A year ago, I managed to wear myself out before seeing any bands by racing around Spoons, pubs and a brewery tap in Brixton. Surely I've learnt a lesson?
Veering east of Brixton, I intended to approach Brockwell Park by overground rail to Herne Hill.
Via Spoons, pubs and a brewery tap. Of course.
Navigating across London on the Bakerloo line, I surfaced at Elephant & Castle, somewhere I haven't been for years and which is now completely unrecognisable.
My early-doors destination was a JDW in a sixties block that once housed the DHSS.
This is one of those pubs that elicits the CAMRA description "draws a mixed and lively crowd". Yep, it certainly looked like it did, busy before midday with a diverse clientele.
The guest beer selection wasn't overly exciting with the only lesser-seen beer being Portobello 'Buckingham Best'. Which was quite possibly past its best.
I just about made room for my pint amongst the table clutter...
Then passed 20-minutes frowning every time I took a sip of the beer and checking out the stage times and site map for the rest of the day.
Wide Awake! has been beset by problems this year. Unceremoniously shoved out the Saturday slot to a Friday by Field Day fest (who got the sunshine though, eh?!). Threatened by some local residents who won a legal challenge against Brockwell Live, organisers of the series of one-day events in the park, something which could have prevented any of them going ahead. Under fire from some quarters for featuring headliners Kneecap, one of whom has been charged with terror offences.
And I think I'm having a hard day at work when my headset stops working during a Teams meeting.
Luckily it was still going ahead, and to get me one step closer to the festival entrance, I boarded a train at Elephant & Castle overground and travelled the two stops to Herne Hill. Step out the station and the 2025 Good Beer Guide listed Commercial is right in front of you.
Doing a decent pre-festival trade with all outdoor seats taken and a fair number of punters spread throughout the two rooms within.
It's a nice enough pub, with a few traditional features disguised by the paint job and modern furnishings. And seabass fillets and sandwiches for over a tenner aren't traditional pub fare.
There were three handpumps, the Harvey's 'Sussex Best' being pulled through when I arrived, leaving me with a choice of 'Wainwright' or Sharp's 'Twin Coast'.
In a plastic glass, 'cos you can't trust all these folks on their way to a music festival.
There were three handpumps, the Harvey's 'Sussex Best' being pulled through when I arrived, leaving me with a choice of 'Wainwright' or Sharp's 'Twin Coast'.
In a plastic glass, 'cos you can't trust all these folks on their way to a music festival.
One reasonable pint of Twin Coast later, it was just a minute-or-so walk from the pedestrian street that the station and Commercial sit on to the railway arches with a brewery tap.
This was former home of one-time Canopy Brewery, prior to Bird House re-opening the railway arch in March 2024.
It's probably better to enjoy your cocktails, beer and pizza al-fresco on tables in the pleasant passageway running past the two arches that house Birdhouse.
But I'm a sucker for sitting by the brew kit under a corrugated ceiling.
There were six of the breweries own beers on draft: lager, pale, white, gold, amber, and stout.
Despite the weather tempting me towards the pale brews, I enjoyed the robust stout, entertained by a playlist featuring a host of the artists set to play the main stages later in the day.
Time for one more before sitting in a field drinking (marginally more) expensive beer in paper cups?
Yep, I figured I could squeeze in the three star ★★★ heritage pub.
Despite the weather tempting me towards the pale brews, I enjoyed the robust stout, entertained by a playlist featuring a host of the artists set to play the main stages later in the day.
Time for one more before sitting in a field drinking (marginally more) expensive beer in paper cups?
Yep, I figured I could squeeze in the three star ★★★ heritage pub.
The last time I was in here was in 2010 when space rockers Mugstar played in a back room launching their latest album (which isn't quite as impressive as it would be if I could tell you I saw U2 here in 1980).
Its time as a music venue came to an end in 2013, the back space now opened up to bright airy dining. But it's the front snug that you really want to go and sit in.
The run of hand-pained mirrors is something else...
Fullers took over the pub in the 2010's and gave it a make-over.
So no surprise to see Pride and Hophead as the cask choice.
I know, I know...Dark Star 'Hophead' isn't the beer it once was, but I'm pretty impressed by the glass...
That was a decent and enjoyable pint, sat in a spectacular pub, 'Across 110th Street' playing in the background.
No repeat of the enormo-queue that we had to stand in last year, this time waltzing in through the south entrance via a sniffer dog that got tangled around me in overexcitement about my hay-fever tablets.
The craft beer bar was set up with a run of London brewery counters, featuring Brew By Numbers, Queer Brewing, Five Points, Anspach & Hobday, and several more that are skipping my mind right now.
Stout at a festival is a rarity and was my pick of the bunch.
Top marks for the Biriyani food stall who quite possibly filled me up with one of the best tubs of food I've ever had a festival.
Martin Rev confounded.
CMAT was country-pop perfection.
Mannequin Pussy and Sprints were loud and angry about stuff.
L.A's Frankie & the Witch Fingers were my undoubted festival highlight.
I'll be back next year, if they've got the energy to organise it all over again, but where will it be?
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