We Got to ‘Pump It Up’: Starfields 2022, A Review
Words by Keyona Fazli, Head Writer
With over 2,300 students in attendance, Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews was taken over by FS (The St Andrews Fashion Show) last Wednesday. The festival-like event was moved from its original date during Freshers Week out of respect for the passing of HRM Queen Elizabeth.
This year’s event featured artists CLAPTONE, Endor, and Belters Only. German DJs and producers CLAPTONE have performed house and techno house internationally; Endor’s music has been featured heavily across the UK, particularly with the song ‘Pump It Up’ blasting in every single gym I have had the chance of passing by; musical duo Belter’s Only, as their name suggests, make songs that are absolute belters.
When I arrived just after 7pm, the line at the entrance spanned all the way down North Street and the event itself seemed packed. Quite a few people complained about the state of the queue for the bar, with some waiting as long as 40 minutes to get served. All in all, though, these frustrations were forgotten with the crowd dancing to the beat of every song. CLAPTONE’s unique plague doctor-style golden masks served to excite the audience even more, with various students engaging with their act by wearing similar styled masks.
I saw some incredible outfits throughout the night, with neon 80s inspired jackets, polka dot trousers, and cow print bucket hats. Last year I was inspired by a rubix cube eye look and decided to pair the look with an original shimmery gold dress. It was rather chilly but all-in-all I did feel proud of it.
Backstage, I had the opportunity to chat with James Wearmouth, the Music & Production advisor, also known as the man with the brains behind this entire operation. He opened up about the process behind obtaining the performing acts. With the original plan being Freshers Week, there were an entirely different group of acts lined up to perform at Starfields, and rescheduling posed a new challenge for the FS team. “How can we, on such short notice, get someone who is playing at festivals like Coachella and Tomorrowland to fit our schedule?” James praised CLAPTONE’s team for their co-operation: “They are the reason CLAPTONE are up on that stage tonight, having rescheduled their flights from South America”.
Everything came together in the final week leading up to the event, with Belters Only and Endor pulling through. The significance of CLAPTONE being present was emphasised by the fact that they currently have a six-year waitlist for performances. The fact that they were even in St Andrews at all is insane!
After seeing message after message appear on various University of St Andrews Facebook pages, James let on that he was initially disheartened by the amount of people who wouldn’t be able to make the event, but it was clear to see from the overflowing level of students, that there were far more people who could not be deterred from the event.
Starfields exceeded all my expectations and the effort of the entire FS team does not go unnoticed. Hundreds of hours went into the amalgamation of music, energy, and the wonderful food – vendors Shawarma House, Saint Sizzle, and The Crepe Shack – that resulted in such a successful event. An interesting factor to consider; however, is how much the prices of standard tickets skyrocketed since the last time Starfields was held at Lower College Lawn. From £45 in 2019 to £56 in 2022, the cost-of-living crisis really has wormed its way into every part of life in the UK.
The highlight of my night was dancing with my friends in the middle of the crowd, with the heat of those surrounding me to warm up the chilly night air. As the last Starfields I will attend, it certainly was a memorable one; I simply couldn’t ask for more.
