For those with fond memories of The Wurzels, Suzi Quatro and Chas Hodges performing at Midsomer Norton Cricket Club in the 2000s, it’s time to get excited, as this year’s August Bank Holiday weekend will see live music return to the ground in the form of Outfield Festival.

The event, which takes place on Sunday, 25th August, features local artists, Avalon Highway, (formerly known as Ye Olde Avalon), Verdisa and Centrefolds, as well as acts known nationally, including Toploader, East 17 and young funk group, Patawawa. The event is set to be officially opened by Michael Eavis of Glastonbury Festival fame.

Matthew Dando joined Midsomer Norton Cricket Club’s committee as Social Chairman three years ago, who raised the idea of Outfield Festival at a meeting. Bar Manager, Tom Webb, joined the sub-committee to organise the festival, along with Mark Harris, Chris Dando, Kev Messenger, Keith Anderson and Phil Matthews.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the event, Matthew said: “The initial motivation was the facilities at the cricket club becoming tired and not being able to keep up with demand. The club has a massive membership, from young kids up to the First Team, and in recent years, Youth and Women’s cricket have been pushed. A lot of people are putting in a lot of effort to give kids something to do and keep fit.

“With such a big number of people using the facilities, we needed to get ahead of the game and make sure they were up to a standard people would expect at all levels of the club. I have also felt that the local area has been crying out for an event where we can bring well-known bands into Midsomer Norton and be able to go to a gig on foot, rather than having to travel to Bath, Bristol or further. From the music days that the club had put on ten years ago, we thought let’s do it again – but take it to the next level.”

Reflecting on the current music scene in Midsomer Norton, Matthew believes there has been a decline of sorts, with less young, original bands performing than ever. He continued: “Going back to my late teens, when I first started work in the local area and having the funds to get out to the local pubs, the Wunderbar was always an early favourite for live music. You could always guarantee a friendly face in there, and you could experience all weird and wonderful genres of music if you were a frequent visitor.

“However, there is still good live music available at the likes of The Riverside and the local outdoor music events, such as M-Fest, The Big Gig and The Railway Rocks. I think the decline could be to do with a change in how the latest generation of people spend their social time. You don’t see the pubs busy like twenty years ago, and this probably has an effect on what businesses offer in terms of entertainment. If live music is given a platform and it is not supported, it ends, like anything would that doesn’t have support.”

Discussing the inception of the event, Matthew said: “The first meeting was a boozy bank holiday in my garden with hundreds of post-it notes, with us scribbling down all our ideas to be collated and discussed further.

“We have a very passionate team who all work hard, and do all the work as volunteers. From running a couple of businesses myself, I can confirm that I consider this to be on the same level – and just as much work!

“We are lucky that all our committee work in different jobs and have different skill-sets, which we have been able to utilise. In terms of organising the festival, it is still very much ongoing, and we still have a lot of work to do to make the event as good as we want it to be.

“Before we started discussing which bands we might want and who might be available, we decided that we wanted bands that were in the charts during the late-90s and early-2000s, as this would appeal to a wide group of people. We had a few bands on our final list, but Toploader stood out for us and East 17 have so many well-known hits, we thought the mix would be good to give everyone a fantastic day out.

“Avalon Highway have played a small gig at the club before, and we are definitely expecting big things from them in future. They are excited for the event, and it sounds as though they are putting a set together especially for us.

“Verdisa was suggested to us by Chris, as he knew of their music and had seen them before. We all had a listen and their music speaks for itself – it wasn’t a difficult decision to make. Their style reminds me of Jack Johnson, so I know it will be a hit on a sunny August Bank Holiday Sunday.

“Being our first year, we want to make sure everyone goes away from the event wanting to come again next year. We are planning on having things for the younger kids to enjoy to help the parents relax. Our licence does not allow alcohol to be brought on site, so all our drink prices will be in line with what you would expect to pay in Midsomer Norton.

“We want everyone to enjoy a great day, without the price tag you would expect from a festival.”

When asked if Outfield Festival will become an annual event, Matthew said: “Definitely. The local council has given us backing with a grant this year, and it sees the event as something that can really benefit the local area.

“The plan is to reinvest some of the profits that are made to be able to put a larger number of (and some bigger) bands on, year after year.”

Stan Bull