PHATS & SMALL + SLEEPER + STEVE MASON + ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL + SCOTT BOOTH + RUBBER JAW – ST ANN’S WELL GARDENS, HOVE 18.05.19
A lively set from Phats & Small brought the audience to their feet as the duo brought the St Ann’s Well Gardens Spring Festival to a close.
St Ann’s Well Gardens is one of Brighton and Hove’s most treasured City parks. The Spring Festival was established 13 years ago to celebrate the park’s Centenary. We have seen the Festival grow into one of the finest free festivals in the Country and is now a firm date in every Brightonians diary. The festival annually welcomes over 10,000 people to the park for this wonderful family event!
Each year the park’s festival brings a bigger and better selection of activities and entertainment for locals, families, young and old alike. Activities range from arts and crafts stalls, home baked cakes, Pad Thai and delicious stone oven home baked pizzas, children’s entertainment and the days events are nicely and well hosted, as well as the dancing and singing along to the acts in front of fabulous music stage!
This year a new circus tent asides in the park with a tradition Hog roast to get your senses going.
The Festival has being going from strength to strength with this year’s stellar line including the mesmerising Rose Elinor Dougall, unique complex guitar percussion by Scott Booth, indie pop veterans Sleeper and the newly Creation23 record signed ‘Rubber Jaw’, bearing in mind with the community spirit in mind the artists all play for free in the surrounding of the park.
As the sun appears behind the clouds what way better to starting the proceedings by heading to the Park for the early afternoon and seeing the likes of English songwriter, Rose Elinor Dougall better known for being a member of ‘The Pipettes’ and performing with the likes of ‘Mark Ronson’ grace the stage. Very much a dreamy pop affair. Her third album just recently released. The festival would not be the same with another of Brighton and Hove’s oldest legends ‘Disco Pet’, soaking up the atmosphere in front at the music stage, much loved by the local community.
More mesmerising and intriguing were the guitar songs by Ellie Occleston, performing with her full band ensemble, sitting back relaxing with a cider in hand, describing herself as an Indie-Folk songwriter with no really a specific genre in mind.
The crowds quickly gathered and the atmosphere rising, abjuring the area to welcome Sleeper, who after a 21 year hierarchy decided to come back on the music scene with a new album ‘The Modern Age’ and already selling out the likes of the 02 shepherds Bush Empire.. They play a host of old and new songs with a homage to Blondie and Joy Division with the parents with their children in tow, loving every minute and with Sleeper’s frontwoman Louise Wener getting everyone dancing along nicely in the warm afternoon sun.
One surprise guest announced by organiser was Steve Mason, with his melancholic rhythmic guitar driven songs as much feels at home to many a festival appearance over the past decade.
He was followed by the jangled guitar-indie band from Colchester’s very own, Rubber Jaw to liven up the proceedings with the single ‘Feeling Funny’. These guys certainly have what it takes for a long spanning music career.
What better way to end this years successful St Ann’s Well Spring Festival with Phats & Small, who are the multi-platinum-selling, multi-award-winning, Brit Award nominated dance music collective responsible for the global smashes ‘Turn Around’, ‘Feel Good’ and ‘Tonite’. The guys were certainly getting the audience jumping and bopping around to their uplifting tunes.
Congratulations to the event organisers for such a fab day out and let’s hope for more the same for next year’s event in the park!
Here’s a selection of a few more happy memory photos from the day………….
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