Local bands including Wake Up Leo, The Orange Circus Band and Marie White, headlined the main stage in Calverley Grounds.
Other venues, including The Forum, Cassidy’s Sports Bar and The Royal Oak, also played host to a range of bands and music acts.
Food choices over the weekend ranged from Indian and Thai to vegan, with beer tents and bars nearby to quench the thirst.
It was all so different to last year when the Covid pandemic forced the event to go online only.
Now Local & Live is back and has celebrated its 15th successful festival.
“This was something very special”
Organiser Paul Dunton said: “The atmosphere at this year’s event was something very special, perhaps the best yet, we felt so much support from the audiences, you could really sense how much the local community had missed live music and the social engagement and collective camaraderie that the festival brings.”
In 2019, the event officially became a charity with a remit to support, encourage and nurture local music and culture.
The festival costs about £50,000 to put on, with the bulk of the money being spent on staging, PA systems, security and marshals plus insurance.
The annual event is designed to ‘showcase the leading original soloists and bands from the local area’. All the acts were invited to play and charged no fee, although some made money from royalties and selling their CDs.
BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN…
From Organiser Paul Dunton:
“Local & Live 2021 could not have happened without the help of my fellow trustees: Peter Taylor, Barney Jameson, Nigel Bent and Jason Dormon. Their collective support has been integral to the festival’s success.
“Huge thanks are also due to our amazing volunteers, security team, sound crew and photographers, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the event running smoothly.
“Plus a special thanks to the musicians and all the Local & Live Angels, our sponsors, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Sounds of The Wells, The BID and Tunbridge Wells Together, Lauren Brook, Charles Armstrong, David & Elisa Briers, Catherine Hazel, Sean de Burca, Friends of Calverley Grounds, BBC Radio Kent, and last but not least our media partner the Times of Tunbridge Wells, for all their support and assistance.
“If you would like to support the festival in any way, or just say hello, please visit our website below.”
Photos by Nigel Martin and Sally-Anne Low
