The Monthly Interview: Simon Taffe
As End of the Road turns 20, the festival’s director and curator reflects on an enduring creative vision, and why discovery remains its greatest asset
Somewhere between the timeworn Victorian trappings of Larmer Tree Gardens and the sprawling Dorset woodland beyond, the magic of End of the Road gradually reveals itself. Hand-painted signs pop out from behind trees, hidden stages appear seemingly out of nowhere, peacocks strut freely throughout the festival grounds, and an old wooden boat marks the spot of a late-night dancefloor.
Since launching in 2006, End of the Road has established itself as one of the UK’s premier independent music events. Over the past two decades it has hosted everyone from Wilco, Bon Iver and Patti Smith to Sufjan Stevens, Little Simz and Joanna Newsom, while also earning a reputation for championing emerging artists. Wet Leg famously decided to form a band after attending. Yet it is the festival’s sense of discovery and wonder that has remained its defining feature.
This September, it celebrates its 20th anniversary with another typically eclectic lineup, with Pulp, CMAT, Geese and Mac DeMarco taking top billing alongside the likes of Super Furry Animals, Ty Segall, Lucinda Williams, Kurt Vile and more. For festival director and curator Simon Taffe, however, the music has always been just one part of a much bigger creative picture. “We always wanted a strong visual look,” he says. “I was never interested in just putting a stage in a field and sticking a load of flags up.”
