This is a review of a music festival, but it may not be be much like the other reviews you read in newspapers or other, cooler music sites. These are mainly about the bands, as the writer flits from performance to performance, trying to cram as many short reviews of different acts without being too overcrowded. Usually, if it’s a good review, they’ll also try to convey some of the atmosphere of the festival. In times past, I’ve tried to do that too. Indeed, the first year I attended End of the Road Festival, I tried to cram in as many shows as possible, and write about them at length, accompanied by photos. If that’s what you’re expecting, sorry.

The truth is, festivals are a very different experience as a parent. I’m not complaining though. Rather, I’ve embraced this status (this is the third year) as the way things are now and that’s cool. So while the pre-festival forum chatter was about band clashes, not much of that was relevant to me. My clashes were more about which bands clashed with Growl Junior’s meals, naps, bedtime and other family activities. Therefore much-anticipated sets from Dirty Projectors, Okkervil River, Steve Earle and Neko Case, were far less seen than heard. Thankfully the main stage sounstystem is good enough, and the lovely fairy light-lit woods are close enough so that I heard most of these sets loud and clear as I read bedtime stories to the girl in the little woodland library. We actually got to see some of Dirty Projectors - crucially Stillness is the Move, so I got to watch my favourite song of the year, the female members of the band bustin’ R’n’B moves as the Growl family looked on, eating sheep’s milk ice cream. I was even given a brief moment of fatherly pride as the little ‘un leapt around to said song, before we carted her off to bed.