Community Festival was a fantastic display of the best male bands in new music, however with the younger crowd and lack of female acts, it wasn’t a true representation of all the best in new music.

Having previously been held in various venues in London, it was Community Festival 2017’s first year as a one-time event in Finsbury Park, and with acts such as Clean Cut Kid, Slaves, Redfaces, and The Wombats among the plethora, we weren’t disappointed.

1:30pm Entering the Festival arena to the faint sound of Redfaces brought a smile to our faces, and grabbing a cider basking in the sunlight, we managed to catch the last two songs from their set. Delivering a raucous performance full of high energy and a phenomenally raw sound, it was evident Redfaces had won the crowd over with the noise they were producing. It was refreshing to see a small band hold an audience in such a way, and have the confidence to engage and embrace the festival’s atmosphere.

Indie pop quintet Fickle Friends followed bringing an electronic dance haven for the audience with atmospheric synths merging together with the soft, melodic vocals of front woman Natti Shiner to create a frenzy of dancing and singing in the crowd. Blitzing through fan favourites such as ‘Swim’ and their recent single ‘Hello Hello’, it wasn’t until the up beat and unusual opening of ‘Cry Baby’ started mixing with the funky, mellifluous bass that Fickle Friends really owned the stage and the audience.

Trundling to the N4 Stage, we saw Glaswegian duo Saint Phnx in their element. With just drums and a guitar, both Stevie and Al Jukes created a powerful sound; full of tight drums, sensational guitar and fervent vocals — they made one hell of noise. Having toured with Imagine Dragons and played a string of festivals already this year, Saint Phnx are no strangers to performing live, and it was evident throughout their set.

Wild Front were up next on our list, and we were very excited. Donning sunglasses and a football shirt, the Southampton based quartet brought a suave yet humble presence to the N4 stage. Their classic inspired jangly guitar melodies, groovy bass lines, and fresh vocals were a perfect accompaniment to the lovely sunshine. A magical moment for us was when frontman Andy-Joe Connell brought out a violin bow to create an electrifying sound with his guitar.

3:45pm Rushing towards the Main Stage we managed to catch The Hunna, who were met with the chants of pubescent teenagers moshing to the sounds of ‘She’s Casual’. Following on from their recent debut album release and a string of headline tours, The Hunna played their biggest show to date. Feeding off the immense energy the crowd were exuding, they displayed a confident presence during tracks such as ‘Never Enough’ and ‘You & Me”; dressed in black from head to toe, frontman Ryan Potter guided the audience through a rapid frenzy of dancing and chanting in their 30 minute slot.

Before traipsing back to the Main Stage to see Nothing But Thieves, we caught a glimpse of the London based four-piece Stereo Honey at the N4 Stage. Smooth, intoxicating vocals, tight drum beats, and beautifully soft guitar melodies left us wanting more as they performed ‘The Heart’.

5:45pm The infamous Kent born duo Slaves sauntered onto the stage delivering a memorable performance with their sleazy yet weirdly-charming presence. Instigating chants of  “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn” and holding “Tories Out” signs through the set, Slaves grasped onto the meaning of Community Festival and brought together a diverse crowd into one solid unit. With politics obviously fuelling tracks such as ‘Lies’, the two topless lads put on a frantic, sweaty show coercing the audience to follow suit. Sadly, the set was cut short of two songs due to drummer Issac Holman’s anecdotes between songs, but that didn’t stop the crowd as one continuing to chant the lyrics as loud as possible.

Headliners Catfish and the Bottlemen were met with a vast array of screams and yells as they began to submerge into their set. Performing fan favourites and album tracks galore, it was evident Van McCann was indulging in the overwhelming energy the crowd were releasing. The sea of bodies on shoulders, orange smoke, and bright lights sent a wave of euphoria around the main arena as ‘Homesick’ travelled through the speakers. The headlining slot heightened the band’s sublime skill and finessed sound as each song was met with a louder, more powerful cheer, and as the sun disappeared behind the back drop of The Ride’s alligator, it’s safe to say Catfish and the Bottlemen were the perfect end to fantastic day of music.

Community Festival showcased a phenomenal plethora of acts throughout the day including the likes of Wild Front and Stereo Honey. But with the only female representation coming from Fickle Friends, Anteros and Clean Cut Kid we were posed with the question: where are all the women? Festival Republic are known for booking mostly male headliners (Reading and Leeds are repeat offenders for this), and Community Festival was no exception. Glitter, cider, and great live performances made up for this terrible illustration of ALL the best in new music.