REVIEW: DEVA Fest Chester Lakes

 

Deva Fest is Cheshire's very own music, food and lifestyle festival which caters for the whole family. Having had a break since 2019 Pre-Pandemic, the much loved festival returned to Chester Lakes for a three day extravaganza. I was only able to attend on Friday this year but enjoyed an enjoyable day of entertainment with my partner. The sun was cracking the flags and the spirits were high. It was so lovely to see people returning to enjoying music en-masse and spending quality time with their loved ones and friends.

The festival ran from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August. This review is based on my experience of the Friday proceedings.

The day kicked off with old school dance anthems. The rest of the weekend featured marvellous mermaids, music, pirates, parades and fairground rides. Musical guests including Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heather Small, Betty Boo, Scouting for girls and Dodgy provided the musical entertainment for the remainder of the weekend.

We arrived early afternoon and enjoyed a set by Chester DJ's Geddes & Gioia. They played some old school crowd pleasers much to the amusement of the revellers who were enjoying the sunshine and the vibes.

Geddes & Gioia - Chester DJ's

There was a gin and prosecco festival taking part in the imposing bell tent. The vibe was great in the tent. We caught a little bit of "Mister Tee" Samuels' set and the dance floor was full.

The main stage was home to the main acts. We watched Acoustic Odds briefly, however unfortunately the sound quality was quite poor, so we meandered back to the bell tent and sought refuge from the blazing sun. There were plenty of food stalls and independent vendors selling a variety of street food, from chips to Indian street food. Prices were expensive and in keeping with what you'd expect at a festival. 

The sun sets on a beautiful day 

Back to the main stage, we watched Dream Frequency with front man Ian Bland. The Electronic band which hails from Preston which originally featured American singer Deborah Sharp were renowned for their song "Feel So Real" which peaked in the charts at position 23 back in 1992. Whilst Deborah was not present, vocals were performed by Sherie Harthill.

Lead Vocals Sherie Harthill - Dream Frequency

Sherie's vocals were powerful and the set was quite commercial. I personally think that the dancers detracted from the music - the busy costumes and exuberant choreography was unnecessary. Ian on keys and his laptop accompanied by Sherie would have been more than enough. As it was early, the audience was quite scant and the vibe generated by the crowd was a little depleted, which was a shame. 

As the sun set and the music and drinks flowed, the coolness was welcomed. It was wonderful to see so many families and pets at the festival. The headline act was Symphonic Ibiza. I was blown away by them in 2019, so looked forward to seeing them this year. DJ Andy Joyce was joined by a full symphony orchestra conducted by the larger than life character that is Steve Etherington. The dance anthems were plentiful. Some of the biggest dance anthems were re-imagined and proved to be definite crowd pleasers. Tracks by Fat Boy Slim, Paul Oakenfold, Swedish House Mafia whipped the crowd into a frenzy. I was not as wowed this year by the headline. I attribute that to the vocals of some of the guest performers. I didn't enjoy the vocal delivery as much as in 2019. That said, Symphonic Ibiza gave a show and a half and bought the house down with their high vibrational offering to the gathered throng. It was great to see all ages appreciating the music and the ambience.

Overall, our experience of one day at Devafest was mostly positive. The facilities were great. The toilets were of the posh variety and there were plenty of options for food and drink. The music programmed was eclectic and there was something for everyone. It was extremely family and pet-friendly and it felt like a safe space to be. Congratulations to the organisers and the performers. Until next time.