End Of The Road Festival: Friday roundup

Even after a rainy night, spirits remained high among eager festival goers at Dorset’s End Of The Road Festival, as the sun came out to welcome the first full day of music on Friday.

The first artist we caught of the day was Uwade. Born in Nigeria and raised in North Carolina, the singer brings both guitar skills and smooth vocals to create a sound that’s a perfect blend of soul and indie-folk. 

After catching Uwade, we headed over to The Boat stage to catch one of this year’s End Of The Road’s Next Wave contest winners, Rubie, whose experimental sound and raw vocals are nothing short of captivating. Preaching that time signatures are ‘inherently gay’, Glasgow-based Rubie brings experimental, norm-breaking music back to its queer roots, crafting a refreshing approach to music that is not to be missed. 

An expressive set from The Bug Club over on the Woods stage featured an electric opening with punchy banger Suck It, formed of almost spoken-word verses wrapped around energetic rock instrumental sections. The energy levels stayed undwindlingly up with a performance from C.O.F.F.I.N in the Big Top, a hard rock & roll four-piece hailing from Sydney, Australia. 

Back outside on the Garden stage, we caught The Orchestra (For Now) for a spellbinding string of genre-bending, explorational hits. Packed with expressive vocals and alternative sounds, the set was admirably adventurous and the group are undoubtedly one to watch.

Broadside Hacks took over the Garden stage later on for its show, ‘A Celebration of The Incredible String Band’. The London-based collective and record label wrapped the space in an immersive, multi-level sound created by musicians and folk artists, offering a great moment for stillness, reflection and community. 

Goat, a Swedish alternative and experimental group, took to the Woods stage for a performance that showcased some of the best in fusion music. Formed from a spiritual collective, the group blended together a range of sounds to form a set that was oozing with energy, spirit and top level performance quality. 

To close the night, we moved between two distinctive sets from Caribou and Matt Berninger. Canadian musician Caribou headlined the day of music, delivering an infectiously energetic set of danceworthy beats which were well-received by the crowd.

Meanwhile, over at the Garden stage, Matt Berninger brought a different vibe to the night, with mellow, heartfelt tunes that made for a passionate performance.

Photography by Emma Last