Bringing a roster of the ever reliable Lost Map label. The Kentish audience were introduced to three excellent sets from Blind Yeo, Dominie Hooper, and the ever fun Owen and the Eyeballs.

Although a bit of trek from Hertfordshire, requiring me to use the dreaded rail replacement buses. The event had a great warm feeling about it. The venue was fantastic. The Kent audience clearly appreciative of this new festival and Daylight’s contribution to it. If the festival happens again, next year, I would be tempted to stay and experience the full weekend of music.

Big photo dump of the soundchecks and performances.

As usual the music was a buffet of music styles to sample. Not all of it was to my taste. But for me, that’s not the point of these all-dayers. It’s a chance to catch new bands without the need to traipse between stages. Highlights for me the gothy Velvetine, Spanish Horses, St Clair, the last minute subs, Sounds Mint and the Adult DVD.

Before the music even starts I have already booked for Rockaway Beach 2027. Is this the perfect way to start the New Year, or is there actually something wrong with me? If this is an addiction, I am not sure it is one that I want to fix.

This is the earliest a Rockaway Beach has started. If I am honest, it is too close to the New Year for me and there were notable absences amongst friends who felt the same. A few years ago, I missed one due to COVID and I now tend to be careful in the run-up to the festival and restrict my activities a few day before it starts. Being so early, it put a slight damper on the end of my Christmas holidays. The early start, also didn’t give me any chance to work off some of the Christmas excesses and I have to admit, after nearly two weeks of sitting in front of the TV, I found the whole weekend a bit of an effort. Next year, the festival is at the end of the first week of January, which should work much better.

This year’s Rockaway Beach departed slightly from their usual template of legacy bands headlining and younger bands playing during the day. With two relatively young bangs headlining the Friday and Sunday, in the form of Soft Play and English Teacher, with PiL playing the Saturday night. I think this is a really positive move. I much prefer to see a new band, than a legacy band and it gives young bands the opportunity to move themselves up the booking lists for summer shows. It was great to see both young headliners, stepping up. But more on that later.

Arriving on site, it was clear that Butlins also found this to be an early start. They had literally just kicked out their New Year’s party guests and during the Friday, there were signs everywhere of the New Year festivities. I think everyone must have had streamers, they were everywhere, even the photo pit. (My room was clean through). However, as always, the wonderful Butlins staff managed to clear away the mess and by the evening, only the festive lights and the cold, reminded us that we were still in the Christmas holiday period.

Friday started a little bit later. Several bands had pulled out due to illness. The big risk for a January festival. I imagine the organisers dread every email and phone call their receive over the Christmas break. The later start meant the venue was probably the busiest it has been for the first act. Y, opened with an an impressive set of catchy songs that really warmed up the audience. I have seen Y a few times. But this was their best performance so far. A really excellent way to start the weekend.

This year, Rockaway continued to use the Centre Stage for the daytime music and the big warehouse-like Studio 36 for the evening headliner. The sound in both these venues is good. However, the problem remains that Studio 36 is pretty soulless. Several people I spoke to wanted to go back to Reds. But like me, they were the same people who complained about the poor sound in that venue. As much as I miss Reds, I think this is the better compromise.

The bigger stage also allows the young bands to hone their stage craft. Several of the bands said that Centre stage was the biggest crowd or stage they had played. I think Rockaway is becoming a winter training camp to ready bands for the summer’s festivals.

Stepping up at the last minute and the winner of Rockway Beach 2026 was ELLIS-D. A late replacement for one of the bands who had called in sick. ELLIS-D was new to most in the audience. Like Denmark, who in 1992 came from the beach to replace Yugoslavia in Euro 1992 and went on to win it. ELLIS-D completely owned the big stage, blasting through a tight set of his gothy post-punk psychedelia. When he said he only had one more song, there was a genuine sound of disappointment, only to be matched by the joy of him telling everyone it was 10 minutes long. I hadn’t seen ELLIS-D for about 18 months. On this evidence. The band have stepped up to another level. A really excellent performance.

Opening Studio 36, Idlewild left me bewildered. They were going down a storm with the audience. Some of whom had only come to the festival to see the band. I have to admit, I must have been missing something. They were tight. But they left me feeling disengaged.

Headlining the big stage were Soft Play, previously the Slaves. I have seen them numerous times, right from their very earliest days, when they played to an empty room at the Horn in St Albans. I love the energy these guys put into every performance. By the time I had left the pit, Laurence had split kicked several times and had already gone into the audience. I have seen them headline stages at other festivals. So this wasn’t anything new for them. However, they were playing to an audience who in the main didn’t know who they were, and they had the Rockaway crowd in the palm of their hands.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of their set, I headed back to Centre Stage to catch Mandrake Handshake with the intention of shooting a few songs and then returning. However, the pit closed as I got there, and heading back to Studio 36, I got waylaid by friends. But this is what is great about Rockaway. Rockaway has become the winter meeting point of so many summer festival goers. I think one year they need to play a festival version of the ‘Kevin Bacon separation game’. I’m pretty sure everyone at the festival can relate themselves to another person within two or three degrees of festival or local gig scene separation.

Closing the evening on Centre Stage, Antony Szmierek was in full ‘red coat’ mood. Fully embracing his end of evening slot, to bring some fun before we headed to bed. I think somebody should have given him a red coat. He was clearly enjoying the experience.

Opening up Saturday’s activities, Bruise Control took no prisoners. Everyone was shuck awake by their powerful performance of direct punk songs.

The next two bands gave people turning up with a hangover, more of a chance of easing themselves into Saturday. Returning to Rockaway Beach, Winter Gardens sound had grown more expansive. Atmospheric, gothic, with a moments of intense wailing guitars. It was a perfect palate cleanser after the directness of Bruise Control. Whitelands, who followed, continued with an excellent set of Shoegaze.

A new discovery for me, French band, We Hate You Please Die, at times reminded me of Sonic Youth, with a touch of the angular guitars Gilla Band used so well. If I didn’t know they were French, I would have sworn they were another Irish band produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox.

I have seen Gans several times. Always on a small stage. They effortlessly shifted up a gear to make their set work on a big stage. I can see them having a very strong 2026 and I expect them to be playing venues like the Kentish Town Forum by the end of the year.

Over at Studio 36, a band I have had the pleasure to see develop from their Shacklewell days. Dry Cleaning brought their weird presence to the vast warehouse space. Their big draw is Florence’s spoken word stories. While the guitars swirl in the background, Florence performs her musings with minimum movement, but maximum expression. I never expect this to transfer to big stages. Through the camera lens, her performance is engaging and fascinating, but you need to be close to appreciate her acting. How does this transfer to a big audience? I honestly don’t know. But it does. While I briefly dipped out to see TV Smith on the second stage, I headed back to catch the end of their set. One of my highlights of the weekend.

Saturday headliner, PiL, played their usual game of requiring photographers to sign away copyright. I have done this in the past and if this was their gig, fine. But it’s a festival. Given I make every photo free under a Creative Commons license. It shouldn’t really make any difference to me. However, I don’t like the person John Lydon has turned into, so out of spite, I left and headed back to the Centre Stage which gave me a chance to finally catch Walt Disco, who played an excellent set of new music. This was my first opportunity to catch them and they seem to have toned down their glam flamboyance. But it was still a fine set.

Closing the evening where two Fat White family related bands. The first, Insecure Men seemed an odd late evening booking. Arriving on the stage smoking, pissing off the Bultins team. They proceeded to play a rather bland set. Thankfully, the excellent Moonlandingz got the party going, to close the evening.

Sunday had a more laidback feeling. Baggio, who seemed to have dragged half of south London’s musicians with them, played laid back ‘clever’ musician music. You know that noodly stuff that has been leaking out of London’s music schools for the last few years. It’s not my thing. But they sounded pleasantly clever and were suitable for those nursing heavy heads from Saturday night.

Shadowtail impressed me before Christmas. Ethereal vocals over textured layers of shoegaze isn’t usually my thing. However, I’m a sucker for bands who play guitars with a violin bow. Apparently, last year they changed their lineup. This new lineup has a lot of potential and I will catch them again.

Closing Centre Stage for another year, Inspiral Carpets, did little to inspire me. I found them bland in the 90s. They were just as bland here. Thankfully, over on Studio 36, Coach Party really stepped up to the big stage. I have only ever seen them play small shows and small festival stages. They have great energy, but I honestly never expected them to be this good on a big stage. Their set was probably a bit long and maybe they need to tweak the running order. However, they had their air of a band ready for the challenge to become an arena band. It impressive to see how much they’ve developed.

Closing the festival were English Teacher. I am going to be honest, I think English Teacher are overrated. However, I was so pleased to see Rockaway give them a chance to headline. They did a great job of expanding their sound to the larger stage. Lily’s vocals were immaculate and at times stunning. While they didn’t change my opinion of them, I prefer more energy from my headliners, they are clearly ready to play the biggest stages. Maybe they need a touch more stage craft so that there is a performance to be seen at the back of a big crowd. But they appeared to be ready to step up. Rockaway is the perfect festival to offer new bands the opportunity to headline a big stage. They had sold 50% of their ticket for 2027 before the end of the weekend. Many of us return for the experience. The music is a bonus.

Another successful year and Rockaway has revitalised me after Christmas and wetted my appetite for what the 2026 music scene will deliver. There still remains issues with accessibility in Studio 36 that needs to be sorted out. But Butlins staff continue to be brilliant, in pretty much every other way. The festival has now pretty much nailed the January format and this has become the perfect post-Christmas break. I will be back next year.

Best Festival: Krankenhaus

Krankenhaus continues to be my favourite festival. I seem to have become the festival’s unofficial ‘official’ photographer. Another great weekend with lots of friends, fantastic castle staff, and accommodating local pub. It strained me a bit this year. The Guardian asked the festival for photos for the morning after festival for half a dozen performances. I had to edit during the last day of the festival and into the early hours. The last day was a bit too much like work. However, this took nothing away from the joyfulness of the weekend. The festival creates such a glorious community bubble that you don’t want to leave. Outside our bubble the flag shaggers were imposing their idea of ‘Englishness’ across the country. Inside the bubble – the kind of Britain I want to live in. Every time I leave Ravenglass, I leave a little bit of me behind.

After the festival finished, we believed it was taking a year off. But then they announced a 2026 festival. Hopefully, I can find some accommodation in Ravenglass. I really don’t want to camp. But I will be there no matter what.

Best New Festival: Mutations Festival

SXSW London should have been a major milestone for the capital. The premier festival for discovering new music opening a London edition. Due to a combination of poor planning, an artist boycott and extortionate badge prices, the inaugural event fell flat on its face.

A new St Albans all-dayer made a good attempt of creating an indie festival for Hertfordshire. While it had an excellent lineup, attendance was low. I think with some tweaks, such as including local bands, they should be able to get the numbers up.

A new festival for me was the Mutations festival in Brighton. Think of it as a low key Great Escape. A multi-venue festival with a more concentrated lineup and smaller audience, guaranteeing easier access to venues and less chance of settling for watching a band I’m not interested in. However, because of this, it is a festival where I will only attend if the lineup interests me.

Best Gig: Jehnny Beth at Camden Festival

For a short time, the Savages burnt with an intense flame. The flag bearers of the post-punk revival. Then they were no more. But the flame still burns brightly in Jehnny Beth. From the first minute, she completely dominated Camden Assembly. The energy and passion she brought to the Savages were still there. Playing music from her excellent new album and featuring her long time collaborator, Johnny Hostile, she showed that she is still a force of nature.

Album of the Year: The New Eve Is Rising

Another year when my listening habits have been curtailed by daily meetings and listening to too many podcasts and audio plays when I’m walking around London. However, there were a few highlights.

Heartworms finally released their debut album, ‘Glutten for Punishment’. Maybe slightly less intense than her EPs. But it was a good debut album.

‘Constant Noise’ by Benefits, took the energy and rage of their debut album but turned down the noise and increased the beats. The perfect soundtrack for the revolution.

However, there was only one contender for album of the year. ‘New Eve Is Rising’ by the New Eves. Folk music influenced by the Velvet Underground. Folk music with angular guitars and cellos. I find there is something hypnotic about the sound they have created.

Most listened to albums

• Band of Holy Joy – Scorched Jerusalem
• Benefits – Constant Noise
• Big Special – National Average
• Goddess – Goddess
• Heartworms – Glutten for Punishment
• Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You
• Jim Ghedi – Wastelands
• Richard Dawson – End of the Middle
• Sprints – All That Is Over
• The Wants – Bastard

Best Music in a film: Sinners

Stunning use of blues and traditional Irish music. Miles Canton, gives a standout performance, both as an actor and singer, as a blue musician.

Favourite Photo: Heartworms at the Bedford Esquires

I keep coming back to this photo of Jojo from the Heartworms. I photographed her a few times over the last few years. I know that early in her set she plays a theremin and there is a point where she stares intensely. This day I only had my pocket camera and was shooting from the crowd. Although later in the year, I photographed her with full gear and from the pit. However, the combination of stage height, position and lighting meant this was the perfect capture.