It all started when i noticed a bulletin on good old myspace. Some silly sod wanted to put back the freedom rocks festival that got cancelled, ya know, the one with Keane and Groove Armada. Well i wasnt too bothered that it got cancelled to be honest. I mean itd definately be a brilliant thing for the city to have such well known acts on our doorstep but they were charging 30 odd quid a ticket for a start and as for Keane..Im not so Keane so it wasnt that much of a bugger.
Anyhoo, when i saw that this park ranger dude wanted to put it back on a smaller scale and keep it local, my ears pricked up like a dogs do to walkies. Local music? Free gig? Festival? my favourite three words all in one bulletin, i had to get involved.

So a few meetings later Tony the Park ranger and member of Meg Williams Band and I ran through a few ideas including getting a dance and Drum & Bass tent in there. Just to give a little bit more variaty of the music that would be on offer. He agreed and the loverly council paid for us to have a pretty marquee (did i just use the words council and loverly in the same sentence?). Then alls i needed was a few funky DJs, which luckily i had a few names in a basket being in a job full of music and clubbing. Bingo.
Big up high fives to AOB who very kindly provided a few stinkers from the Welly club to DJ from Shinobi, The Tuesday Club and Deja Vu, along with decor, staging, barriers and whatever else he could fit up his sleeve. It looked awesome, thanks Al.

Tony cracked on with the mainstage, the line up was finalised and it was all go go go to get out the flyers, posters and spread the word.

Then, one sunny Saturday moring on the 1st September it was it! i got there early to fanny about and mooch around but it got to 11am and no one was there, i was panicing a little but once it got to about 12.30 i turned around and with a blink of my eye the park was packed!
A beautiful sunny day, the DJs were set and sorting themselves out and hundreds were flocking with their cans of strongbow and carling in hand, ready to get settled for the day. the crowd at the mainstage was brilliant all day and it was great to see so many people there. Old, young, and families too, which just goes to show that it was event made for everyone, no one could complain (or so we thought). Towards the end a fight broke out, but the police where on top of it quick march. And to be honest, what do you expect if people have been in the sun drinking all day?!

The Dance Tent was rocking. I was rather worried when i first saw it that we might not be able to fill it because it was MAHOOSIVE! but by about 5 o clock it was packed! honesltly, ive never seen such an up for it, Av it crowd so early in the evening! it was fab.
For some unknown queer reason the electricity to the Dance tent got shut off an hour early, that was a piggin pain in the a*se, which meant that headlining DJ Darren M only got to play fo half an hour, when across the Park, The Paddingtons were headlining until 9pm! discrimination against dance music i say, and if we can have another one next year ill insist that it it stays open till i say so!

So many people turned up it was freak-like. Thanks ull,
The Best local festival of the year Id say. I had a wicked time both helping organise and seeing the excellent results, the work well paid off

I left the park and went to Dot Dot Dash at Welly where i got well and truely Sh*tfaced for all my efforts well deserved me thinks!