Then, a winding road and a sharp right
turn later, I pulled up in a car park and saw the Bad Touch minibus.
We were in the right place! The weather was gorgeous and Whitwell
Station was heaving - and so not what I was expecting.
In the distance I could hear the sounds
of children cheering and the chug of a train, and as I walked through
a corridor of unique food and craft stalls, the sound got closer. As
an outsider, I wasn't so sure what kind of welcome we'd receive as we
approached the large crisp white marquee, but everyone smiled and
greeted me like I was one of their own.
The tent itself was unusual to say the
least. With a proper floor, chairs and tables and a well-stocked bar,
it wasn't quite what you expect from a music festival, where browning
grass, plastic cups of one type of ale and standing room only are
generally par for the course. This was a very welcome surprise.
We set ourselves up behind the tent on
the green for a little while to soak up a few rays and take in our
surroundings. It was then that the childrens' cheers from earlier
finally made sense – the kids were invited to take a short ride on
the tracks on an old engine – that must have made their day –
much more fun than the standard fairground rides offered at festivals
these days and very in-keeping with the feel of the Reepham Music
Festival.
5:10 pm approached and we stationed
ourselves at the front of the posh music tent ready for Bad Touch to
rock the party. And they did just that, introducing themselves with
'Set the night on fire'. The sound was great and well-organised by
the volunteers of the festival, and meant the boys could really
concentrate on performing a top quality set, with 'Dr Heartbreak'
coming next.
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| Picture courtesy of Kevin Huckle/Sundance Photography |
Stevie made sure that every member of
the crowd was on their feet by the time 'Too Late' and 'Waiting on
the morning light' reverberated around the station, and, in a set
filled with original tracks including 'Mirror Man' and 'Preacher', I
think the boys found themselves quite a few new fans of all ages.
Suggesting a revolving stage for next
year, the boys attracted the attention of those still revelling in
the sunshine behind the marquee, who crowded around behind George to
join in the fun. All eyes were well and truly transfixed on the young
musicians from just down the road in Dereham; and when the only cover
of the set – the final song on the list - was introduced, and Led
Zeppelin's epic 'Rock and Roll' filled the room, the boys – and the
audience were in their element.
Screaming for more, the crowd was
delighted when the boys took their positions one more time and belted
out the fantastic 'Down', finishing a pitch-perfect performance off
in style. The queues for merchandise were a welcome addition – as
was the announcement of another gig that evening – just down the
road at the Crown.
Shock Hazard took to the stage
following Bad Touch, and although I didn't get to see much of them,
by all accounts they went down really well too, closing this
fantastic festival for 2013 – and we all really hope it'll be back
again next year.
During the break between gigs, we had a
walk around the little market town and were impressed with the feel of
the place, a real community with traditional pubs, independent stores
and a church lining the main street. Settling in to a little nook in
the gorgeous Kings Arms pub, we decided food would be a good idea.
What a perfect place to choose for a bite to eat and a break away
from the crowds. With old-world charm and vast menu choice, we were
impressed with the price, the people and the quality of the food.
It's no real surprise this place has been in the Good Pub Guide for
consecutive years.
So, on it was to the Crown just a mile
or so away from the main square. By 8pm the pub was already heaving,
and the band's fans, old and new, continued to pile in to check the
boys out for the second time in only a few hours.
Setting up in the small games room of
the pub, the Bad Touch stage show was a little more cramped than it
was at Whitwell Station, but they equally as mesmerising, as the boys were
able to connect with the audience who were within touching distance –
making for a really raw, gritty performance.
With two 45 minute sets sprinkled with
some classic rock covers, including 'Whole lotta Rosie', 'Jumping
Jack Flash' and 'Whisky in the Jar', the pub was bouncing, and the
heat was intense as the crowd piled into the tight space.
Stevie ensured the rest of the pub was
involved in the show by walking through the immediate crowds to perform for
the fans who couldn't squeeze into the games room. His stage presence
and charisma is magnetic.
Some of the set was repeated from the daytime show, but you
could hear those tracks all day and not be bored, and one of these,
'Waiting on the morning light' allowed Bailey to perform an absolute
masterclass on the bass guitar. 'Poison in a pretty dress' was
dragged from the archives and went down a storm, while Rob excelled on lead guitar in AC/DC's epic 'Sweet child of mine'.
Despite the tight stage area, Seeks
played his usual part, with his patched-up Les Paul in hand, he
darted around the stage area, and even into the crowd encouraging his
bandmates and the audience to give that little bit more, and even
treated us all to a lesson in playing the guitar with a 'Coca Cola'
glass during the cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole lotta love'.
George kept the beat going brilliantly
for the whole 90 minutes, and despite clearly struggling with the intense
heat, he was obviously enjoying every second, coming into his own
during the second set, performing Mr Brownstone perfectly.
It was hard to believe this was a
Sunday night – most of the audience, including myself (and some of
the band) were in work only a few hours later, but the party
atmosphere from the festival had overspilled to the evening, and with
the Bad Touch boys giving their all, leaving the Crown early was not
an option.
The 50-mile journey home was totally
worth it, and I hope to come back next year, hopefully for both days
of the event to really appreciate the unique atmosphere of the
Reepham Music Festival. A great community of lovely people, a
brilliant day was had by hundreds.
For Bad Touch, the hard work continues,
with a performance at the Carlton, Lowestoft on Friday. Entry is free
so please come along and see a great gig as the boys rack up the
shows – and the miles – in preparation for the Quireboys Tour in
October.
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