Truck 2025 – Competition Assessment

Truck Competition
Hill Farm, Steventon, Oxfordshire
July 24th – July 27th 2025

Coated in sunscreen, carrying gentle clothes and with appropriate footwear, Keith Goldhanger (phrases) and Trev Eales (pics) journey to the Oxfordshire countryside for a protracted weekend of competition shenanigans to take inventory of what’s occurring in 2025

It’s summer season 2025 and followers of rousing guitar-based anthems are at the moment dwelling the dream. The view from the automotive park on Thursday afternoon signifies that the Oasis merchandise stalls have been doing properly just lately. The music coming from the automotive radios is inflicting anybody inside a number of toes to hitch in with any recognisable refrain they hear, the early arrivals are prepared and, as hinted at earlier Truck Festivals over time, it is a crowd able to sing together with all the pieces, whether or not it’s a rowdy, catchy, hyperactive guitar band or an ex-Eastenders character doing karaoke.

Thursday  

Ollie Prepare dinner,who opens the weekends proceedings with a assured efficiency simply as we enter the sector for the primary time, will get issues off to begin. The Slates from Yorkshire look excited to see such an enormous crowd becoming a member of in with their rousing choruses. They’re not the primary and gained’t be the final band who look as if they’re having the most important second of their lives this weekend. This comes after Corella appear to offer an identical upbeat efficiency on the principle stage, and couple of hours after the equally named Slate have show a assured efficiency on the most important stage a few of us have managed to see them on thus far. Ignoring the font measurement on the poster (and the scale of the respective levels), a night consisting of Bloc Occasion  ‘supporting’ East London favourites Good Well being Good Wealth can be thought of a good night time out by anybody’s requirements if, like a few of us, the music from the latter has just lately change into an everyday function in our day-to-day actions.

A few of us have been desirous to expertise a late-night efficiency at a competition from this duo for a few years now. Entrance man Bruce takes cost of the This Feeling stage, for these travelling between the principle stage and primary exit. Quite a bit keep and are hooked by the infectious dance anthems and intelligent lyrics being fed to them, and we’ve got our first large spotlight of what we all know will likely be a busy weekend. Between right here and the sector exit is The Market Stage the place over the weekend a number of very good DJ’s and producers offering noisy, digital dance tracks every night time after the bands have stopped taking part in are drawing folks in and stopping us from having an early night time. In fact, these folks accountable for the music may very well be any variety of acts that we attempt to seize the names of the subsequent day however battle as soon as we realise we do not know what time of night time it’s.

Friday

Day two begins with an informal stroll across the website within the hope of discovering any hidden gems we could have to research extra of one other time. It’s a bit hit or miss till Leeds noise outfit Thank plough into their early afternoon set, clearing our ears and reminding us that it’s not going to be all dance music and shouty choruses this weekend. Cowz on the principle stage convey a smile to our face as we witness a few individuals who we predict could have punk rock mother and father and an enormous Spice Ladies assortment again dwelling. Bicurious thrash away, offering brief, heavy instrumental riffs that goes down properly with the massive crowd watching, and after witnessing greater than half a dozen acts that we really feel we could not must see once more (however are at all times obtainable to be persuaded in any other case) we get again right down to the bread and butter of the bands that taking part in on large levels in entrance of giant crowds. The Huge Moon taking part in on a competition primary stage on a sunny afternoon has change into fairly an everyday incidence over the previous few years. Their refreshing songs and angelic voices calm us all down for some time earlier than the more and more common Reytons create scenes of extra our bodies on shoulders and a return to the anticipated Truck Competition habits that doesn’t seem to subside all weekend.

It’s noticeable that the pre-teens right here in the present day standing round with their mother and father are trying bored while Blossoms carry out a carbon copy of many earlier reveals we’ve witnessed over time. These similar kids do nonetheless appear to fireside themselves into life once more as soon as they’re dragged alongside to see acts comparable to Lambrini Ladies (or Fats Canine a day or two later). We get the identical present we’ve been getting from this trio for a few years now due to this fact the uninitiated could also be unaware of the present’s lack of spontaneity. Sure, the album is up there as one the highlights of the 12 months, however it feels that, reside, the music is now secondary. It’s getting a bit like a punk rock pantomime now we’re a few years down the road. Crouch down, leap up, break up the group, get as many individuals as you may to swear in regards to the police…..the standard phrase for phrase banter we witness at each Lambrini Ladies present. At all times value seeing however in peril of changing into as innovative as a Honey G efficiency.

In-between the massive acts through the day we wander out and in of the This Feeling tent and word that we’ve been watching a whole present by indie pop act Expensive Lily and PG Ciarletta, one other act who’ve a number of rousing guitar led anthems that we have to hear once more someday. Other than one dreadful second on Saturday afternoon (we’ll get again to this in a bit) there appears to be one thing value investigating on each obtainable stage. Sitting down for a relaxation shouldn’t be an choice.

Nothing However Thieves performed this competition early of their profession and are again in the present day as headliners. One other large crowd congregates on the primary stage, prepared to hitch in with the band’s vastly common songs (plus a No Doubt cowl model) however we get caught within the Market tent once more digesting a number of extra hours of thrilling digital beats from much more names we by no means caught, realizing that this space goes to be a go to identify as quickly as the principle stage has shut down for the night time. Again on the This Feeling stage (a few twenty second stroll away) Radio X presenter John Kennedy is giving the tons of in attendance precisely what they need within the type of Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Franz Ferdinand and naturally an compulsory Oasis medley that will get drowned out by the chanting late night time revellers squeezing out one final word earlier than shedding their voices utterly.

Saturday

The recent climate continues, and Saturday was at all times going to be one of many 12 months’s highlights as soon as the schedule was launched. Quirky pop outfit Canned Pineapple, who appear to be having fun with the competition as a lot as we’re, play a superb present on the principle stage. Westside Cowboy actually are as nice as we suspected they have been when first seen at Bedford’s Ceremony Competition a month or so in the past however Scouting For Ladies, who handle to achieve an enormous crowd due to there being nothing else going elsewhere on the similar time (we checked at the least 3 times), do nothing for these of us who need one thing thrilling and stimulating to observe earlier than our large Saturday night time begins.

Jasmine 4.T, Gurriers, Wunderhorse and the magnificent CMAT are all worthy of particular person nights out and appear to be showing in all places we go this summer season. Nonetheless, Fats Canine and The Final Dinner Occasion go away us satisfied that they’ll absolutely be worthy of headlining in a few years’ time. The previous are delayed for twenty-five minutes as a result of what we assume is a technical challenge (it’s by no means defined to us correctly), nonetheless as soon as the motion lastly begins, we’re engulfed in noisy dance anthems which are extra akin to The Prodigy than Insanity for the reason that inclusion of a second percussionist and violin participant. It’s a raucous, energetic and thrilling expertise that by no means ceases to relax in entrance of one of many weekends greatest mosh pits. As soon as over although, and earlier than we’ve even had a second to contemplate feeling that nobody can come near comply with this, it’s time to witness The Final Dinner Occasion placing on a present, calming us all down and leaving us breathless with a flamboyant efficiency that sits alongside Fats Canine as one other large spotlight of the lengthy weekend.

Courting over at The Nest return us to the heavy foot tapping punk rock that many people request day by day and put together us properly for Kasabian‘s headline slot that it feels everybody has gathered for tonight.

Klub Foot arrives early, as does Shoot The Runner and You’re In Love With A Psycho. Insomnia by Faithless is used to information us into Vlad The Impaler. LSF, Bless This Acid Home and Hearth are grouped collectively and we conclude that, regardless of the lineup adjustments pressured upon the band over latest years, Serge Pizzorno has managed to keep away from turning Kasabian right into a boring heavy steel band by offering us with the band all of us hoped for from the beginning: a palms within the air, euphoric, mass sing-along dance act with competition defining moments that all of us wish to expertise after a full day of gig attending. The band have cemented their place as the best competition title for the second decade operating, albeit with a distinct line up, however with songs that sound as robust and recent as they did after we first got here throughout them opening comparable festivals over 20 years in the past.

Again in our dancing area earlier than bedtime, the fantastic Messie from New Zealand is offering tunes and samples left proper and centre, instructing us that dropping in Dizzy Rascal’s Bonkers into the combo after midnight is the simplest method to double the scale of any crowd right now of night time.

Sunday

We’d by no means be capable to sustain with this spectacular occasion with out the very good choice of bands over the 4 days right here within the Oxfordshire countryside. The climate helps too as does the final perspective and habits of the Truck crowd as properly, in fact. Treading fastidiously across the campsite through the early hours is a pleasure to expertise. Teams of individuals gathered collectively chatting by the night time is one thing that Glastonbury can not accommodate anymore because of the restricted tickets anyone group of individuals can receive these days. Nobody’s exhibiting off or behaving idiotically throughout one of many warmest nights we will keep in mind at a competition due to this fact for many people it’s a sluggish begin to the ultimate day as our weary legs and lack of fresh garments ease us into the ultimate few laps of the principle area.

Lime Backyard handle a whole primary stage efficiency this 12 months (that they had the plug pulled for some very unusual motive a 12 months in the past), She’s in Events and Chloe Slater are value catching once more and we ultimately discover our hidden gem within the type of Black Nielson on the V & V stage, taking part in a number of meters away from the place an enormous display screen has been erected for the tons of of individuals following the English Ladies’s soccer ultimate. This Hampshire-based band could have a small crowd instantly in entrance of them, however outdoors the tent are tons of of pairs of ears listening in while additionally attempting to decipher what the soccer rating is. We set up that it is a band who’ve just lately reformed after a decade or so and conclude that their songs (Grandaddy, Sparklehorse…that form of factor) are precisely what we want on a sweltering afternoon comparable to this.

Maximo Park come throughout like a rock band on a cruise ship. Their fabulous acquainted songs justify their look on the principle stage, however this band have been made for smaller sweaty institutions, one thing we might have anticipated with Franz Ferdinand however don’t. Snappy riffs and easy dance beats that by no means appear to decelerate come quick and livid from the Glaswegians with out permitting the early night crowd a lot time to catch our breath. Not solely does Alex Kapranos announce the soccer end result (which had gone to penalties by this time), however they conveniently place Take Me Out earlier than the tip, permitting these of us desirous to meet up with Sports activities Crew on the different finish of the sector a sneaky retreat. Someplace in the course of all this, London indie-dance outfit Dwelling Counties are actually exhibiting a few of us that they now have extra nice tunes that want our consideration than we believed that they had a 12 months or so in the past after we first tapped our toes throughout an early night mid-week look inside one of many many small venues we like to go to again dwelling.

‘Throw something at me and I’ll catch it with my left hand’ shouldn’t be essentially the most accountable opening line to offer to a raging viewers who’re identified to be simply led, however Sports activities Crew‘s frontman Alex Rice units the tone early on for what have to be the most effective, funniest and raucous reveals all weekend. Dressed as an airline pilot and standing on the entrance of the stage with a tambourine in his mouth, palms behind his again like a sure Liam Gallagher, he’s the focus inside the massive tent from begin to end earlier than being halted from being a seamless efficiency by having the plug pulled for 5 minutes throughout Right here’s The Factor in the direction of the tip. Encouraging the group (who we already know are receptive to such requests) to type a human pyramid ‘excessive sufficient to achieve the ceiling’ appears to be on the stage safety’s bingo card earlier than the present has even begun (they’d been warned about this beforehand apparently).

Sports activities Crew have become fairly a particular band. Their third album (Boys These Days) launched earlier this 12 months continues the band’s sarcastic but genuine observations about trendy life. I’m in Love (Sabaru), beforehand thought of horrific, sits snuggly with the remainder of the band’s output when carried out reside. It’s merely one other small piece of a loopy jigsaw that makes this band what they’re in the present day. Massively entertaining, authentic and nonetheless the identical as after we first crossed paths with them opening proceedings inside a venue lower than half the scale of the stage they’re acting on in the present day.

Courteeners headlining and shutting the competition primary stage don’t disappoint. They by no means have actually – it’s one other triumphant look, and it appears we’re in the course of the most important sing-along of the weekend to enrich each catchy refrain. We get fireworks to go with the chorus to What Took You So Lengthy, a canopy model of It Should Be Love for anybody who hasn’t been singing alongside but, and a set of songs that appear to boost the euphoric viewers increased and better the longer the present goes on.

It’s the right method to finish 4 days of battling the warmth, attempting to observe a bit of all the pieces there may be to see, and making an attempt to get again to the campsite at night time with out spending a few hours dancing to the beats coming from the Market Stage. Many attendees right here will little question be visiting Oasis within the close to future and realising that, when understanding what’s been spent this weekend divided by the variety of nice bands obtainable, then Truck wouldn’t simply have gained palms down however has additionally offered a number of folks with extra of these sweary bucket hats that have been worn by many and positively required all weekend.

Truck Competition has but once more been an enormous success for all which have walked by these dry, hectic fields. One other robust line-up for 4 days that has stored us all entertained, and our diaries will likely be ear marked for an additional nice weekend in twelve months time.

Tickets are already obtainable for 2026 Truck Competition. To achieve presale entry and the primary probability to get tickets at the most effective value, enroll now right here 

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Phrases by Keith Goldhanger. Images by Trev Eales. Extra writing by Keith on Louder Than Warfare might be discovered at his creator’s archive. You can even discover Keith on Fb and Twitter (@HIDEOUSWHEELINV).