After months of speculation, controversy, and local media bias, The Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park has been given the green light…..
Despite Newsquest flogging this dead horse, last week Wiltshire Police said they have no concerns about Bob Vylan playing at the music festival.
Regardless of the decision of the law, the South Cotswold Conservative Association felt it necessary to attempt to prevent freedom of expression with an application for the Wiltshire Council to review the license. Apparently, they fear a respected, passive, and family-friendly dance festival would descend into “ public disorder,” over one act; best guess, because they’ve never been to a dance festival. But then, who in their right mind would invite them?!
“We have been facing censorship,” a spokesperson for Shindig said today, but continued to inform their followers that following a formal hearing this morning, “Shindig Festival has been given the official green light. We stood our ground, our robust safety measures stand firm, and you can book your tickets with absolute confidence.”
“Bob Vylan will play on Sunday at 10pm. The sun will shine on the Shindig Festival this year.”
Common sense prevails once again. Shindig is a professional organiser with years of experience who takes matters of public safety as paramount. Historically, musicians will call out political injustices, few ever caused disorder. Bob Vylan was not alone in speaking out at Glastonbury, despite taking the media brunt for it.
Devizine offers our sincere congratulations, and we wish Shindig the very best of luck with this year’s festival and for future events.
A festival is never about one headline act. Dance festivals, in particular, are an experience of multiple performances and activities, and they always strive to continue the passive ethos of rave culture of yore. This is something that has unfortunately never been fully understood by a minority, and their attempts to contain them have caused more issues than the actual events. Let’s momentarily forget Bob Vylan to concentrate on Bob Dylan, who sang “don’t criticise what you can’t understand,” … .in 1964! Sixty-two years later, some spanners still haven’t grasped it.
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