Weyfest Music Festival 2008
http://www.weyfest.co.uk/
Press Articles
2007 How To Do Just About Everything How to Plan a Weekend at Surrey's Weyfest
Read EHow Staff expert Patricia Tebbe's tips on how to do.......Weyfest! FARNHAM held its own mini Glastonbury festival last week- end and organisers say it was the the biggest and best yet.
More than 1,000 people attended the Weyfest 2007 Music Festival at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford, where they were entertained by more than 40 bands on two outdoor stages and even more solo performers on the indoor acoustic stage.
Passing without incident, Weyfest 2007 is already being hailed a great success by the event organisers, as congratulatory comments pour in from the attending public, the artists who entertained them, the traders who provided the refreshments and other attractions and the Rural Life Centre trustees, management and volunteers who have the responsibility of taking care of the museum site and its unique collection among which the event was staged.
The quality of musicianship at Weyfest events has always been high and this year was no exception, from headliners Steve Gibbons and Osibisa, who had the audiences on their feet singing and dancing, through to the host of other performers who not only kept their audiences entertained but also took time out to mingle and enjoy the whole event alongside them. Delta Radio attended in support as on-air media partners, with OJ Nathan James clearly enjoying his role of MC on both of the outdoor stages.
As one performer happily commented after the show "There was something special about Weyfest, the standard was really really high. Weyfest 2008 is a bit of a must for those that missed it this year. In a way it was probably one of the best music festivals I've ever been to."
Much to the relief of all involved, the weather remained dry throughout the event and putting the icing on the cake for what will undoubtedly be an experience to be repeated for many years to come.
The organisers, who have been granted a license by Waverley Borough Council to hold the event on an annual basis, would like to thank everyone involved in making the event such a success. They are already planning next year's event and are calling on any businesses which might be interested in sponsorship opportunities to make contact as soon as possible by e-mail to info@weyfest.co.uk.
The highly praised website at www.weyfest.co.uk will remain online and continue to bring news, views and offers, as well as launching the forthcoming Weyfest Club with a range of member incentives.
Farnham Herald 7th September 2007 VIC Cracknell can add to his credentials that of talent hunter.
While at Weyfest in Tilford we were drawn by Vic to the acoustic stage with the promise of a very special gig, mixing
flamenco and world music.
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Our expectations were far surpassed by the exhilarating performance of the former ACM student, Byron Johnston.
Byron not only engages the audience but he transports them on a rollercoaster of emotions.
As soon as he plucked his guitar, we left the setting at the Rural Life Centre and were off to Spain.
There, we relaxed on the beach, we were assaulted by bandits, we mixed with the Arabs in Andalucia and the courtesans in Madrid and reluctantly were brought back from our adventure as the piece finished.
Crowd taken on a musical journey (7th September 2007)
Maria VirtoAll this is achieved thanks to Byron's ability to intuitively use his mastery as a guitarist to relate his personal experiences.
It is a case of a sound being worth a thousand words.
Byron includes elements of percussion influenced by Flamenco and twists them and makes them a universal
language extremely appealing to all ears. I was probably the only person in the audience that picked up the slight discordance when he attempted a small extract of the Concierto de Aranjuez.
An unavoidable occurrence as the guitar had been bashed and used in unimaginable ways earlier on in the same piece and was bound to be a bit out of tune for this particular classical excerpt.
But this is just being picky, Byron is dextrously talented and daring and therefore, he conquers.
Things got even better as violinist extraordinaire Anna Phoebe joined in for a jam with Byron. I have never witnessed such chemistry between two musicians and two instruments. Byron put Anna to the test, challenging her with one of his own compositions, Fahrenheit 55.
And the magic was still there, even with an unknown piece. The duet was a real quality act, real music to our ears.
If Byron and Anna have not yet decided to record together, they should, and if their music gets heard by Jools Holland I bet he'll be dying to take over from Vic Cracknell as the discoverer of such boundless talent.
Byron and Anna were one of the highlights of Weyfest 2007 which was a refreshing experience, full of real talent, none of this recycled boy/girl band rubbish we are forced to put up with these days.
These hotchpot of unique acts included the chilling southern comfort from the True Deceivers, the nostalgia and madness of Bill Posters Will Be Band, the unbelievable skill of Rodney Branigan, die hard rockers like Jackie Lynton.
Legends like Steve Gibbons and Paul King, the newest local talent of Susie Clarke, plus a pianist rapper were other treats and like any festival that prides itself in being really up-lifting, there was a hand-clapping, body-moving set with Osibisa.
The symbiosis between the Rural Life Centre, beneficiary of the funds raised this year, and the organisers of Weyfest has turned out to be a winning formula and Weyfest 2008 is already set to take place next year at the end of August.
Maria Virto
First printed in: Surrey Advertiser
Byron Johnston (right) with Anna Phoebe.remotegoat.co.uk - Weyfest 2007 Reviews
Iver Cutler
Tucked away in the heart of Surrey, Weyfest was a two-day festival brim full with great bands and a truly wonderful and friendly atmosphere in a unique and perfect venue. A measly £30 weekend ticket gave access to name bands and artists such as Osibisa, Steve Gibbons, Ric Sanders and many more, but the 'undercard' was outstanding as well. Late addition Anna Phoebe was a real eye-opener; she has been augmenting the live Jethro Tull line-up for several months with her amazing violin playing, and her solo set was magnificent. Osibisa were as much fun as they were in their 70's heyday, and of course Steve Gibbons never lets you down.
The huge line-up (45 bands!) spread over 3 stages was, almost without exception, a very high standard selection of just about every style of music you could wish to hear... if you like REAL music of course! But alas the very fact that there were 3 stages meant everyone missed at least 2 thirds of the music! Thats OK at a big festival when you know who you want to see and, as importantly, who you don't want to see, but as every unknown band I stumbled upon turned out to be simply excellent I had to wonder what other great stuff In was missing. Leatherat, a fiery folk-rock outfit, tore the place apart. Spank The Monkey, Jackie Lynton and even the Nashville Teens (still going!!) rocked and rolled mightily. The wonderful Vikki Clayton was, well... wonderful! And big hands too for the Tabs, Freeway Jam, a Jethro Tull tribute band called Cold Flame, and most certainly for the UNBELIEVABLE Rod Branigan. He played on all the stages (not at the same time!) wowing the audiences with his should-be-impossible-2-guitars-at-once prowess. He really does have to be seen to be believed.
Sadly the wackyness of Bill Posters Will Be Band left me cold, but I was certainly in the minority in the otherwise hugely appreciative crowd.
If the music was great - and it was - the venue was just as impressive. An open air museum of rural life, it blended so well and so improbably with the hustle and bustle of the music festival, due mainly to the fine nature of the music and the affability of the paying punters.
Well done to the organisers for putting on such a fine event, and good luck for the future. I'll certainly be there next year, and every single person I spoke to this year are of the same persuasion. A bit of fine tuning could see this festival become a must-go event for many; it was EASILY the best I went to in 2007. the fine tuning? Well, it's IMPOSSIBLE to find - more signs please! - and bloody hard to get to without a car. Perhaps a dedicated bus service from the station next year? And, strangely, there were too many bands this year. The acoustic (indoor) stage looks after itself, but if you must run 2 outdoor stages then please avoid overlap and have stage 2 running when the main stage is changing over. And far too many GREAT bands were 'lost' on the second stage. Sometimes less really is more, so save some money with less bands without cutting down on our enjoyment as punters. Other than that, I can't fault it at all.
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