toploader – devizine.com

Heaven’s holding a half moon tonight, a secret I’ve gotta spill, shining for all going to the Minety Music Festival in July….

Seeming not content with just awesome headliners The Fun Lovin’ Criminals on the Saturday evening, Toploader and The Stereo MCs on Sunday, organisers of this, which I hailed the best local festival last year, have confirmed the UK’s finest nineties soul ensemble, The Brand New Heavies will bless their stage on Sunday….

Debuting in 1990, The Brand New Heavies may not be so new any longer, but they’re still the heavy, funky acid jazz pioneers who toured last year to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their ground-breaking 1994 album Brother Sister. Propelled by the classic singles Dream On Dreamer, and Maria Muldaur’s Midnight At The Oasis, the record achieved huge success (a #4 chart position, over a million sales and a BRIT nomination) as they cemented their position as the pioneers of Acid Jazz.

Featuring original members Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew, with the phenomenal vocalist Angela Ricci, the The Brand New Heavies continue today, and make for a brilliant end to what looks to be the festival worthy of your hard-earned cash.

Fun Lovin’!

Heavies, brand new or not, is not the reason I loft Minety on such a high pedestal. Yeah, they book universal big names to headline, but the whole community feel, affordable markets, food and drinks, so much for the younger attendees, and so much more so, their devotion to upcoming local live music is something to behold.

Set over four stages, there’s a plethora of great acts, from tributes to The Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Sex Pistols and The Police, to many of the original local artists we’ve praised right here on Devizine; I See Orange, M3G, The Vooz, Jimmy Moore, SN Dubstation, Bottle of Dog, and those The Real Cheesemakers, naturally! Plus of course, many other bands new to us, which I’ll endeavour to catch as many as I can between chilling at the Incapable Staircase tent.

Midnight though, I hope there’s an international time zone between Minety and the Oasis, because the cider there is affordable, and I’m not sure if I’ll hold out for that long!