Home   What's On   Article

Subscribe Now

Gallery: 30 pictures from this year's Cambridge Rock Festival




Despite the heatwave giving way to rain, there was an impressive turnout at this year’s Cambridge Rock Festival, which saw performances by rock icons Don Airey, and Caravan.

Franck Carducci. Picture: Trevor Lee Photography
Franck Carducci. Picture: Trevor Lee Photography

This year’s festival – celebrating 50 years since Cambridge’s first free music event was held on Midsummer Common during the summer of love – took place at Haggis Farm Polo Club in Barton from Thursday (July 25) to Sunday (July 28).

Headlining on the Thursday was Airey, Deep Purple’s keyboard player who has played with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Thin Lizzy.

Melodic rockers FM took the end-of-the-day slot on the main stage on the Friday.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary, progressive rock band Caravan headlined on the Saturday, while on Sunday, top billing was given to another long-lived group: Atomic Rooster.

Meanwhile, a slew of other acts – some regular performers at the Cambridge Rock Festival, others playing it for the first time – made their presence felt across the three stages.

Ian Stuart, the festival’s press officer, said: “We were really pleased. The crowds were pretty good, particularly on the Thursday, which you’d normally expect to be a quiet day.

"I was trying to promote it very much as four one-day festivals, rather than one four-day festival.

“A lot of people who go to these sort of things tend to be 40 plus, as opposed to 17, and they don’t all necessarily want to camp.

"What I want to encourage people to do, particularly at the weekends, is, ‘What are we going to do on Saturday? I know, let’s not just stay home and watch the telly, let’s go up to the rock festival for a day’.

"Then of course the rain started, which might put what one might call the casual punter off.”

He cited French ensemble Franck Carducci, classic rock band Cats in Space, the entertaining John Otway and soul outfit Jackie Wilson Says among the many acts that went down well.

Lucy Shevchuk from Square Wild. Picture: Keith Heppell
Lucy Shevchuk from Square Wild. Picture: Keith Heppell

“We like to have a bit of variety. We had a young band called Häxan. They’re three young girls from south Wales and they were great.

“Mostly Autumn are Cambridge Rock Festival favourites and their set was particularly good.”

Ian added: “We’re quietly confident that we’ve done pretty well and can build on that for next year.

“The sooner we can announce it, then the sooner people can start putting it in their diaries, and also the sooner we can book bands.”


Read more

Indie rockers Gen and the Degenerates pay tribute to Jesus Green through song

Calexico and Iron & Wine to perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival for the first time



Comments | 0
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More