devizes beer and cider festival

If, like me, you’re teetotal and never touch a drop, you can still enjoy the CAMRA Devizes Beer & Cider Festival on the 1st July, for there’s food and a great musical lineup awaiting you there. Now, back to honest reporting (hic!); the lineup of which I’m about to reveal now!

There’s some stable regulars and some exciting new acts performing, but the first wouldn’t be the same Devizes Beer Festival without them; Devizes Town Band, undoubtedly opening the proceedings.

First great, awesome, amazing surprise to me personally, one of my favourite things, Concrete Prairie will make their debut at the Beer Fest this year; get in! Concrete Prairie are an alt-folk Americaina five-piece ensemble, delivering a veritable soundtrack for the glamour and grit of modern living. Personal opinion incoming, this is enough to seal the deal for me!

But, we also have, hailing all the way from my motherland, the utterly fantastic Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective. Regulars at the Southgate, their unique brand of Americania and folk-rock has seen them settle into the current super-tight line-up after hundreds of shows the band are on fire, playing hundreds of shows and festivals, including a couple of rapturous nights at London’s legendary 100 Club, their ethos is always to have fun and make sure the crowd does too. This is not a band that stands onstage staring at their (red) shoes.

They’ve shared line-ups with the likes of Wilko Johnson, The Blockheads, The Darkness, The Pretty Things, The Quireboys, Dr Feelgood, the Yardbirds, Eddi Reeder & the Animals to name a few.

Jamie is a prolific writer of accessible songs; songs good enough to hold their own in a solo acoustic setting, which really light up when the band add their own brand of energy & musicianship to the arrangements.

They are like the classic touring bands of the 70s: almost a travelling circus; a dysfunctional family of a band. They’re tight without being boringly slick, leaving just enough rough edges to become one of the most exciting and fun ‘originals’ live bands on the circuit today.

Back to the homegrown talent, Wiltshire four-piece rockers Plan of Action will be in attendance too. Derived from the old well known band ‘El Nino’ they have gathered pace to become one of Wiltshire’s most popular covers bands, packing venues everywhere, circa 2017. Expect the classics from AC/DC to Thin Lizzy and Fleetwood Mac through to Oasis, Red Hot Chilli Pepper and Foo Fighters, something for everyone!

And, as per-last year, Knati P will be providing the sound system reggae chill. Handpicked reggae tunes from Knati P, with more years of playing records and running sounds systems than we dare mention … .you can be assured a wealth of popular reggae picks and some quality laid back material you may not have heard of!

And that’s your lot, I love it though, there’s not a single one I wouldn’t have picked myself; great minds think alike! Saturday 1st July at Devizes Wharfside 11:30 until about 10pm, tickets are £19.50 which includes your glass, programme and an initial £5 of beer tokens, which as you might be able to guess, is ample beer tokens for me, then I’m on the Tizer!