Summer is festival season, and while many seem to be trying to get ever bigger, Krankenhaus is very much the tiny kid brother. It may be small in size (just 1,500 people), but it’s mighty in scope and ambition. The festival is the brainchild of the band Sea Power, and having a band put on and run their own festival makes it unique, as they effectively run it as a big party, putting on bands they want to see, but more importantly, they set the whole vibe of the event. 

Some of the founding members of the band are from Cumbria, so putting the festival in the grounds of the stunning Muncaster Castle near the Cumbrian coast makes perfect sense.It fits perfectly with the whole vibe of Sea Power’s music, which has eulogised the British coast and countryside throughout their 20-year career.The festival is unusual in that it actively encourages you to go out and explore the surrounding fells and coastline.

Each morning sees an eclectic mix of events, including guided rambles, beachcombing, bird watching, community choir workshops and guided sketching alongside talks from authors and bands.There is even a dog judging with categories as varied as best Black Sabbath dog.The bands kick things off in the afternoon, pretty much all of them playing in a cowshed, which must surely be as unique a venue as you could find and makes me wonder how Sea Power pitches this to the bands they want to play.

There does feel something magical about the event, though, that brings out the best in the performances; established acts like the Lovely Eggs, Throwing Muses, and Arab Strap settle into the surroundings and play some of the best sets you could wish to see. GNOD are so loud and throbbing that I worry for the castle walls a few hundred metres away. Sea Power played three sets across the weekend. Friday sees them team up with Dean Wareham (ex-frontman of Galaxie 500) to play a set of Galaxie 500 covers, building on a cover of Tug Boat that Sea Power released in their early days. This is a totally unique set that is unlikely to ever be repeated and was a privilege to witness.Saturday sees them effectively play a ‘bangers’ set; before Sunday, they change the mood to reflect perhaps the long days and nights we have all been having as they play a more laid-back cinematic set.Taken as a whole, the range shows what a truly remarkable band they are.

La Securite

Treeboy & Arc

Lovely Eggs

As well as plenty of bands that I know and love, I was perhaps most interested in seeing bands that were new to me.Those that stood out were Treeboy & Arc, energetic post-punk vibes from a band that’s clearly been listening to a few Fall records (which, of course, is a very good thing); Sister John, country-tinged Scottish storytellers with the best voice of the weekend; Personal Trainer The Dutch indie collective produced a brilliant set that built to a real crowd-pleasing climax, with sweat pouring off charismatic lead singer Willem Smit; Canadian outfit La Sécurité mixed electronica, punk attitude and riot grrrl in a thrilling performance that saw them step up as the heirs to Le Tigre; and as the sun started dipping on the final night, Heartworms brought a thrilling theatrical goth beat to the shed, with Jojo Orme a mesmerising cross of Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush.

There is no festival quite like Krankenhaus; it’s DIY and quirky in the best possible way, small but beautifully formed and good for the mind, body and soul.