The Hoosiers

Anyone bold enough to take the journey over the border to Suffolk last weekend would have been rewarded with a firework display to match anything closer to home, an event that was all in aid of a charitable trust serving the local community. The first striking thing about the Heveningham fireworks display area, having walked passed more parked cars than I imagined would fit in a field, was the sheer scale of the site. At its centre was the biggest bonfire I’ve ever seen, it’s crackling flames warming the cockles of those eating and drinking amidst fairy lights stretched across the night sky, illuminating expectant faces from across the generations.

An old-school fair bordered the arena, complete with hair raising rides and try your luck stalls, alongside food and bar choices. And all the while, weaving their way through the large crowd, were Spark - syncopated percussionists in illuminated costumes and face paint, drumming up enthusiasm for their unique brand of street theatre. It was as if one of the summer festivals had experienced a timeslip and found itself in November.

For many, the main draw was the music stage, where a number of support acts culminated in Supernova Oasis doing a pretty good job of impersonating Britain's favourite Mancunians. Those less familiar with the band's tribute to the New Seekers and Neil Innes were probably surprised how far into set we got before the proper sing-alongs started, but once “Liam” had persuaded the crowd to take out their phones and wave the lights about, a chorus of approval joined in for Wonderwall, and then rarely let up as Don’t Look Back in Anger was inevitably followed by the tribute bands signature swansong, Champagne Supernova.

There was a palpable feeling of expectation in the air once the band had left the stage, with all eyes on the sky, waiting for the fireworks. We didn’t have to wait long, and though the backing music for seemed to suffer from the hiccoughs, jumping from song to song, the display was entertaining from the start. Things started off modestly, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one cutting them some slack. But just as I was beginning to wonder if I’d come all this way to be underwhelmed, the penny dropped what the display team were doing. Cleverly building gradually, with layer upon layer lighting up the night sky, the modest opening served only to prepare the audience for a truly spectacular crescendo of bangs, whistles and multi-coloured flashes that drew from the crowd not only cheers and applause but gasps of wonder.

The fireworks were the right side of magnificent, and of course finished far sooner than we would have liked, but there’s only so much gunpowder that can be hurled up into the air, and in fairness, we were hardly able to draw breath (or take a comfort break) before the headline act took to the stage. The Hoosiers then delivered a concise but crowd pleasing set that leaned towards their earlier material, but was not afraid to throw in a couple of newer songs. It was quite a shock to be reminded that their debut album was recorded fifteen years ago, as was their hit single Worried About Ray, which started their performance with a bang. This is a band that could never be accused of taking themselves too seriously, and peppers with banter, the set focused very much on their jaunty offerings. Trick to Life got the crowd bopping, but then so did not one, but three, covers, with the music of both Cyndi Lauper and Billy Joel celebrated. Perhaps conscious it wasn’t a Hoosier crowd they wanted everyone be able to sing along, but while Irwin Sparkes’s vocals on Girls Who Want to Have Fun and We Didn’t Start the Fire were absolutely fine, I did feel I missed out on Hoosiers songs as a result. Could they have not made room for the sublime Run Rabbit Run or the superb Sadness Runs Through Him? Perhaps they took the view we needed to keep moving on the nippy November night, and with Cops and Robbers and So High on offer they certainly had the crowd dancing. When Goodbye Mr A was announced as their final song, it seemed to have come along far too quickly, an all too brief hour having flown by. They certainly left the stage with the audience begging for more,

I think the thing that impressed me most about the fireworks at Heveningham was, it seemed to me, a real desire to give everyone attending a thoroughly delightful evening. They could have easily got away without the drummers of Spark or the DJ that followed the Hoosiers, but chose instead to pack the evening with fun. But perhaps that’s unsurprising when you consider that all the proceeds were handed over to charity, helping causes as varied at East Anglian Air Ambulance, Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund and even the Waveney Gymnastics Club.

I was sorry to see those with younger families leaving straight after the fireworks, but I suppose it served as a testament to the event that they felt they had already had their monies worth. I must admit I was grateful for the gaps left in the car park when finding my car, as the good natured crowd quietly disbursed, finally making their way home having had a thoroughly good time at this faultlessly organised event.