Peterborough Beer Fest 2015 – the bands and the revellers, part three.

When I was told by the lovely organisers of Peterborough Beer Fest that I could have a press pass, what I was most looking forward to was seeing local and upcoming bands and musicians.

Apart from the open mic night on Tuesday which I sadly couldn’t attend, the lineup on Saturday 29th August was the best opportunity to do just that, with the music starting at 2pm and going right through till 10.30pm!

I was very disappointed to miss the first act, Doug Heath, but have watched his performance via Hereward TV and he did a great job! His set was a lovely, chilled out start to the musical entertainment for the day! You can watch him and all the other bands for the day via YouTube – starting at 1hr51 minutes here. Enjoy!

I arrived shortly after The Lartey Sisters had taken to the stage, and they were singing one of my favourite Dolly Parton songs – “Jolene”. Suffice to say, I liked these girls immediately. They then went on to perform “Old Man” by Neil Young, and I was hooked!

Other songs in the set were “Mrs Robinson”, “Here Comes the Sun” and one I wish I’d arrived in time for – “Big Yellow Taxi”. The beautiful melodic vocals from Faye & Ashleigh, and Faye’s rather lovely acoustic guitar playing are worthy of comments received by Steve Harley who champions these girls… “Inspirational. Doesn’t happen very often. Special. Unique.”

Check out The Lartey Sisters on facebook for gig updates and such like!

Next on stage was Nick Corney with his band The Buzz Rats. I had already listened to and enjoyed their upcoming EP,  “The Perfect Landing”, so was looking forward to this!

It must be pretty nervewracking getting on stage at the best of times, but when it’s to perform songs you’ve written yourself I think it’s got to be even more so! Nick & co. had an air of confidence and I sensed the enjoyment they felt from being on stage together – this was lovely to see!

The songs came across very well, and they had an audience (albeit fairly small) who were listening intently and rewarding with appropriate levels of applause! Personally, I very much enjoyed this set, with songs from both EPs such as “Smoky Joe” and title track from the upcoming EP “”The Perfect Landing”.

I’ve got to give a special mention to guitarist and harmonica player Chris (pictured above), as rarely have I seen that much energy on a stage, and it was a pleasure to witness! Good stuff indeed!

If you’re interested in seeing Nick Corney and The Buzz Rats for yourself, head along to The Brewery Tap on 18th September for their EP launch – I reckon you’ll love ’em!

Up next was out of town solo artist The Lone Groover. With a mix of original songs and covers, all with a folk/country feel from this ex-punk, there was a good variety of songs to nod the head to and other songs to sing along to.

This one man band gave renditions of “Young Americans” and “Eton Rifles”, and later providing an admission that “I was wasting my youth in punk rock bands when I should have been a country singer.” – so, someone with a sense of humour and the bravery to get out there on his own in front of an unknown beer-fuelled crowd! Kudos to him! For further info on The Lone Groover, drop a like on his facebook page.

After a break of an hour or so, it was time to get back to the barrier, front and centre stage for the next band, The Tin Pigeons. By now, the crowd was gathering and they were ready for a good sing and dance. I can think of no better band to provide the necessary service!

I’m trying not to be too over the top with the compliments within this review, but it’s not easy, as these lads are absolutely brilliant – fun to listen to, entertaining to watch, easy to like their personalities, and generally an absolute joy!

Kicking off with an immediately rowdy version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Tell it to Me”, then going quickly into their own song “Old Rosie” (complete with deliciously low bass vocals), the audience was on board straight away and really got into the spirit of the barn dance feel – there simply aren’t enough barn dances nowadays, right?!

The rest of the set was equally as raucous, with a good balance of original songs and covers including a quite brilliant version of “Folsom Prison Blues” – can’t beat a bit of Johnny Cash!

Right, you get the picture, I love this band. Maybe you will, too! Go check ’em out on twitter & facebook and find out for yourselves!

Somehow, we were suddenly about to see the last live band of the week – as I said at the beginning of part one, it was over so quickly! So, it had to be a band who would keep people in high spirits for the remainder of the night! Who better than local covers band The Replicas to provide the necessary tunage?!

Bursting onto the stage and commencing their set with “One Step Beyond”, proceeding to captivate and delight the audience with other popular songs such as “Geno”, “She’s Electric”, “Disco 2000”, “Town Called Malice” and completing the night’s, and the week’s, festivities with “Nightboat to Cairo”, this really was a great choice for headliner!

The Replicas have got a few upcoming gigs in the Peterborough area, so keep up to date with their whereabouts on facebook and get along to see them if you can!

Thank you to everyone for reading and sharing my reviews, and a final MASSIVE thank you to all at Peterborough Beer Fest for their organisation and hospitality – every one of you is amazing, and without you the event simply wouldn’t happen! Long may it continue!

Here are some of Saturday night’s revellers…

All photos were taken by and are copyright to Fi Stimpson / Music vs. The World. Please do not use any image without prior consent. Thank you!

Peterborough Beer Fest – the bands and the revellers, part two. @borobeerfest

After the ace night I had at Peterborough Beer Fest on Thursday, I was really looking forward to what Friday night had to offer!

Due on stage were a band I had wanted to see for a while, a band I’d seen twice before and who I very much enjoyed, and a band I had never heard of until they were announced as headliners!

I arrived a little late, and by the time I made it to the stage the Palmerston Ukulele Band were already in full swing with a really great crowd singing along to the fifth track in their set, “I Can See Clearly” – it was a lovely sight and sound to behold!

Sixteen members strong, the guys and gals proceeded to sing and play their little hearts out to songs such as “Bring Me Sunshine”, “Teenage Kicks”, “King of the Swingers” (from Jungle Book), “These Boots are Made for Walking”, “Norwegian Wood” and “Que Sera Sera”.

Every single person in that tent seemed to be singing along, and maybe some people outside the tent, too! It was energetic, noisy, hilarious in places (a group of wives & friends of the band threw their knickers on stage at one point… yes, really!), and most of all it was a LOT of fun!

If you’d like to know more about these fabulous people, head along to their facebook page, or even better, go to The Palmerston Arms on a Thursday evening to see them in the flesh and even join in!

Next on stage were Peterborough gig circuit regulars Dizzy Miss Lizzys. These guys really know what they’re doing – all with extensive experience in various bands and with, they seem to be at their most comfortable when on stage. Performing a wide range of popular songs such as “I Saw Her Standing There”, “Brown Sugar”, “Purple Haze”, “Back in Black” and the finale “Hey Jude”, there was no risk of a crowd who was bored, and every chance of people getting involved!

Singer and guitarist Gizz Butt was clearly focused and self-assured, and full of charisma. It was obvious he revels in being in the limelight (especially when performing those epic guitar solos) – and who can blame him?!

Indeed, the whole band are immensely skilled musicians – Si Martin on vocals and bass, James Cluer on guitar and vocals, and Fozzy on drums (what a drummer – you seriously have to witness what that man can do!). With the addition of Simon Russell on keys and John Mosely on percussion, this was a perfect formula.

If you’d like to keep up with the whereabouts of Dizzy Miss Lizzys, drop in to their facebook page where all gig announcements happen! Enjoy – I promise you will!

Onto the final act of the evening, a band hailing from Lincoln called The Activators. This was the band I’d never heard of, and I was intrigued to see what they had to offer, especially as they’ve performed gigs far and wide, including a show in Paris!

This band’s set was largely originals, interspersed with some covers that suited their style perfectly, namely “Ghost Town” and “Rock the Casbah” – these went down a storm!

Now, bear in mind that the audience for the night had just heard a shedload of songs they knew and loved, and had expended a ton of energy at the same time. Coupled with the fact that the majority had consumed more beer than is probably normal even for your average Friday night out, and this resulted in something of a difficult crowd. This was a massive shame, as the band was keen to do their thing – full of verve and ebullience, and do their thing they did, regardless of the tricky so-and-so’s before them!! The mark of true professionals, I think! The boys and girl done good!

You might like to know more about The Activators, and go to one of their gigs for yourself – if so, head over to their website or facebook and twitter accounts to keep up to date with goings on! Definitely worth an outing, in my opinion!

Don’t forget, you can catch up with everything you missed via Hereward TV on their YouTube channel, so make sure you head on over there! If you’re interested in volunteering for Hereward TV, get to their website to find out more!

Whilst you wait for part 3 (the final part!) of my Peterborough Beer Fest review, have a gander at some photos of people who were in attendance who kindly allowed me to take their pictures!

All photos were taken by and are copyright to Fi Stimpson / Music vs. The World. Please do not use any image without prior consent. Thank you!

Peterborough Beer Fest 2015 – the bands & the revellers, part one.

You know what it’s like – you wait months for something you’re really looking forward to, and suddenly it’s all over, seemingly with the blink of an eye.

That’s my overwhelming and lingering memory of Peterborough Beer Fest 2015 – just how fast did the week go?! I’m sure someone sped up time for a while there!

I sadly wasn’t able to attend every day, so wasn’t able to witness every band, but there is always a way to bring the music to the masses – wonderful new community hub Hereward TV were at PBF for its entirety, talking to a variety of brewers and organisers, and also filming every single musical act!

You can catch up with everything you missed on their YouTube channel, so make sure you head on over there! If you’re interested in volunteering for Hereward TV, get to their website to find out more! It’s extremely worthwhile.

Anyway, I digress, so onto the bands I did manage to see…

I arrived at 7pm on Thursday evening, just in time to see string quartet The Stringlers. I had been wanting to see these girls for some time, so was very much looking forward to this.

From the outset, this band had the audience in the palm of their hand, kicking off with The Stranglers’ No More Heroes then going straight into a Beatles medley – Get Back, Blackbird and Eleanor Rigby. A brilliant start, with the crowd singing along to the wonderfully skilled instrumentals.

Other particular favourites from the set were Sweet Child o’ Mine, Bat Out of Hell and Bohemian Rhapsody, all of which had the audience singing at the top of their lungs – Kat, Di, Helen & Emily really know how to capture a crowd and keep them there!

I can’t wait to see The Stringlers again, and if you want to keep up with them you can follow them on facebook.

Headlining on Thursday night was a band I’ve seen a lot in the past few months – The Expletives. However, rarely on an actual stage as they mainly perform from the cramped corner of whatever pub they’re in.

It’s difficult for me to review The Expletives without being accused of some bias, because the guys are good friends of mine! I can’t lie, though – they are brilliant. Sean works the stage exactly as it should be worked, and the crowd quickly respond to their infectious and obvious enjoyment.

The Expletives effortlessly yet aggressively (in a good way) bashed their way through a 30-song strong set including Tainted Love, Babylon’s Burning, Hanging on the Telephone, Anarchy in the UK, Gordon is a Moron, and finishing with Blitzkrieg Bop – all performed with much aplomb and all getting the audience singing, shouting and dancing along!

I’d love to see these guys get a headline slot on the Friday or Saturday night in future – I reckon they’d go down even more of a storm! If you want to see The Expletives again, they gig a lot in the Greater Peterborough area, so give their facebook or twitter pages a follow to keep up to date with their whereabouts!

Keep an eye on the blog for installments two and three of Peterborough Beer Fest, but in the meantime here are a few photos of revellers from Thursday… enjoy!

All photos were taken by and are copyright to Fi Stimpson / Music vs. The World. Please do not use any image without prior consent. Thank you!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Live Music Schedule @borobeerfest

Tuesday 25th August:

7.30pm to 10.45pm – Open Mic Night

Wednesday 26th August:

8pm to 9pm & 9.30pm to 10.45pm – Grumpy Old Men

Thursday 27th August:

7.30pm to 9pm – The Stringlers

9.15pm to 10.45pm – The Expletives

Friday 28th August:

4pm to 5.30pm – Palmerston Ukulele Band

7.30pm to 9pm – Dizzy Miss Lizzys

9.15pm to 10.45pm – The Activators

Saturday 29th August:

2pm to 3pm – Doug Heath

3pm to 4pm – The Lartey Sisters

4pm to 5pm – Nick Corney and The Buzz Rats

5pm to 6pm – The Lone Groover

7.30pm to 8.50pm – The Tin Pigeons

9pm to 10.30pm – The Replicas

I hope to see lots of people down there supporting the beer fest as a whole – drink plenty (but responsibly!), soak up the atmosphere and try to see as many of these bands as you can! Above all, have a wonderful time! Enjoy!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… The Replicas @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

The band who will close the musical side of the beer fest on Saturday 29th August is Ska, Soul, Punk, and Indie influenced band The Replicas.

This is a band whose aim is “to leave you with a taste of the songs you remember”. They perform songs by much-loved bands such as The Jam, The Who, The Small faces, Madness, The Specials and many more. Definitely something for everyone, that’s for sure!

The Replicas’ high energy gigs have ensured they’ve always got a good strong crowd who make their presence very well known by singing and dancing along to the songs they know and love!

The Replicas will be on stage 9.00pm to 10.30pm, and this promises to be an excellent end to the night and a definite must-see act!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… The Tin Pigeons @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

The penultimate band on Saturday 29th August is one I’ve seen before when they were busking on Stamford’s High Street. The Tin Pigeons captured my attention then, and I’m very excited at the prospect of seeing them again!

Photograph courtesy of the official Peterborough Beer Festival website.

Using traditional folk instruments such as a mandolin and a banjo enhances and authenticates this band’s indie-folk style, and produces a sound that will get your foot tapping and your head nodding at the very least!

They do a good mixture of original tunes and covers, and their own EP, “All’s Spent“, is currently available on iTunes. Have a listen to their song “Salinas” here… I particularly love those deep harmonies.

The Tin Pigeons will be on stage 7.30pm to 8.50pm – definitely one not to miss!!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… The Lone Groover @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

The next act on Saturday 29th August, is The Lone Groover, a one man band who puts energy, personality and the feel good factor into his performance of classic punk, folk n’ bop.

In his own words: “Let’s be clear. I’m not a solo artist, I’m a one man group. There’s a subtle difference. I wanna walk like The Clash and sound like Bob Dylan.”

From what I’ve seen and heard, he does pull it off, and I can’t wait to see in person if he lives up to his desires! He’ll be on stage from 5pm to 6pm, so grab a beer and come along!

Have a listen for yourselves in advance…

 

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… Nick Corney and the Buzzrats @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

Following on from The Lartey Sisters, you’ll be treated to the very excellent original folk & blues rock songs of local band Nick Corney and The Buzz Rats.

Nick originally performed as a solo act and released his debut EP, “Signs of Life”, but for his second EP, “The Perfect Landing”, he recruited The Buzz Rats, who have brought a new dimension to the songs. I’ve been fortunate enough to listen to the EP, and it is absolutely wonderful – I for one cannot wait to witness these songs in a live setting!

Here’s “Signs of Life” from Nick’s debut EP:

Get to the live music tent at 4pm on Saturday 29th August and have a listen for yourselves!

Incidentally, the EP will be launched on Friday 18th September at The Brewery Tap in Peterborough. If you need an excuse for a night out, this is it!!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… The Lartey Sisters @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

On Saturday 29th August from 3pm to 4pm, you’ll have the chance to see acoustic duo The Lartey Sisters.

Head along, and you’ll hear a lovely set of self-written songs combining Faye’s accomplished acoustic guitar playing and Ashleigh’s songbird-like vocals. It sounds to me like a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Have a listen to one of their songs right here…

A quick mention must go to Steve Harley, Robbie Gladwell and the late Lincoln Anderson (of Cockney Rebel fame) – Gladwell has for many years organised The Lartey Sisters shows, and the girls have had the amazing opportunity of recording with Lincoln Anderson as well as having a song, “Nobody’s Here”, produced by Steve Harley himself. Have a listen to the preview of said song right here!

Peterborough Beer Fest: Focus on… Doug Heath @borobeerfest

This year’s Peterborough Beer Fest kicks off on Tuesday 25th August with a trade session, opening up to the public afterwards with an open mic night for those staying into the evening.

On the Saturday, the live music kicks off at 2pm with Doug Heath, a singer/songwriter from Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of the official Peterborough Beer Festival website.

Doug recently reached the finals of Open Mic UK, a national competition entered into by 12,000 people! He played at the grand final at the NEC in Birmingham, one of only 20 people to do so.

He’s currently recording his EP, which will be released next month. In the meantime, you can catch him at loads of festival gigs in Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and he frequents the regular open mic nights in and around Peterborough.

Doug will be on stage 2.00pm to 3.00pm on Saturday 29th August. Enjoy!!