Ashton Court Festival

Heavy Rain Kills Ashton Court Festival

After 33 years, Bristol's favourite festival has finally come to an end.
The heavy rain that caused extreme flooding a little further north in Gloucester did not particularly affect Bristol. We were fortunate that the Avon and the Frome rivers did not burst their banks and no-one is known to have drowned or made homeless as a result. For this we can be grateful.
But for the Ashton Court Festival organisers, the rain coupled with increasingly stringent safety regulations brought disaster.

Saturday actually went quite well, really. About 15,000 people attended,paying about £12 each. This must have been lower then expectations as it costs about £600,000 to put the festival on. Sponsorship and grants may have made up the difference.

Overnight, however, the rains came, turning the site into a sea of mud. Even so, on Sunday morning efforts were still being made to continue. The final test was to see if a 4x4 could be driven across the site to reach the first aid tent. This was absolutely vital in the event of accident or illness.
The 4x4 didn't make it. Sunday was cancelled. Tickets had to be refunded. The Festival was saddled with a huge loss and so the company , Bristol Community Festival Ltd, had to be wound up.

RIP Ashton Court Festival

2007 Headliners were:

Saturday

The Fall (Main Stage) - Since their formation in the late 1970's, The Fall, led by Mark E. Smith, have been through 58 line-up changes, while recording 26 studio albums and 24 sessions for the John Peel show. The current band is quite possibly the best yet, and their latest record, "Reformation Post TLC" received rave reviews everywhere.

Gravenhurst - The ever-changing sound of Gravenhurst is currently inspiring musicians and fans across the country with beautiful guitars and soulful vocals.

Mad Professor (Bigger Top) - The Legendary Mad Professor is probably the UK's most accomplished reggae and dub producer alongside Dennis Bovell. Accompanied by the Ariwa Posse, he closes Saturday on the Bigger Top stage with live music and fierce dub control.

Quantic DJ Set- Quantic aka Will Holland - is one of the UK's finest Djs and funk producers. Currently based in Colombia, he's dropping in for a DJ set from unreleased QSO nuggets to classic Latin get downs.

Sunday (cancelled)

The Good, the Bad and the Queen (Main Stage) - Damon Albarn. Tony Allen. Paul Simonon. Simon Tong. Mix four incredibly creative and influential musicians and you get TGTB&TQ. For those that missed their hugely over-subscribed debut gig last winter, another chance to see them. Dub inflections, skittering Afrobeat drums and a dark, mysterious edge.

Enter Shikari (Amphitheatre) - Formed in St. Albans in 2003, post-hardcore Enter Shikari are the country's top unsigned band, selling out huge venues - and recently achieving a top 5 album - without the ‘benefit' of a major record company.

Horace Andy and Dub Asante Band (Bigger Top) - Horace Andy's distinctive falsetto singing style has been a favourite of reggae cognoscenti since his days recording for Coxsone Dodd at the Studio label in the late 60's - and more recently, of course, with Massive Attack!

Apart from the bands, this weekend had the following events scheduled:

KIDS AREA

The Kids Area is open from 12 midday until 6pm both days and everything is free!

With 3 marquees, the Kids Area is packed with activities and our able team of volunteers will be supporting a great range of entertainment, provided by local creative and talented people. Queue up for the ever-popular face painting, and watch some great puppet shows, provided by top local acts including Mr Brown's Pig. Settle down for story-telling from Mark Scott-Ison from Blue Moon Theatre and get a taste of the exotic with tales from India from Same Same But Different, alongside the chance to get a henna tattoo. Elsewhere in the Kids Area, learn circus skills with workshop and performances from Circusgon, make some noise on Simon's drum-kit, or try some yoga in Jo Johnston's Yoga for Kids session (Sunday only).

Outside in the sunshine we will have the ever-popular swingboats and inflatables, providing a great range of things to climb over! More acts to be announced. Check the notice boards for details. Most of all have fun!! Please remember that the Kids Area is not a crèche, and any child found unattended will be considered lost and will be taken to the Lost Kids area. Also please do not bring alcohol into the Kids Area. We are trying to make the Kids Area a no- smoking area and the tidiest one on site. So please use the litter bins provided. We would appreciate your co-operation. Thank you.

ENCHANTED GARDEN

To ensure your experience at Ashton Court Festival this year is truly unique and magical, we have created this new area with the help of some very special people.

Bath Ales Orchid Stage

If you dare to step inside, go with the flow, chill with the groove, blow with the wind and love the weird and wonderful, then here's what you might find... On the Orchid Stage, the music of:

Cynthia Quek
Rob Spalding
Vincent Callan
Jankie Fardal
Jaki Windmill
Gavin Thorpe........on Saturday,
and on Sunday:

Jamie Cruickshank
Stringbean Quartet
Shaun McCrindle
29 Strings
Dayriser
Tim Rundall
On Saturday evening there will be a night featuring acts from Emporium music and multi-arts cabaret, and on Sunday there will be Folk Tales - an evening of stories in words and song.

Healing Area

In the Healing Area you can nurture your body and soul with therapists offering:

Astrology
Reiki
Massage
Herbal medicine
Indian Head Massage
Reflexology.........and more.

Symbolife Craft Village

In the Craft Village you can help paint a festival banner, screen print, learn how to draw cartoons, paint your own festival ‘legal graffiti' paintboard, make a dream catcher or create a new fashion in a recycling clothes workshop. And for the kids, come and experience the Ultra Violet Underwater Den workshops.

Outside on The Green you can take part in Tai Chi, Bollywood dance, co-operative games or watch a martial arts display. On Saturday Cyser will be playing and teaching French Breton dances and on Sunday the Horsley Band will lead a ceilidh. You might even find a mass clothes swap, a new friend and somewhere to drink tea and eat toast!

The full line-up for Saturday July 14th and Sunday July 15th 2007 was: