....9, 10 and Out! The Final Didmarton Festival
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If you’ve never been to a Didmarton then you’ve missed a treat and it’s too late to start worrying now! It was in 1989 that Didmarton started off like they all do - a hundred or so people got together in a free and easy atmosphere. Picking sessions, beer, concerts and it grew from there. The thing that made Didmarton different was that from the start it was run by a small committee and booked bands - the Jalapeño Pickers (say “Halapen-yo”, Jose...), the Down County Boys, Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey - making a formidable first-time line-up! But the committee soon decided that they were going to run it for 10 years total and that was that. Hence the long report - there won’t be another one.... The first two years it was held in July but moved to its’ present September slot (now vacant!) A marquee first made an appearance in 1991 - bigger concerts, more people - real synergy!
It was the great guys of Monroe’s Revenge who finally persuaded us to make the 150 mile journey to attend our first one in 1993, when it became the “star” festival for us. I have written before in these pages about the suitability of the site and the terrific organisation (see Nov. 1996 and Nov 1997 NWBN). It is a great shame it is all over - All the other festivals can learn something from Didmarton. It was one of the few festivals that offered a 10% reduction for BBMA members, etc., plus a 10% for early booking (on an already low entrance fee!) and included a souvenir programme! Camping (which was included in the weekend ticket price) was for weekend ticket holders only. I have never seen or heard of any untoward trouble there - it was a real “family event”. The committee and stewards have always been very courteous and helpful, and committee members were forever to be seen running around checking that everything was OK. North Westerners have never been seen in abundance. This year, as far as I can tell, there were only Ian Groves and Andy Johnson & wives, Steve & Julie Cross, Geoff Mace, Rank Strangers (Dave Pope, Bonz Barnes & Pat Heatherington), Malc & Rita McClean and the Frets Old & Newteam (Dave Bresnan & Chris Wilson) - all NWBN Sponsors - and Mark Cardwell (of White Lightning connections) and Jean & myself., despite heavy promotion in this mag.
The main aim this year was to invite back some of the acts that have given most pleasure over the years, including The Bluegrass Patriots (USA), The Hillbilly Boogiemen (Holland) The Down County Boys, Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey, The Daily Planet, Roughshod and more. The list went on: A Band Like Alice, The Next Band, Jane on Thunder, Blackjack, The Canny Band, Bakers Fabulous Boys, The Backwater Band, Roughshod, The Jooks, The Mandolin Orchestra, Pontchartrain, The Bluegrass Brothers, String Fever and last (but no way least!) Bill Smarme and The Business. The workshops were done by 1989 survivor Chris Moreton (guitar - who hasn’t been to one of those?!!!), Phil Davidson (telling all the secrets of instrument craftsmanship), Willie McDonald (of BG Patriots - mandolin), Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey (35 years of experience explained), The Hillbilly B.Men (band organisation) and Bill Smarme, who spoke on “Is There A Life After Didmarton or How Bluegrass Can Help You Pursue An Active And Happy Life Through Middle Age”. We didn’t go to any workshops, but judging from the peels of laughter coming from Bill Smarme’s outdoor workshop he was convincing (or not) a lot of people of one or the other (or neither)! We saw several of the acts on stage but there were so many that a few comments will have to suffice. We saw the “Patriots” in 1997 and the show this time was very similar - polished, top-notch presentation, entertaining and funny. And good bluegrass and gospel to boot! They had a new 15 track CD, E Pluribus Bluegrass (RF-CD-1776, was on sale an selling well. Unlike most bands I’ve seen, the Patriots went into a session in the pub - but the jammers there wouldn’t let them play as a band! The Hillbilly Boogiemen were not a band to see unless you had stamina - just like last time, they wore me out. They are very good - entertaining, good presentation and dynamic, but everything was in frantic overdrive. I suppose it is generally difficult for foreign bands to sing slowly and with feeling in English, but I don’t think that was their problem. I was slightly embarrassed when they took over from Forbes at the end of their set and organised their own encores....
It was nice to see a band making an attempt at wearing uniform. The Bluegrass Brothers did, and provided a great set of TradGrass. The Daily Planet took ages to set up, but the wait was well worth it. They showed the way Bluegrass should go - they are right at the cutting edge with their BongoGrass and ZuluGrass, which reverberated throughout the site. Had it been as wet as last year I might have expected the African Queen to come sailing into view.... Long-time favourites Bill Smarme & The Business were ‘Feavil!’ (a West Country (Somerset) phrase which translates roughly as ‘Wicked!’) (er..., ‘Terrific’ to us oldies). How does Bill get away with it? He only has to change one word in a song and it becomes an instant festival hit! “You give me fea-vil...” indeed! But it was Bill, Sue & Mike Pryor and Phil Bunce who packed ’em in tightest, claimed greatest attention, got most encore screams, best reception and everything. Goes to show - clever bluegrass is one thing, entertainment is something else... A Band Like Alice should be called A Blast Like Alice - they really hit hard with a ClassGrass performance, this time with Beth Holland on bass. Our own NWband Baker’s Fabulous Boys did us proud as always - shame they were spread out across the stage - they usually pack closer together.
A Band Like
Alice I like festival rules to be clearly stated, so that we all know where we stand and here again, Didmarton shows the way. This year one rule that amused me paraphrases as: “Complaints: As this is our final year all complaints will go completely unheeded. Repeat complainers will be publicly humiliated by an unpleasant process that Bill Smarme is working on”. Well, hush my mouth!
The application form carried another rule: “Dogs will be tolerated
but are not welcome”.... I guess what they really wanted
to say, but didn’t dare, was “Dogs not allowed” - a hard,
cold thing to say. But if, like Michael Hall, President of the Northern California Bluegrass Society and Contributing Editor to the SCBC’s monthly magazine
Bluegrass By The Bay, you are a lawyer, everything becomes easy. Derek Brandon, Chester. For previous Didmarton articles see Nov. 1996 and Nov 1997
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Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey
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Bill Smarme being
'feavil'! 