Here’s a date for your 2012 diary: Saturday, August 4 will see Pewsey’s sixth music festival at Cooper’s Field. Never mind the London Olympics – if the responses to this year’s festival are anything to go by, that’s the day in August 2012 to be sure to keep free.
The Festival is rapidly gaining a reputation across the country for showcasing a wide range of original music – with groups from the south-west and from afar.
On August 6, with some sunshine and lots of clouds, the main stage featured seven groups playing hour-long sets: Dolly and the Clothes Pegs (pictured above and left), Will and the People, Melodramas, Bite the Buffalo and Slagerij – topped off with the headliners Charly Coombes and The New Breed.
In all twenty groups covering a multitude of musical styles filled the Festival’s twelve hours.
Bite the Buffalo, two brothers who grew up in Zambia and are now based in Bath, stepped in at the last moment when The Bohemian Embassy were unable to make their slot. Stos (guitar/vocals) and Dimitri (drums/vocals) only started performing at the beginning of 2011. They call themselves a ‘soulful rock duo’. After Pewsey, Bite the Buffalo played slots on three nights at the London O2 Arena.
Five groups took to the main stage for twenty minute sets: The Banzukes, Not Rocket Science, The Racket, Nudy Bronque and Southwest central.
In addition there was an open mic tent with nine musicians and groups competing. The four judges named Mark Nelson the winner. His prize was a slot on the main stage at ten in the evening, just before Charly Coombe’s headlining set.
Besides the music there was a beer tent, food from Pewsey outlets and plenty for the children to do – including some wild face painting.
Organiser Liz Boden reports a blizzard of appreciative messages. Festival fan Laura Thomas wrote: “Fantastic day, best music line-up to date and the whole family had a wonderful time. Thank you. We are still humming the songs!” And Matt Dennehy from the Swindon-based ska-punk act Slagerij sent a message: “Blimey! What an ace day at Pewsey Music Festival! Truly an epic load of fun and an awesome fun crowd.!”
Liz has publicly thanked the Festival’s sponsors: Wessex Print Centre, Pewsey Spar, Stowell Farms, Mike Williams of Outlook Private Hire, Pewsey Area Community Trust and Richard Dewey.