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Blog: Found Festival
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We met Chris and Rifa at Milton Keynes station and then Chris drove us to the festival site, where everything worked super-smoothly. It was like a bigger version of Pop At The Lock or similar, as there was a small tent next to the entrance where we got our wrist-bands from, and then Chris went to park the car near our STAGE while the rest of us mooched through the site to the same destination.
Continuing the comparisons, inside it was like a slightly bigger version of Indietracks, with several stages, lots of food, and a LOVELY atmosphere. The only differences were that instead of CAN CRUSH they had ceilidh dancing and instead of trains they had a massive great STATELY HOME which stood overlooking the whole site like someone had forgotten to switch the Jane Austen off. It was amazing!
Much to my relief also the ground was NOT MUDDY despite the recent rains, so my entire week WORRYING about it had all been for naught!
When we arrived at the stage we found all-round excellent person Mr G Osborn, who we'd not seen for AGES, and exchanged HUGS. Chris then re-joined us and we had a rather delightful couple of hours sitting around chatting and drinking BEERS various, including Low Alcohol for me. I well remembered what happened almost ten years ago when I performed at Found's predecessor, Towersey Festival. In my MIND I recall being DRUNK and messing up the whole thing by continually wandering off stage for wees and beers during a set with Gav and Grace Petrie, but according to my own report of the time it wasn't QUITE that bad. Still, I wanted to do a good show so I remained SOBER!
Soon it was time to go and get ourselves together, so we got set up then went backstage and changed into our STAGE CLOTHES. Yes, you read that correct - STAGE CLOTHES! For LO! I have got a GIG SUIT now, although in all the excitement I'd put it on a bit early so we ended up hanging around in the backstage area/TENT for ten minutes longer than absolutely necessary before going on and doing THIS:
When You Hear A Bird
Chips And Cheese, Pint Of Wine
Wrong About Everything
Say It With Words
Was This What You Wanted
The Perfect Love Song
7 Hearts
In The North Stand
Timewasters
It Only Works Because You're here
It went really well! The audience got into the idea of it all, Chris was GRATE, and I managed to remember nearly all of the words, only forgetting one line in the first verse of In The North Stand which we went back and did again.
The songs, I think, sounded lovely and it was v exciting to be doing Timewasters for the first time EVER. The loveliest bit was being in front of other people while listening to Chris, and ADAPTING to what he was doing and vica versa, like when I could hear an extra SOLO was going to be needed and then being supplied, and also knowing when to start my bit again. This is perhaps not the CORRECT way to describe this kind of thing, but if felt pretty groovy at the time.
The bits in between songs also felt good, although weirdly different to what I'm used to. Obviously the PROFESSIONAL SOBRIETY meant that I may not have been quite as lugubrious as usual, and the fact that most of the songs are not regulars in my usual sets meant I do not have SHALL WE SAY pre-loved introductions for them, so that was quite an exciting Creative Experience as well.
It was a fabulous time all round really, and when we cam off stage it really felt like we were at the BEGINNING of something. I mean, obviously there's more gigs and indeed an ALBUM to come, but this also felt like an EARLY MEMORY for something that is going to accrue many more.
And then, to make a DELIGHTFUL day even MORE delightful, we got off site without any hassle, to Milton Keynes with ease, and then back home before midnight. What a GRATE day!
posted 2/9/2026 by MJ Hibbett
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