FESTIVAL REPORT 2022
A fantastic day was spent with friends, family and great music! Better still, we were allowed to mingle, dance and sing again!
Planning for the 2022 Music Festival began as the dust had barely settled on the 2021 event! We were hopeful that we would be able to hold a ‘normal’ event with no restrictions on group numbers or space, and so it turned out. As such, we were excited to be able to build on our success of the first year and make the Great Dunmow Summer Solstice Festival bigger and better in its second year.
Feedback was noted from the 2021 event, and changes were made; two stages were booked along with local Bands and our exciting headline acts Nine Below Zero, Miss Disco and DJ Danny Rampling.
A team effort
Under the watchful eye of our Field Manager Ross Karklins, the 727 fencing began to arrive and the big build began on the Rec on the Friday, in sweltering temperatures of 30* plus! Giggles were had putting up the marquee for the YFC Bar and late afternoon the two trucks with the stages appeared having been held up by traffic on the M25! Now we were starting to look like a music festival!
An early start on the actual day for all with lots to do; Peter Noble of Sound One Events was especially busy with his production team setting up the stages with lights and sound.
Others were putting up gazebos, hanging our Sponsors banners, numbering the ‘pods’, directing Facecreate and the Food and Drink vendors into their positions, running about putting directions signs up and before we knew it, it was 11.30. Our Security Team and St Johns Ambulance and Cadets had all arrived and it was time for the Marshalls to don their Hi Viz jackets and assemble for the safety briefing. The gates opened promptly at Midday and there it was: Festival time!
Live music all day
Popular local duo Afterglow opened the Event on the sunset stage with a lively acoustic set, followed by Jumble of Chords playing rock and pop covers on the sunrise stage. Next up was Mick Wilson with his new material off his album ‘Chameleon’, as well as classics from his 10cc lead singer days, The Lackeys entertained with modern classics and playing iconic, era-defining songs, Oompahfessional Band had toes tapping and the beer flowing, The Kopy Katz – Rockabilly Band rocked us with originals & cover songs by The Stray Cats, 50’s rockers, T.Rex & more, Mash Up Society did what they do best – mashup your favourite songs, Nine Below Zero, one of Britain’s Leading Rhythm and Blues impressed with their vocal and musical talent and delivered a fantastic set that got everyone on their feet, Miss Disco with their Dazzling costumes, slick dance routines high energy Disco set had all ages dancing and finally ‘THE’ Danny Rampling to finish the day off with a fantastic DJ set! What a day!
You can see the full gallery here of the day’s photographs.
Great Support
Finally, thank you to all who came this year, we hope you enjoyed it, if you weren’t able to, you missed a fun music filled day, so please put next year’s dates in your diary:
SATURDAY 24th June 2023
Watch out for Social media announcements re super-earlybird tickets and the lineup
