End of the Road 2024

What a way to end the summer. Our second of what will be an annual outing was a long weekend of glorious music and child wonderment. As EOTR feels like two festivals smashed into one, let’s dive into each separately.

Music #

A fantastically diverse and top-tier lineup as evidenced by the headliners: Idles, Slowdive, and Yo La Tengo. Three very different experiences. Idles have been blowing apart much larger stages worldwide, so getting this show on such a small stage, a sort of trademark of End of the Road, felt special. Before Joe and his band of Bristolians took the stage, Sleater-Kinney gave us a career-spanning set of indie-noise. These were expected highlights, but new music discovery is what will bring me to End of the Road as long as I can hobble down there.

Friday opened with Holiday Ghosts, whose blissful garage sound lifted me out of my tent, tugging my kids behind so we could see what the hell this was. The kids danced harder the next day at The Lemon Twigs, a band with timeless pop songs everyone enjoyed. But my favourite moment was Snooper, late Sunday night on the Folly. Their set encapsulated End of the Road so perfectly: a crowd containing all generations of rock fans, from headbanging boomers down to an 8-year-old girl who stage dived to her dad, the crowd then carrying her around as Nashville’s incredible fast-paced country-punk band melted our faces.

I thought back to all the historic pits I watch on YouTube, from Ramones 1977 London to Bad Brains 1982 NYC to RATM 1996 PinkPop, and the Snooper pit 2024 EOTR felt like I was swimming in that history.

It’s worth noting that EOTR started out in 2006 with an “Americana” focus on its music. Organiser Simon Taffe understands the breadth of that genre, knowing it’s not just folky nostalgia, but a complex array of sounds. So of all the festivals in the season, End of the Road features the widest selection of fantastic North American touring bands. While we love to celebrate the music of the UK and Europe, you’ll get the most unique international collection of music at End of the Road. No one else booked Snooper, to everyone else’s detriment. (They had a few club dates but EOTR was the only festival with enough insight to book the new band on Jack White’s “Third Man Records” label.)

Families #

My kids now call this “The Marble Run Festival.” The infrastructure in the family field is so impressive, particularly considering how small the festival is. It feels like a wooded haven, with gorgeous trees to climb and games to play. The other end of the site features more children’s activities, with circus toys, crafts, peacocks, and soft music. And just outside the Big Top, a wooden mini-golf set allows your children to whack balls while you nod your head to the punk and metal emanating from the two dark doors.

The Big Top is a great hard-music party inside, but taking in the kids is nearly impossible, certainly not without top-of-the-line ear defenders. And that’s why I describe it as two separate festivals. The children’s activities and rock music offerings aren’t as blended as they could be. Bearded Theory does this well at the start of the season by placing the kids’ field at the top of the main stage area, while Glastonbury and Camp Bestival feature open-sided Big Top tents where you can hover at the edge to fully experience the act while keeping kids’ ears safe. But I appreciate what EOTR is offering hard music fans, so I’ll miss out on the heavy stuff until mine are a bit older. Introduce them to the slam metal when they’re ready to see it in full.

As ever, I highly recommend this festival to those looking for a full musical experience. It’s not for frolickers; it’s for the live aural experience. No one on the festival circuit assembles that better.