Saturday, July 11, 2009

Blame it on the Boogie!...

Maybe I've been walking around in a dream world this last few months or has the annual Festival of Music and Fireworks, which is being held at Tonbridge Castle this weekend, not been as well publicised as it is normally? Anyway, it's probably not too late to go along there (surely it can't be a sell out at £27.50 a ticket can it?) tonight for, and I quote the Tonbridge Castle web site: "Summer Nights: The world's greatest rock and pop musicals in concert is back by popular demand! The greatest songs from classic rock 'n roll shows like Grease, Dirty Dancing, Buddy, Fame and Tommy. This show features six star performers from London's West End and is backed by a live seven-piece band. This selection of classic hits will have you dancing all night long!" Let's hope so at that price eh! Then tomorrow, and I may even go along to this there's: "New for 2009! THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN The stage show that's taken the country by storm is coming to town! A superbly talented cast bring to life the hits of the Four Tops, the Supremes, the Temptations, the Jacksons, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and many more! One hit song after another will bring the festival to a close in this spectacular Queen's Award-nominated stage show celebrating the world's most popular record label - Tamala Motown." Unintentionally topical I'll wager, but this one probably will be sold out what with the Michael Jackson fever that has descended on us. I still have never been along to this festival in all the years it's been running and am always reminded that it's on when I hear the musicians rehearsing in the afternoons before the show, whilst I'm sitting quietly in my shop (a free show you might say!) and then when I'm falling asleep on the sofa around 10-45pm (if last night was anything to go by) the boom, boom, crack, bang, fizzle, fizz of the fireworks marking, presumably, the end of the show. Anyone been this year, what's the buzz like? I would go along only I might not be able to control my feet!...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been listening to it all day and no doubt so have you so don't actually need to go. Think it will be a wash out.

Anonymous said...

I went on Saturday, it rained, some of the singers where terrible and it was not well publicized this year because the council weren't selling the tickets, they had farmed it out to a company that would only sell online or over the phone with a booking fee.

Sunny_Tonny said...

I sat in the Garden at Wetherspoons, listening to the music and watching the fireworks. Much cheaper than buying a ticket ;-)

Anonymous said...

Have to agree with the comments left at 9.24am - some of the male singers were terrible, and it wasn't as good as those held in previous years.

It was frustrating too, that you were only able to buy tickets over the phone or internet, where in the past you could buy them from the council offices at Tonbridge castle and avoid the rip off booking fee and then the additional cost of posting the tickets to you (surely the booking fee should include the cost of postage?!). In previous years the Friday and Saturday nights were sold out way in advance, but this year I believe that you could still buy tickets at the gate on the day - this could be down to the change in the way tickets were sold, or the recession...

Anonymous said...

Sunny Tonny certainly did a good one. I do know that is a hot spot on sunny Castle Festival evenings and so is sitting around the river taking in the atmosphere and waiting for the fireworks. :))

Anonymous said...

We have not missed these musical sessions since they started.
This year Friday Beetles & Abba were excellent but the fireworks very average. Saturday was the worst evening in 10 years. Performers/singers very average and not up to the usual West End show standard. The microphone /amplification was sub standard with lots of distortion. The fireworks were very good. Sunday Motown were superb and enjoyed by all but why start at 7.00 & finish at 9.15 with fireworks in the daylight. What a shambles!

Anonymous said...

I'll tell you why they finish early on Sunday because all us residents had bloody well had enough by then. It is Sunday afterall.