Wednesday 31 May 2023

Live at the Palace Festival: A Celebration for Ages 5 to 75!

Superstylin' at the Palace: A Groove Armada Night
Groove Armada duo Andy Cato and Tom Findlay digital ink illustration in black and red by A. Prygiel
Groove Armada by Agnes Prygiel, 2023

    
    I don't go out so much these days, I have to admit the unpopular fact. Adulthood can be somewhat uninspiring. I always try to time my not-so-wild-anymore late-night explorations with the TFL's timetable and head back home before the departure of the last tube. I would not leave home without a phone charger, comfortable shoes, and a cashmere jumper in my backpack (just in case it got chilly in the evening). Trying to party while knowing I have to get up early the next morning somehow takes away the sheer spontaneity of the experience.
 
    On 28.05.2023, I ventured out to Live at the Palace festival, featuring Groove Armada. The past and the present come together when you listen to one of your favorite bands live. I used to play Groove Armada's records at university while working on my last-minute art projects during those late nights in the dorm. Revisiting the music of my younger days at a slightly different stage of my life was like an affirmation of growth and change.
 
    It was wonderful to enter the accommodating space of the festival, joining in with the dancing crowd ranging from 5 to 75 years old. It was impressive to see such a diverse and inclusive crowd.
 
    The concert was organized on the premises of Fulham Palace in West London, with a quiet zone and beverage station in the Tudor-era gardens, currently transformed into a community-run project. The garden's entrance gate was so tiny, I had to lean down when walking under it. It made me realize that people in the past were much shorter than we are today!
 
Agnes Prygiel, 31.05.2023, London