Tag: the barge honeystreet

Strange Days Indeed, at The Barge on HoneyStreet

Earthlings and all other organic lifeforms with a taste for the occult, fortean and general  weirdness are heading to The Barge at HoneyStreet the first weekend of September for the return of Strange Days Festival. You risk spontaneous combustion if you don’t too….

If you felt an alien autopsy, some alpine shape-shifters or the neohermetic order of Kyballic philosophy were unfortunately missing from your usual festival haunts, this might just be for you and your spirit guide.   

A wildly Wyrd weekend specially crafted for fans of forteana and unexplained phenomena, Strange Days covers the entire weekend with weirdness, esteemed speakers, cosmic cabaret, and some mindblowing music. As of last year, the most powerful tractorbeam musically arrives from intergalactic visitors Henge, with their jazzy psychedelic space-rock rave everyone wants to be abducted by.

Star of the hidden camera prank show Trigger Happy TV, the man with the giant phone Dom Jolly also headlines, and there’s an array of speakers, and other bands, including Calne’s own masters of comedic metal, the chelonaphobic Real Cheesemakers, who might/might not play from inside the belly of a sperm whale.

Indie experimentalists Quatermass III are also playing, known for blending glam-tinged experimentalism, “folk-horror” themes, and electronic textures. And Novum Wo, an experimental electronic artist blending distorted glitch, IDM, and sample-based sounds with Medieval, Arthurian, and contemporary industrial aesthetics.

There’s the unmistakable band Dogshow, on a voyage to explore how music can be experienced differently, by traversing genre-fluid astral planes whilst dressed as poodles. The Quantum Mechanics’ paranormal podcasters go live, Bob Fischer and Stephen Brotherstone resurrect all your disturbed childhood TV memories simultaneously, while Jonathan Downes goes on the trail of Mexican Vampires, and past president of the British UFO Research Association Lionel Fanthorpe talks about close encounters.

I’d like to say I’m only dipping my little toe into the dark waters of Strange Days, as there’s so much more to discover, but the minds of the followers of the event might meander onto the argument it’s a vestigial structure, leftover from our tree-dwelling ancestors, while podiatrists interject, maintaining the little toe is still functional and significantly aids in balance and weight-bearing, and we’ll have a battle of medical curiosities on our multi-fingered, prehensile organs.

Strange Days is on the weekend of the 4th-6th September, when the nights draw in, and we get closer to the spirit world. It’s at the Barge at HoneyStreet so it’d be rude not to camp, which is included in the ticket. Tickets are a 130 of your Earth coins, with discounted rates for kids. From HERE and beyond……

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Strange Days Festival Brings Brian Blessed and Henge to The Barge on HoneyStreet in September

With your standard festivals two-to-a-penny, some consisting of not much more than a bloke with a guitar in a pub selling undercooked and overpriced hotdogs, folk are hunting for the unique and often quirky exceptions. Accept The Barge at HoneyStreet always goes the extra mile as a fact. With camping and weekly events so good it’s like a little festival there most of the time, and their homemade HoneyFest still looming on our calendar this September one caught both my eyes and ears; it’s not just unique, it’s otherworldly…..

Our legendary and beloved Barge Inn, long considered a nexus for crop circles, cosmic curiosity, and canal-side wonder, will host the inaugural Strange Days Festival, a bold new gathering of curious minds, music, and mystery; intrigued huh?!

And leading the charge into the unknown? They’re truly blessed to have none other than the inimitable Brian Blessed, Britain’s booming-voiced national treasure. As a headline speaker on the Saturday afternoon, Blessed, known for his larger-than-life presence and deep fascination with both earthly and cosmic exploration, not to mention his own real-life cryptid investigations, is surely worth the ticket stub alone. If “Gordon’s alive,” let’s hope he’s not moored at the Barge in September!

“Strange Days Festival is a celebration of the unexplained, rooted in the Fortean tradition: a space where the strange is taken seriously, but not solemnly,” organiser Matt Page of Area 51 explained, and he should know. Area 51 Design provides world-class performances, costumed characters, and cutting edge themed decor to events worldwide, from Glastonbury to the Seychelles.

I had a gander at their Facebook page and was left in awe at their quality bizarre installations, pioneers in this art movement to create feasts for the eyes of festival-goers. But back to Strange Days, indeed.

There’s talks and panels on cryptozoology, folklore, the paranormal and other such shenanigans. This includes legendary underground cartoonist Hunt Emerson, an inspiration to me in my scribbling days of yore, cryptozoologist Richard Freeman, Ian Simmons, editor of Fortean Times, and various other podcasters, artists, authors and researchers.

The festival’s ethos invites attendees to question the world around them, with curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of cosmic humour. But we’ve only just got started, for when day turns to night, the mystery turns to music. With an electrifying line-up of live bands, DJs and performance art, our interstellar heroes Henge headline. 

If you’ve not witnessed their high-energy, intergalactic spectacle before, what planet are you on? I trekked to The Cheese and Grain to investigate them, here’s my take on it, and the bonkers support I mentioned, Paddy Steer is also playing Strange Days. With their message of peace, rave, and galactic unity, Henge are the perfect sonic ambassadors for the spirit of Strange Days.

Plus, naturally, if QTV’s Quentin Smirhes and Comfrey aroused your unnatural senses and turned your head towards social distancing worm helmets during lockdown, you’ll be concerned Sean Reynard will be there, along with Calne’s Real Cheesemakers, with or without their tortoise.

“This isn’t a conspiracy circus or a sci-fi cosplay,” Matt promises. “It’s a space for real inquiry, meaningful discussion, and a very good time. We’re bringing together the serious and the surreal, the cerebral and the celebratory.” Okay I get that, but you know those human fans of Henge will bring the plasma ball hats anyway!!

If aliens are to visit us, this is surely the best weekend to do so. Therefore I’m going above and beyond our usual local network, calling all galactic lifeforms, space cadets and fortean fans, for this, on our doorstep, looks more like a porthole to another world rather than the typical half-baked efforts at a festie!

Strange Days Festival is at The Barge on HoneyStreet from 5th to 7th September 2025. Tickets and info HERE, or at your nearest interstellar space port, located near Alpha Centauri.

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Professor Elemental in Session with Madam Misfit and the Real Cheesemakers at The Barge on Honeystreet; 2nd August

It’s going to be all strawberries and cheese baps in pith helmets swinging in trouserland bedlam, with chap-hop shenanigans galore at the Barge on Honeystreet when Brighton’s whimsical rapper Professor Elemental arrives at the legendary mooring, campsite, and crop circle centre of the world, on Friday 2nd August; expect unpretentious hip hop, expect silly costumes, expect nonsensical rhymes….

Ah, we love that bobby-dazzler, who’s colourful suits alone are worth the ticket price. But alongside his crazy capers arrives a new one on me, the chic Madam Misfit, who could only be described as the dame of UK comedy hip hop, a mesh of retrospective gamer, burlesque beauty and jazz queen of any hullabaloo. If chap hop is a thing, so too must there be, erm, flap hop, is it, maybe, I dunno?!  

The pair are joined by Calne’s heavy comical heathens, The Real Cheesemakers. Obsessed with Swindon’s magic roundabout, tortoises and skulls of doom, they’re a man down so will be scattering acoustic vibes into their loud and proud chants. Look, the comic poster is inciting enough to make Jack Kirby quiver; need I waffle on, darlings? 

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Ruby Darbyshire: God is Offline

Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, you’re most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family reader’s circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one she’s…

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 22nd – 28th November 2023

Everything to do in Wiltshire this coming week, right in one handy listing, you know the drill, jump to it, preferably before putting your Christmas tree up, it is, after all, only mid-November; take a chill pill!

Okay, please be aware this is not comprehensive and new events can and might yet still be added to our blossoming, occasionally updating EVENT CALENDAR; they might not be added here, so do check in regularly. You can also find links to everything mentioned there, and plan ahead.

One other really important thing before we get going, the thing everyone seems to brazenly browse past pretending it didn’t apply to them, we need donations to fund this, so, if you can, please donate a little something to keep us going; awl, thank you. If you love it, don’t lose it, like Bez on a nineties dance floor. For info on how, see HERE. Please and thank you…

Ongoing: Dark, the latest exhibit at the Forbidden Carnival in Chippenham runs until 26th November.

Two exhibits at Wiltshire Museum in Devizes: Lest We Forget: the Black Contribution to the World Wars and Eric Walrond: A Caribbean Writer living in Wiltshire. Reviewed Here.

Wednesday 22nd

Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Memory Cinema at Swindon Arts Centre showing Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Running until Friday 24th Voices for Life Extraordinary at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Kroke at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Clusterfunk at The Bell, Bath. Former ELO 2 Frontman Phil Bates Up Close And Personal Solo UK Tour at Chapel Arts.

Thursday 23rd

Kim Emery at La Bobina, Marlborough.

Dead Man’s Whiskey with  Wicked in support at Underground, Swindon. A Christmas Carol at Swindon Arts Centre, Jake Leg Jug Band at the Beehive. Luna Barge at the Tuppenny.

Entertaining Angels at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon.

Hear my Voice, the LGBTQ+ poetry night at The Rondo Theatre, Bath.

Passenger Club at The Winchester Gate, Salisbury.

Friday 24th

Continuing into Saturday but the main show is Friday, folks, the DOCA Winter Festival in Devizes is always a wonderful evening. With the lantern parade, light switch on, Devizes Town Band and market, it’s my obvious choice for editor’s pick of the week!

Staying in Devizes, Chicago Blues Trio at Long Street Blues Club, Stones Throw at The Three Crowns, and a lantern parade Karaoke Party at The Pelican.

But it’s Marlborough’s light switch on and market too, and Mean as Custard plays the Bear. 

Writing and Researching a novel with Keith Stuart at Chippenham library, music café at the Cause, and Kate Lomas, with Laissez Faire and others play a fundraiser in support of the new Chippenham Arts Centre, No.7.

Sad Dad Club at Stallards, Trowbridge. Parker plays the Pump, with A Bottle of Dog and Happy Dogs in support. And there’s jazz with the Stilts at the Civic.

Carmen Co at St Michael’s Church, Mere.

Red Light at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon, The Remnants at The Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon.

Running to Saturday, The Bean Spillers’ Improvised Musical at The Rondo Theatre, Bath. Sheer Music is at Moles with Pet Needs, the Glitchers and Nothing Rhymes With Orange in support.

Oasish Vs Stereotonics at The Vic in Swindon, Phantom Lymb at the Beehive.

Frome Lantern Parade and Christmas Light Switch on too, with The Members’ “Sound of the Suburbs tour” coming to the Tree House.

Saturday 25th

There’s a lecture at Wiltshire Museum, Devizes called The Hunt for Stourton Castle.  Adam Woodhouse is at The Three Crowns, The Worried Men at The Southgate.

Alex Roberts is at The Barge on HoneyStreet. Trash Panda at The Lamb, Marlborough, 

Static Moves at the Burbage Legion Hall, The Crofton Stokers at the Woodborough Club, 

Billy & Louie at The Crown in Aldbourne, and the Ramsbury Christmas Food and Artisan Market .

The Heart Beats at Melksham Rock n Roll Club. 

Freepeace at The Red Admiral, Trowbridge, Ed Byrne’s Tragedy Plus Time tour at the Civic.

Chippenham parkrun at Monkton, Wiltshire College & University Centre Chippenham Campus Open Day also in Chippenham. Chippenham Christmas Market at the Old Road Tavern. Spotlight 3: Modern & Contemporary Art from the Collection of Chippenham Museum, and a Pre-loved Clothes Event at Hardenhuish school. 

The Fairytale Ceilidh: A Fantastical Dance Party at Pound Arts, Corsham, and Carmen Co at Grittleton Village Hall.

Bradford-on-Avon Floating Winter Fair today, with Bath Symphony Orchestra at Wiltshire Music Centre, and Borrowed Time & The Sinictones plays The Three Horseshoes.

Justin Adams & Mauro Durante at The Bell, Bath.

Moon at The Vic in Swindon, the World Music Club at the Beehive. Stephen K Amos at Swindon Arts Centre, Swindon Old Town Comedy Club has a Winter Showcase, Gaz Brookfield is at The Hop, Post 12 at the New Inn, and The Flashback Band hold an 80’s night at The Woodlands Edge.

Craig Charles Funk & Soul House Party has sold out at the Cheese & Grain, so has Depeche Mode tribute The Devout at the Tree House, Frome.

Sunday 26th

James Oliver Band at The Southgate, Devizes.

The Stu Henderson Trio: Jazz at the Horseshoe, Mildenhall, Marlborough.

Melksham Record Fair at Melksham Assembly Hall.

Mark Simmons’ Quip Off The Mark at Swindon Arts Centre.

Wiltshire Youth Jazz Orchestra Concert with Steve Banks at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Ruzz Guitar Trio makes an appearance at The Three Horseshoes.

Schtumm…. presents Sarah McQuaid at The Queen’s Head, Box. The Schmoozenbergs are at The Bell, Bath.

Frome Vegan Fair at The Cheese & Grain.

Monday 27th

David Celia at The Bell, Bath.

Tuesday 28th

Sarah McQuaid at Swindon Arts Centre, and there’s a bebop blowout for Jazz Knights at the Royal Oak, with special guests Ian Bateman & Alex Clarke, to remember the great Jazz promoter David Knight on what would have been his birthday.

And that’s all we’ve got so far, but more stuff is added all the time, so keep a beady eye on 

THE EVENT CALENDAR!!!!

Have a great week!

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Emergency Alert: Wessex Water Hosepipe Ban!

Surprised your mobile didn’t sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water’s hosepipe ban?! Then, you’re a gullible idiot! But being 22,239 voters…

JAZZ – Our Local Guide

Andy Fawthrop All That Jazz – Nice! D-Town certainly punches above its weight when it comes to providing a vibrant and varied music scene.  It…

Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 27th September-3rd October 2023

Summer is done and dusted, you’ve got to lower yourself onto the toilet seat that little bit steadier, as we move into autumn. Still, the silver lining is there’s always lots to do locally; here’s what we’ve found coming up this week….

Not comprehensive, as I tell you each time, more will be added to our event calendar as we move through the week and they come to our attention, so check in on it from time to time. If you don’t let us know about your event you cannot expect it to be here, drop us a line and guarantee it’s listed here, it costs nothing.

Please, if you can donate a little something to keep us going, do, that’s all I ask. We need to fund this, and any extra will be put into hosting events, something we would like to do more of but without financial support it makes it impossible. Any donations will be kindly accepted, you will get special attention, and we thank you. For info on how, see HERE.  

Pay a visit to Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, for the Anna Dillon exhibition; reviewed HERE, this ends on October 1st.

Ongoing until 29th Sept, The Incredible Quizzical Bath Pub Tour.

Clown Soup exhibit by Si Griffiths at the Forbidden Carnival in Chippenham. 

Devizes Food & Drink Festival is up and running, until 1st October.

Wednesday 27th

Acoustic Jam at The Southgate, Devizes.

Subject A at The Bell, Bath.

ZambaLando at “Moose Hall” Old Town, Swindon, Lunchtime Recital at The Wyvern Theatre, with Ed Byrne’s Tragedy Plus Time in the evening.

Thursday 28th

Devizes Film Club Presents Lunana at The Wharf Theatre, and there’s a Murder Mystery Dinner at The Corn Exchange.

Marlborough Literature Festival opens, running until 1st October.

The Unravelling Wilburys at Melksham Assembly Hall.

The Last Baguette’s Playtime! at Pound Arts in Corsham, with the The Jackie Oates Trio in the evening.

Zambalando plays Savernake Street Hall, Swindon, Guy Tortora at The Tuppenny, Cooper Creek at The Beehive. Big Drink, One Man Boycott, Liddington Hill and the Starkers at The Vic. Magic Of Motown at The Wyvern Theatre, and the Phoenix Players – ‘I Thought I Heard A Rustling’ at Swindon Arts Centre, running until Saturday 30th.

Ed Byrne’s Tragedy Plus Time goes to the Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Friday 29th

The Unpredictables are at The Churchill Arms in West Lavington.

Autumn Beer Festival at The Bell, Lacock.

Open Mic at Marlborough Town FC. El Toro at The Bear, Marlborough.

Sice Boo from The Boo Radleys’ ‘The Secret of Happiness’ at The Pump in Trowbridge.

Martin Kemp’s Back to the 80s at The Civic.

There’s a 24 hour Danceathon at Cumberwell Park Golf Club in Bradford-on-Avon, for the Fearless charity.

The Unravelling Wilburys at The Athenæum, Warminster.

Diverse Disco, a party for disabled and learning difficulties, at The Tree, Swindon. The Britpop Band at the Vic, The Heretic Order and The Self Titled at Swindon Underground (formerly Level III,) Devizes Road Oktoberfest at the Tuppeny in Swindon continues all weekend. Echo at the Queen’s Tap. Tea & Tour of the Spotlight Room at Wyvern Theatre, followed by Babatunde Aleshe’s Babahood.

LGBTQ+ poetry night, Hear my Voice at Rondo Theatre, Bath, The Alter Eagles at Chapel Arts. 

The Tom Petty Legacy at the Tree House, Frome, with Graham Parker & the Goldtops at the Cheese & Grain.

Saturday 30th

Leburn Maddox at The Southgate, Devizes, Illingworth at The Three Crowns, Strange Folk at The Lamb.

There’s also a grand lineup at The Crown, Bishops Cannings, with music from 4pm, Steve Morano Band, Talk in Code and Purple Fish. they’ve a fire-dancer between the acts, BBQ and pizza, free entry, splendid pub, twist my arm, why don’t you?!

There’s the Hillbillies at the Barge on HoneyStreet, and The Monkey Dolls at The Lamb, Marlborough.The Monkey Dolls @ The Lamb, Marlboroug

Josh Kumra @ The Bear, Marlborough

Pete Lamb’s Heartbeats play an Alzheimer’s Support fundraiser at The Spencers Club in Melksham. Seriously Collins at The Melksham Assembly Hall.

Truckstop Honeymoon at the Pump in Trowbridge, with Swingletree in support, The Jon Amor Trio at The Red Admiral, Hilperton. Scout Killers at the Civic and Be Like Will at The Greyhound.

Ultimate Meatloaf at The Consti Club, Chippenham.

Six O’clock Circus at Calne Liberal Club.

Sarah-Louise Young: The Silent Treatment at Pound Arts, Corsham.

The Lone Sharks at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. And a Bradford Roots Sessions evening at the Wiltshire Music Centre, with Concrete Prairie, Courting Ghosts, and Fly Yeti Fly, proper job, ed’s pick of the week that one right there be, oo-argh!

The Spooky Kids and Korn Again at The Vic, Swindon, Tundra at The Woodlands Edge, And Solo at North Swindon Club, Click at The New Inn, Hush at The Queens Tap, and Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare – Much Ado About Nothing at The Wyvern Theatre.

Celebrate Zappa : Treacherous Cretins at The Tree House, Frome, Motörheadache at The Cheese & Grain.

Sunday 1st

Monthly residency for the Jon Amor Trio at The Southgate, Devizes, with guest Ruth Hammond.

Fireman Sam is at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, and Victorius at Underground.

Interstate Express at The Bell, Bath.

Monday 2nd

Ope

Billy Billingham MBE – Always A Little Further at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

Orfic at The Bell, Bath

Tuesday 3rd

Calne Music & Arts Festival starts with the Nonpareil, a Local Photography Group Exhibition. It runs across the festival until 28th October, at the Heritage Centre, Calne. Open 10:00 – 16:00 Tuesdays to Saturdays (closed Sundays & Mondays) Visit the Heritage Centre to see the exhibition of photography by “Nonpareil”, a small group of very experienced local photographers. It includes Award Winning Images from their Exhibitions and Salons that have been exhibited around the country. The festival lineup is in full on our event calendar.

100 Years of Silents: Our Hospitality (1923) with live musical score, at Pound Arts in Corsham.

Queenz – The Show With Balls! at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, with 

The Haunting at  Swindon Arts Centre.

That’s all folks, but there are lots more to come!! Let the sunshine…..but do check in on our event calendar too, as updates will be on there, not here, this is just a guide. Have a great week whatever you do do!

And hey, we’re doing a monthly podcast again now; a bit of fun and some great local music on there, please take a listen…. at your own risk!

As Sweet as HoneyFest!

Imagine, it’s only just eight pm on the opening day of Honey-Fest at the legendary Barge on HoneyStreet, and the haystack-filled marquee is already positively pumping, largely due to the energetic hoedown of Bristol’s Mr Tea and the Minions……

Too tempting not to, a double whammy with Devizes’ homemade upcoming marvels, Nothing Rhymes With Orange opening, I made a pit stop at HoneyStreet to black my nose and didn’t really want to leave!

I was intrigued as to where the £125 weekend ticket stub would go in comparison to an atypical weekend at the Barge, which, face it, is usually a mini festival itself! Though there’s no colossal stage erected, the sizable marquee makes for an apt music area, as in past events. Though this weekend there’s extra concentration angled at creating an appealing non-stop lineup for the entire weekend and as the ticket includes camping too, it is justifiable. Though, day tickets available on the gate are priced at a far more reasonable tenner; given these factors Honey-Fest is a must for the hedonistic alternative, and you will be guaranteed an amazing bank holiday weekend. It didn’t take more than half-hour for me to acknowledge this!

The Barge ends up being the spiritual home of anyone who passes through, a magic which holds in the air surrounding it. Though, if it has been this way for decades, what Lenny and his team have created recently, is the kind of environment we, as regular attendees since the nineties, would have wished it to be like back then. Ergo, Honey-Fest is a win-win, a festival within a campsite and wharf surrounded pub, which already hails the spirit of counter-culture festivals of yore, anyway!

And I couldn’t suggest a more apt act than the astoundingly fantastic Mr Tea & The Minions, I told them on Facebook they’d love the Barge, a no-brainer indeed. A headline act, I’d say, but scheduled early to fit their agenda, it was back to Bristol then onto a festival in Kent, followed by a trip to Guernsey for another.

They first came to my attention seeking out alternative forms of ska when doing a regular slot on Boot Boy Radio, an internet station designed to appease Two-Tone diehards. A desire to expand the agenda of the show from simply being retrospective led to me discovering South American ska, and Balkan. The latter so crazy and energetic, a mix of ska’s offbeat and oompah and brassy Truba, and their folk. It is a recipe certain to rub off internationally. I became aware of Bristol’s burgeoning scene, bands like the Smerins Anti-Social Club and Carny Villains and was already aware of the Scrumpy & Western folk flavour of The Boot Hill All Stars, et al. Aside the name Mr Tea & The Minions amused me, their sound was an instant love, for while others blend the influences of west country folk and Balkan ska, most adapt swing into the melting pot, or just fly off the handle of carefree loops of instrumental nuttiness. Here is a band composing structured songs with narrative within those confounds, most definably ska-folk, often amusingly but always with purpose, while still maintaining the infectious high-energy tomfoolery. I soon hurried off a review of their album Mutiny in 2019.   

Over the moon when Loz booked them for Devizes Street Festival last year, I roamed the Market Square excitedly ordering everyone to watch them, and they did, and they agreed, if I remember rightly! Gladdened they came out with the title track to Mutiny at HoneyFest and done a sublime rendition of Junkyard Lovesong from the album, but greater pleased to hear some new songs, like their latest single Twitchy Feet, and a swinging self-stylised finale cover of The Bloodhound Gang’s Bad Touch, which simply rained fun. Here is the liveliest, friendliest six-piece family band with the structure and proficiency to command any age to a dancefloor I know of locally; what an amazing start to Honey-Fest, leaving me pondering, if this is an intro, what was yet to come.

Though none of this occurred before young singer-songwriter Marley begun musical proceedings at 4pm, which unfortunately I was still polishing off some beans on toast at home for, and followed by our favourite Devizes band, the utterly awesome Nothing Rhymes with Orange, which, since missing their stint on Fantasy Radio on Thursday, was what I was making a beeline Pewsey direction for. In fact, last time I did catch them it was also here at The Barge, an intended and worthwhile detour homebound from MantonFest.

That time though they were wedged in the corner of the bar and raising its roof. Here in the marquee the sound mechanics would be greater, yet they would need to overcome the niggly issue Elijah was Lost-Voice Guy for the evening! Though they prevailed, the charismatic frontman persisted, and Sam Briggs filled in too, as unperturbed they produced their collection of beguiling indie-rock originals, including their latest creation, Cats Eyes, and wowed the audience young and old, varying degrees of hippies, tipi glampers, passing druids, the odd stilt walker and every other charming and fun oddity who will pass by you at the Barge, making it such the magic place it is!

But the showstopper was a demanded encore just when Elijah’s voice had all but given up, he asked the audience if anyone knew the words to Sex on Fire, to which a random volunteer affirmed, and Elijah asked she come on stage to assist. And she did, and it was as advertised, on fire. But more importantly, it signifies how this upcoming band are fast becoming accustomed to the spotlight, breaking the fourth wall and dragging the crowds into their banter. Something they could always do in their comfort zone of a loyal fanbase, but to rock up to a varied audience like the Barge, isn’t so simple. Their performance was in short, the essence of a blossoming phenonium.

But of course, this was all but the very beginnings of HoneyFest, and if so, the whole shebang will wow you. Hats off to the team at the Barge, not just for staging this particular extravaganza, but for the many wonderful memories there and how they’ve maintained this spirit, supported our local live music circuit and created this divine pocket of resistance from the surrounding cliquey conventional area. There’s food wagon, there’s a toy and clothes swap tent, there’s magical art displays, and crazy street theatre type crazies, but as I said, it may not be as hugely altered from the standard ethos of a weekend camping at the Barge as it could be, but it’s welcoming, it’s as wonderful as the Barge has ever been, and if it isn’t broken……

To conclude my findings, look, we’re overloaded with things to do this bank holiday, I know, it’s gone bonkers, but if you’ve no plans for tonight, this place could have your name all over it, and if not, here’s hoping there’s more annual HoneyFests. Failing any of those, of course, any weekend at The Barge is a blessing and whole heap of fun; forever recommended with festival jester’s hats on and bells on.

Trending……

An Apology to Councillor Wallis

I would like to apologise to Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis for incorrect quotes in a spoof article concerning a BBC Wiltshire video we criticised…

Jurassic Hillworth Park!

You know, there’s umpteen articles, studies, and even a six and half minute YouTube video explaining that Steven Spielberg’s 1993 family sci-fi movie Jurassic Park…

Jol Rose For Tomorrow

New single from Swindon’s finest Americana singer-songwriter Jol Rose, the kind of artist who’ll finish a song and leave a jammed pub in such awe…

Nothing Rhymes With Orange at the Barge, and Beyond!

Another quick one from me, to say Devizes upcoming indie band Nothing Rhymes With Orange smashed it out of the park and down the Kennet & Avon all the way to the Barge on Honeystreet last night…..

Can’t give a full review as I only rocked up with a half-hour to spare, but it was plenty to witness, Nothing Rhymes With Orange are no hometown novelty. Punters at the Barge on Honeystreet were equally enthralled by their dynamic show of originals and the occasional cover. Of which one hailed out their request for an encore should be an original of theirs, which was interesting as it fully projects what we’ve been saying all along about this band; their dedication to creating an exclusive and prototypical sound is primary, yet while their ability to project that to an audience is something they’re continuously perfecting, the result is sheer exhilarating.

It was at this point then, I stress, Nothing Rhymes With Orange seemed more at home and familiar in these pub venue surroundings than ever before, despite what is a legendary local venue with an historic appreciation for the quirky and unusual, it didn’t phase them to perform confidently and superbly. I left thinking everywhere these young guys go they will imprint their music on those who attended and while they may have amassed a blossoming fanbase here, it will only extend further. But more to the point, it is so thoroughly deserved!

Heading a generational scene and finding time to network within it to showcase others is clearly making an impact, as a group of local youngsters form a new production company called Lost Monkey Productions, who aren’t taking things one step at a time, rather hosting NRWO with Foxymoron and Overstory in support at Devizes most prestigious venue, The Corn Exchange on Friday 14th July.

Tickets for a tenner (hurry!) HERE.

Trending…..

Book Review: Dave McKenna’s Death Wish

It was back in March last year when I last mentioned Devizes author Dave McKenna, reviewing his debut, The Killer & The Catalyst. He’s returned with…

My Reflection on the Fate of Carnivals

It’s Saturday morning on the 13th July 1985, and there’s a dilemma brewing in my household I’m indifferent with. I’m twelve, aware I should do…