A glorious day, excellent line-up and a fantastic atmosphere on Saturday (30 June) made this year’s MantonFest a sell-out and the best ever, according to organiser Roger Grant.
Katrina arrived on stage soon after the sun had bade farewell and she wowed the large crowd with a set featuring all her hits and great covers such as Echo Beach, but inevitably left the crowd ‘Walking on Sunshine’ even though the last rays had long since departed.
Quo, or more accurately John Coghlan’s Quo, Led Zeppelin tribute band ‘Whole Lotta Led’ and the returning Swinging Blue jeans rocked the crowd throughout the evening having been warmed up by local favourites BarrelHouse – whose disc charted in the National Blues chart recently – and other local favourites Empty Gestures, Skedaddle and the Harry Miller Band.
Roger later added: “It was a perfect day for MantonFest 2018. The sun shone in all its glory, the field was in great condition and the festival goers turned up prepared for the event. The array of gazebos was amazing, with people bringing picnics and families settling down to enjoy the music. Children were running around the field and playing. A great sight to see at a music festival. The whole day went without any problems, the atmosphere was one enjoyment and friendliness.”
He also added a not of thanks and recognition to all those who made the day possible: “A word of thanks to all the volunteers who made this event such a success. They kept going in the heat looking after the bands with food and drink, clearing the rubbish all through the day and working at the gate. They put hours in the without any complaints. I cannot thank them enough. Finally, the committee who organise the event, without their expertise it would not have been possible. One important item in a music festival is the quality of sound. All the performers commented how good it was as did the audience. Thank you Swindon PA.”
“We are now starting work on 2019, watch marlborough.news for news of the line-up and date”.
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Selection of pics from the day below:
All pics copyright Neil Goodwin / marlborough.news ltd
