You know what it’s like – you wait months for something you’re really looking forward to, and suddenly it’s all over, seemingly with the blink of an eye.
That’s my overwhelming and lingering memory of Peterborough Beer Fest 2015 – just how fast did the week go?! I’m sure someone sped up time for a while there!
I sadly wasn’t able to attend every day, so wasn’t able to witness every band, but there is always a way to bring the music to the masses – wonderful new community hub Hereward TV were at PBF for its entirety, talking to a variety of brewers and organisers, and also filming every single musical act!
You can catch up with everything you missed on their YouTube channel, so make sure you head on over there! If you’re interested in volunteering for Hereward TV, get to their website to find out more! It’s extremely worthwhile.
Anyway, I digress, so onto the bands I did manage to see…
I arrived at 7pm on Thursday evening, just in time to see string quartet The Stringlers. I had been wanting to see these girls for some time, so was very much looking forward to this.
From the outset, this band had the audience in the palm of their hand, kicking off with The Stranglers’ No More Heroes then going straight into a Beatles medley – Get Back, Blackbird and Eleanor Rigby. A brilliant start, with the crowd singing along to the wonderfully skilled instrumentals.
Other particular favourites from the set were Sweet Child o’ Mine, Bat Out of Hell and Bohemian Rhapsody, all of which had the audience singing at the top of their lungs – Kat, Di, Helen & Emily really know how to capture a crowd and keep them there!
I can’t wait to see The Stringlers again, and if you want to keep up with them you can follow them on facebook.
Headlining on Thursday night was a band I’ve seen a lot in the past few months – The Expletives. However, rarely on an actual stage as they mainly perform from the cramped corner of whatever pub they’re in.
It’s difficult for me to review The Expletives without being accused of some bias, because the guys are good friends of mine! I can’t lie, though – they are brilliant. Sean works the stage exactly as it should be worked, and the crowd quickly respond to their infectious and obvious enjoyment.
The Expletives effortlessly yet aggressively (in a good way) bashed their way through a 30-song strong set including Tainted Love, Babylon’s Burning, Hanging on the Telephone, Anarchy in the UK, Gordon is a Moron, and finishing with Blitzkrieg Bop – all performed with much aplomb and all getting the audience singing, shouting and dancing along!
I’d love to see these guys get a headline slot on the Friday or Saturday night in future – I reckon they’d go down even more of a storm! If you want to see The Expletives again, they gig a lot in the Greater Peterborough area, so give their facebook or twitter pages a follow to keep up to date with their whereabouts!
Keep an eye on the blog for installments two and three of Peterborough Beer Fest, but in the meantime here are a few photos of revellers from Thursday… enjoy!
All photos were taken by and are copyright to Fi Stimpson / Music vs. The World. Please do not use any image without prior consent. Thank you!