The Hockley Hustle was the most colourful thing you can imagine; so diverse, so proud, so enriching.
For eleven years this festival has shown what the heart of Hockley is all about – being passionate and having soul. Through 300 acts and 30 stages, the festival expressed itself in true Nottingham style.
The heartfelt literacy from Write Leftlion Poets brought the crowd into laughter, with waves of emotion throughout. A standout poem for me was The White Van – it cleverly personified the van, whilst touching on the important issue of stereotypes.
The Bodega hosted big local bands, including The Chase, who we recently interviewed. An energetic set mixed with original and jazzed-up covers was a highlight of the Hustle – who knew a rock version of Blame it on the Boogie could work?
Kollider, made up of NTU students, played a charged set at El Capo. They debuted their EP Cannon and upcoming EP The Watcher, which was met with a great response from the crowd. Lewis Hill, the lead singer, said: “The Hockley Hustle was a great experience, each venue offered its own unique variety of music that made the festival unique and creative.
“Playing was a lot of fun, and our set was surrounded by other fun and helpful bands that made it easy and stress-free.”
The Hockley Hustle gave recognition to bands just starting out as well. Eliza Hill, who played at the National Videogame Arcade said: “I think for people who haven’t had a chance to do something like this before, it is a great thing for them to do.”
There was a silent disco in the evening, and the street was lit up with multi-coloured headphones, and the groovy atmosphere caught on to everyone, even those that weren’t dancing.
Hockley is a really underrated part of Nottingham, but I think this festival showcases beautifully how creative and talented the people within it and around it truly are.
The event took place to raise money for the following charities: