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REVIEW: LOOE MUSIC FESTIVAL (27-29/09/13) LOOE, CORNWALL

Well … that was a blast! From the first chords struck by local band Huckleberry Finns to the firework finale on Sunday night Looe Music Festival went off with a bang. The festival is a three day not-for-profit ticketed live music event which takes place in the lovely little sea side town of Looe which is a sunny little Cornish fishing port. First launched in 2011, the festival has experienced steady growth and proved incredibly successful, transforming Looe from a quiet little town into a big party, spreading over the beach and the rest of the area with a total of seven stages on site this year in addition to continuous live music taking place in the various pubs and bars in the area.

The festival pops up from nowhere, hitting Looe with big music, entertainment and culture for all tastes, transforming the town and giving the locals and the visitors a chance to mingle and enjoy the show. Music emanated from every available space around the streets of Looe, in bars, restaurants, in pubs, the doorway of the bank and even from wheelbarrows!

The third year in the event’s short history proved to be bigger and better than ever. Stages were built at West Looe, Buller Quay and on the beach at East Looe and hosted big name performers such as The Darkness with Justin Hawkins, (lead singer) strutting onto stage wearing a Looe Music Festival t-shirt, which he kept on for the first song before stripping-off to reveal the customary spandex attire beneath. Other headliners included The Damned, Sham 69, Chas & Dave, and Seth Lakeman. Tim V, lead vocalist with Sham 69 said, ‘I’m overwhelmed by the sincerity of the organising team, and the warmth of the crowd. We would be back next year in a heartbeat if we could get away with it!”. The event finishing with an enticing performance from the Darkness followed by a brilliant firework show which lit the sky up over the beach where the main stage is located.

This years event brought a welcome revenue boost for the town, with festival organiser Tanya Brittain saying, “It was a phenomenal success and a huge boost for the town at the end of the summer season”. Visitors arrived not just from all around the country but also from abroad, making a holiday weekend out of the trip to the event”.

The highlight of the weekend? It’s a very close call between the firework explosion on the last chord of The Darkness’ electrifying set at the beach … and the sensational collaboration between Oompah Brass and Chase & Dave.

How do you top that? Guess we’ll find out next year, same time, same place… see you on the beach! Looe Music Festival is a fantastic finish to the stretch of the festival season – don’t forget to get your tickets early next year!

Words: Elina Kaniskas
Photos: Top – Alan Peacock / Middle – Pete Twist / Bottom – Elina Kaniskas

by 247 Magazine