SUNSHINE

WIZARDMARRAS SOLFEST DIARY

FOREPLAY

DAY summet or other, mebbe 3

Monday 20^th of August.

I actually got out of bed with a bit of enthusiasm today, that little breath of magic and joy that being onsite had brought to my heart has grown overnight. I can't believe how good I feel, I feel happier and fuller of life than I have for months. There is REAL MAGIC
IN THE AIR OF
THIS SOLFEST.

I endeavoured to finish my sign painting, but I had on umpteen occasions the necessity to go and do something else. I don't wish to give the impression this was a complaint. Quite the other side of the coin, It was good "going on the rounds" each new point that needed attending getting sorted and then I went and checked that everybody else who was doing something for me was OK. It followed too that conversations ensued and so forth. But also deals were made, compromises agreed and the festival is literally shaped by what is said.

Like I was saying yesterday on how the Drystone Stage has changed again. In that change the Pyramid is no longer part of the stage and really has no function other than being a "green room" for the acts. I don't have a problem with that. As an "act" myself it's nice to be treated well by your employer and you give a good show to your public because of it. But artistically it doesn't look right next to the new stage. But this year there will be a few traders down by the stage and its look will be very different. There will also be THE SMOKEHOLE SPEAKEASY a new late night session venue to play the stuff that doesn't quite fit in Wals and Bills is something else again so if you want to get into the JAZZ and a few other things to intrigue you.

But the really lovely thing about today was that the sun came out, and it came out in style, bright and warm and wonderful and it's HERE TO STAY.

So painting my signs, including now two chalkboards to announce the acts on the Drystone, in the sunlight has been a pleasant thing. Watching the wall go up was good too. So the Drystone Stage is once more resplendent with a wall built by Eddie Allen and Dave Corrie. Jamie's crew (who have been the guys putting it all together this year (who's names shall be checked tomorrow)) have worked damn hard putting it up. They have dealt with my grumblings and adapted the backstage to work as a practical music venue and to function well.

That's it for today. I must be brief, for I have to write a copious book of notes for my Personal Assistants and Stage managers. It's half past one...

...and we have a site meeting at 8:00 am

I
LURVE
SOLFEST

IT’S A KIND OF MAGIC.

WIZARDMARRAS SOLFEST DIARY

FOREPLAY

DAY 1

Sunday 19^th of August.

5 days and counting...

In truth I haven't been able to get round to writing anything regularly or anything near, as it has suddenly become too damn busy.

The lists that must be made of names

                    And names

                            And names

                                    All the same

                                    For

This

&

That

And for meals, Drystone passes (all cumbered with Wainwright Walls and herdwicks) Mainstage back passages to sit among the Glitterati of badly drawn boys and chalked menu upon a blackout board. A Camping Kenneth Williams limp cloth wristbands to get you in.

A STAGE HAS BEEN BUILT TOO.

As always the Drystone Stage, first to go up. It's changed again providing me with the most ridiculous statistic in the known universe. The Drystone Stage has had 50% more regenerations than Dr Who in the same amount of time.

This is actually the first time that a significant thought has occurred to me. The Drystone Stage has been in existence for as long as the new series of Dr Who, so...

...Has one affected the other?

It is no longer connected to the Pyramid. Which has now just become a "Green Room" for the artists, it's drifted a long, long way from my original idea was. Which I'll not repeat as it's written elsewhere.

But The Stage will still in all things be THE VERY BEST STAGE

IN ALL OF ENGLAND! As I've often said before.

There will be traders next to it so you can get a brew and munchies and there's just up from it. The SMOKE HOLE SPEAKEASY. This is for cover should the weather get grim, sunshine mix of world music and tribal tunes will play in a morning set upon Saturday and Sunday by Paul Thompsons' Beat Roots.

The main thing is today I felt for the very first time since last year a sense of REAL EXCITEMENT. That certain buzz, which brings with it a frisson that only Solfest, gives.

Tom's new dance tent has arrived, and what a sight it was seeing Tosh actually pushing a lorry with the Tele-Handler up the wet field when it got stuck.

Big bugger that tent is. You mark my words, you wait and see, you w...

...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Way to far ahead as it starts on Thursday and I'd decided to take a break from all the paperwork.

(Read this in a Phillip Marlowe Style, practise saying "SCHWEETHEART" like Bogey.)

What I needed to do was chill out; I was feeling guilty about having nothing written or to write for the blog. But how many times can you write.

"I've got shit loads to do, going spare and trying to get it all in balance making sure all acts are attended to with all problems dealt with! Before it gets boring, and the only interesting (a bit) bits are the bands problems and none of your damn business thank you very much.

You will never believe the stuff this year!!!

Any way I did what I had to do mundane stuff that really makes no story to tell. I went to Carlisle to see Gary and organise my sound and lights. Bit interesting, but I can't make

"We sat down around a BIG TABLE and said things like microphone, radio link, bass trap and backline."

Much better than that.

I gritted my teeth and excelled at making my excel sheet of guests and fees and meal tickets and said right Alan here is you treat.

I sat here on the pooter and recorded two "WIZARDMARRAS DRYSTONE RADIO SHOWS" which will probably be broadcast on the Test transmission day. It's all cheese but with good tracks from Drystone Stage Acts Past and Present. I'll probably adapt them a bit post Solfest as podcasts. I really enjoyed myself though, loads of fun. That gets us to Friday, only I somehow am stuck in Thursday so when I get a message from Alwyn that we were putting the Drystone Up I chortle

"Daft Alwyn's muddled as we are putting up on Saturday and it's not even Friday yet. But for half four I'm on my bike and off down to the site, and it dawns upon it is indeed Friday and we are putting up today because BLOODY HELL THE FESTIVAL WILL BE STARTING

IN

EXACTLY

SEVEN

DAYS

SHIT!

When I get there it's good to see JT, Tosh, Chris, and Alec and Massam too who had vanished last year. Jamie arrives too, who I was hoping to work with last year using his green diesel jenny for the stage. This year he comes to build, brought in by JT.

What a squad we have this year, in seven days we shall build for you a field of dreams

             An arena of diamond illusions in one week.

             As Sandmartins swoop across the grass, at first wet from the constant drip

Drip

Drip

 

 

Drip

Of relentless never-ending soul destroying dampening cooling soaking horrible wet wet wet wetwetwetwet

WET

WATTER

Last night was lovely after a wet and a grafting hard work grit toothed day.

We had Leah to stay with us, and it was great. You cannot imagine how much pleasure (remember in the middle of SOLFEST WEEK) changing a nappy and giving ones Grand Daughter a feed at Four in the morning is.

I am smitten

With Princess Leah

Slowly over two to three days the weather dries and Alec said a lovely thing as seven O'clock clouds cumbered overhead in an air that was softly dry and dark.

"It's very nearly sunshine this!"

And it was, and later today we had the most wonderful most golden brassy XANTHIC (look it up, good word) sky. I have been so chilled painting the sign that our LOLLYPOP HIPPY will be using.

And I felt the buzz again

THIS IS GOING TO BE A

GOOD

ONE

 

 

COUNTDOWN

Wizardmarras SOLFEST DIARY 1

WIZARDMARRAS SOLFEST DIARY

FOREPLAY

DAY 1

Tuesday 14^th of August.

10 days and counting...

 

...Rain the size of peanuts has been falling on West Cumbria today creating mini rivers on the roads and small lakes wherever it could stop and party. Regardless of this in three days we begin to build a festival. A prospect I am finding incredibly daunting, looking back over my Solfest Diary for last year I was shocked to find that this time last year I had been living onsite for nearly a fortnight and things had begun. This year Seven Days to build a festival, dear god is that possible?

Well yes it is clearly, as I remember only too well last year there were days when all I did was stand in an empty field and harangue sheep about their dress sense and table manners.

Didn't tell you about that did I!

Let's get this week into perspective first. It began nearly 300 miles away on the Belladrum estate in Inverness shire for the TARTAN HEART FESTIVAL where I had a booking. Not a bad fezzi, in size similar to Solfest (They cater for £10,000) which will be pretty much the total number of folk at Solfest when all the crew and artists appearing are taken into account. It was pricey if you were a punter, seventy odd quids for two days but with names like The Magic Numbers, James, Martha Wainwright as well as newbie rising stars Amy McDonald and Kate Nash (if you like these ladies don't miss KTB on the Drystone) I suppose it's fair (Hang on Wiz, fifty nine quids gets you Badly Drawn Boy, Levellers, Chumbawamba, Thea Gilmore, Bens Brother and around one hundred and fifty ish other acts of equally good calibre).

You couldn't take drink or food into the main festival site so you had to buy it inside at £3 a pint.

Here Wizardmarras anti bullshit and hierocracy meter kicked in reminding him that he was paid handsomely for the gig and to carp about prices is bad form. Now Wiz, get on to SOLFEST. That is what people are waiting to hear about.

OK. We start building on Friday; tonight (actually last night as I write this) was the final meeting at SOLFEST CENTRAL COMMAND before we are all onsite. It started with good news too, that being that Allerdale Borough Council have granted us our license, so there is very little now that can stop us from having a brilliant festival. The only other piece of important paper being that from Health and Safety which is always a little worrying as we don't get it until about 4:30pm on the Friday of the festival when everybody is there.

I must confess that a lot of the meeting went by and on around me and I can't actually remember much of what was said on account of me holding my Grand-daughter in my arms for her first meeting. (It is important to get them started on festivals young and if we are to ensure a committee is there to keep Solfest going in the future, they need to know what it's like now). Dan is usually there for every meeting, though he does sleep through a lot (as did Leah tonight) tonight Dan mainly climbed in and out of a cupboard, only banging his head the once.

In truth there wasn't much of an exciting nature discussed in the meeting. Meeting are like meetings the world over.

But we begin to build Solfest on Friday, ferrying all the stuff stored at SOLFEST CENTRAL COMMAND down to the site. I am pleased to note just now that according to the Beeb weather site it's dry and sunny on Friday and Saturday. Saturday the Drystone goes up, as always the Drystone is the first stage to go up, on Monday Eddie and Dave my Wallers will come and build the wall.

We have learnt from previous years though and this year I think we will have such a good compliment of workers to assist us that we very well be spoilt for the future. As well as stalwarts who have been with us from the beginning like the indispensible TOSH (who this year is making something very special for "Sunset Hill" which I am really looking forward to seeing, and the idea for it came from (so I believe) a steward) and Cumber Chris. Brian "The Silver Fox" Gibson and of course JT (now a fully fledged committee member), they'll all be there putting up the regular things as well as new stuff.

I've just realised how tired I am and I need to get my head down for tomorrow I have a meeting quite early with Gary my main man for the Sound and Light on The Drystone.

Those of you who followed my blog and proceedings over last years festival will know that my original Sound Technician Dave Davidson suffered a massive stroke on the Friday morning of last years Solfest as was unable to be there. His shoes were filled by Paul Doherty and Gary Kerr of "Rhythm Of Life" from Carlisle who provided all the gear and the fantastic quality of sound we had last year.

Dave I am happy to say has made a full recovery, albeit with a pacemaker but as he was quite literally at deaths door and unlikely to survive just to have him walking talking and smiling is a full recovery. But unfortunately he cannot resume the job of Sound tech so Gary and his team will be doing the jib this year, but they are BLOODY GOOD AT IT so I'm happy there.

Daves wife Elaine, who was due to sing last year but had to cancel due to a terrible throat problem is back with us this year and accompanied by the aforementioned Paul Doherty. Come and say hello to them and give Dave some of the accolades he missed out on last year. The world would be a less bright place without him.