On what would usually be a quiet Sunday evening, on September 24, Wood Green was overrun by the “twee.” Fans of singer-songwriter Cavetown (Robin Skinner) headed up the hill toward the iconic Alexandra Palace for the aptly titled Bittersweet Daze Festival.
Joining Cavetown during the day was an eclectic mix of artists billed as friends of his, beginning with American duo Cafuné, who got the building crowd warmed up with their delicate indie-pop approach. Their short but sweet set had the desired effect and came to a close with their TikTok viral hit “Tek It.”
Up next was Tessa Violet, who treated the audience to a seven-song set predominantly composed of songs from her most recent release. Her third album, My God!, released in July this year, and saw a reinvention of the singer into a highly confident artist. This was visually apparent during this show as she twirled around the stage in an eye-catching pink outfit and belted out tracks like “Bad Bitch” and older favorite, “Crush.”
Alfie Templeman then hit the stage, an indie kid dream, but with a level of versatility that some of his contemporaries don’t possess. By this point, the room was filling, and all seemed to be hooked on Templeman and his band as they powered through particularly brilliant album cuts (e.g., “Wait, I Lied”) and ended the set with the titular track from his 2020 album, “Happiness In Liquid Form.”
The penultimate artist to play that evening was dodie (Dorothy Clark), who has built up a cult following in the years she’s been performing. With just one album but several EPs under her belt, there was plenty of material to choose from, but dodie picked out what she thought would appeal to the Bittersweet Daze majority who were, as she quipped on stage, “queer nerds.”
The set, as expected given that promise, included “Rainbow” and “She,” two songs written by Clark about her bisexuality, plus a more recent release, “Lonely Bones,” and older favorite, “Party Tattoos.”
After 12 songs, dodie left the stage, and a robotic voice announced that she could continue the set—at least not alone. She then returned, joined by the other members of her indie-pop supergroup, FIZZ (Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown, and Greta Isaac), to perform their single “The Secret to Life.” dodie then closed off the set by herself, with “In the Middle,” and “Hate Myself,” much to the enthusiasm of the crowd.
By the time Cavetown came on, the room was buzzing with excitement. Alexandra Palace’s set-up had the main stage room connected to another room that acted as a food court and bar, and everyone had filed in from the latter so that space in front of the stage was packed from wall to wall.
The set started with “worm food,” a bedroom pop anthem fresh from the 2022 album of the same name, before leading into “frog” off the same record. Cavetown has a brilliant method of captivating the crowds he plays before, creating an affinity with his fans that artists on his level seldom seem to do anymore. Each song is infused with significant meaning, allowing fans from all walks of life to find comfort in them.
Older cuts such as “Meteor Shower” were also featured, so whether you were an old or new fan, Cavetown had something for you. “wasabi” saw flutist Chrissie Garratt join the stage to emulate the track as it is performed on worm food. Orla Gartland then lent her vocals to “Fall In Love With A Girl,” which usually features Beabadoobee.
The encore only offered two songs, undoubtedly to the relief of the many parents dotted around the room, and consisted of “Boys Will Be Bugs” and the much-loved classic “Devil Town.”
Overall, it was a special day, brilliantly curated by Cavetown, who had brought together artists with a common goal—to connect with their audiences intimately, no matter how big the room is. Alexandra Palace was a safe space for the many on that windy Sunday evening, so props to Cavetown (and friends) for creating it.
Photos by Bonnie Britain. View the full gallery here.