British synth-pop angel Bat for Lashes has some advice on how you can max out your next festival experience, and it’s relatively painless: Leave your phones at home people, because Natasha Kahn has had enough of your selfies.
In an interview with the Guardian, the haunting multi-instrumentalist reflected on the current state of the festival and gig circuit and constructed a very convincing argument for leaving our gadgets alone. “People should try and disconnect from the technology and get into the spirit of things”, she reflected, “It’s an opportunity to forget life back at home, live a magical existence, dress up, have loads of fun, get involved and forget social media.” According to Natasha, our phones and unrelenting connection to social media is the biggest reason she feels festivals have “gone a bit weird.”
The no-phone zone has already been tried and tested by the artist when she played in New York last month. “I’d forgotten how much it really changes when the audiences aren’t taking pictures of you or filming it, just when everyone’s really present,” she remembered. “Festivals really benefit from that mass communication of everyone being in the moment. Otherwise it disrupts the atmosphere and the environment and the artist’s ability to create something powerful.”
Bat for Lashes is playing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, so if you’ve bought tickets leave your phones at home (or at least in your pocket), live for the moment and get your likes and comments in real life.
Credits
Text Hannah Butterworth
Image by Rachel Juarez-Carr via @batforlashes