Festival Diary: Cro Cro Land
Whitelands, Pink Suits, Sulk and Gen and the Degenerates play Cro Cro Land 2024
Words and Imagery: Eerie Rose
On Saturday 13th April, one of the first properly warm days of the year, I found myself travelling across south east London to attend my very first Cro Cro Land festival. The sky was crisply blue, a sun so warm I broke out the sun cream for the first time since last summer. It was a slightly clammy sensation under my clothes, the smell mixing with my perfume. I listened to Bob Vylan’s new album ‘Humble as the Sun’ and felt in all senses surrounded by the approaching summer. It couldn’t have been a better day to kick off this year’s festival season, starting so close to home with Croydon’s own two day culture hub, Cro Cro Land.
Launched in 2019 and put on by The Croydonist, Cro Cro Land is a multi-stage independent music festival, held in the heart of Croydon and on a mission to celebrate the area’s rich musical and artistic culture. Coined on their website as “the birthplace of punk,” the borough has a serious list of alumni, from Stormzy to David Bowie. Through its stacked lineup of indie and alternative bands, spread across two days at Stanley Arts, Cro Cro Land aims to showcase incredible bands both small and big, old and new, and give them a platform in the area which currently is lacking music venues to play in.
As I arrive at Norwood Junction, I realise I’ve been here before - and to Stanley Arts no less - to see a play by Liv Wynter several years ago. It’s nice to be back, and I’m greeted on the door with a wristband and make my way inside. The main hall of the space has been designated as the Town Centre stage, with a quick scuttle down some stairs and through the outdoor courtyard to the (slightly harder to find at first) Concrete Playground stage. I’m early, and become one of a few early birds hovering in front of the stage at the Town Centre, ready for it all to begin.
First up, kicking off the festival in style is east London four-piece Sulk. They bring an incredibly polished, loud start to the weekend, all with a pair of silk panties with their logo hanging from bassist Elliot’s mic stand. Blending elements of indie punk, riot grrrl and shoegaze, they deliver a vibrant set of songs with energy and flair, with singer Lily’s unique vocal tone beckoning the early comers in from outside, filtering in like a stream.
I spend the rest of the day falling into a routine, hopping from one stage to the other catching as many acts as possible. In the earlier hours I caught Ski Lift, an indie alternative “friendly neighbourhood power-pop trio.” I was impressed to learn their bassist had actually stepped in with only 36 hours notice - something I would not have expected whatsoever from their sleek performance as a unit, playing bright summery indie pop. They ended the set with ‘Dilemma Generation,’ a track about inheriting a bad lot from the older generations, and every government in recent years being diabolical and placing the job of putting out their fires on the general public. It began a real trend of socio-political commentary that continued throughout the duration of the festival, showing the event’s clear political and moral compass through the ideologies of the artists on its lineup. Ms Mohammed caught my attention next from the Town Centre stage, fusing musical influences from her cultural heritage blended with heavy rock guitar and powerful lyrics, poking fun with an underlying punch with the song ‘Never Again,’ which explores ideas of society’s habit of saying enough is enough, but not really changing.
This energy continued with the powerful, all-in-pink duo Pink Suits. Margate based, the punk band are well known on the London underground and alternative gig circuit. It’s probably my fourth or fifth time seeing them, at least, and as usual I’m impressed by the sound and presence they have as a two-piece, delivering loud, queer political punk filled with rage and feeling. Not originally on the setlist for the show, they decided to play ‘Kimberley May,’ a song about vocalist and guitarist Lennie’s experience with gender. It’s a beautiful, emotionally raw performance, and in light of the recent Cass review, which seeks to harm access to trans healthcare in the UK and further impede upon transgender people’s human right to access medical treatment, is a much needed and appreciated protest. It’s important to note the lineup has a serious balance of bands with members of all genders, and multiple LGBTQIA+ fronted bands to boot.
As well as keeping things up to date and on the nose politically, Cro Cro Land made an excellent choice to balance both popular bands with new and up and coming talent. Safari Inn played an exceptional set at the Concrete Playground stage, a polished and tightly knit unit that felt like they should have been playing to an arena, while Noah & the Loners took my breath away with a punchy punk set, charming the crowd and making it completely their gig in the space of a few songs. Being one of Marshall Records’ youngest signing, the band are in their very early days but have the presence, skill and attitude of professionals who’ve been in the game for decades.
Highlights for me from the rest of day one included the much anticipated, jagged rock trio Berries, who’s merch I noticed on a large number of punters milling around the festival, and Whitelands, the shoegaze dream-pop band I’ve caught a couple of times already in south east London, their drummer Jagun being from Croydon so really encapsulating the spirit of Cro Cro Land’s mission to showcase the borough’s talent. Manchester’s post-punk trio Liines and Atlanta based duo Mattiel closed Saturday’s festivities, which was entirely sold out. It’s uplifting to see such a turnout for an independent event, and really shows there is demand for live music in the area and a real interest in supporting it. In between performances, announcements would be made to encourage the crowd to see the next bands, and recommendations to buy their merchandise to further support them financially, despite the festival also paying its booked artists. The spirit is undoubtedly that of a real community, and it left me very excited to see what day two would bring.
Sunday was an equally warm spring day, and I was pleased to see many familiar faces on the day’s lineup. Starting off with Dogviolet, a melodic, grungey post-punk band from London, artists booked included Fightmilk, who I’ve previously seen supporting Problem Patterns at The Sebright Arms, and Gen and the Degenerates, who played with The Oozes in Cambridge and who’s album I reviewed for 5.18 earlier this year. There was also plenty of names I didn’t recognise, and I set out to get a balance of the two in my schedule. Fightmilk promised a free pint to anyone who bought a beach ball to the set, which is an offer that still stands as no one fulfilled their wish - I endeavour to test this out at the next gig I catch them at. Their set was energetic and fun, laced with humour; I particularly liked ‘Overbite,’ a song about vocalist Lily’s experience being bitten by a dog on the arse. I then caught some bands for the first time, from Currl’s punchy and groovy garage rock, to Charley Stone and the Actual Band, which featured Lily from Fightmilk on drums. I’d noticed the day previously a couple of musicians performing in several bands across the festival, and it felt like a real community in that way, a really supportive network of artists. Bugeye’s disco punk bought some seriously 80’s synths which I adored, while vocalist Angela (co-founder of the Croydonist and Cro Cro Land itself) belted incredibly through the set even with laryngitis. Her running of the festival seemed to go much further than an arms-length business approach, seeing her announce bands, being very present all weekend and also performing really shows that this is her community as much as it is her work, and I really believe in the ideology of the festival as something positive for music as a whole.
After Bugeye finished I wandered over to the Concrete Playground stage, surprised in the best way to encounter Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something, a trio with two in full jester/clown style sheer one piece leotards, tulle neck ruffles and iridescent makeup. The set was flamboyant, exciting genre-bending alt rock, a combination of influences producing something powerful and captivating, with the band and the audience having equally as much fun. Staging a dramatic walk off to end, they received warm and genuine waves of applause. I then caught Cardiff’s own Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, and psych-pop She Drew the Gun, before my anticipation for Gen and the Degenerates got the better of me, and I joined one of a few people early to their set, and watched them soundcheck. They never fail to impress me with their collective professionalism, bringing the same level of work ethic, energy and fun to any gig they play whether it’s big or small, support or headline. They exploded off the smaller Concrete Playground stage, making the quiet room heaving with people in less than three songs. I’m surprised that the crowd weren’t already familiar with their fresh and dynamic punk, and it was enjoyable watching them become fans in such a short space of time. How could you not - the new album ‘Anti-fun Propaganda’ is vibrant, catchy and played with a force to be reckoned with - a force that caused Gen to break an in-ear and guitarist Sean to fall over at the end of the set. It’s impossible not to feel their enjoyment radiating from the stage, the energy is truly infectious - proved by the hoard of new-found fans gathering around Gen to chat after the show.
Uk rock band The Subways closed the festival, finishing the weekend with a great energy and a great reception. It’s clear there is a real passion for music in Croydon, and with both dates equally bustling with people from all walks of life ready to catch bands they knew already or ready to be exposed to something new, it seems Cro Cro Land is more than just a celebration of musical talent in the borough, but a protest to protect and uplift it. Against a backdrop of an industry only interested in profit margins and viral hits, venues closing by the day due to ever increasing rents, and musicians struggling to afford to create in the cost of living crisis, Cro Cro Land 2024 acted as a festival of defiance, an oasis of community support and willpower to keep the spirit alive, whatever it takes. I’ll definitely be back next year.
Cro Cro Land is put on by The Croydonist. Follow them on instagram and check out their website for upcoming events, and to be the first to know about next year’s festival.