Boscombe Community Fair 2012

Kings Park, Bournemouth

The non profit festival has been running successfully for 17 years giving everybody in the local area that chance to kick back and enjoy some late autumn sunshine along with a host of great local bands, the incident caused by one very inconsiderate individual spoilt what was otherwise a perfect weekend. The huge team of volunteers who have worked hard for several months organising and setting things up to make sure everything went smoothly. The festival is aimed at all of the family providing free fun for children with arts, crafts, circus skills, a special percussion area where anyone can have a try with African drums and all manor of musical instruments.

The non profit festival has been running successfully for 17 years giving everybody in the local area that chance to kick back and enjoy some late autumn sunshine along with a host of great local bands, the incident caused by one very inconsiderate individual spoilt what was otherwise a perfect weekend. The huge team of volunteers who have worked hard for several months organising and setting things up to make sure everything went smoothly. The festival is aimed at all of the family providing free fun for children with arts, crafts, circus skills, a special percussion area where anyone can have a try with African drums and all manor of musical instruments. There were two huge marquees on site providing two very different music stages, each providing the best in a huge variety of local music and poetry. The entry fee was a very reasonable £5 a day or just £10 for the whole weekend.

Friday 14th September
The festival opened early on Friday evening with the first band on the main stage who were local Bournemouth band “Mountain Feet”, a three piece band who gave a gentle introduction to the live music with a decent set of country blues songs perfect for this festival setting. The three piece drumerless band comprising of Jordan Gray(Guitar/ Vocals), Craig Gray( Guitar/Vocals) and Alistair Smith(bass) performed a great version of Neil Young’s “Don’t Cry No Tears” in the style of Eddie Vedder along with one of their own compositions called “Down Time” which made some extreme tongue in cheek references to the use of recreational drugs. As the marquee began to fill up, the soundcheck of the next band “The Guns Of Navarone” seemed to get everybody in a dancing mood, the band is a 10 piece Ska orchestra featuring a full 4 piece brass section. As the band belted out their 1st number, the dance floor was a mass of bobbing heads excitedly enjoying the infectious beat. The great thing about this band was they were not predictable, it would have been easy to just play the classic Ska numbers that have been flogged to death over the years, they played some of their own original material which sounded great coupled with a few well chosen covers such as Bad Manners “Inner London Violence” and The Specials “Do The Dog”. They vast majority of the crowd danced for the whole of their set making for a really excited and really enjoyable comfortable atmosphere.

Boscombe Community Fair 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11

A few of the members of “The Guns Of Navarone” also featured in the next band “Pronghorn” a well versed festival band now in their 20th year, a band that know just how to entertain a crowd such as this. With energy levels still high the local Parkstone band arrived on stage and were given a very warm welcome from the audience who contained lots of people more than familiar with the band’s own “Cowpunk” sound. The hour long set was a celebration of everything that the band have achieved in the last 20 years, with familiar songs such as “Molly( Let Your Bangs Hang Down)” and the very eastern European “Hej Sokoly” giving everyone no reason to stop dancing. The band left the stage after playing the fitting “Boscum Stamp” with everyone wanting more, but due to the strict 11pm curfew the music of the first night ended right there.

Saturday 15th September
I was sadly due to a prior charity commitment unable to attend on the Saturday, but by all accounts apart from the previously mentioned incident the day went really well with bands such as Kentucky Fight Club, The Jack Ratts, Dubheart and The Sproadics all putting in great performances.

Sunday 16th September
With the Festival a little shell-shocked from the night before and the local paper journalists on site doing their best to get a front page story from Saturday nights events, the staff all did an excellent job of carrying in with the great British spirit to make the final day go well. The Sunday kicked off in the on the acoustic stage with the great named “Admiral Shineysides” who take to the stage to deliver a set that contained tribute to two of their heroes Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. The five piece country rock band fronted by Alex Cope provide a very original style the goes down well with those early arrivals to the festival site. Solo acoustic artist Dan Gordon open’s the main stage and sadly plays to a largely empty tent, but as the sets goes on he pulls in a few interested punters who are treated to one of his own compositions “Turn Me On” which was specially toned down as there were children present.

Boscombe Community Fair 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11–12

The noise levels are turned up with a vengeance when rockers “Dead Lettuce” take to the stage, these lads don’t know the meaning of quiet, they seem to have lost a bass player and borrowed a drummer in the form of Dominic Upchuck from local punk band “the C-30’s”. But none of this stopped them performing a rip roaring set of twin epic guitars that certainly let everybody in Hampshire know they were here. Lead singer “Rab” is himself the definition of rock with large amounts of “Spinal Tap” thrown in,when introducing the songs he provides some humorous banter, the band perform a few covers including Thin Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe a word” along with a few of their own impressive numbers including “Big White Dog” that gives everybody’s eardrums a real workout.

The Dorset music awards winners Peace, Love & Gloves are up next and despite their lead singer Mark Mullady not feeling too well was a possible bout of ‘Man Flu’ or was it just a hangover from the night before ? They take to the stage and show everybody just why they are the award winners. The bands specially named fans the Gloves & Glovettes in the audience are treated to a fine set of songs from their debut EP including “Ashamed of Me” and by request “Toy Story”. The bands sound is something quite unique, a uncomplicated simple guitar, bass and drums coupled with Mark’s rapped vocals and songs written about personal experiences in their lives. Today even without the atmosphere of their full crowd they perform well and seem to make a few new fans along the way. Mischa & His Merri Men carry on the party pulling a handsome crowd of excited on lookers who give the band some great support. Mischa Weston Green is a very talented song writer who delivers a top draw performance full of delightful highlights such a “Blow My Blues Away” a song about all the music that has saved him from dark times. As well as their own material a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” is performed in the bands own special way with lots cleverly added ad hock lyrics from other popular songs. The second award winner of the day Andy Stock makes a welcome surprise appearance, his cleverly put together well written songs such as “Facebook Song” and “See You On Sea Road” thrill and delight the audience, who give him a very warm Bocsombe welcome.A few chosen guests are brought up on stage to add plenty of variety to the set, including a supremely talented young 12 year old beat boxer called ‘Zaq Dixon” aka “Q” who very nearly steals limelight away from Andy. “Q” also joins “Beans On Toast” on stage to beat box his way through another song on his way to stardom I’m sure.

“Beans On Toast” aka Jay McAllister arrives on stage to the biggest audience of the afternoon and proceeds to entertain in a big way with a collection of songs that are all very left of centre and written from his own controversial point of view. The shocking and sometimes funny lyrics have the audience on Jay’s side from the start with songs about fancying singer Laura Marlin and the moon keeping up great momentum through the set. Jay takes a request of “The Day That Dance Music Died” from the audience and proceeds to play perfectly. This year has been a huge year for “Beans On Toast” as Jay was invited to play one of his most prestigious gigs ever supporting his friend the might Frank Turner at Wembley Arena bringing his music to a whole new audience, from today’s performance he has seemed to have stepped up showing every on lookers what a great performer he really is.

The evening is bought to a close in the most perfect way with “Pachango” a band that have the ability to get everybody on their feet dancing within seconds. The huge world music orchestra fronted by singer Claudia and rapper Selby keeping up the entertainment with the packed marquee a mass of dancing bodies brought alive by Julian’s superb percussion and songs that send you on a journey around the globe without going anywhere. Once again despite one idiot trying to spoil things the event is a complete success and once again next year the band of volunteers will be back for a ground breaking 18th year.

Videos