There’s nothing quite like that Indie music venue that when you walk in, you feel completely at ease and amongst your people. I haven’t really felt that same connection with a venue since the late 90’s and early 00’s. Growing up in Berkshire, for me this was places like Alley Cat Live where we would see artists such as Cast, Space, Dodgy and more! Later it would be The Soundhaus in Northampton and seeing artists like Biffy Clyro as a support act and then later as a headliner for £5. It was these venues that were just the right side of small and when you walked in, you felt a sense of home! It wasn’t even a feeling of “everybody knows everybody” it didn’t matter. Just going alone felt safe as it was all about the music and fully appreciating up and coming artists.

I have always adored live music and loved many of the venues that I saw live music in but none of them ever really gave me that nostalgic feel until yesterday at Burdall’s Yard in Bath. Community probably played a large part. The venue was very local and having not lived in a Town nor City for years now, I haven’t had that local venue to support and go to on a regular basis.

The set up was in minimalistic stylings, just how it should be. Not too modern but also not a dive bar vibe! An outdoor area before you go in, people were free to roam in out and as they pleased without any hassle.

The festival set up was well done. Two stages in the bar area which consisted of just a microphone and the artist’s personal set up. The two stages, Olive Tree and Celtic Bar stage took turns in a very generous line up of equally talented musicians of whom were all an absolute pleasure to watch!

We arrived just in time for the opening act Josh Flowers. A beautiful vocalist and witty personality, Flowers was engaging and mesmerising. His original material were all well written and greatly performed. One song that stood out was a song about tooth pain. Asking the audience if they could relate he discovers there’s a dentist in the audience. “Well then this one’s for you” he dedicated before commencing the comedic yet far from painful song. How to make a nasty experience beautiful!

A song that I wish I had caught the name of was one that had lyrics of at the bottom of the garden… when he finished the song he tells us of his friend saying it reminded him of the Poddington Peas theme song. He joked that there’s a A where he would have put a B (or the other way around, I can’t remember) and that there’s no court case there!

Other songs played included the great Memory Foam. Josh has the ability to write about unexpected subjects and turn them into a deeper meaningful song and crafting the songs flawlessly.

Another stand out moment was his song The Car You Drive which he dedicated to organiser Matt Owens. An absolute blinder of a song, The Car You Drive has “hit single” appeal and that of a timeless classic tune!

Closing with I Made It Mum, Flowers explained that the song was written the night before recording the album and has fast become his favourite off of his Mellow Drama record.

Josh actually reminded me a bit of the band Dodgy, which is probably partly why I loved his set so much and again, a contributor to why the event felt so nostalgic.

Next up and on the Celtic Bar Stage was Scottish singer/songwriter Anton O’Donnell. Another new name to me, he won’t be one that I will forget any time soon. A friendly and fun on stage persona, O’Donnell’s music was easy to listen to and wonderfully storytelling. Madman On The Loose had a strong Americana vibe which instantly caught my attention.

Playing songs from his most recent album Forty’s The New Thirty, we were treated with the tracks Through The Fray and California.

The folk styled California which, if I heard this correctly, was written during gigging in America and being in a Waffle House – obtaining a dream on a shoe string. The song, already stunning, was made more beautiful by his use of the harmonica.

For the last two tracks, O’Donnell invited up festival curator Matt Owens to join him. Taking to the keyboard, Owens and O’Donnell performed My Favourite Song and Roots. Gorgeous notes from the keys, the songs were stunning and emotional to listen to. There was no other sound in the room other than those on the stage as everyone was so incredibly attentive.

Back to the Olive Tree Stage was Roots/Folk/Celtic-folk artist Barney Kenny. Currently residing in Falmouth – that coastal, Cornwall lifestyle has been a big influence on Kenny’s musical stylings as well as his hometown of Malmesbury.

Playing originals and covers, many of which feature on his live album The Seaton Tapes, Kenny’s music was melodic and gripping and full of stories! Changing guitars throughout the 45 minute set which included a Lap Steel guitar, his talents as a musician are really quite exceptional. As a fan of live instrumentals, it was easy to get lost within the music and the blues and folk style guitar playing were a story within themselves.

Highlights came from the songs Lighthouse, Downtown and She Moves. Downtown in particular was stunning in its artistry both sonically and lyrically with the blues riffs and lap steel really being quite infectious.

A return to the Celtic stage for a young female duo called Isla Byrne and Maddie Bobin. Only their second ever gig, the girls performed a beautiful set of covers which included Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, Boys of Summer by Don Henley, Taylor Swift’s betty and Passenger’s Let Her Go. In particular, I enjoyed the cover of betty because it made a really nice change of the hundreds of Taylor covers I have heard over the summer where not one person did anything from folklore. The girls performed beautifully and if this is only their second gig then I predict a bright future for them both, especially if they write or will write their own material.

On to the Wide Stage for Matt Owens and The Delusional Vanity Project. Owens, the man behind the event had been spending the day mixing with guests and artists and making sure that everything was running smoothly. Now he and his band were taking to stage and they were an act people were particularly keen on seeing. The great thing about the event was the ability to float from stage to stage without fear of not being able to get into any room due to overcrowding. Most of us arrived just minutes before their set begun and were able to see perfectly.

A great mix of songs from well crafted musicians, despite a few mishaps along the way, the set was on top-form. In fact, those little mishaps including forgetting to introduce Robert Vincent to the stage and his mic not working made for an even more entertaining set. It really did feel like we were all part of a very exclusive event at the same time feeling like it was very inclusive, everyone was welcome and treated as a friend.

Owens has a great voice with an Americana/Rock edge to it! This was my first time seeing Matt Owens live and I found myself wanting a longer set but will definitely be investing in a full show in the future. The set list included tracks off of their album Beer For The Horses which included the song 300 shows. We were also treated with new music.

Our first trip to the Long Stage was to see The Jack Francis Band. Instantly enjoyable, the band were easy to love with their indie-folk/rock sounds! Witty and engaging, the lead singer, Jack, talks off staying at the local backpackers hostel.

The band played songs off of their soon to be released (well March 2024) record Early Retirement which included the already released track Tired of Trying and a new song Failure.

Closing with Wild Eyes from his self titled album, the Jack Francis Band were definitely a band I will be listening to again! The music is soothing and soulful with beautiful harmonies and serene melodies. Jack’s vocals are raw and melodic and very inviting. Collectively, the band were fabulous with each musician being a master of their craft.

Unfortunately due to personal family reasons I had to rush off after Jack Francis Band which sadly meant missing Demi Marriner who I was particularly keen to see. Having just released one of my favourite albums of the year The Things We Didn’t Say, it really was difficult to have had to leave. Demi would have undoubtedly drawn in a large crowd and won over new fans after her set. I can just imagine that Sins would have gone down a storm in that setting.

Robert Vincent would have also been a great one to see as his reputation as a live musician has always been highly recommended! And of course Morganway, one of the best live acts in the UK Americana scene would have been the perfect headliner and I am saddened to have missed it! I am sure we will hear from others just how fantastic the evening was!

I had such a great time though. This was more than just another music festival, it was a celebration and showcase of local and up and coming artists whom all deserve to be heard on a much larger scale – but how lucky were we to see them in such a special and intimate setting? Everything and everyone from staff, audience to artists were all just so laid back and happy to be there! It was really quite beautiful. The respect for each artist playing proved that the rooms were full of real, honest music lovers and were people who truly appreciate the artistry behind the music. Just walking freely from room to room in a matter of seconds was a breeze. Everything was just so well organised and lovely! A beautiful way to enjoy good music without long queues, large crowds or bad viewing points!

Now is the time more than over to support local and independent venues and independent artists so I really hope this event continues for years to come. It was so well organised and wonderfully orchestrated and I already miss it!