During lockdown the many musicians who live in and around Appledore discussed having a music festival throughout Appledore, including as many venues (pubs, restaurants, cafes) as possible. The initial idea was to have it over one weekend.
Lockdown came and went and the idea was kicked around more. And life went on. One fine autumn day, Russell Bave, who runs one of a number of weekly open mic nights in Appledore, decided to make it a reality. So he did. He got together a group of people to make the festival happen. And the bar was set high, with events over ten days rather than one weekend. Ten days of May – 17th to 27th. (you may observe that it spans 11 days rather than 10. So what?)
The 2024 festival is low key, with Appledore venues putting on lots of musical acts some of whom are specially for the festival and some would have been scheduled anyway. No matter. It all helps to raise awareness and spread the joy of Appledore’s deep musical talent.
Highlights include an all day programme of music at the Champ on Saturday 25 May, when seven local artistes will be playing over seven hours from 12 till 7, with a huge climax that night in the form of Clear Waters Deep. And on Sunday 26 May, a ceilidh in the community hall will create a joyous musical and dance sensation.
Nearly all events are free. In some cases the venue will pay the acts. In other cases, including the minifest, musicians will be paid from money contributed by community groups and raised via a crowdfunder. Please donate if you can. All the organisers are volunteers and nearly all the events in the Festival will be free.
In addition to the musical acts, there will be workshops. These already include singing, drumming and guitar technique.
Please come along and make the first Appledore Music Festival a success! All we need is a few happy punters and a festival vibe. if it goes well, there will be a 2025 Appledore Music Festival with more and bigger bands.
If you would like to get in touch with the organisers, you can use the contact form. Or check out our Facebook group. We’d love to hear from you especially if you have suggestions for events, or feedback good or bad.