Last updated 13:24, Thursday, 24 July 2008

As the festival season hits full swing, rising Carlisle band Stars of Track and Field offer Victoria Raimes their own unique festival survival guide.

• View more pictures...

New name, same sound: Carlisle band Stars of Track and Field are hitting the road this summer, playing several festivals in the area. The band, soon to be renamed Birds And Planes are (left to right) Blake Johnston, Christopher Donnell, Jenny Jones, Andrew Creighton and Adam Lewis

What causes you to wake up on a collapsed marquee with a crate of Carling under each arm?

Stars Of Track And Field singer Jenny Jones will tell you.

“That’s where I found myself one year,” she laughs.

“It was the last night of the festival and a riot was going on. I have no idea how I got there, but it must have been a good party.”

It takes more than a malfunctioning marquee to deflate this Carlisle five-piece’s festival enthusiasm. They are the only Cumbrian band to be playing all the local indie-rock festivals this summer – Wickerman, Kendal Calling and Solfest.

These come hot on the heels of a performance at Coniston Water Festival a couple of weeks ago, which bassist Blake Johnston reveals was one of their best gigs yet. “When we turned up there was one marquee set up, a couple of speakers on the grass and only a few people hanging around so we thought it was pretty dodgy.

“But we reasoned that we were at Coniston, with a beautiful view of the lake and the sun setting in the background, so we gave it our best. Soon the marquee was absolutely packed, then when a drunk woman started dancing everybody followed. The atmosphere was amazing.

“We played our 15-song set then the festival organisers told us we just had to play more, so we did an extra track. After that we had no material left.

“It just goes to show that you can have an excellent gig at the most unexpected times. It was a great festival to kick off the season.”

The band – Jenny, Blake, guitarists Andrew Creighton and Chris Donnell and drummer Adam Lewis, will open Wickerman tomorrow night.

Then, before the mud-caked wellies have had a chance to dry, they will play Kendal Calling a week later, followed by a performance at Solfest on August 22.

The latter will see their biggest audience yet: up to 4,000 people.

Except they won’t be called Stars of Track and Field. That name has reached its expiry date.

Because the band share their title with a Canadian band, they have decided to scrap it for something unique.

So say hello to Birds vs Planes. “We picked it because we liked the contrast between the natural and the technological. It was also the only name we agreed on after going through several hundred,” says Adam.

They will be announcing the dramatic change at their summer festivals, even opting for a bit of shameless self-promotion on the Saturday evening at Solfest, the evening traditionally designed for attendees to get kitted up in fancy dress. “I will be dressing up as a bird and Chris will be going as a plane,” laughs Jenny. “We’ll make ourselves known that way.”

The team are well prepared for their action-packed schedule, after attending nearly all the mainstream local and national festivals between them over the years.

Like the guests they will perform to, SOTAF/Birds vs Planes are looking forward to having a drink, kicking back and enjoying quality music.

They are also ready for the unexpected after experiencing a few mini-disasters over the years.

Jenny reveals: “One year when I attended Lovebox in London I partied so hard on the Friday night that I slept right through Saturday.

“Then, for one Leeds Festival, I forgot my tickets so my mum had to send them down on the train with the conductor. She sent them in an envelope with a sprig of lavender.”

Adam adds: “On the first night of a festival I ate something dodgy from one of the food vans. It wasn’t great to be running to the toilets all weekend.”

The difference this year is that SOTAF/Birds vs Planes will have access to the VIP areas, where they have the opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of KT Tunstall, Supergrass, British Sea Power and Super Furry Animals.

But the band will not be camping in that section: “There’s no way we’ll be staying away from everybody else,” says Jenny. That’s not the point of a festival.”

So what is the point? “To meet random people, have a drink, let your hair down, listen to excellent artists and forget about everything back home. There’s no room for pretension.”