Festival Chatter

[hendo (Dave)]

Speaking of festivals that nobody seems to have mentioned (to go back a page in the discussion), I'm surprised that there has been no mention of the Derby Folk Festival (Didn't see the point in setting up a whole new thread if nobody else is attending  ), from October 3rd to 5th. It seems to be very reasonably priced, and there's some big names playing: Show of Hands headlining the Saturday and Kate Rusby the Sunday.

On the Friday night you can go and see Steeleye Span, Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies and assorted other entertainments for less than the price that Steeleye are asking for dates on their own autumn tour. I didn't need to think very hard about that one before I ordered tickets! There's Thornbridge ales on, too.  

It's an excellent event Carl but it's another of those fests that is in inside venues and pubs around the town so can feel like a series of (excellent) concerts , rather than a fest.

[Anne Dunn]

It is normally held all in the Assembly Rooms, so it does feel like a festival with food, bar, stalls and sessions all in the one building.
But this year because of the big fire at the Assembly Rooms, it's going to be in a marquee on the market square, so bits of it are being spread around other venues. We had already bought tickets, but it won't be the same  

[Addie]

Got tickets for the Show of Hands concert on the Saturday but wondering now if I should try and sell the tickets and just listen outside the marquee  

[hendo (Dave)]

It is normally held all in the Assembly Rooms, so it does feel like a festival with food, bar, stalls and sessions all in the one building.
But this year because of the big fire at the Assembly Rooms, it's going to be in a marquee on the market square, so bits of it are being spread around other venues. We had already bought tickets, but it won't be the same  

Hi Annie, even when it was mainly in the Assembly Rooms, it lacked the fest vibe for me. Don't get me wrong, we've always enjoyed it and the standard of music is fabby but you are sitting in a theatre.

[Carl F]

It is normally held all in the Assembly Rooms, so it does feel like a festival with food, bar, stalls and sessions all in the one building.
But this year because of the big fire at the Assembly Rooms, it's going to be in a marquee on the market square, so bits of it are being spread around other venues. We had already bought tickets, but it won't be the same  

Hi Annie, even when it was mainly in the Assembly Rooms, it lacked the fest vibe for me. Don't get me wrong, we've always enjoyed it and the standard of music is fabby but you are sitting in a theatre.

I can certainly see your point. I wonder whether it will, conversely, feel any more "festival-y" with the main stage being outside this year, even with the range of other venues?

[Martin F]

Does anyone on here go to End Of The Road festival?

Trying to figure out why no-one seems to mention this one. I have a friend who raves about it but I can't find any substantial mention of it anywhere.

(Not that it's any good for us for the next few years - It would be a tad irresponsible waking up in a field near Salisbury on the day Alex is due back in school   )

Cheers

Nick

It's a weird one, I think they have some memory wipng machine at the exit.
I've been once, I know I enjoyed it at the time, but can I remember anything that happened there... Nope, not a thing!

[garrypbrooks]

The Guildford Folk and Blues festival was held at Loseley park August 27th and 28th 1995. It is a shame it was there only the once as it is a stunning location. Great line up including The Oysterband and RT although my lasting memory of that event was a wonderful set by Robin Williamson.
Complaints from far and wide caused it to move back to Stoke Park in 96 when we saw the return of Peter Green. In the early years it was a great little festival but IMHO lost its way trying to be all things to all people, too many rules with heavy handed stewards and generally overpriced on all levels.
I am sure others will try to run a festival on Stoke park, we had Live Nation running quite a successful bash last year so who knows?

Reading this makes me want to cry in my Darjeeling - I went to the Guildfest probably 7 or 8 times, it was a great smallish fest with an emphasis on folk & blues (tho' some pop/rock bands like the Lightening Seeds & Bjorn Again (!) played and were well-received.) I remember great sets by the likes of Goats Don't Shave, The Oyster Band, Christine Collister, The Blues Band, Alan Hull & Kenny Craddock, Show of Hands, The Arizona Smoke Review, The Pogues, The Men they Couldn't Hang, Wilko Johnson, Peter Green's comeback, Mike Sanchez, the Bushberrys,  .... then it all went wrong. The last one I went to had madness & the Undertones on the bill - they were fine, but the festival was an awful throwback to the 70s, horrible toilets, knee-deep in litter, long queues for lukewarm beer (which didn't seem to stop large numbers from getting completely wasted), Steve Hackett desperately trying to play over horrible noise pollution from several directions - you get the general idea. Me & The Boss said "never again".

[David W]

How can a festival like Guilfest - coting £120 for a ticket ever make any money with s many acts on the bill - six different stages etc. the actual infrastructire costs must be astonishing add to that the cost of bands etc ...

DW

[Sandra]

Plenty of festivals do it David. Look at Beautiful Days - 6 stages, amazing site art and installations, good acts, 4 days, tickets £130, no sponsorship. It's a question of building a good reputation and a loyal audience so that you sell tickets and choosing your acts well and budgeting wisely.  

Sadly Guilfest did none of these so far as I can see.

[Darren_j]

Plenty of festivals do it David. Look at Beautiful Days - 6 stages, amazing site art and installations, good acts, 4 days, tickets £130, no sponsorship. It's a question of building a good reputation and a loyal audience so that you sell tickets and choosing your acts well and budgeting wisely.  

Sadly Guilfest did none of these so far as I can see.

I think that's exactly what's gone wrong here. I only went once but looked at the line-up in subsequent years it just seemed so random and eclectic, I don't think they had a clear idea of who they were aiming and what they were offering.

[garrypbrooks]

Plenty of festivals do it David. Look at Beautiful Days - 6 stages, amazing site art and installations, good acts, 4 days, tickets £130, no sponsorship. It's a question of building a good reputation and a loyal audience so that you sell tickets and choosing your acts well and budgeting wisely.  

Sadly Guilfest did none of these so far as I can see.

I think Guildfest did it very well for several years and then lost its way - some very poor organisation contributed but IMHO it was also because it became too eclectic, had no clear identity and just didn't find enough good new acts.

The reputation / loyal audience you mention  are key - I'll go to a festival like Southwell, Wimbourne, Ely or Wickham with a good deal of confidence that some of the acts I've not heard before will be good, but it would only take one bad year to shake this confidence.

[Sandra]

Plenty of festivals do it David. Look at Beautiful Days - 6 stages, amazing site art and installations, good acts, 4 days, tickets £130, no sponsorship. It's a question of building a good reputation and a loyal audience so that you sell tickets and choosing your acts well and budgeting wisely.  

Sadly Guilfest did none of these so far as I can see.

I think that's exactly what's gone wrong here. I only went once but looked at the line-up in subsequent years it just seemed so random and eclectic, I don't think they had a clear idea of who they were aiming and what they were offering.

I think you are right. It lost it's identity and tried to be all things to all men and ended up being a mess.

[dog-nap (Ian)]

Sorry to see it go.  I used it as a one-day festival for many years (never tempted to camp - £60 extra for a campervan, on top of the normal camping fee!) and generally enjoyed its eclectic line-ups.  Peter Green’s comeback, Tim Rose, Motorhead, and an almost annual appearance by the Hamsters were the highlights for me.  However, they seemed to be trying to attract X Factor fans with recent line-ups and that obviously changed the vibe of the place.  More importantly, it clashed with Folk by the Oak and, as far as I’m concerned, that was no contest at all.

If we’re talking defunct festivals though, the one I really miss is Walton on the Naze.  Nothing quite like a festival by the seaside.

[hendo (Dave)]

Spent the week end at Bo Peep Cider Festival at Bo Peep Farm Adderbury
This is on an  up market campsite, electric hook ups, excellent toilet blocks, etc. Festival cost, Adults £15 kids £8 and £35 for 2 nights camping (per tent/van etc)
This was the first yr of the fest , probably about 2000 people and it is learning what it is. It was beautifully organised and run. Billed as a cider festival (over a hundred ciders) it was also family friendly, kids rides, bouncy castle, climbing wall, circus skills, stilt walkers, story telling, dragons!! (and wonderful they were, they slept in the van next to us) VIP area , for people who'd paid £50a head for the day to drink champagne/ pimms/cider and have a couple of meals and then 2 music stages.
The organisers had pulled together what Simon Niciol referred to as 'the usual suspects', Local(ish) bands,.Chris Leslie playing for his wife's Morris side, Pete Watkins, Linda Watkins band, Ric Sanders and Vo Fletcher, Red Shoes, My Holiday Romance, Rufus Goodlove , Leatherat and many more. Musically a cracking and varied line up .
 So is it a family fest, a music  fest, a cider fest? The answer is.... yes! People who had gone with families listened to the music, people who had gone to drink (a lot) of cider listened to the music.it was a beautifully friendly chilled fest....... which can only grow and improve.
 Food was limited and v expensive. Excellent clothes, cd. books, art stalls. Good , but expensive , coffee  and £2 for a small bottle of water. These are gliches which can be sorted but all in all a really excellent first fest.
It's a 3 day fest next yr and well worth looking out for.

[Martin F]

I thought the food prices were on a par for festivals this year.

[Andy]

Was the camping next to people's vehicles, a la Cropredy?

[hendo (Dave)]

I thought the food prices were on a par for festivals this year.

Thanks Martin. I was lucky enough to be given a food ticket cos we were playing but people were talking about £5.20 for a bag of chips, £6.50 for a pork wrap etc and Mrs H's chagrin at paying £3 for a hot chocolate that wasn't hot nor chocolaty!! (actually I paid for it!) There were people wandering around on sat morn looking for breakfast and there was none available. These are very small gliches which can be tweaked and shouldn't marr a lovely event.

[hendo (Dave)]

Was the camping next to people's vehicles, a la Cropredy?

Morning Andy. Hope you're feeling better!
The festival is on a campsite which had 117 pitches with electric hook ups and then another couple of fields. I had a walk round v early Sat morn and it was just like a 'normal' campsite. caravans, camper vans, tents with cars next to the tents/caravans.
People were arriving and being directed to a specific pitch number!
If you go on the Bo Peep Camping site there are pictures. Hope this helps. It was a lovely, friendly atmosphere!

[garrypbrooks]

Bookings start early these day - Southwell have named their first acts for next year (4-7 June): They are:
 
The Railsplitters
The Dardanelles
Coco and the Butterfields
We Banjo 3
Manran
 The Young 'Uns
Keith Donnelly
Flossie Malavialle
Anthony John Clarke

Not a bad start, IMO

[Andy]

Morning Andy. Hope you're feeling better!

Thanks for the info. Yup, moving along...