Nailsea & Backwell beer+cider fest 2019

July 2019

Nailsea and Backwell Beer & Cider Festival

PHOTOS: All from Saturday, July 13, on a lovely summer's day. The slideshow below is in chronological order and the people get slighty more animated as the day progresses. North Somerset MP Liam Fox, his wife Jesme and friends put in their annual appearance, the Rotarians manned the gate from early until late and a host of other volunteers who all worked tirelessly to ensure we had a good, nay great time, a huge thank you. The event began in 2004 when it served 17 beers and 13 ciders and raised monies for children's charity Dreams Come True. Since then thousands of pounds have been raised for well-deserving causes. This year the Great Western Air Ambulance will benefit. Behind the bar will be 60 different cask and keg beers and more than 110 different ciders plus Pimms, gin and Prosecco tents. The people from The Farmhouse pub were in charge of the hog roast and a good time was had by all especially those wearing the funny hats and the odd lampshade. The musicians were marvellous and we heard everything from the Beatles to Bob Marley with the lyrics for Sweet Caroline and the Oasis song Don't Look Back In Anger on a loop in my head along with Annies Song. Loved the Australian rap song by The Munchies and many, many more.

SUNDAY SERVICE: The booked reggae band failed to turn up so a Nailsea vicar and her backstage crew filled the spot along with the school cleaner who did an Elvis impersonation slot - happy Sunday at the beer and cider fest especially when for last 10 minutes they declared a free bar although at that point most of the barrels were empty!

All videos © Ali Smallshaw

Looking at the original running order for the bands at the three-day Nailsea Beer & Cider Festival something struck a funny note.

I recognized Corvus – Nailsea’s most popular rock ‘n’ roll band but some of the others made me scratch my head.

The Cider House Rounders booked for Friday night, July 12, an American old-time string band well that seems legitimate but the bookings on Saturday, July 13, of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Manipulative Liar, Chiaro Scuro and A Box Of Frogs – are they for real?

Chiaroscuro was a band in 2006 – its name is an Italian word that describes the dark side of images, especially when there is strong contrast between the two. The band was founded by twin brothers Chris and Richard Chambliss but its official site is now defunct?

But Stu Groves soon enlightened us.

He said: Chiaro Scuro is a band who play homegrown progressive rock from the badlands of Bristol.

"Expect odd time signatures, air guitaring, cheeky grooves and insane energy."

Box of Frogs were a band formed in 1983 by former members of the Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984 ... they don’t seem to have recorded anything since the mid-1980s?

Ah! The Minke Whales also in the line-up are a folk five-piece based in Bristol described at ‘ragged, literate, highly musical folk for raising barns to – and then raising the roofs of said barns... reliable, festival-flavoured knees-up’ so that’s okay.

Equally girl band Atlantic from Surrey seems authentic and are advertised as singing songs new and old with soul.

Then Black Flamez is a six-piece ska reggae band from Bristol which has been going since 1974 so could be okay although the musicians may all be senior citizens?

Pat Gregory soon supplied us with a photo of the band from the 1980s playing a North Somerset gig and maybe the line-up of Chris E Gregory, Foo, Bugs Durrant and Gary Chappell has changed but they are still going strong.

The line-up for Sunday, July 14, has old favourites Troy Ellis and The Hail Jamaica Band which is definitely legit.

But Google the first band billed for the afternoon, Gently Rocked Knee, and you get lots of advice on muscle relaxation but no musicians.

Twice Dailies is Nailsea’s own Wurzel tribute band and piano man Mark Feven (whose name is misspelt online) are programmed to play and they are kosher.

And ones to watch Dukes of Mumbai famous for serving up a red-hot, riff-tastic instrumentals at 4.30pm is a sure thing.

So, in conclusion out of the 14 bands listed only five (four, three perhaps) have a question mark which I suppose is a novel way of drumming up interest – made me LOL.

Festival chairman Paul Turner also laughed about the musical line-up and admitted they had made up some of the names while filling slots.

Since posting the online programme there has been a change of running order with now only one slot free on Sunday at midday.

The so-called Manipulative Liar band has been replaced by The Munchies.

Nailsea People asked: “Is this the cover band from Algarve formed by Filipa Amaro, Nuno Gonçalves, Rafael Nunez and Gabriel Ildefonso who advertise they are available for weddings or is it the ska core/punk rock/heavy metal/reggae group of same name from El Monte, in Los Angeles, or is that a bit of Californian dreaming?"

Paul chuckled and said: “Nope it is a newly formed band consisting of talented Nailsea School students who will be playing at 1.30pm on Saturday for 45-mins.

“The first band on Sunday and the first two names on the Saturday were just made up names.

“The first Saturday slot is likely to be a guitar duo and our website will be updated later this week to reflect this.”

An advance ticket is £10 and includes commemorative glass, two beer tokens, programme (with tasting notes) and security wristband.