Brand-free, eschewing sponsorship, and letting kids in for free, the Hop Farm Festival in Paddock Wood, Kent, has risen steadily in stature to become one of the major fixtures on the UK festival circuit. If the festival is young, most of its audience and stars are of a certain age. Last year saw Morrisey, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Manu Chao headline, while Prince played his only UK show there.
This year the emphasis was on great English eccentrics like Ray Davies, Suede, the Psychedelic Furs and, enjoying his newly hip status, Gary Numan, while the likes of White Denim, Race Horses, The Tallest Man on Earth and Slow Club represented the new breed. All events have to have a cutting-edge comedian these days, so in true Hop Farm style, Sir Bruce Forsyth was there to puncture pomposity, be fiercely satirical and speak truth to power.
Photographer Imelda Michalczyk spent the weekend on site for theartsdesk, shooting scores of musicians on the Main Stage, Big Tent and Bread & Roses arena. Here we present the very best of her images, capturing the flavour of a rich and varied weekend of music under a somewhat shy English sun.
