Field Maneuvers proved that the UK's rave spirit is alive and well

Brackles – Potala Palace, Saturday

Following a Ben UFO set is no easy task, but Brackles came out all guns blazing to close out the night and injected the tent with even more vigour with an unapologetically banger-laden mix of predominantly bassline, funky and garage. Gun fingers were thrown up passionately to the scuzzy, pumping selections, with some outrageous blends such as ‘Let’s Groove’ into Nu-Birth’s ‘Anytime’ as the party spirit hit its silly peak. Elsewhere, ‘Dooms Night’ went off to the extent it always does (i.e. a lot), and Fuzzy Logik’s ‘In The Morning’ had us yearning for that tentative UK funky revival to get into full swing.

Dance Tunnel Soundsystem – IDIOTS, Sunday

If one criticism were to be levelled at Field Maneuvers it would be that the vibe walking around the site on Saturday daytime felt slightly flat, with the music contained to indoor tents and no night-time excitement set in. The torrential downpour probably didn’t help either. Sunday fixed this issue with the opening of the outdoor IDIOTS stage. With set options reduced from three to one, it gave all the remaining attendees reason to gather together in one place under the late-summer sun, lounging contentedly on outdoor sofas and hay bales, or up and dancing to the unerringly on-point soundtrack. Dance Tunnel Soundsystem selectors John Gomez, Dan Beaumont b2b Hannah Holland and Arnaldo expertly curated the mood, feeding into the lazy atmosphere early doors with Nami Shimada’s ‘Sunshower’ instrumental before steadily ramping energy upwards as the day wore on with upbeat disco and invigorating house. After their set everyone present gathered for a huge group photo, even cheering the police who got involved. It underlined the boundless positivity that defined the festival. There’s plenty of discord between ravers and police, especially in light of fabric’s closure, but at Field Maneuvers everyone was family.