Gig In The Park, Diss
After the driest May on record, there was a modest rain shower in Diss on June 1st. No great significance was placed on the weather that day, but it proved to be the last raindrops to fall on the town for two months, so that in common with the farmland that surrounds it, Diss began to dissolve in sweltering heat. Drastic measures being called for, Gig In The Park was scheduled, smack bang in the middle of town, there being no surer way to bring the drought to an end. This three day festival had previously enjoyed considerable success and local support in the Suffolk town of Halesworth and, resuscitated and repackaged for a new town, Gig In The Park looked determined from the outset to carve out its own personality. The main stage, tucked into a corner of the eponymous park and decorated with a giant inflatable octopus, was always going to be the centre of attention, but turn your back on it and there was a the tiny second stage at the very water’s edge of the Mere. Fittingly, a little further on, there was a pirate ship, looking like it might set sail, yet instead content to play music for those propping up the handsome bar inset into the pavilion.
There was no mistaking when the party started on the Friday, as the siren call of Millie Manders and the Shut Up boomed across the natural amphitheatre of the Mere. Depending upon your disposition it either drew folk towards the merriment, or got them to batten down the hatches – either way, Gig In The Park had announced its presence and was not going to go unnoticed. Fat N Furious swiftly followed with a cheeky choice of covers - anything from Led Zeppelin to Johnny Cash - in a tent that got suspiciously crowded as the evening went on. A peek outside revealed the reason we were getting so cosy. The rain gods had not demured; on its opening night, a deluge of biblical proportions christened Gig In The Park’s first appearance in Diss, and just in time for the Bloodshake Chorus. Their ghoulish rendition of show tune classics would have made them the standout act of the night whatever the weather, but accompanied by thunder and lightning this was an event nothing less than spectacular. Watched by a few brave souls, all grinning like loons as they danced in the rain they had forgotten was possible, Bloodshake Chorus bravely soldiered on with one the most memorable performances I can recall in a long time. They were followed by The East Town Pirates, playing old school Oi to a packed tent of wet people, after which the unfortunate New Town Kings had to gamely headline outside to a now seriously depleted, and very soggy, main stage audience.
Saturday was always going to be the centre piece of this three day event - with the majority of the crowd wearing one day wristbands, it was clear that many had taken advantage of the bold ticket prices. Bookended by a good-natured talent contest at the start of play and the inestimable Blockheads to finish it otherwise featured largely local bands that would have been very familiar to attendees of the WoW and Maui Waui festivals. Highlights included the pleasingly retro sound of Norwich’s Little Red Kings, Aldeburgh’s Fick as Fieves, whose catchy, riff-driven music surely deserves wider recognition, and the infectious noodling of jazz/soul experts Nebula Sun. The Blockheads were, obviously, brilliant – playing more hits than you remembered they had - but it has to be said they were a long time coming. It’s laudable that the organisers packed the day with value, but there were an awful lot of bands to get through, and not all of them warranted close attention. As a consequence we had to wait until half ten for the Blockheads, and a set that barely stretched for an hour. I guess that’s an hour’s more drinking time at the bar, which has to be an important factor in the economics of the event, but when even the band apologises for the lateness of the hour, something has gone awry.
Sunday proved more subdued, and while the grisly weather didn’t help, I suspect the low numbers had more to do with the success of the previous day. There were folk about wearing weekend wristbands, but not many, and while I guess there must have been some Sunday ticket holders, I didn’t spot a single one. It meant that most acts played to a very small audience, hanging on in their camp chairs, while inventive and unusual music from the likes of Gali and Hank went largely unnoticed on the smaller stage. The Druids were as personable as ever, but seemed unusually cowed by their main stage appearance, while Soul Riot, a competent covers band, felt like a tired choice as support for Dr and the Medics. The Medics are at their best when winning over people who have come to see someone else, and one can only imagine how good Saturday night could have been, had they warmed up the crowd for the Blockheads. Nonetheless, those who hung about were rewarded with an imaginative mix of covers and their own material, a full throttle performance which livened up a day in danger of limping to a close.
It remains to be seen if Gig at the Park has a future in Diss – there were certainly some important lessons to be learned. It’s hard to fault the drive and ambition needed to put on an event like this, but I wonder if that ambition led to overreaching in this first year. Without a really solid and distinctive programme, three days is too long for an event that offers only music, especially when day tickets are promoted. If you want people coming back for more, then each of those days have to be carefully curated, finish at a more sensible time, and be cognisant of the impact on the wider community. There were some brilliant acts on across the festival, but my suggestion would have been to distil them over just Friday and Saturday, to the betterment of both days, while mitigating the nuisance to others. While those who attended were full of enthusiasm for an event they were frankly amazed to find taking place in Diss, there has already been grumbling discontent from those around the park who felt they had to put up with unrelenting noise for too long and without proper consultation. Festivals, as The Doctor quite rightly said, are intended to unite communities. It would be a huge shame if Gig In The Park instead polarised opinion, so that what could have been an exciting new venture instead fell at the first hurdle. The organisers will need to work with the community, consulting and compromising along the way, if they want their event to be embraced, rather than endured, by the town.
