Festival Review in Pictures: Cro Cro Land 2025 at Stanley Arts, South Norwood ft. Billy Nomates, Big Joanie, Goat Girl and a host of Joyzine favourites
The sad demise of Roadkill Records in August 2023 left a big hole in the London indie gig circuit, especially for one-day and weekend festivals in small local venues. LOUD WOMEN have their niche, as does Punk n Roll Rendezvous, but they mostly cater for audiences north of the river. For music lovers south of the Thames there is a real dearth of venues, gigs and festivals for indie and grassroots bands. Enter Cro Cro Land, whose mission from the outset was to remedy this. The initial festival in 2019 was a great start and a promise of better things to come: then the pandemic happened. The indie music scene was hit hard, with venues closing and bands disappearing. After a false start in 2023, Cro Cro Land made its welcome return to Croydon in 2024 with a new home at Stanley Hall in South Norwood, a local arts venue that served as a perfect setting for the event. A strong line up reinforced and built on the promise of the first festival. The recent third outing, on the weekend of 5 and 6 April, further confirmed that music fans in South London want more gigs closer to home that don’t require lengthy journeys to Camden, Hackney or further afield.
Billy Nomates on The Town Square Stage
Goat Girl on The Town Square Stage
Bugeye on The Town Square Stage
The Priscillas on The Town Square Stage
Berries on The Town Square Stage
Grandma’s House on The Town Square Stage
The Outers on The Town Square Stage
Tall Poppies on The Town Square Stage
Over thirty bands were packed into the weekend over the venue’s two stages: Town Hall (the main stage) and Concrete Playground (a smaller stage and room). Compared with last year’s festival, there was a lot more overlapping of the bands, which sometimes made for hard decisions. However, with only a couple of minutes between the stages it was easy to get a taste of a band’s set before bailing. Although, theoretically, the better bands were on the Town Hall stage, those on the Concrete Playground were able to hold their own with standout high-energy performances from Lucky Number You, Mythora, Bridget and the always anarchic A Void on the Saturday, and Yuke, Dakka Skanks and Jemma Freeman and The Cosmic Something on the Sunday. Dogviolet proved to be real troupers, opening the main stage on the Sunday then doing a last-minute stand-in a couple of hours later on the other stage, getting to showcase their talents to the growing audience that didn’t turn up early.
Native James on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Bridget on The Concrete Jungle Stage
A Void on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Mythora on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Hot Wife on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Lucky Number You on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Phwoar on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Kat Five on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Beth Robb on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Having attended hundreds of small indie gigs and festivals over the years, having things run to schedule is a rarity, and the more bands involved the chances of timings going out the window increase, but to the credit of Cro Cro Land’s organisers, everything ran on time over the weekend, and with more than one stage this is vital to keep the punters happy, especially when there is such a stellar line up.
Big Joanie on the Town Square Stage
ARXX on the Town Square Stage
Human Interest on the Town Square Stage
Bugeye on the Town Square Stage
Currls on the Town Square Stage
Miniseries on the Town Square Stage
Keeley on the Town Square Stage
Charley Stone & The Actual Band on the Town Square Stage
Dogviolet on the Town Square Stage
Although it is still early days, Cro Cro Land already feels like a vital fixture on the London indie music calendar. While it would be great to see it continue to grow in size and stature, it also feels the right size as it is, with a sense of familiarity and intimacy. Only time will tell, but as long as it returns next year, and for years to come, to fly the flag for live music in south London.
Scrounge on The Concrete Playground Stage
Jemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground Stage
Billy Nomates on The Town Square StageBilly Nomates on The Town Square StageBilly Nomates on The Town Square StageBilly Nomates on The Town Square StageNative James on The Concrete Jungle StageNative James on The Concrete Jungle StageNative James on The Concrete Jungle StageNative James on The Concrete Jungle StageNative James on The Concrete Jungle StageGoat Girl on The Town Square StageGoat Girl on The Town Square StageGoat Girl on The Town Square StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageBridget on The Concrete Jungle StageA Void on The Concrete Jungle StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageBugeye on The Town Square StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageMythora on The Concrete Jungle StageThe Priscillas on The Town Square StageThe Priscillas on The Town Square StageThe Priscillas on The Town Square StageThe Priscillas on The Town Square StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageHot Wife on The Concrete Jungle StageBerries on The Town Square StageBerries on The Town Square StageBerries on The Town Square StageBerries on The Town Square StageBerries on The Town Square StageBerries on The Town Square StageGrandma’s House on The Town Square StageGrandma’s House on The Town Square StageGrandma’s House on The Town Square StageGrandma’s House on The Town Square StageLucky Number You on The Concrete Jungle StageLucky Number You on The Concrete Jungle StageLucky Number You on The Concrete Jungle StageLucky Number You on The Concrete Jungle StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StageThe Outers on The Town Square StagePhwoar on The Concrete Jungle StagePhwoar on The Concrete Jungle StagePhwoar on The Concrete Jungle StagePhwoar on The Concrete Jungle StageTall Poppies on The Town Square StageTall Poppies on The Town Square StageTall Poppies on The Town Square StageTall Poppies on The Town Square StageKat Five on The Concrete Jungle StageKat Five on The Concrete Jungle StageKat Five on The Concrete Jungle StageKat Five on The Concrete Jungle StageBeth Robb on The Concrete Jungle StageBeth Robb on The Concrete Jungle StageBeth Robb on The Concrete Jungle Stage
Sunday Gallery
Big Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageBig Joanie on the Town Square StageARXX on the Town Square StageARXX on the Town Square StageARXX on the Town Square StageARXX on the Town Square StageScrounge on The Concrete Playground StageScrounge on The Concrete Playground StageScrounge on The Concrete Playground StageScrounge on The Concrete Playground StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageHuman Interest on the Town Square StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageJemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something on The Concrete Playground StageBugeye on the Town Square StageBugeye on the Town Square StageBugeye on the Town Square StageBugeye on the Town Square StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageLoose Articles on The Concrete Playground StageCurrls on the Town Square StageCurrls on the Town Square StageCurrls on the Town Square StageCurrls on the Town Square StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageDakka Skanks on The Concrete Playground StageMiniseries on the Town Square StageMiniseries on the Town Square StageMiniseries on the Town Square StageMiniseries on the Town Square StageMiniseries on the Town Square StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageYuke on The Concrete Playground StageKeeley on the Town Square StageKeeley on the Town Square StageKeeley on the Town Square StageKeeley on the Town Square StageKeeley on the Town Square StageCharley Stone & The Actual Band on the Town Square StageCharley Stone & The Actual Band on the Town Square StageCharley Stone & The Actual Band on the Town Square StageCharley Stone & The Actual Band on the Town Square StageShallow Honey on The Concrete Playground StageShallow Honey on The Concrete Playground StageShallow Honey on The Concrete Playground StageShallow Honey on The Concrete Playground StageShallow Honey on The Concrete Playground StageRival Queens on The Concrete Playground StageRival Queens on The Concrete Playground StageRival Queens on The Concrete Playground StageRival Queens on The Concrete Playground StageRival Queens on The Concrete Playground StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Town Square StageDogviolet on the Concrete Jungle StageDogviolet on the Concrete Jungle StageDogviolet on the Concrete Jungle StageDogviolet on the Concrete Jungle Stage
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