21st to 24th July 2005

Stages 1 and 2

PAUL BRADY (Sat) • THE PROCLAIMERS (Sat) • THE SAW DOCTORS (Sun) • RALPH McTELL (Sun)

GLENN TILBROOK & THE FLUFFERS (Sat) • BELLOWhead (Sun) • LUNASA (Fri) • HAYSEED DIXIE (Fri) • XOSE MANUEL BUDINO (Sat) • JIM MORAY 4 (Fri) • RORY McLEOD (Sat/Sun) • BEN WATERS BIG BAND (Sun) • MOZAIK (Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny etc) (Sun)

JOHNNY DICKINSON (Sat) • HANS THEESINK BAND (Sat) • JEZ LOWE & THEBAD PENNIES (Sun) • LA CHICANA (Sat) • DEXTER ARDOIN (Sun) • WHAPWEASEL (Sat) • REG MEUROSS BAND (Fri/Sat) • MIKE SILVER (Sat/Sun) • STEVE TILSTON & BROOKS WILLIAMS • CHARANGA DEL NORTE (Sat) • TINY TIN LADY (Sat/Sun) • LISA MILLS (Sat) - FAST LANE ROOGALATORS (Sat/Sun) • FLASH HARRY (Thur) • BAGHDADDIES (Fri) • STEAM CHICKEN (Fri) • AYNSLEY LISTER (Sat) • SHELLBACK CHORUS (Sat/Sun) • HOLT MORRIS (Wed) •

Stage 3

THURSDAY - K'CHEVERE • EMMA HUTCHINSON • 3 DAFT MONKEYS
FRIDAY - MOUSSA KOUYATE & FRIENDS • WIYOS • LUMINESCENT ORCHESTRI • KANGAROO MOON • WORLD GOVERNMENT • THE BAGHDADDIES • THE FORSTER-KING BAND
SATURDAY - PINA LOU • VLADIMIR STEAMBOAT • RAILROAD BILL • No 1 STATION
SUNDAY - PANACEA • DAILY PLANET • ZEN HUSSIES

2005 Review

Our 32nd festival and our first without Dave Newman who passed away earlier in the year. Dave was a founding figure and driving force of the festival and will be sorely missed.

A few changes to the festival this year with increased camping and improved access to the site.

Musically, Stage 3 was relocated nearer to the river and operation passed to the hands of The Bell, the premier music pub in Bath.

After the successful party night of the Thursday, Stage 1 kicked off on the Friday with the laidback sounds of The Reg Meuross Band followed by the innovative Jim Moray 4. Irelands' Lunasa were next up and livened up the audience with their mixture of traditional and contemporary rhythms. The main tent was now filled to capacity as the audience eagerly awaited tonight's headliners - Hayseed Dixie. The crowd was not to be disappointed, as the band turned in a blistering set of rockgrass - classic rock songs performed in a heavy metal bluegrass style. I never thought that I would hear a version of Motorheads Ace of Spades delivered at Trowbridge.

While all this was taking place on Stage 1 there was a full supporting line-up with the opening festival ceilidh featuring Steam Chicken on Stage 2 and 10 hours of music on Stage 3 culminating with performances from Kangaroo Moon and The Baghdaddies.

Despite the weather forecast Saturday dawned dry and fine and delivered another full day of entertainment. Whilst Stage 2 provided an afternoon of relaxed sounds with Mike Silver, Reg Meuross, Rory McLeod and Johnny Dickinson, Stage 1 was the setting for La Chicana, another first for Trowbridge, a band from Buenos Aires offering a contemporary twist to the tango music of Argentina. The world music theme continued with The Hans Theesink Band featuring Insingizi - three singers/dancers from Zimbabwe.

The problem with Saturday night was who to put on first as all four acts on Stage 1 could have headlined. Kicking off with Galician piper Xose Manuel Budino and his band the audience were soon on their feet and a lot of them remained so throughout the evening. A welcome return to Trowbridge by crowd favourites The Proclaimers had a vast majority singing along with them. Paul Brady took to the stage to massive applause and proceeded to deliver a strong set, enforcing his reputation as a passionate and exciting performer. Last up on Stage 1 was ex Squeeze man Glen Tilbrook and his band. As they stormed through a set of hits and newer numbers the band were enjoying themselves as much as the audience and it was difficult to bring the evening to a close.

After overnight rain cleared at around 11 a.m. the festival site was soon in full swing with early risers able to take part in a Tai Chi class, yoga, Middle Eastern dance or a song workshop. The children's entertainment was once again proving a winner with parents enjoying the shows as much as their offspring.

On Stage 1 following on from sets from Jez Lowe and Rory McLeod there was a much-anticipated performance from Bellowhead. Formed in 2004 the band has brought together some of the best young players from the English traditional scene and an eclectic line-up of instruments with guitar, melodeon, bouzouki alongside bagpipes, saxes and even a sousaphone.

Irish folk stalwarts Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny kicked off Stage 1 on Sunday night with their band Mozaik - a fine start to any evening. Another Trowbridge favourite was up next, The Saw Doctors. Once again the band had the audience on their feet as they proceeded to storm through a set of crowd pleasers. How long before we meet them on Clare Island again? It fell to Ralph McTell to follow this and after a few glitches he won the audience over with his excellent guitar playing and superbly crafted songs. Am I alone in thinking that From Clare to Here is a much better song than Streets of London? All too soon it was time to close another festival and it was a fitting end with The Ben Walters Big Band getting everybody up and dancing their socks off to rock and roll classics.        

So, there we have it, a brief review of Trowbridge 2005 but there was so much more with memorable sets from The Fastlane Roogalators, the blues session with Lisa Mills and Aynsley Lister, the Cajun dance sounds of Dexter Ardoin and no Trowbridge would be complete without the comic talents of The Merv Grist Players.

Stowford Manor Farm, Wingfield near Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9LH
24th to 27th July 2008