Starting with the Elcot Fest on Saturday 1 June, followed two weeks later by the ‘Parade Family Festival‘ over the weekend of Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June, it’s the big one, on the last Saturday in June, MantonFest.
Elcot Fest is being headlined by ‘Rave Against The Regime‘, a local five piece 90’s Dance Music band. Starting at 2pm, the first hour will be a stage for St John’s, showcasing some of the emerging talent coming out of the School at the top of Granham Hill, and what / who we’ll see and listen to on Sat 1 June may well be those we’ll all see on far wider stages elsewhere in the years to come. Many excellent musicians have come from St John’s over recent years and decades. Lee Matthews, who’s putting Elcot together is a fervent champion of live music, especially some of the young live performers who can only get better and more experienced by playing on large stages. This is what Elcot can offer – as can The Parade festival, and MantonFest as well.
For The Parade Family Festival, The whole Parade will be closed on the Saturday to enable the stage to be set up in the middle, where the parking area normally is, and there will be music all day and family entertainment and food and drink in both the main Parade area and also in the courtyard of the cinema. On the Sunday, but ‘smoother’ and lower key, Jazz, entertainment and of course – food & drink but centred on the Cinema courtyard. Details of headliners and line-up will become clear soon – the listing in ‘Events’ will be updated as and when.
But MantonFest. The fifteenth MantonFest, Saturday 29 June in the regular site of The Water Meadow, adjacent to Preshute church, where the field will again be transformed into a festival amphitheatre. What is MantonFest? Not a traditional ‘music festival’ per se. Rather it’s a great day out, a big party with excellent live music to keep the day going from early until late. Large area, but shaped as a natural amphitheatre, so every one of the thousand plus audience will be able to see, hear, enjoy – but still able to revel in the party atmosphere. Marlborough’s big event of the year, a must for the many who’ve been to a few of the dozen+ MantonFests over the years.
Headlining this year are a top Queen tribute act – The Bohemians. Supported again by the (very popular) Madness act – ‘Badness’ and of course the locally based (but with worldwide following) Barrelhouse. And, ‘Forever Elton’ (to remind us all of live Elton John music now that The Rocketman has finally departed the keyboard on stage), and a return visit from the Fab Four, back again after two years – no need to describe their music roots…….
So June isn’t a month to go away on holiday. Leave that until July and August, but stay in town for June and enjoy one, two or all three of the summer’s celebrations of fun and live music.
Kelly raises funds to support MAD’s bi-annual show at the Wyvern Theatre
