East Barnet Festival 2018

Always a highlight of my summer the East Barnet Festival is great day out - weather permitting! This year it was hot and sunny - it could hardly have been better! This free local festival is probably one of the best in London and always has a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere. It's an excellent day out for all the family with a wide variety of different things going on. There is a funfair, many food and arts & craft stalls, and a car show. There was supposed to be a dog show too, but it was cancelled due to the extremely hot and sunny weather. Did I mention there is also a beer tent? The prices for a pint (including real ale) are much more reasonable than at other festivals - we are talking North London pub prices here. It's a breath of fresh air to be able to have a few pints at a festival without feeling you are being ripped off. And of course as it's a FREE festival in a park with no gates or fences you are perfectly free to bring your own food and drink - something that many people do as they enjoy a picnic sitting on the hill while watching the bands.

I haven't mentioned the music on Saturday as I was in one of the bands playing and I was a bit busy. It's the fourth time we've played there. It was hot and sweaty work but good fun! I enjoyed having more of a rest on the Sunday, and the weather was still lovely. And I had time for more visits to the beer tent....

Unfortunately I didn't make it down to the park in time to see the first few acts, but I did get there just in time to see Horizon make their East Barnet Festival debut. This band from Potters Bar usually have more of a hard rock edge than most cover bands. Although the rock element is very much still there, today's set is tailored for this event with a little more family friendly MOR pop than usual. It was still an enjoyable rockin' set overall.

Next up were well known local rockers The Haunting AD. This is their first time back at the festival for many years - although a certain bass player has appeared several times at this festival in recent years with another band. ;-) This act used to play more original material, but these days they have moved away a bit from their earlier Goth/folk rock roots, with singer Caroline leaving her acoustic guitar at home to pick up a Telecaster again. The Haunting are the hardest rocking and most dynamic  band of the day

Next are Firebird Seven - although none of the band play a Firebird guitar and there aren't seven people in the band. The band are all excellent musicians (as are all the others I see today) and are always hyped as 'featuring ex-Iron Maiden guitarist' - which no doubt disappoints some metal fans as I don't think this band ever play any Iron Maiden songs! It's pretty standard pub cover band fodder with a mixture of rock and blues.

Things liven up a bit next with long established and well known rock covers act Texas Flyers. This popular local band are regulars at this festival and always deliver the goods musically. They have also made more more of an effort visually than any other band today - although the sharper eyed amongst you might spot a couple of characters who appeared on this stage earlier in the day. ;-)

Texas Flyers turn in a polished and rocking performance as usual - 'Big Steve' is probably the best frontman on the local scene and really know's how to get a crowd going.

Next is another popular local band making their EBF debut. Paparazzi have established themselves in local pubs with a mixture of pop, rock, and middle of the road covers - always well played and well performed by their charismatic singer Andrea.

Paparazzi definitely have by far the broadest appeal of any band on today's bill - never has the cliche 'something for everybody' been more true. Wide family and 'all ages' appeal, and they close their set with the Guns 'N' Roses classic 'Sweet Child O Mine' to keep the rockers in the crowd happy too - and it sounds much better than you'd think!

Sunday's headliners are also popular locally, as well as being yet another band making their debut at this festival. Bad Girls Groove are more of a showband than any of the other acts on the bill and bring quite a different flavour to the day. Very polished performers and usually featuring up to three girl singers each taking a turn to sing lead vocals.

This band are probably the most focussed act of the weekend and concentrate on funk and soul, with a bit of blues thrown into the mix. I prefer the rockier side of things personally, but I have seen this band quite a few times in local pubs and always enjoyed their sets. They are certainly a good choice to end the live music at this year's East Barnet Festival weekend.

And then it's off to the pub!