By Melton Times | Posted: June 17, 2013
RAIN showers failed to dampen the spirits of visitors to the HillBilly Rock Festival on Saturday who turned up in their hundreds to enjoy music from some of the best local bands around.
The new charity music festival, for LOROS Hospice, was held at Holwell Sports and Social Club, known as the Stute, in Asfordby Hill, and saw 364 visitors attend.
The family-friendly event was centred around the Stute’s attached football ground and was organised by Stute committee members Ian Welbourn and Stefan Packwood. It is anticipated that up to £1,000 has been raised by ticket sales for LOROS.
Headlining the event was The Platforms from Syston and other bands that played, included The Veltones, from Melton, XMA, The Low-Lamps from Nottingham, Willie Voltaire from Hose, Velocity from Queniborough, and Dirty Belvoir from Melton. The event was compered by Johnny Mac of 103 The Eye.
There was also a hog roast, barbecue, cake stall and Pimms tent on offer for hungry and thirsty visitors and a bouncy castle for children.
Mr Packwood said: “The event went really well, we think some people must have been put off by the weather because we didn’t have as many people turn up as we would have liked but for our first year we were very pleased with how it all went.
“We have to thank Norman Grundy, who was back stage manager at the event and made sure that the entertainment ran smoothly, the bands all seemed to have a really good time on stage and they even told us that they had never experienced such good stage, sound and lighting quality.
“We have already begun to think about next year and have decided that we will probably take a look at changing the date of the event.
“We didn’t realise at the time but it coincided with Download Festival and more locally with a Stathern festival and Grantham festival.
“We also might change the name because it was a bit confusing to people, it was a rock festival not a country music festival and we called it HillBilly because it took place at Asfordby Hill but I think we will probably have to put the feelers out and ask around to see what would be better to change it to next year.”
Photograph: The Platforms perform at Hillbilly Rock Festival (photo by Jonathan McGrady)
