbecue with a set of decks into what it is today.

 

And the festival prides itself on finding those acts about to hit the big time.

 

Previous headliners have included Florence and the Machine, Friendly Fires, Mumford and Sons and The Noisettes before they enjoyed the profiles they do today. 

 

This is always mixed up with classic festival acts who like the Standon vibe and are willing to do a gig for 5,000.

 

They include Buena Vista Social Club, Super Furry Animals, Hawkwind, and Femi Kuti & The Positive Force – not bad for one of the smaller events of the year.

 

Graham says he has some surprises up his sleeve, and, most of all, something he calls “The Big Reveal” on the Saturday night.

 

“I’m not telling you what it is,” he says. “But I’ll say this: the site will go completely dark, all the sound systems go off, and then...” 

 

But no matter what acts are booked, how fat the speakers are, how spacious the camping areas or good the weather, the key to Standon lies somewhere else entirely.

 

“It’s the people who come, and come back each year,” says Graham.

 

“That is simply the most important factor, We seem to just basically get a really nice bunch who show up. 

 

It is a really friendly event.”

 

As well as the interesting line-up which each year breaks acts before they have entered the national consciousness, the festival has the Under Covers Literary Lounge, which features spoken word and discussion as well as a rocking sound system once the microphones have been laid down.

 

This year it is headlined by Howard Marks, and part curated by his daughter, Amber. 

 

New Journal contributor and City and Islington College English tutor Hannah Lowe is among those appearing.

 

• Standon Calling, August 12-14, www.standon-calling.com