FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT 2023
Newark Beer Festival is about more than drinking. A quality beer or cider is usually enjoyed more if it’s accompanied by a foot tapping tune or two and we have that perfect mix this weekend. Our talent scouts spend many nights scouring the land’s hot and sweaty venues in an attempt to find the right mix for washing down the ale and cider. Every year they bring us an entertaining mix of musical merriment. Please note the list of performers and timings may be subject to last minute changes due to circumstances beyond our control.
Friday 26th May
3pm – 3:30pm QUIZ
Time to stir the cerebral cortex with today’s edition.
6pm – 7:30pm Food Doctors
Are a popular Nottingham based 5 piece covers band specialising in anything and everything from uptempo Tamla, classic northern soul, dance floor Stax and foot tapping hits from the 60’s to the current day. From Wilson Pickett to Bruno Mars, stopping at Van the Man, Bryan Ferry, Curtis Mayfield and then back again… The Food Doctors are Garry Perkins, (guitar/vocals), Simon Gee, (drums), Pete Cash, (bass) and our brass section Pete Lacey and Gerald Douglas on Trombone and Trumpet better known and immortalised as ‘The Horns of Plenty’ A pair of stout dancing shoes is highly recommended.
Facebook.com/Fooddoctorsband
8:30pm – 10:00pm Basket Case
Basket Case is roughly a quarter of a century old and retains 75% of its original line-up. Not bad, eh? So what is it exactly? Well, there you go again, asking silly questions. Truth is, we don’t really know. It was born from an idea that no-one remembers having but we’re certain it’s connected to an unsavoury incident in 1999 involving an old man on a bicycle, a cheese-grater and four pounds fifty in loose change. It featured in all the newspapers of the day, but don’t bother searching online for any evidence because it was all made up, just now. So anyway, the music What sort of band is Basket Case? Well it’s not really a band, more of an excuse to look silly without any lasting side- effects. If you’re a certain age (not telling you what age that is but if you’re an Oasis fan, it’s not that) then you might well squeal with delight (or at least nod with appreciation) at the sheer quality of the playlist available from this monstrosity of a band. New-Wave classics and cheesy one-hit-wonders are the order of the day here. If you’re into the idea of Andy Williams rubbing shoulders with the Dead Kennedys (who isn’t?) then tonight is your lucky night. Remember all that punky mayhem from our youth when we still had spiky (or any) hair and trousers with a 26 inch waist? Well it’s alive and well in the form of Basket Case, a jukebox of your life, if you are indeed a certain age.
https://www.facebook.com/BasketCaseGB
Saturday 27th May
3pm – 3:30pm QUIZ
Excite the encephalon with today’s instalment.
4:00pm Lee Robertshaw
Lee started out in the mid 90’s in acoustic duo “Riverside” and booked to play for the very first Newark Beer Festival at the Castle Grounds in 1996 and again 2 years later after it moved to the Mount School playing field. Fast forward 18 years and Lee returned to the Beer Festival in 2016 as a solo acoustic artist. Back again, you can expect his usual acoustic versions of great songs by rock and indie artists from the 80’s to 00’s plus some old and new classics thrown in. A diverse repertoire including rock classics by The Eagles, Bad Company, Whitesnake and Bon Jovi. Sing-a-long Indie anthems by Oasis, Snow Patrol, The Verve, U2, James and REM. A medley of classic Beatles tunes, lrish inspired folk songs and originals. Even more recent dance tunes by David Guetta and The Swedish House Mafia are given a rock ballad makeover.
6pm Oak
Established for just over 25 years OAK are three piece covers band based in Sleaford and Grantham. Having had in the past supporting act slots with artist like Midge Ure, Alvin Stardust, Fine Young Cannibals a change of guitarist a little over 6 years ago has moved them into a more rockier direction, They play covers from Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Bad Company, R.E.M, The Kinks to the more modern acts such as Snow Patrol, Stereophonics. With the occasional cheesy party number thrown in, it has been said that these guys have a huge sound for a three piece band. Their cover of Purple Rain in 2018 was the 2nd most viewed video cover in the Melton and Leicester Gig Guide Online.
Tarn Oxley – Guitar and Harmony Vocals
Martin Glenn – Bass and Lead Vocals
Phil Malone – Drums and Lead Vocals.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rockwithoak
8:30pm The Band from County Hell
The Band From County Hell are an original Celtic folk band with 7 critically acclaimed albums, published works with Cherry Red Records and over 2000 live performances as part of their history. Live gigs have seen them play from the smallest of venues to outside arenas and most notably their own show at The London Palladium. They have appeared with bands such as The Levellers, The Stranglers, UB40 and have supported Stiff Little Fingers, Hayseed Dixie, The Beat and most recently, New Model Army on national tour dates. Major festivals appearances include Wychwood Festival, Rhythm Festival, Weyfest, The Bearded Theory Festival, Galtres, The Acoustic Festival of Great Britain and The Great British Folk Festival, amongst many others.
www.facebook.com/bandfromcountyhell
Sunday 28th May
2pm – 2:30pm QUIZ
Final opportunity of the weekend to exercise the grey matter.
Acknowledgements
Staging, P.A. and Lighting supplied and operated by Forefront Productions.
Quizzes researched, compiled and presented by Mark Taylor.