Gurtenfestival 2015

Set on a bucolic hilltop with a view of the Alps, Bern's Gurtenfestival is always a delight.The English Show's resident music freak and intrepid photographer Anna Wirz braved four days of scorching temperatures to bring you pictures galore.

We had days dominated by German punk-rock and hip-hop, from Broilers and Farin Urlaub to Kraftklub and Die Fantastischen Vier. The latter were the highlights of the first festival day, displaying the kind of energy and charisma that bands half their age can only dream of, 25 years after they first appeared on the scene. The hip-hoppers came barrelling onto the stage and didn't let up for a second. Their spiritedness was instant, infectious and impressive.

We had Swiss bands on the Waldbühne stage: Basel's END, whose six-man crew created a layered sound, with single Radiation Machine a particular stand-out; and the simpatico Stefanie Heinzmann.

From the Netherlands, Kovacs delivered assured soul, while rockers Birth Of Joy tore through their set with gusto. Meanwhile, Sweden's Blues Pills - with charismatic singer Elin Larsson - exceled at straightforward, propulsive blues rock.

And finally, the UK and USA were represented by the sounds of singer-songwriters, electronica and rock. On the blander end of the spectrum, we had Scouting For Girls and The Ramona Flowers, both tuneful but too harmless for my taste; and, surprisingly, Ellie Goulding. Her set had all the trappings: a likeable star with a distinctive voice, a tight band, flashing lights - yet it remained curiously bloodless. In a live setting, Goulding's songs had a sheen of generic pop that didn't exactly whip the audience into a frenzy. A Friday night festival crowd is a simple beast: it wants fast beats and loud music to dance to, and Goulding's set didn't deliver.

Faithless, on the other hand, did deliver. Not consistently - there were some dips and lulls - but their 90s electro-trip-hop amalgam was nevertheless a delight to behold. Hearing the peerless Insomnia at 1 a.m. on a balmy summer's night: unbeatable.

Archive were another highlight for me - as always, a dark and layered trip through electro-rock soundscapes; while the legendary and rockin' Patti Smith rounded off yet another splendidly varied Gurtenfestival.

Photographs of everyone mentioned above, plus George Ezra, Giorgio Moroder, Maxi Jazz and The E Type Boys, Metronomy and MØ are here on Flickr.

- Anna Wirz