High Street Main Event Review - Sunday 29th August

Written by Kev Adams Wednesday, 08 September 2010

Right from the off we've been spoilt for choice with more events taking place than any one person can visit.  As well as many new arts and literary events for 2010 our music programme has been busier than ever with pubs and venues all around the town reporting a great turnout.  We've been really pleased to give plenty of local musicians a chance to perform in front of their home crowds too with more than one young local band making their debut over the last week.

On Sunday our main event kicked off with punk band the Antisocial Missfits who went down a storm.  I'd put good money down to say they're probably the first punk band to perform in Bridgnorth High Street but definitely not the last.  A band to keep an eye out for and one that we'll be keen to see back in Bridgnorth again before the 2011 festival.  There were a few grey clouds and a short down pour but it didn't last long and we were all fine beneath the marquee.  Blue skies and sunshine soon came out and as the day wore on the marquee filled up - all well fed and provided with drink by local businesses and the great stalls happening on the other side of the Town hall at the Food Fair.  We also had a Designer Maker Fair happening in the High Street with several stalls displaying and selling their wares.

Young local band Electric Kite played a brilliant set from more laid back acoustic numbers to a full band electric set.  Superb performance and absolutely no sign of the nerves we'd been told about before they started.

Next up were the Barrel O'Baddies another local favourite who've obviously built up quite a following judging by the emails we've had asking when they were on and even more people piling into the marquee.  Celtic punk folk rock, they defy categorisation, played a brilliant set and had people dancing in no time.

Popular local funk band Booyaka hit the stage next with dance music of a different kind.  They've been whipping up a storm in the area for over a decade and were veterans of 1998's outdoor music festival at Aston Eyre.  Great to see so many familiar faces crowding in to the marquee too and the dancing didn't stop.

Birmingham's finest The Cracked Actors played next and we were treated to yet another up tempo high energy set.  Ska punk at it's best, everyone loved it and it felt like a hell of an achievement to have music of this quality going on in the High Street too.

Finally The Groundhogs took the stage.  The audience had chopped and changed throughout the day as people took advantage of the Food Fair and the cafes, pubs and restaurants around the town.  By the time the Groundhogs were due to play you could see just how many rockers old and young had turned out to see this iconic British Blues band perform.  They've been gigging since the sixties, still led by incredible virtuoso blues guitarist Tony McPhee and they've never stopped.  A cracking finale from our biggest band to date.  So a big thank you to everyone who turned up and supported us, the bands, the audience and everyone who helped out, many thanks for another brilliant day in the High Street!