Review: Love is Music

The Music is Love’s enviro-music festival at the St Andrews Botanical Gardens on Saturday provided a welcome and relaxing break from the revision period.  Although it was the first event of its kind, the afternoon was a success, showcasing numerous talented musical acts while remaining true to it’s eco-friendly routes.

For those who instantly thought; “What/where on earth are the St Andrews Botanical Gardens?” and have not yet ventured south of South street, the organisers kindly produced a handy video detailing the very simple route necessary to get to the venue.  This, sadly, often unused and beautiful space definitely has great potential, kudos to Music is Love for having the excellent initiative to exploit this (in a very environmentally friendly way, of course!) Coinciding with a may fly swarm, the event, fortunately, was not as short-lived as the lifespan of the insect, and gave guests time to hear some fantastic music and relax in the beautiful surroundings.

In partnership with ‘Transition St Andrews’, the event featured a variety of free, friendly and interactive stalls.  Giving guests the chance to have their own say regarding future Transition projects – gauging the level of interest in growing your own produce and reducing energy bills.  This was an ample opportunity to engage those who may have been unaware of their excellent work, in creating sustainable ventures between campus and town.  Additionally, lucky cyclists were also treated to a volunteer-led bicycle maintenance session and those with green-fingers could try out some seed planting – a vital part in the plant life cycle, I was informed.

Student musicians played in a gazebo which was a stone’s throw away from the main stage.  Guests were leisurely spread out on picnic blankets, enjoying some delicious food and – for those brave enough to break a sweat on a peddle powered blender – refreshing smoothies.  With excellent acts from the likes of ‘ATOM TREE’ and ‘Daniel & The Lion’, the event, in many ways, showcased the musical versatility that could be brought to St Andrews.

Ultimately, ‘Love is Music’ was a wonderfully planned and executed event that really set itself apart from anything else St Andrews has to offer.  Judging by the level of interest, and how smoothly the afternoon went, it will hopefully make itself a regular feature on the event’s calendar.