Tag: interviews

Trowbridge (Folk) Festival – Greenhill Fields, Southwick, 24th to 26th July 2026

By Andy Fawthrop

Folk Me! – Another Great Local Music Festival

You don’t necessarily need a long pedigree to stage a successful music festival, but it certainly helps.  Started way back in 1970, and now in its 55th year, Trowbridge Festival is definitely coming of age, leaving its long, long heritage as The Village Pump Folk Festival trailing in its stellar wake.  This was the fourth year at its latest site in Southwick, and things are starting to settle back in again, attracting an increasingly large number of folks who want to buy a weekend ticket and camp in a field for three days of fabulous live music.  This year was as near to a sell-out week-end as makes no difference….

Full disclosure – I was part of the Site Team that helped to build the arena (and knock it down again later), so I might be said to have something of a vested interest.  I might also even have sneaked in an Open Mic appearance on one of the stages on Sunday. However, I had absolutely zero influence over the programming of the event, nor any over the truly excellent quality of the many fine artists who appeared this year. So what follows is my honest appreciation of what I saw and heard over the weekend (aided and abetted by fellow Devizine roving reporter Ian Diddams).

Apart all the usual random stuff going on all over the arena (yoga, tai-chi, impromptu music sessions, Morris dancers, stilt-walkers, SAT Co comedy troupe, demonstrations, book launches, photo booths), just like any other festival I suppose, there were three stages of scheduled entertainment to choose from and (thanks to some thoughtful programming) a nice overlap between time-slots, allowing folks to wander around and taste most of the wide variety of talent on show. The arena is not so large or crowded that you couldn’t get across from one venue to another fairly quickly, yet just far enough apart to ensure that there’s no sound leakage between the stages.

And, oh my, the entertainment on offer was simply stunning, both in terms of quality and quantity, to say nothing of the huge diversity of styles.  We had original traditional folk, folk rock, roots, indie, comedy, punk, Irish, swing, bossa nova, big band jazz, dance & ceilidh, euro-romantic/ bohemian, singer/ songwriter, together with the traditional categories of the slightly bonkers, and the totally deluded.  There were over sixty acts, across three stages, and nary a covers band or a tribute act anywhere to be seen.  Whilst the latter certainly have their place in the festival scene, and there are those who really love them, this festival was absolutely not the place for that type of offering.  Here it was all about original music, and whilst there was certainly a smattering of older, traditional folk tunes perhaps re-worked and re-interpreted for the modern era, that was very much in the minority.  Long gone are the days of old men, with their fingers stuck in their ears, singing (ahem) unaccomplished. This weekend it was almost entirely new stuff- fresh, original, lively and an absolute bloody pleasure to listen to.

The selection available to the punters, very much aided by a comprehensive programme booklet, and by a helpful Clashfinder online (thank-you Kieran!), was:

The Pump Stage, at the top of the field, curated and marshalled by our old friend Kieran Moore, promoter, producer, rescuer of venues and general all-round good egg. This year his appearance was completed by his sporting of a wizard’s cloak – say no more! The eclectic array of acts included Water Thieves (excellent skiffle & folk trio), Andy Skellam & Anna Kissell (a little bit serious and too dour for me), our very own Vince Bell (local Devizes hero who, of course, delivered his usual excellent set), Concrete Prairie (best act on this stage on Friday), Ravetank (OK), Antoine & Owena (old folkie friends of mine and who were polished, amusing and really excellent), Woodkern (OK), Terry Sheppard (OK) and Merv Grist (veteran excellent comic poetry and stories). 

Plus several more acts who I didn’t get to see personally (M/X, Fly Fly Triceratops (who I’m assured were a teenage indie outfit who were highly energetic and very, very LOUD), Butane Skies (a female-fronted band with a token male drummer delivering fun alt-rock, previously reviewed here by Darren in 2025), Bellyful, Kurt Alexander, Neverlove, Sunshine Frisbee, Brutalligators, Mexican Dave, a ceilidh with Juniper, Bob Gallie, Luke De-Sciscio & The Real Boys, Rob Quo, Toodles & The Hectic Pity, and the ever-hilarious Scott Doonican).  Also headlining Friday night was none other than Salisbury upstarts, now turned globe trotting (and recently signed to one of the biggest and best talent agencies UTA) indie punkers Carsick.  And the only reason I didn’t get to see all these wonderful people was not because I was lying in a field, blissed out on cider, but because I was too busy watching some great acts on the other stages. So much music, so little time!

The Bar Stage in the middle of the arena, pretending to be simply the Festival’s (Kettlesmith) Bar, run by Matt Cook and Simon Taylor of The Pump Acoustic Club, and featuring a varied mixture of artists. These included: Jennifer Crook (meh), The Cleverly Brothers (legendary comedy artists featuring Tim Webb of Spill The Whiskey, and local comic poet Merv Grist), Sid Bloomfield (another excellent veteran comedy performer), Xaphania (young, local, very impressive), Jane Langley (older, but lively and a bright performance), Seren Alyssa (young & upcoming, and recently seen at The Pump Acoustic Club and in The Fold in Devizes), and the Trowbridge Ukulele Strummers (don’t get me started on where strumming a ukulele can lead you!).

Again, there were several acts that I simply didn’t have the time to catch, including The Frukes, The Anglo-American Almost Allstars, John Coventry, J’s Tonic and the Silver Street Band.

And finally there was The Main Stage at the bottom end of the arena, offering the largest space to stand or dance, or else sit inside or outside the marquee, and featuring some twenty national and international figures.  These were, I suppose, the bigger hitters of the festival. They included Chris Difford (ex-Squeeze) whose classic songs were willingly taken up (to his very obvious delight) by a packed audience, and whose stories of fellow “pop stars” of the 1980s and 1990s were simply hilarious, including the seemingly large number of other artists who’d managed over the years to keep Squeeze from the No. 1 spot in the charts. And the various “w**kers” who he thought would never amount to much, but who ended up playing Wembley six months later, whilst Squeeze were still playing at the back-street pub in Peckham…priceless!

There was the incomparable John Otway Band who delivered the usual hilarious and manic set, yet completely different to his recent appearance at Long Street Blues Club with Wild Willy Barratt.  There was Martin Simpson whose impeccable delivery on vocals and guitar, woven with music stories was fascinating  There was The Rob Lear Band (our friends from over the Welsh border, having recently played The Piggy Bank in Calne, and several events over the years in Devizes). Apart from a sudden mishap with Terry’s guitar at start of their tea-time slot, they were an absolute triumph, and the new songs (squirreled away onto a sneak preview EP CD) were a total delight.

Did I mention the three great bands closing the stage on the three nights? The Welsh band Rusty Shackle, who were an excellent Friday night band for dancing, 3 Daft Monkeys headline finishers on Saturday night with their loud, brash, and tight arrangements, and Merry Hell the superb Festival closers on Sunday with high energy, high comedy and great choruses.

But there were plenty of other bands too: Spill The Whiskey (one of this year’s ceilidhs), Harbottle & Jonas (really excellent), Luke James Williams (OK, bit samey), Liam Vincent & The Odd Foxes (best on main stage on Friday night), Banter (with loads of traditional/ classic songs but fabulously re-arranged), Gabrial Moreno & The Quivering Poets (Saturday starters, superb, interesting, poetic, definitely one of my “undiscovered” picks of the festival), Bluebeard & The Desperate Hours, (featuring our old friend  Phil Cooper on bass), Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh (three nationalities, singing modern songs), Chris White & Julie Matthews (modern folk royalty, joined on stage with a surprise performance by the wonderful Miranda Sykes), The Terry Hall Big Band (superb jazz/ swing from the 1940s – a real toe-tapping starter on Sunday morning), The Magpies  (OK, but a little lacklustre), and Juniper (a superb lively band for a Sunday tea-time).

In addition to all this there was plenty of stuff to have a go at yourself.  Music, after all, is about participation (except in my own case of course). Apart from an extended Open Mic session each day, there were singing and ukulele workshops, two ceilidhs, and silent discos every night in the bar for the campers who didn’t want to go to sleep just yet.

For children and younger adults there was an extensive programme of daily activities and entertainment, ranging from face-painting, to story sessions, roaming entertainers, circus skills, stilt walkers, a slapstick show and workshops for ukuleles and hula hoops.  This wasn’t just an afterthought (we’d better do something for the kiddy-winks), but rather a fully integrated part of the festival. It was so good to see whole families enjoying themselves for the whole weekend. It sure helped to make this a multi-generational thing, and added to the friendly, safe atmosphere.

Add to this a good choice of pop-up food vendors, coffee etc, craft stalls of all types, Lycra Man (IYKYK), a visiting milk man for the camp site, and a breakfast bar, and you have yourself a pretty good set-up.  There was no possible way of getting bored for more than a few minutes.

The sensible, friendly stewarding and security teams, with plenty of space for camping and parking, made this simply amazing bloody value for such a good festival and for so much entertainment. It was so good to see the festival supporting lots of local vendors and businesses, as well as encouraging plenty of local young up-and-coming performers.

This is and was a huge volunteer effort, back-boned by some hard professional services (power, water, security, marquees, sound and lighting, staging etc), and therefore retained a very warm and friendly atmosphere. The stewards and marshals were super-lovely and helpful, nobody behaved like a twat, and the atmosphere was therefore laid-back, relaxed and welcoming.

Chatting to Festival Director Nick Reed at the end of the festival, he pronounced himself absolutely delighted with this year’s festival.  Numbers were up, the music had been great, and the positive feedback had been overwhelming.  “Clearly, we’re very happy.  We’ve still to do the final number-crunching, but the financials look positive. Keeping it small and laid-back has been the right formula and, as we’ve now built the festival to this point, we have both the physical space and the financial confidence to look at some gradual, but gentle, expansion over the next couple of years. We don’t want to lose the vibe and the atmosphere that we’ve slowly built up.  So the future looks very positive.”  Absolutely great news to hear that, especially in recent times where many live events and festivals have suffered lower ticket sales and/ or cancellation.

Like I said – I’m probably a teensy bit biased – but I have to say that this is now an extremely good local music festival.  It’s extremely well organised and well curated. There’s truly something for everyone, it’s good value for money, and it’s also properly local. If you unfortunately managed to miss it this year, I’d highly recommend that you make a space in your diary for next year, allocate your festival budget accordingly, and buy the early-bird tickets as soon as they’re announced. This, truly, is how to run a music festival.

Links for Trowbridge Festival:

www.facebook.com/TrowbridgeFestival

www.trowbridgefestival.co.uk

Links for The Village Pump:

www.facebook.com/thepumptrowbridge

thepumptrowbridge.co.uk 4

Links for The Pump Acoustic Club:

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575730922941

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There’s Lots happening in July in Wiltshire, With or Without Bradley Walsh!

Please don’t get me wrong, I love that Bradley Walsh Cockney sparrow, and could imagine myself having a right laugh with him down any boozer he cared to drop into! But here we wouldn’t suggest you should wait for Brad to pop into your local before guaranteeing your good self a cracking night out! We’re into July’s midsummer madness, and Devizine will focus on all the best things to do this month, in Wiltshire, with or without Bradley or another celebrity…..

For Newsquest, unfortunately, the Chase is over! Sure, I pipped them to the post on the McDonalds application fluff last week, but that could’ve been anyone’s. I’ll hold my hands up; I did it because, from time to time, the clickbait headline is a must. But day-to-day I’m not fussed over hits.

Our focus is on the pub without a celebrity appearance. The venue where there might be a person, or group of, you don’t know, or at least the television-addicted, cheesy puffs munching sofa-surfers majority don’t know, but you’ve heard of, or are taking a chance on, because you read Devizine. Because you trust us when we tell you that this person, or persons, have spent years perfecting their art, rehearsing together, writing songs, painting, learning their lines, or finding the right chords to match, and in culmination they do so for purely for the love of it, perhaps in hope to put food on the table, and to provide something together…..to entertain you.

Here at Devizine we will report on the amateur, the upcoming local talent, with equal gusto to an event who’s booked a top name. We don’t do this for hits, we do this because we believe there’s a truckload of skilled actors, musicians and artists around these rural backwaters who are going unnoticed by the mainstream media, and what is more, they deserve so much more than this. But there you have it, try as we must! If I did this for payment I’d have quit years ago!!

So, check out July on our event calendar now, and recheck again as we go through the month, because it is constantly updating. Don’t rely on that event popping up on your Facebook feed any more than local newspapers telling you about it; all social media platforms have lots of political propaganda to throw at you, paid mush adverts, wonky opinions, and cringeworthy pictures of someone you don’t even knows’ supper. There’s no room left on there to show you the gig your mate is putting on down your local, and you cannot expect them to find the space, because, to them, spreading hatred and causing division among the masses is far more important. Stop the clock, Bradley, that is wrong.

There’s no polite way to explain it, but I think you should face facts; mainstream media is a big bag of swollen bollocks, and locally, it’s competing with social media for cringe clickbait, whilst failing to showcase and highlight the real people out there, striving to be creative. Send me your thoughts on that in emoji or as an AI poster, if you care to, I’ll be too busy to answer them, as I’ll be covering as much of what’s really going on locally as I possibly can!

Summer festivals and so much more; see you down the front, mine is a cider, ta muchly! Xx

Oh, and if we’ve missed listing your event, it isn’t because we don’t like you! Tell us about it like you’re Billy Joel on a promise!!

Check out July on our event calendar now.

Manning Lifeboats, In Devizes!

Manning the lifeboats with Devizes Arts Festival in landlocked Devizes last night, and I didn’t even get a sticker. I did shake a tailfeather out of my system, more importantly. For if all-originals London-based Celtic folk-punker five-piece Man the Lifeboats seemed to have no visible relevance to their marine namesake, they certainly knew how to rock a boat….

A few people asked me for the relevance in the name, as if I would know, or remember to inquire! Two years ago, when Jolly Roger played, there was piratey-themed cosplay and shanties, but Man The Lifeboats’ subjects were self-confessed to be more about death, apocalypse, certain brands of beer, and pubs they like. There was also a fair shout of anti-fascism and left-wing political suggestion, which, given the direction the country seems to be heading, may connote the metaphoric desertion of a sinking ship. Bravely or at least unperturbed, bellowing said righteousness from the lookout tower of the Corn Exchange’s high stage, to a scattering of matured Devizes Arts Festival attendees was their risk I savoured; fairplay! 

However, if they took it in jest at the beginning, asking if they were at the right event, and if this was a bingo hall, as this dynamic banjo, fiddle, piano accordion complete collective got the ball rolling, their shock of the gig must’ve transformed to pleasant surprise. Man the Lifeboats realised not to judge a book by the cover, the reward for an accomplished and lively band at Devizes Arts Festival, will be these matured attendees rising from their seated positions and gyrating to their irresistible beats like middle-age never happened; and many did, because Man the Lifeboats were stompingly outstanding!

And, let’s make no mistake, while this isn’t the sticky-floored cider-fuelled pub backroom or hedonistic crusty festival they might be used to and arguably more aptly fit, supporting Ferocious Dog and the like, Man The Lifeboats absolutely nailed it. They play the Grass Roots Grazin’ festival at Salisbury’s Music Baa later this month, and will undoubtedly receive the same expected acclaim there as they would crossing our southerly wurzel county border, with their scrumpy & western, Boot Hill and 3 Daft Monkeys similarities to Celtic punk, but their reception at Devizes Arts Festival might be a true test of their excellence, and it culminated with a surprise fairytale ending.

At least, that’s how I believe the band should view it! For them, they should note, Devizes youngsters up for a party flocked to nearby boozer, the Three Crowns, as is the norm, for the free familiarity of covers from Pat and Ben of Matchbox Mutiny, of which I dropped in afterwards, to confirm they were having it.

For us, it’s been a mission to express this wonky stereotype of Devizes Arts Festival being a Saga Holiday at home shouldn’t carry the assumption it is not lively. That Gen Z’s parents and grandparents partied harder, faster and more often than TikTok might convince them otherwise, if it is not otherwise and understandably sadly governed by finance. Devizes Arts Festival has been fantastic this year, as ever, worthy of your coinage, but then I sigh, I’m not getting any younger myself! 

The true test of this will be next Saturday, when Devizes Arts Festival hosts homegrown Gen Z pop-punkers Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and I hope younger residents flock, not only for the sake of reunion, but for the future of Devizes Arts Festival. But, for now, we were locked into the tremendous vibe of Man The Lifeboats, as they did their thing loud and proud. It was professional, but they looked like they were loving it, with a mutual feeling from the crowd; cracking toast, Gromit. Or should I say, WALL-E, whom the frontman compared to Citizen Kane?! Ah, banter was lightly welcomed.

To liken any Celtic punk band to The Pogues might be cliche and a pedestal. Save for their London take rather than Irish, Man the Lifeboats certainly had similarities, their last tune before the interval was decidedly akin to Dirty Old Town, and they were fiery with poignant messages to provide, but in a nice way, delivered in a far more respectable light than the outrageousness of the subgenre’s origins. But, this is common stipulation with any music genre, I’d argue, where it is the aficionados age too, and this is the era we live in. This said, as towards the finale I saw them bashing out skillfully raw, decided I love these guys no less than Flogging Molly, or The Dropkick Murphys, and they were certainly on that level of excellence.

A great night was had, it seemed. If gigs like this at Devizes Arts Festival can provide the town’s resident live music lovers with a taster of such bands, knowingly left wondering for something to do at a grassy outdoor festival with them on the line up, or stuck in London in range of one of the pubs they fondly mentioned, I’d make a beeline. Yet, it is of importance, being our readership is largely made up of our live music fans, that Devizes Arts Festival’s higher points directed at music should not be taken with a pinch of salt, that they vet quality acts with variety, including such must-sees as Man The Lifeboats; a perfect example.

And so, it continues, there’s another week of Devizes Arts Festival to come, which ends on Sunday 14th June with two free fringe events, a poetry and prose open mic at The Black Swan from 4pm, and a unique take on the blues with The Rigmarollers at The Cellar Bar, of the Bear Hotel at 7pm. 

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SoP Live at Swindon’s Castle with St Fian

by Ben Naimor

I have been pestered that I would love St Fian. They have played at my local venue in Devizes before, but I had not managed to catch them, until now…..

What I had not been warned about, was that this fantastic duo would present me with among the finest female voices I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. Enchanting and emotive vocals, of the kind that have you transfixed; there is no question of whether I will see them again! 

This is a band who happily embrace wonderful small-room venues like this, rubbing shoulders as it does on their summer tour listings with some decent size festivals; truly adaptive and passionate artists, and wonderful humans. I was very glad to get a quick chat too, post-gig.

The distinctive voice and musicianship of this duo have a fresh and exciting edge, but built on the solid ground of true folk. I think my favourite original song of a mixed set of originals and covers, a song called Paperboat, an original ode to all life’s tribulations, a reminder to live life rather than wish it away. Given we were informed the duo are a nurse and mental health worker, respectively, perhaps this is why singing with poise and compassion about such things comes so readily and enjoyably.

We shouldn’t overlook the confident and relaxed picking of the fine musician on guitar and bouzouki, a cross between a banjo and mandolin. Despite the strange name it’s gentle tones suit Ian’s gentle picking, and seems more than ready for when it’s time for Irish songs or shanty.

Loving the shruti box too, reputedly costing a week’s pocket money! But again, a true folk instrument that adds a little underlying mystery to the sound, on a couple of songs. 

I’ve not been inspired to review or delight in word, so much recently, but my heart was opened; that’s about me, not any of the wonderful music I’ve enjoyed, but worthy I think of mentioning, is that the moment Steph began to sing, my shoulders relaxed and I felt this was something I had to try and convey and applaud in print. 

The duo are creeping towards an all-original set, and by their own admission enjoy doing some covers, as they fill their original songbook with new material. So, the second set had a few covers in, but you have not seen these covers done so proud before; it takes a joyous confidence and incredible voice to do justice to some songs so familiar to so many. Don’t Think Twice by Dylan , for instance, sung with a lingering harmonious quality that appeared to literally hang on every lyric.

A couple of covers of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood, it takes a confident singer to carry off Stevie, and to do so that a life long fan like me is enthralled. Another one which would be ambitious for most, I’ve certainly witnessed some less than adequate attempts over the years was The Cranberries’ Zombie, with the comment that this will let metal fan Ian rock out! Then, smashes it again, the most incredible thing to do; such choices for powerful and very well known songs, but with this being a duo, an intimacy and powerful delivery of verse that knocks yer socks off.

So, as you might have guessed, I was very impressed; real genuinely wonderful humans, giving us unforgettable moments in local small-room spaces is what our scenes are all about. Thank you as ever to Ed and the Castle, as well as Steph and Ian for a superb gig. 

SoP-Live are Swindon-based music promoters, and run The Thursday Night Music Club at The Castle. There’s a whole list of great stuff lined up this year you can check out on socials for Sop Live, and St Fian have the socials too so, we can make sure we catch them down the line.

There’s a whole EP and an album in the works; I can’t wait, I’ve a feeling it will be a popular play in the soundtrack to my life.

Shearwater: New Single From Nothing Rhymes With Orange

There’s a new single from Bristol-based Nothing Rhymes With Orange out tomorrow (Saturday 20th September) which takes the band to a whole new level, and it has got me thinking back to their Devizes roots….. 

You know, I really cannot remember how this thing started, if they contacted me or if I found them. It was three years ago, at a time when local media seemed rampant with scare stories sensationalising teenage hooliganism. Folk jumped the bandwagon, naming and shaming wayward youth on Facebook like it was modern gallows, and making fearmongering sweeping generalisations, classing every child as a psychotic delinquent.

I figured this wasn’t the same picture I was seeing. That there’s always been a handful off the rails, but in comparison to previous generations, most Gen Z were passive, thoughtful, and creative. So I set out to prove this wonky narrative wrong, and in doing so found many aspiring teenage bands to use as examples, but none so accomplished and motivated as Nothing Rhymes with Orange.

There was always something staunchly between the members of this Devizes School band, frontman Elijah Easton, Sam Briggs, Fin Anderson-Farquhar, and drummer Lui Venables, an unequalled camaraderie which combined their honing skills harmoniously. Their calculated sagacity writing painted a blithe picture of Gen Z, equal to how punk bands like The Newtown Neurotics summarised life for generation X, and it spawned a zeitgeist.

Image: Gail Foster

Moments after reviewing their debut single, Chow for Now, they launched an equivalently impressive EP called Midsummer. I figured it was overdue to check them out live, as they organised their own gig at West Lavington Village Hall. Divided between parents and youth I witnessed the birth of a local phenomenon. I dubbed it “Beatlemania in Devizes.” Teenage fans chanted the chorus of Manipulation back at them, as Elijah jumped from the stage relishing in the moment.

I encouraged teenage budding writers and photographers to record this blossoming movement for us, as alongside bands like Melksham’s The Sunnies, they were inspiring a new generation of musicians too. And for the adults, I wanted them to quit whinging about youth, by showcasing NRWO in an environment free from age division, where they could see for themselves this emergent youth fandom and the local band which created it. I urged our carnival committee that their annual “International” Street Festival in Devizes should showcase such a local act, and pride overcame me as I introduced them to the masses gathered in the Market Place, because alongside their excellent self-promotion, Devizine expressed with honesty that townsfolk should support this spectacular homemade band, and they did.

The lads released several new songs, all of which were tiny progressive steps to a maturity in their sound. At a gig at The Three Crowns in May 2024 Devizes-own BBC DJ and presenter, James Threlfall gave me constructive criticism regarding their production levels, suggesting it wasn’t quite to the level necessary and in comparison to upcoming bands across the southwest. I also worried at this time, moving along that adolescent rocky road generally was the make or break of a young band, usually the latter.

Delighted that they planned to study together in Bristol Uni, I finished off our local angled reporting of them with a parting interview, safe in the knowledge both the uni and bustling life in Bristol would open new doors for them and hopeful it would perfect their skills to the level James so honestly pointed out. A huge festival touring summer at Dot 2 Dot, Golden Touch, 110 Above and Camper Calling, returning to Studio 91 for the session which produced their new ear-invasive single, Shearwater, out at 6pm on 20th September across all streaming platforms, surely proves they have.

Image: Gail Foster

Shearwater signifies a hotly-anticipated next chapter, one of huge guitar sounds, jacked up drums and Elijah’s desperate vocals, evoking stories of fiery lust and explosive aftermaths. This is the single which will do for an international audience what Nothing Rhymes With Orange did locally three years ago. The spritely frenzy is replaced by the concentrated rhythmic flow and evocative ambience of the kind of timeless indie-pop anthem a multitude of audiences will shine their phone torches too. The layers are divine, the composition professionally crafted.

I’ve never needed to exaggerate my appraisal nor flatter NRWO for encouragement. I saw this potential, as did their local fanbase. And tomorrow you can hear the fruits of their labour in full bloom, a categorical advancement of Devizes export to the world, and it makes me feel proud to have backed them to this point, what the future holds is answered in this track, and it looks orange!

But don’t just take my word for it; chatting to James Threlfall just yesterday, I pointed out this single felt like the entry level we were talking about last May, and he agreed, telling me they’ve landed a featured artist spot on BBC Introducing South and West, which is live at 8pm tonight (Thursday 8pm.) The single will be debuting live at their upcoming headline show, 26th September, at The Old England, Bristol. There’s also an exciting word on the grapevine: an album is the pipeline. Oh, and don’t forget they’re playing our Wiltshire Music Awards on 23rd October here in Devizes, and will be at Devizes Arts Festival next summer like Bruce Springsteen returning to New Jersey!

For me, I’ll always have those early moments, like blagging a Sharpie from the sound engineer at street festival, so teenage girls could have their T-shirts signed (not by me, you understand?!!)

Devizes Arts Festival Relive the Eighties with Riviera Dogs 

Together in Electric Dreams…. at The Corn Exchange

Fashionably late for Devizes Arts Festival, I’d like to thank Andy and Ian for informative coverage of some complex events to review, whilst I took the easier route; rocked up for the last Saturday evening party like I was Prince, stole a fluorescent trilby and dad-danced around my bum-bag until they switched the final disco ball off…..

I’ll be honest, with my diddy-boppers cover band radar on high alert and leg warmers in the wash, I wasn’t expecting to stay until the final curtain, for what seemed from the outside to be a refined generation X school disco. I could also get as pedantic as Mary Whitehouse; the band promised eighties, but the name Riviera Dogs is obviously a play on a 1992 Tarantino movie title; quibble when compared to the fantastic night they delivered.

As bang on cue as waiting for Top of the Pops each Friday, Riviera Dogs fired their flux capacitor and dropped Devizes Corn Exchange into the middle of the decade they’d pay homage to, with an exemplary cover of Go West’s We Close Our Eyes. From the off it was obvious this five-piece were some way above your average function band. Attendees wasted no bashful time finding a spot on the floor and dancing like it was 1985 again, even those few not old enough to recall it the first time around, (like me, a-hem!)

From there, everybody wanted to rule the world with Tears for Fears and I just died in Cutting Crew’s arms as Riviera Dogs played their trump cards early. Mid-eighties power ballads were their calling, they were proficiently and professionally good at them. Seems they tour the nationwide retro circuit rather than play functions, for if they were to play a wedding it’d overshadow the attention the happy couple would receive!

This said, many function bands use both male and female vocalists for songs, respectively according to the gender of the front person, and I wondered, if eighties pop hits were truly to be covered comprehensively some Madge, Cyndi Lauper and Kylie, to mention but a few, wouldn’t have gone a miss with a female singer as proficient and entertaining as the existing male counterpart.

But as it was, it was a highly entertaining show, full of lively play, relevant and amusing nods to eighties trends which roused the crowds and caused them to reflect on their heyday; that’s nostalgia on top form. They rolled out smash hit after smash hit like you were listening to a Now album, Chesney Hawkes to Don Henly and beyond. Perhaps the more rock tunes, like Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, which though I welcomed, wasn’t as precisely executed as the electronica power pop ballads, but with those so sublimely fulfilled, and the evening in full swing, the crowds simply lapped it up, and twas so subtle no one cared to notice.

At one point though, we went from one end of the decade to the other too suddenly, for me. One minute we were dancing to Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star next it was Bros. The scant warning being a gag about wearing Grolsch bottle tops on shoes wasn’t enough for me to prepare for the paradox! This stark contrast midway may’ve corrupted my timeline but didn’t seem to bother most of the audience either, exposing quinquagenarian Brosettes in the crowd!

As a homage to eighties music several elements were missing; feminine and queer insurgence, and rebellious tenets either side of that mid-eighties march for unadulterated pop mush; punk and Two-Tone at one end, hip hop in the middle, and acid house at the latter. The eighties was about more than the pop they played so well, it was also about advances in music technology and the vast variety of sound experiments it developed. They got as close as covering The Police brilliantly, but j’mon, they never even dared to account for Wacko Jacko, dammit!

It may have reflected only pop commercialisation rather than covering the entirety of a generational divide of consciousness, but this wasn’t supposed to be a history lesson nor comprehensive representation, it was about having a party to celebrate the close of another glorious Devizes Arts Festival, and for that it shone. The vibe was electric, the crowd letting their hair down (or perhaps up with hairspray) for a final night to what’s been a successful and varied programme of events for Devizes Arts Festival. Well done to all involved, you are the one and only, nobody I’d rather you be, you are the one and only, I can’t take that away from you!

Long may Riviera Dogs image the eighties in Matey’s bubble bath, for it was a Bigtrak loaded with fun, and to assume from my minor critique they didn’t stray from their trump card of electronic power ballads, would be unfair, they did. The finale was a Queen medley and in their own way, they made a fine job of such a difficult trick. For what we must judge this night on is not my personal feelings of commercialisation, rather the expressions of pure delight in the crowd, and if you saw me on the night shaking my tail feather like I was thirteen again, you’d be right to suggest I lived among the creatures of the night, like Laura Branigan, and loved every moment of it too!

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PREVIEW – Chippenham Folk Festival – Friday 23rd May through to Monday 26th May 2025 

One of Wiltshire’s Best

by Andy Fawthrop

Looking for something to do next weekend? One of Wiltshire’s biggest festivals is happening just up the road in Chippenham all over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.  It’s also one of the largest folk festivals in the UK, and one of the longest running – this year they’re clocking up their 52nd festival……

The festival happens over four days at venues all over the town, and provides several streams of entertainment to suit most tastes.  With over 650 performers already confirmed covering music concerts, workshops, dance/ ceilidhs, Morris dancing, storytelling and spoken word, and a wide range of children’s and other entertainment, there’ll be something going on in every town-centre street and pub, to say nothing of the thirteen dedicated stages and dance venues.  

And the good news is that, aside from all the ticketed camping and music/ dance events, there’s plenty of FREE stuff too.  Down at Island Park there’ll be community stages, a session beer tent (run by Moongazing Hare this was highly popular last year, and I’d thoroughly recommend it!), lots of pop-up food vendors (crepes, churros, Sri Lankan, vegan, Mexican, Japanese, ice cream etc), and craft stalls – all  located alongside the beautiful River Avon. It’s got a great vibe and is a good family-friendly place to relax, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy a session and entertainment with children, family and friends. 

But with so much going on – you should see the bulging programme with its literally hundreds of events – we thought we’d take the chance before all the fun starts to preview and pick out some of the best stuff, and to highlight some of our favourite picks. 

Overall, there’s a brilliant line up of music concerts featuring over 75 different acts, including: 

  • The East Pointers – hailing from Prince Edward Island in Canada. Their dancefloor-shaking, electro-trad glorious combination of folk/ pop sounds has already seen them acknowledged as musical trailblazers internationally. Their debut album Secret Victory won the 2017 JUNO Award for Traditional Roots Recording of the Year. Their 2023 EP House Of Dreams was nominated for a JUNO Award, and won Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year, Group Recording of the Year and Pop Recording of the Year at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards. Their headline show is on the Sunday night; 
  • Phil Beer & Paul Downes – two of the stalwarts of British folk music, and truly great musicians both.  Their shows are not only musically entertaining but always delivered with great bantering humour.  Their headlining set is on the Saturday night; 
  • Miranda Sykes – another of the folk world’s all-time great performers, Miranda has played bass with countless bands and line-ups, and has worked for over 20 years with folk royalty Show Of Hands. In 2024 she toured with Hannah Martin, paired a new Baring-Gould Centenary project with Jim Causley, and has toured a wide range of summer festivals. Catch her on the Monday night; 
  • Seth Lakeman – will be playing material from his new album The Granite Way.  Catapulted into the spotlight after his album Kitty Jay received a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005, since then he’s produced multiple albums, toured worldwide and participated in several high-profile collaborations, most recently with Robert Plant’s band The Sensational Shape-shifters.  His fiddle playing is simply stunning, and a joy to behold in live performance.  He’ll be doing his thing on the Monday afternoon.

And then there’s a nearly forty different bands, including a great calling team for the dances and ceilidhs, with bands including Banter with Fee Lock, Sawney White Bird, Doug Eunson & Sarah Matthews, Portmanteau, Hinny & Joe Wass with callers Andrew Swaine, Bernie Culkin, Geoff Cubitt, John Stewart, Susanna Diamon, and more to meet every style.  

Add to this nearly seventy different Morris sides from all over the UK, and over twenty-five children’s entertainers (including the simply hilarious and highly-talented Keith Donnelly), featuring music, dance, puppets, dressing up, play, workshops, meet-the-entertainer sessions, and you’ve got plenty to choose from, with different things for all members of the family. 

Apart from the main venues and stages, there’ll be stuff going on in just about every pub, in the main streets, and anywhere else the performers can find a space. There’ll be some open mic sessions too. 

Having been to many Chippenham Folk Festivals over the years (and indeed performed at a few!), I can highly recommend a trip out to one of Wiltshire’s best events – it’s colourful, it’s noisy, it’s busy, but most of all, it’s entertaining! 

There’s still a limited number of day and event tickets, as well as full weekend season tickets (with or without camping) available. Or there’s also still time to volunteer to help with stewarding and venues (which qualifies you for a FREE ticket). All the information is on the festival’s website, together with ticketing information at www.chippfolk.co.uk/Tickets

Jake Martin: He’s a king, and it was in the Castle, with SOP Swindon

By Ben Niamor

It’s been way too long since I saw the irrepressible Jake Martin, and he did not disappoint, classic songs as ever, open, maybe even anarchic delivery.. he found himself in front of mostly familiar ears….

On tour with some friends on a multi head bill, having fun whilst often singing and talking of life’s serious side, all of them; relationships, drinking games and mental health, all up for dissection and deliberation through song. 

Mexican Dave opened, a wisecracking confident man with a definite penchant for singing fast, and getting us to sing whilst other key figures in this scene, Gaz Brookfield and Ben B-Sydes become improvised captains for each side of the room in a chorus battle.. as you do! My friend and I sat either side of a table at the front wearing our respective captains tee shirts by coincidence amused us and Dave..! 

Blake Cateris, was the middle man in the line up, a little more settled and profound.. an Aussie in our midst. Perhaps more reflective, though, are some great songs, and having a look at his poetry book this morning, he is a great writer. About to set off for a 22 date tour in Germany before returning to Sydney, wish him well and hope to see him again… 

The headline, the main man, Jake Martin. He’s famously self deprecating and among the most appropriately described musicians in the folk punk remit. Your mother may not appreciate every turn of phrase, but his crowds always will!

I consider him an anthemic hero, all on the bill actively involving us, but none with such fervour, perhaps through widespread familiarity of his rousing songs. I am one to try for instance, of loving, failing and trying in equal measure.

Songs about relationships, poor decisions, mental health, and all with an openness that rarely is found in larger yet less enveloping venues and in many artists. Foot stomping common ground, for many present will have had these problems, for my part my antidote to the modern condition is music, so that’s how perhaps I should wrap up my ramblings, Jake and all the wonderful musicians that grace our venues are the antidote. All you need to do is go find some that work for you. 

I am pretty sure Ed (Dyer) will forgive me for likening last night as it nostalgically did for me, to the venue which opened this world for me, the fold in Devizes. It literally changed my life. Sadly gone yet seeing old friends and musicians alike roll eyes, and wax lyrical of shared nights such as this many years past, aware how important it is to seize the moment. 

There are great venues around and tirelessly passionate people, many among my friends, it’s as simple as doing a little research, and getting out to support them.

Thankfully I won’t wait too long as aside from town gigs this weekend , I shall be back to Old Town for the incredible Wilswood Buoys at next week’s Thursday night club at the Castle.

Progress Made for the Wiltshire Music Awards

A week into the voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards and things have been moving forward fast. We’ve had the best part of 500 voting forms already submitted and we’re busy spreading the news about these new awards…

The voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards went live on the 1st May, and if it was overshadowed by some other voting thing going on that day too, this far more important election is gradually gathering pace. And unlike the other elections, no one is jumping on anyone’s back, making up stories to derail other candidates!

Cast Your Votes HERE

Eddie Prestidge of Wiltshire Music Events UK and I have been busy promoting the concept, and we’re delighted and extremely grateful to everyone who has helped us with this. From visiting Castledown FM to meet Kev Lawrence and waffle on his drive-time show, and future such gigs like Peggy-Sue’s Don’t Stop the Music Show on Swindon 105.5, to features in Swindon Link and Salisbury Radio’s blog, and everyone who has shared our news on social media, word is getting around thanks to you all. 

Of course individual musicians, bands and studios have taken to their social media platforms begging for their fans to vote for them, and, don’t worry, this is encouraged! It’s also our most treasured venues such as The Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon who are sharing our news. I believe this is all vital, to ensure we’re making it comprehensive and spanning across the entire county. If you can help us with this, please do get in touch.

Nominations will close on 10th June 2025, so we need your picks by then! It’s not easy, I know; Eddie messaged me a few hours into the voting process to say he hadn’t seen my submission yet, and I had to tell him I was still making my mind up!

There’s so many talented musicians around here, it is difficult to decide who’s name to put in those boxes. But, in this I feel is a point worth making about the Wiltshire Music Awards; we are doing this to promote, encourage and celebrate everyone creating music locally, from DJ and cover band to original artists and sound engineers. This isn’t intended to make our circuits competitive in any way, as we all enjoy the communal and friendly ethos of our local circuits, and vow to maintain this. The hard work they all do to entertain us is recognised and appreciated; while some of our many friends on the music scenes in Wiltshire might not pick up an award, it doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten them!

Eddie says, “these awards recognise the individuals and groups whose efforts make a real difference. If you know someone who deserves recognition, or want to showcase your group, now is your chance to give them the spotlight they deserve.”

We’ve just opened a Facebook group for the Awards you can join HERE. People have joined and are making connections there already, which is great and exactly what we want to achieve with this venture; it’s not the Oscars!

There’s loads of questions which have been fired at us over the week about how the awards work, despite many of them being answered on the FAQs page of the website! Some others have come up, and we thank you for raising some valid points. One good one I had by Rich of Minety Music Festival, who asked if we could have a category for festivals. We pondered how we could do this as the categories have already been set, there’s 17 of them already, and feeding it into the venues category might not be fair on the smaller grassroots venues. So, we decided to add festivals as a category for next year, and make a list of festivals in Wiltshire for the judges’ perusal. I mention this to say, hey, we’re open to ideas and things we might have overlooked.

The most frequent question I’ve been asked is “can I vote for myself?!” To which the simple answer is a big fat YES! Why not? Show off your ego, you’ve earned it, go for it! The less frequent but similar question I’ve had is, surprisingly, “can I vote for you?!” The answer is, yeah (blush,) if you must!

We’ve been browsing trophies and medals from a catalogue by Avon Trophies like we’re kids drooling over the lingerie section! And over the next couple of weeks we will be sending invites for people to be judges. Choosing experienced people with dedication to promoting music in the county and trying to set one in each area, we have a list of possibles, but if you’re interested in this let me know this coming week. It is also vital that this event receives sponsorship in order for it to work as well as what’s in our minds. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor an individual award or the whole shebang!

The award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, tickets are here. We hope it will continue annually, this all depends upon your input and support, which has so far been so encouraging I might even be moved wear a dickie-bow at the event, and that’s worth the ticket price alone! Please vote and share our news, thank you!

Bits of Elation; Chatting with The Belladonna Treatment

One of Swindon’s premier grunge pop-punkers, The Belladonna Treatment released their debut single, Bits of Elation, with London-based SODEH Records earlier this month. I spoke about the single, the band and local circuits with the bassist in the band, Ian James, as he was the most punctual at a recent gig at the Vic!

Bits of Elation is fifteen seconds under a three-minute-hero which doesn’t come up for air, compensates for those missing seconds with a dynamic and retrospective Ramones-fashioned riff and the feelgood vibe of pop-punk this side of the millennium.

It is far from the Belladonna Treatment’s first outing to a recording studio, there was a single last year The Torture Garden, and a three-track EP called Pleasure from 2023, which cherry-picks the best elements of many punk subgenres and moulds them into an imitable and infectious house style. Though Ian expressed working with SODEH has opened doors for the band popular in Swindon, evidently blossoming elsewhere. “It’s being played on radio stations in Belgium, Brazil, USA and Canada,” he told me with delight.

The Belladonna Treatment I witnessed live once, in awe at how they rammed the Castle with adoring fans at Swindon Shuffle. Tonight they play a double-header with I See Orange, who alongside Liddington Hill and a number of others usually on this burgeoning Swindon grunge scene, have turned my head toward the subgenre which passed me by at its inception, save Smells Like Teen Spirit. The Belladonna Treatment are ahead of this game, their appeal is universal and seemingly not confined to aficionados of the grunge subgenre. That was clearly evident at the Castle gig, but other than playing Minety last year, I rarely see their name pop up on local circuits other than Old Town’s lively route of The Vic, Castle and Beehive.

Understanding there’s a number of local grassroots venues where The Belladonna Treatment would fit like a glove, I was surprised to note they hadn’t yet ventured to Trowbridge’s Pump, Bradford-on-Avon’s Three Horseshoes or even Chippenham’s Old Road Tavern. I pondered on bands which seem to get stuck in certain fanbase circuits, despite being fully deserved to be showcased across the county and beyond. “It all depends on what everyone wants to do,” Ian began, “things like this pop up and it’s nice to do them, but we do want to expand and do other gigs.”

“It is very easy to get stuck into that circuit, of doing the Castle, and those,” he expanded, “but it’s nice to get out too. I mean, we played a gig in London at the end of January; a cracking venue, which James put together. There were other bands there, all different, but it was a brilliant show, packed out. We were two or three under the bill, so there were loads of other band’s fans watching us and we can get more followers this way.”

Guitarist James has recently moved to London, hence the opportunities for gigs there, but originally the band were all from Stratton, and knew of each other prior to forming The Belladonna Treatment just over two years ago. “Lee and James accidentally got together about five years ago, wrote some songs and went around as an acoustic duo, but we’ve all known each other our whole lives. Then they decided they wanted to get a band together. I hadn’t seen either of them for about twenty years, but I was getting back into playing. Stu, our drummer has been around in lots of other bands, played Glastonbury and stuff like that, and again, we’ve known him, and for the last two and a half years we’ve been playing as a full band.”

The Belladonna Treatment have been honing their sound since, and Ian felt Bits of Elation is a milestone. Pigeonholing their style he cited Nirvana and The Manic Street Preachers as influences they grew up on, and also mentioned Bowie, “but if you listen to the songs they’re melodic, it’s not just head down thrash punk, it’s more melody-orientated, grunge too. That’s why we like playing with I See Orange, there’s a whole nineties feel about us, similar to them.”

We rapped over the idea of levelling off the thrashed out element for a more melodic preference might once have been considered as “selling out,” in punk’s heyday, rather now it’s more of a natural progression and causing the sound to become viable to a wider audience. “It can do,” Ian agreed, “it’s also a case of, you want to sell more records and if you want to be popular, you have to do this.” Such progression is kingpin to crowds turning up at the Vic tonight and ramming the Castle at The Shuffle, knowing there’s a motivated band which rocks!

So I threw in the labour of love concept, and we talked cheerfully about while they’re sharpening their style to suit wider appeal, they’re also determined to strive for individuality, create their own methodology and not clone existing successful bands. Ian spoke of three new songs ready for release, the snowballing of radio plays and their determination to accomplish wider appeal, “that’s what we’re going for.” 

It was great to meet Ian, and the rest of the band briefly, when they turned up! Dad’s taxi was on duty and I could only remain until the end of the Wildcats game, unfortunately missing the gig. A valid reason for highlighting bands seemingly confined locally to our larger towns and encouraging venues to book them around here, because you only need to stream some of their infectious tunes to see what I mean, and why The Belladonna Treatment should be popping up at grassroots venues across the UK, at the very least; fingers and toes crossed.  

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Brian on FullTone Festival

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An Update on our Postcard Criticism

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Ex-Kaiser Chief Nick Hodgson’s Everyone Says Hi Coming to Marlborough

Featured Image Credit: Stewart Baxter

Riot predictor Nick Hodgson formerly of the Kaiser Chiefs has a new band, the charmingly named Everyone Says Hi, and they’re playing an instore at Marlborough’s Sound Knowledge, on Sunday 2nd February….

Everyone Says Hi will play a number of live dates across the UK to celebrate the release of their upcoming self-titled debut album, set for release on 31st January 2025 via Chrysalis Records. The latest single from the record, Lucky Stars, is out now. 

The band will embark on a run of UK in-store dates, in cities like London, Lancaster, Hull, Bristol, Nottingham, Leeds and Liverpool. The fact Marlborough appears on this and many other major industry player’s giglists is a testament to the reputation and hard work of Sound Knowledge.

Prior to this, they will perform two newly announced headline shows in support of Independent Venue Week. Frontman Nick Hodgson said of the importance of indie venues, “we’ve just finished a tour of small independent venues in the UK and it really brought into focus for me how precious they are. There are people all over the country working so hard to bring live music to their area and when people turn up and love the gig it really feels like the beginning of something.”

“It’s a cliche to say that without the small venues there would be no arena bands and festival headliners but it’s definitely my experience with Kaiser Chiefs and I’m sure for the other guys in the band that independent venues aren’t just a cute little step along the path, they are the path.” 

Nick has long been a songwriter in high demand. Since leaving his teenage band back in 2012, he has co-written for the likes of Dua Lipa, You Me At Six, Duran Duran, George Ezra, and Holly Humberstone, and collaborated on tracks alongside Mark Ronson, Kygo, and Shirley Bassey. Having racked up over 5 million cumulative album sales globally, Nick now focuses on a new challenge. You wouldn’t bet against him.

It’s a floaty album of universal indie; instant like from me! Everyone Says Hi sees Nick adopt the role of lead singer-guitarist, and brings together musicians Pete Denton on bass, Glenn Moule on drums, keyboard player Ben Gordon (ex-members of The Kooks, The Howling Bells, and Liverpool’s The Dead 60s respectively), alongside Leeds based guitarist Tom Dawson. The band’s name is lifted from a David Bowie song of the same title. What you hear across its ten tracks is high-calibre, beautifully sculpted songcraft performed by high-calibre, experienced players. Not so much showing ‘promise’ here, but instantly delivering bonafide ‘big songs’ that belie the band’s status as relative newcomers. The record was produced by Nick at London’s Snap Studios and at his home studio. Pre-order the album here.

Everyone Says Hi is the fruit of a multi-platinum musician deciding to draw a line and start afresh. Back to the same bedroom floor where the first tentative notes were played, holding the same guitar that was played way back when, back to forming a band with trusted friends, and back to booking the sticky basement stages where teeth were first cut. But whilst you can metaphorically wipe the slate clean on most things, you cannot unlearn what you already know. If emotionally driven, arena-ready songs come almost second-nature, you’d be foolish to ignore the gift you’ve been given.

Sound Knowledge said, “we’re delighted to say that Everyone Says Hi will be joining us for one of our first in-stores of 2025. They’ll be playing a stripped back set in the shop itself from 3pm on Sunday 2nd February. Stick a note in with your pre-order to guarantee your place.” Which you can do HERE.

Tickets for all shows are on sale here.

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