LAKEFEST REVIEW - By Andrew Warmington.

THE first Lakefest music festival to take place at Eastnor Castle enjoyed warm sunshine and the Deer Park as a backdrop on August 11 to August 14.

About 7,000 people turned up across the three days, making for a manageably sized event, where attendees could dip in and out of the four stages and the many side activities.

The event, according to organiser Lee Martin, had outgrown its long-term home at the Croft Farm Waterpark near Tewkesbury and came to Eastnor so that it could accommodate the growing crowd that its reputation as an affordable and family-friendly event had created. It was confirmed at the end that Lakefest will return to Eastnor at the same time in 2017.

The headline acts were mostly 1990s indie rock bands. Primal Scream closed out Friday night in front of a packed Castle Stage. Big Country, complete with guitarist Bruce Watson’s son, brought back memories for 1980s kids. The final act on Sunday, The Coral, are serious musicians rather than crowd pleasers but rocked the crowd with their intense instrumental jams.

The real joy of a small festival, however, is the ability to dip into new and emerging acts. Among many others, Ledbury’s own Now or Never and the C-Quins overcame sound system problems to belt out classic Motown to an appreciative audience, while Gloucestershire’s Erica buffed up their credentials with a killer set, featuring the bizarre yet wonderful ‘Never Punch Your Granny When She Shaves’.

And the toilets were fine too…!