---

Raehills Meadows
Dumfries & Galloway
June 8-11, 2023

---

Eden Festival !!!! Well where do you start?? – & in scorchio sun as well! I don’t think there’s anything better actually, & when the weather brought out the sunshine in the Eden goers, what a cracking vibe would ensue! As soon as you put on that wristband you have the freedom of the place, a playground for all ages, as attested by the family love energy which penetrated every smiling kid or pensioner, & all the other ages in between.

The Mumble’s Eden began with its most formidable crack press team – myself & James – who can handle their bevvy & love to boogie. After we each headed to Harthill from East & West, & after a few spins round the roundabout trying to figure out which was the M74 road, we were soon whizzing down to Galloway.

Entering the fields, full of June lushness & absolutely heavenly in the sun, from the moment we arrived we were welcomed by the most friendliest of staff. After getting our wrist bands we were personally escorted to our camping pitch by a reyt sound guy on a bike to the Live In camping area. That turned out to be the perfect spot as we found ourselves park’d between some reyt up for it lads from the locality (Annan & Moffat) & a lovely couple up from Sheffield – Linda & Jason, who are normally Shamballa goers down Englandshire, but have made the trek north to check out Eden for the first time, & have already booked early birds to come back next year.

Friday night is always ‘I’m reyt excited to be here, let’s get stuck in, like, night,’ which generally passes in a rainbow blur full of chit-chat, bobbing about & loads of booze. We did catch a few funky folky tunes from Mad Ferret & Have Mercy Las Vegas in Rabbies Tavern, including the now eternal classic Wagon Wheel.

After a wee donder about we headed over to the Great Mountain Stage. First up was Pongo who put on an awesome set. Then for Friday’s headliners, General Levy!! Drum and bass of the highest level. Had the massive crowd in the palm of their hands. I don’t think we had danced that much in so long.

Then off to the afterhours entertainment. We went to the Lost Disco, which is hidden away in the corner of the site, and danced our funky pants off until 3.am. There were other options available but I was more than happy there. What a first night to say the least.

Once the music finishes it’s just getting midsummer light, & we poing’d off back to our camp-site for a good few hour’s kip. James has these amazing silicone earplugs which keeps all the noise out. Proper pleasant zzzzs ensued. James also goes to Glasto every year, so Eden is a good place to test out his camping gear. Fortunately, or unfortunately, his posh mattress kept deflating – he knows that now for the coming 7 nights camp at Glasto, but it wasn’t ideal for Eden.

The Saturday morning sun rose & began sending x-ray heat into the tents, so better off up & out then, innit. And on it we got. I mean, its beautiful weather, everyone’s had a great first night, with the promise of a lot more japes & hijinks to come. Why potter about having a cup of tea & a butty, let’s get that sambuca out – I can eat when I get ‘ome.

We headed into the arena about lunchtime. The amount of entertainment for the kids was brilliant. There was wooden spoon carving & also stone carving, ran by our mate from last year, who doesn’t do it for the money, but for the joy in letting kids hammer with a chisel. What a sound bloke. Other stuff included a treasure hunt parade & a wild green space in the middle of the site were the kids could get in touch with nature.

At 1PM, kicking off the Wee Timorous Stage at the back of Rabbie’s Tavern, I was delighted to witness for my first time the ethereal & uplifting fairy shamanics of Motopia, fronted by an acoustic guitar strumming kneeling lady call’d Mairead Feighan & occasionally join’d by a guitarist & percussionist. It really was an enchanting affair, with lyrics that really mean something – like a give-a-fuck-about-humanity-with-a-hard-dose-of-truth kinda something.

Eden to me is like a hippy festival without that many hippies. I mean, it’s pure freedom & a thoroughly green affair, & stepping into the cycle-power’d Boardwalk area, ran by mi mates from Leeds, it’s proper like Alice in Wonderland. So it’s like a fluffy hippy party without the hippies – yeah, that’ll do for this year’s definition. Also at the Boardwalk was the viewing point, which doesn’t have that much of a view – too many trees, but it’s a good place to chill & watch the party ebb & flow, & it’s where we met Betty the Pooch, a stuff’d toy that seem’d to be having a better time than everyone.

There was also some great acts on at the Boardwalk – I kept going to my mates from Leeds, ‘they’re bangin’ them,’ especially Solar Love Society, they were buzzin’ & bangin’ – James got a free CD & has started telling his mates how good they are, which is high praise indeed, cos he knows his tunes does our James.

Chloe Hopes perspective of Eden 2023

This time of year brings me so deeply into the undercurrent of my soul. Eden urges me to unravel each year more and more and this year she felt like home. The crisp chill of the river in my bones, awakening the wild woman, the fearless voice inside. I felt so open and raw and willing to connect this year as if the little hermit inside me dissolved along with time to help my senses easily step into each new experience. 🌊✨

Eden kept me in a state of warmth and that wasn’t just because of the sun, it was because of the beautiful things and souls around me.

Conversations with neighbours that are now friends, being off grid for awhile, laying lazily under the sun, stacking stones, silent acts of kindness, spiders🕷️, singing with the belly, all the hugs, believing one another, peaceful silences, saying I love you on the first day, listening to the birds, genuine laughter, toothy grins of remembrance, sharing music, sharing energy, soul rememberance, holding hands whilst falling asleep, naked river fairies, soul family, feeling safe and loved unconditionally.🫂💕

In these moments you are opening yourself to be altered, allowing yourself to feel all these beautiful moments of unconditional love and kindness, allowing for every timeline to take place at once. My heart is feeling so wide open and i am unable to blind myself from the multitude of miracles that have taken place. My trust was tested but as I fell i found that i am indeed unconditionally held, that my soul is needed and despite the test i was still provided with a soft place to land🍄✨

I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity to simply “be” here and now. Eden has reminded me that loving anything at all, expands you. That anywhere you are feeling is the entry point.

Feeling it all✨

I love you all so much❤️

Then it was time to stock up on some booze, it was hot & I was well thirsty. On the way back to the campsite I got chatting to some sound lassies who were chilling outside a van, with a guy in the shadows inside it. After listening to me rattle on for ages, he said the words Asphalt Jungle – which just happens to be the name of my new band. Turns out it was Alan Govan, who’d actually booked us for Mugstock, this coming August. He then kindly leant me his guitar to bang out a couple of numbers, in a vague attempt to justify my place on the bill, & luckily that is where the band still remain. He even had a jam with me on drums, & I said do you wanna join my band for Mugstock, & I can get you a plus one as well, completely forgetting he was the organiser.

Another highlight of Saturday afternoon’s romping about was meeting the two coolest girls in Whitby. I was like, you two are well cute, & they were like, yeah we know, & I’m like that’s well cool. On the Sunday I gave them two of my blue wagon wheels to show my appreciation as to how fucking cool they actually were.

Around about this point I realised that the normally tucked away chill-out haven that is the Vishnu Lounge was a bit too mainstreamy on the main drag, a bit open to the public which discouraged me going in & chilling out – it was better tucked away like it was in the past, I think.

So we trickl’d back to the campsite for a bit, which this year seems really well organised on all fronts – there’s glamping & there’s an excellent fenc’d walkway which guides you from the site, which came in especially handy in the dark. On Saturday afternoon, however, in our slice of the camp site, I decided to do some comedy busking, making 2 x 50ps from James as he tried to pretend I was good on guitar & entice other passing members of the public into coughing up. Then, just as I was giving up the ghost, some nice folk from Carlisle offer’d to pay me if I busk’d at their tent – so I did Pump Up the Jam & they gave me £7 – proper barry.

It was time to hit the festival once more, & the main stage. We stumbl’d into Kitti – I said it was mellow acid jazz, but James said it was jazz fusion. Whatever it was it was absolutely bangin,’ & I was pulling off these floating hobby horse moves in the sun, in a reyt good mood. To say we were blown away is an understatement. The singer’s voice was so powerful and soothing at the same time. Also the bass player was probably the funkiest we have ever seen. Not to take anything away from the rest of the band, who were for James the highlight of the weekend.

Not long after it was Sister Sledge, who didn’t disappoint, putting on a classic disco set of all the hits, pure bouncing vibes from a trio of funkmeister ladies, some of whom seem’d younger than they should have been if they were the real 70’s Sister Sledge. Whoever, or whatever, they were, it was also absolutely bangin’, & the roar at the end saw the universal voice of the party tribe singing proudly thro’ it’s Galloway section. We Are Family!

Just as a wee digression, I generally only use the words pants or bangin’ to describe live music these days, altho’ on very rare occasions I might use the word buzzin.’

Alas, at this point the legend that is James went to bed with his silicone earplugs, in order to drive back early doors Sunday – bless him. For me, of course, it was back to the Lost Disco – that place really does sort my soul out, like, setting me up for the summer ahead & finally shaking off 8 months of fucking sideways rain on Arran. I think I danced for 5 hours non-stop, using numerous combinations of my normal 7 moves, with a brand new 8th thrown in as well, with the final phase being from Shakti Mama Disco Diva’s bassy techno disco, a pure Eden legend who I fist-pump’d when she started & continued to dance to in a reyt giddy fashion for ages. I love me disco me.

Again, the music stopp’d at 3 – but this time I went to the Ghilli Du tent next door for final hour’s bopping. Just over 24 hours later I’m back in my bed at home & my ankle reyt hurts, but it was worth it. I got here by setting off about mid-day on the Sunday… didn’t want to leave really, I fancied checking out the cosmic troubadours that are Henge in the evening, but it wasn’t to be, & a car ride, train ride, another train ride & boat later, this year’s Eden, this spectacularly enjoyable Eden, was over bar the memories, & James & I cannot wait to be back in the garden next year!!

Words: Damo Beeson Bullen
Photos (& some words): James Wallace

---

THE DIVINE EDEN

Jim picked me up at about 10am and we headed to Rae Hills Meadows with the intention of firing (Forgive the pun ) on all cylinders this coming weekend. It was a cool and overcast morning in Niddrie, So I had jeans and a black biker jacket, Its got loads of pockets, so it’s really useful, especially in wet conditions. History has taught me that the Scottish Monsoon season generally happens around Eden time. It’s not been unknown for two months worth of rain to fall over The Eden weekend. It was one such year that DJ Divine became the fire master. When I rescued the fire in the above-said Monsoon Eden. I love fire, my Sun is in Aries and my Moon is in Leo.. Its a natural attraction. I loved and learned how important it is, how central and important a good hearty fire is at a festival, especially if its wet.

So even though all weather reports were geared up for a hot Eden, I still packed for a wet one. Especially after been caught out last year by the inclement conditions. So made sure I was double waterproofed on everything. The Hottest and driest Eden to date I was not expecting. Rae Hills Meadows is really lush as soon as we got to the venue. I had forgotten just how lush. My heart softened immediately and it was getting warmer and warmer. By the time myself and Jim had set up camp, I was sweating buckets. Taps aff. jeans off and shorts on. Ross soon arrived and as he was setting up camp, I headed to see the new Camp Fire placing in the Woodland I was delighted and excited for what greeted me. Such a lovely space and perfect for grounding the healing Angels. The birdsong was profound and the trees were breathtakingly majestic and for the first time The Fire was at the highest point of the festival. I was excited for Ross to see it. Things really couldnae have been any more perfect ❤

I sat with the Bird Song and the glorious evening Sun, The lighting people were creating their magik rushing to have the colours in place for nightfall. I couldnae stop myself from smiling, my heart was full of radiant joy, Jim and Ross arrived and we prepped the wood for the first Eden Fire in the lovely new Fire Place.

I opened the new Healing vortex and set the intention for everyone to receive the healing that they needed.

Jim and Ross arrived and we lit the first fire It was just perfect everything was conducive to Good Time Grace ❤

With the Sacred Fire being at the highest point of the festival the sound clash from the different stages wasnae as annoying when everything is going off at once. The closest amplified stage was The Boardwalk Edens bicycle-powered Dub Reggae Stage. Oh yes, Baby.

I really was in the groove. Everyone was having an amazingly Good Time ❤ We kept the flame contained and safe with thought to how dry everything was. The first night was brilliant and everyone loved it. I took leave of the fire at around 4am and headed to my tent, completely knackered but fulfilled.

Friday 9th June

My little two-man tent and sleeping bag welcomed me, it was already light as I lay down and I was out like a light, only for a couple of hours though, the hot morning Sun making things too sticky to sleep. and my back was really nipping, I wasnae moving fast today and TBH it was too hot to move fast. So make-up first and crimped my hair in the Crew Kitchen. We kept a low burn on the fire, It was getting Hotter and Hotter, so was quite content to conserve energy, meditate and fire tend.

It was nae till after lunch that the Firemen arrived with their thermal imaging cameras, there was a lot of chin stroking, humming and arrring. It was quite a tense moment. Were we gonna have to abandon the fire ???????? But then the Firemen left and the flame was intact. I completely understood though. I was prepping in my head my DJ Set at midnight, had made sure my absence at the fire was covered. It was a busy night.

The night sky was clear as a result the temperature dropped quite dramatically as nighttime fell. I was still wearing shorts. Just as I played my first tune, I gets a text from HQ saying put no more wood on the fire and let it die oot. Multi-tasking DJ??? So I got the message out to Ross and Jim, I was looking forward to a roaring fire, but understood why that wasnae going to happen. It was a cold night and a dwindling flame with a massive woodpile was going to be a hard thing to manage. Ross and Jim did a brilliant job. Again I headed to my tent at 4am to alleviate exhaustion. I knew that the Fire Place had to be cordoned off and clear signage put in place.

Saturday 10th June

The instruction I had received was to let the fire die out and not put any more wood on the flame. So was a little surprised to find a volunteer had turned the sacred fireplace into his living room, had a fire going and was doing his clothes washing, heating the water with the fire by using empty tin cans. He told me he was tripping on Mushrooms?????? While looking after a fire that was supposed to be out. Its been a while since I had met such a rude arrogant arsehole. He said that security had ok’d the fire. So I went for breakfast and then headed to get my high viz because I didn’t trust this person. He was most perturbed that I had joined him for my shift. I rolled a fag put my baccy down, turned my back and he knicked my baccy. There were only two of us in the fire place so it couldn’t have been anyone else. Then he started being more aggressive towards me and started on a rant about his hatred of trans people. I just kept quiet until The Firemen arrived and put his fire out. He was not happy about that.

Then security arrived and walked him off-site. I explained to The Fireman that we needed to cordon off the fire place and have clear signs saying nae fire. I stayed with fire place until it had been cordoned off and signs put in place. I headed down to crew kitchen and did a lunch shift after doing my makeup and I really enjoyed it. Serving a grateful hungry Crew. It was an ace job. The sun was hot though, nudging 30″, Jim had Sunstroke and my head was stopping working, overtiredness and heat exhaustion I think. For the first time I was actually glad that there wouldn’t be a fire on Saturday night. Because come 9pm I was in my sleeping bag and I slept for 9 hours straight

The only complete performance I witnessed was Minerva Wakes, AKA Jo D’Ark of The Twistetetts on The Meladrome Stage. The sound production was amazing and trip-hop, goth and poetry presentation was incredibly well received. I think I was suffering a bit of heat stroke by Saturday evening too.

Sunday 11th June

Sleep was definitely what I needed. Because come Sunday Morning I was bright and buzzing and ready for what the day would bring. Rumours abound that we might get the go-ahead for a fire on Sunday, However that ok didnae come until 7pm. Jim had gone home. So Ross and myself had to rebuild the fireplace, remove all trip hazards and fill in the holes.

We laid triple layers of rock to build the fire upon so that there wouldn’t be an underburn. Ross headed to see Henge perform on the Mountain Stage (Lucky Bugger) I still havenae seen them. But they did come up to the fire in the early hours of Monday Morning. So that was nice. It really was a beautiful fire on Sunday night and with a good nights sleep the night before I was able to be extra caring and attentive to the flame. Eden finished at 4am that Monday Morning and everyone came up to the Fire for one last party.

That was one challenging Eden ❤
All The Eden Crew Worked Hard To Create a Beautiful Party.
Have read nothing but positive feed back from lots of Edenites.
Eden 2023 was a special one. ❤

Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert