Rock Regeneration

May01

Teddy Rocks Festival – Day Three

on May 1st, 2022 at 13:02

Charisworth Farm, Blandford Forum

On the final day of the festival, we arrive in good time to catch a full day of live music. The gloomy weather doesn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits, although rain had been forecast all day and little changed on that front. After the usual meet and greets with various punters, bands and staff, we head to the Vocalzone Stage to catch our first band of the day. Basingstoke rockers Buds wiped away any rain-soaked blues with an awesome, powerful display. They boasted strong dual vocals which matched the intensity of their lead guitarist, who was quite simply on it. Powerful, cymbal-heavy drumming allowed the volume to increase with the vocal squeals and strains growing ever louder. They ended in style with a catchy number entitled “Building Blocks” and departed to healthy applause.

Buds 1–2–3

Our first tipple of the day was taken before venturing into the Bigman Top to catch The Samurai’s. They instantly lowered the tempo with some distinctly MOR songs, albeit with that laid-back, Summer festival vibe. “Brave” was an early set highlight amid the gentle string tickling and light drum tapping, which was certainly not unpleasant. Their main vocalist had something of James Blunt about him (minus the millionaire status) but was confident throughout.

The Samurai’s 1–2–3

Lunch was then taken, unfortunately meaning that we missed half of the set by Lyoness. The male/female dynamic worked well as they offered powerful vocals in a (kind of) rock style. However, they were more noticeable for their anti-fashion threads! They too left to decent applause as we made one of many a trip over to the Woodland Stage.

Lyoness 1–2–3

Local legend, Chris Payn, gave a stellar performance with accompaniment from various band members and assorted local music alumni. The area was packed as he delivered a set full of originals, with one or two covers for good measure. As an encore (of sorts) he was joined by none other than his father, Matt Black (piano man) for a rousing rendition of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down”. Rather apt considering the lack of sunshine today!

Chris Payn

More anti-fashion comes with The Manatees, an energetic quartet with more than a nod to The Kooks. Their varied indie/pop boasted harmonies aplenty, while their lead guitarist was a chief shapeshifter. They too ended confidently with a song entitled “Milan”, a quirky little number with chiming guitars – oh to be in sunnier climbs on a day like this, sipping a vino while watching the world go by…

The Manatees 1–2–3

Over on the Ted Newton Stage are A. No strangers to a festival main stage, the quintet delivered a set of bangers from start to finish. Despite the rain, lead vocalist Jason (Perry) cajoled the crowd with his usual banter, encouraging dance moves aplenty. On seeing the first flashes of pyro, he encouraged the production team to work a little harder. All the classics were played for our afternoon pleasure, including “Starbucks”, “Monkey Kong” and “No.1”. Jason’s golf visor has been replaced with a woolly hat in recognition of the conditions – “Summer On The Underground” never felt more apt. Naturally, they finished on a high with their smash hit and left Nothing onstage (see what I did there?). They departed to resounding applause.

A 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10

We headed to the Bigman Top once more to catch local punk starlets, The Mistakes. They were in fine form, riding on the back of the previous night’s support slot at the famous 100 Club in London as special guests for UK Subs. Despite the rarity of such a sparse crowd, they continued to deliver. Guitarist, Shane had even brought the family to swell the numbers. The now-familiar setlist contained the usual array of songs, new and old. “Never Be Quiet” as always was their set highlight and they were never going to be quiet!

The Mistakes 1–2–3–4

Over on the Ted Newton Stage, London reggae/ska/dub quartet, The Skints, were dropping the bass and bringing the beat. Their all-round wall of sound was pitched perfectly for this late afternoon crowd; bass-heavy but not overpowering. Strong lyricism from lead guitarist, Josh, blended with soft, sultry vocals from multi-instrumentalist, Marcia, sat perfectly alongside their razor-sharp rhythm section.

The Skints 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10

It was back over to the Bigman Top for Chris Payn’s second musical outing of the day; this time with his band, Hightown Parade. There’s nothing like some good ol’ fashioned rock with a nod to the 80’s. Chris was even affectionately described by one punter as a rock prince. High praise indeed, as he departed us with the forthcoming single, the right royal “Monarchy”. There is never a dull moment when these guys hit the stage, and today they didn’t disappoint.

Hightown Parade 1–2–3

As the rain showed fleeting signs of stopping, it was time to head back over to the Woodland Stage for The Undercover Hippy. This quartet plays happy, crowd-pleasers with a definite reggae feel. Standout track “Hippy Dude” was hilarious, a tale of the “hippy guy! at every festival who leeches onto every lady with wild abandon while incurring the wrath of boyfriends and partners – yes, we’ve all met him! “Hey Boy! was another highlight before we snuck away for the evening’s headliners The Fratellis.

The Undercover Hippy 1–2–3–4

It’s been a few years since The Fratellis were hitting the charts, but a recent revival following their latest releases has seen them touring and sporadically appearing at festivals. With the rain still trickling down, they got straight down to business. Aided by a joyous crowd, they produced a set laden with tracks across their back catalogue. “My Friend John” and “Henrietta” were early highlights, keeping the punters onside; but the introduction of a brass section and backing singers beefed up the whole production. This is a Fratellis line-up most wouldn’t have seen before. I have to admit; it’s more of a soulful, cabaret-style performance, but the classic hits kept everyone happy. A brilliant and well-placed cover of “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” had all the disco divas moving before the penultimate song “Chelsea Dagger” which didn’t disappoint. They took the plaudits one last time, praised the festival and departed to rapturous applause, having drawn in the largest crowd of the weekend.

The Fratelli’s 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9

One cannot but admire the work that goes into putting on this festival. The Covid situation was never going to deter the organisers, although I’m told it was close. Despite today’s weather, people came and supported in good numbers. As per usual, there was a great mix of musical styles on offer and on another day, in another year, we’ll get the weather throughout the entire weekend! Here’s to 2023; tickets are already on sale and can be purchased through the link below. Thank you to the incredible team who ran the festival and were so accommodating to us throughout the weekend.

Teddy Rocks Festival 2023 Tickets can be booked here.

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