Basic festival information
Blimey - I knew Feeder would be good, but that was spectacular! I couldn't of hoped for a better headliner - they were truly awesome!
I'm so proud of what we've managed to achieve in our first year. With over 2,000 people through the gates, the support for the event has been great. We knew it was going to be a tough sale for our first year, especially in the current financial climate. Plus, there's no existing audience to build on, or reputation to carry the event. But we didn't want to make any compromises, and hopefully made some friends that will be back next year!
The bands were all fantastic. We were approached by loads of band members and tour managers commenting on how relaxed and friendly the vibe was backstage, despite being meticulously planned and well organised. It's an honor to have people with so much sway in the industry be complimentary about your event - as it's the industry we need to prove ourselves to, as well as the audience.
It's surprising how down to earth these huge music icons are. My sister gave Tim (lead singer from Ash) a lift into Folkestone to pick up a takeaway he had ordered - she hasn't stopped smiling since! Feeder liked our staff T-shirts so much they bought all the spare ones off us, and Gary Numan has to be the nicest and most humble guy in the industry, despite everything he has achieved.
The weather got a bit ropey half way through - in true British festival style, but the bands loved it. I remember standing at the side of the stage during the heaviest rain of the day with Ash psyching themselves up to go on. I was embarrassed that the weather was so bad, but they loved it. They were kicking the water about, swinging their hair and guitars in the rain, it was very rock and roll!
There was a delay when we managed to blow up Gary Numan's guitar amp, which put us behind schedule. But Ash and Feeder were so keen to help support the event we managed to squeeze decent sets in for both bands before we hit our curfew - just!
A personal highlight for me was seeing Feeder finish their set. I had been working backstage for the whole event, and missed all my favourite bands, but Luke (Production Manager) dragged me into the front of stage pit for their last few songs and they were spectacular, the best live band I've seen for years.
It's been the greatest week of my life - a real roller-coaster. From terrifying and stressful, when the perimeter fence blew down in 50mph winds on Wednesday, to overwhelming pride and excitement seeing the months of planning turn into reality.
The fence going was a surprise to say the least. But it seems I've managed to find the greatest festival team in the world, and when the crisis unfolded everyone dropped what they were doing and pulled together to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. It meant we lost a production day, and I didn't know if we were able to turn it around in time, but with the fencing guys working through the night and the production team going above and beyond what they had to, we got there just in time!
I owe a lot to Luke Jordan (Production Manager) and his BluSounds team. They worked relentlessly to ensure the festival reached it's potential, and were definitely one of our greatest assets - thanks guys.
The crowd were absolutely fantastic. I want to thank everyone that came to support the event, surviving the heavy rain of the afternoon to be rewarded with clear sky bliss during Feeder's headline set - the perfect finish.
If I could do this year's event again, I think I would try to lower the ticket price. It would have meant compromising the line-up and production value, but I can't help but feel that some people missed out due to the price tag, especially as we're in the biggest recession in 40 years. But I'm extremely proud of the event we delivered, and not having to make those compromises has allowed us to demonstrate what the Hevy Music Festival is about and we hope that the crowd enjoyed it - they certainly seemed to!
We're already talking about next year's event, and can't wait to get the ball rolling. We've been offered a few other sites, and want to look into our options, but have a definite soft spot for Folkestone Seafront and know that if we manage to catch a little sunshine next year, and with a little adjustment to the layout, it could be the most spectacular festival location in Kent.
- James Dutton & Claire Baker (Hevy co-founders)
