"Rock in the Park" - 2022

		Another RITP! ..... King George V Playing Fields Part of Stevenage Day

Between 1996 and 2007 'Rock in the Park' was a much loved Stevenage event. Taking place in Fairlands Valley Park, it grew from a small concert with about 200 attendees to a yearly fun day for thousands of people enjoying a free family day out. Many local bands performed on the bandstand stage and many local people worked hard as volunteers to make the event happen.

Sadly the day became a victim of its own success when it proved impossible for volunteers to continue to deliver such a popular event, within the physical constraints of the Fairlands location, to the public safety standards demanded today - and to keep it free too. But many people, including the Festival, have never given up on being able to bring back something like Rock in the Park to Stevenage. For the past three years Stevenage Borough Council has worked with local recording studio The Practice Roomz to introduce a music stage to another well-loved local event - Stevenage Day. And last year Stevenage Festival has joined with them to inject a bit more of the old Rock in the Park magic. Although the Festival only runs every two years we have supported Rock in the Park each year it has run as part of Stevenage Day.

So, as ever, this year it WAS in a park (albeit a different one), it was free and it had a great rock line-up. We brought together the best of our local music talent on two great sound stages, finishing with a great headliner to close the event with the Fabulous Feedback Band.

The hope for the day was -
"So come along and spend a lazy June Sunday afternoon sitting on the grass with your friends and family with a cold drink in your hand, listening to Stevenage bands old and new. Bring a picnic, enjoy the stalls, kids rides and entertainment that Stevenage Day has to offer and have a great day out."

This year we had expected the same. Great weather (DRY!) and great music on two stages and that's what we got.

The Music was very wide ranging in style from psychedelic Ska to Heavy-ish Metal. We'd like to get bigger and better in future years - more bands, more facilities, but we can only do this and keep it free if we all work together. If you loved Rock in the Park this year then please support us with this step towards building it back to its past glory. If you think Stevenage needs events like this then tell your friends, tell your local Councillors, tell everyone! And, of course, come to as many Festival events in the Gordon Craig Theatre as you can - any money we make gets ploughed back into things like RITP and better events.

Bands and artists on the stages

Main Stage (aqua) - Acoustic Stage (yellow)

12:00		Probable Cause - Facebook - YouTube
	They play great tunes from throughout the years from Rock n Roll to Punk, 80's Cheese to Modern greats. All with their own little twist.
12:40		Mark Sullivan - Facebook Page - Twitter page - Soundcloud - Website
13:00		Deep Blue Hippie Hive - Website - Instagram - YouTube
	Quoted from the band's YouTube "About" page: "We are Deep Blue Hippie Hive (DBHH). We play a mix between classic rock, psychedelic blues and progressive rock or as we like to say 'Grungy Hendrix'."
13:40		Steve Young - Facebook page - Twitter - Website
	Steve Young is a globe trotting session guitarist, teacher & entertainer turned Singer/Songwriter from the Isle of Wight. Early TV appearances with Lionel Richie & Peter Andre soon led to full time touring duties with world famous artists - most notably Savage Garden front man Darren Hayes which took Steve on trips around the world performing at the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, Brisbane QPAC, LA Roxy and many more concluding as co-writer on Darren's last album in 2012. Music Styles include Alt Country, Rock, Pop and Blues.
14:00		The Mynd Set - Facebook page - Twitter
	To quote the band's own Facebook page - "The Mynd Set are apocalyptic, head-melting blues magoos". Filling a space that has long been empty in the British music scene, The Mynd Set are the era-bending, genre-defying purveyors of psychedelic freakbeat not seen since the heady days of Swinging London. Aptly enough for a band of such raw, raucous energy, they were formed in Stevenage, a town which thirty-five years previously had earned a dedication on The Who's Quadrophenia. They continue to offer unmatched power and excitement, but this time the likes of Steve Marriott and Pete Townshend are relegated from composer to influence as the burgeoning compositional genius of axe-wielding scallywag Leon Hewitt and organist Parsley The Lion instead becomes the focus of their act. The Mynd Set go one step further than bringing the Mod sound up to date, with the eclectic Hewitt merging the best of the 1960s and the present day into one giant ball of danceable fuzz rock, complimented to perfection by the world's coolest bassist Glyn Tomlinson, the near-effortless drum masterclass of Chris Punter, as well as the sheer vocal powerhouses of Glyn Tomlinson and the one and only Parsley. The raw and energetic sound that sums up the attitude and style of one of the best new bands on the scene.
14:40		Yolanda Gabriella - Facebook page
	Quoted from her Facebook page - Singing covers and songwriting/Soothing/Elegantly haunting/Béret Wearer/ Free Spirit/Giggler
15:00		Steve Young - Facebook page - Twitter - Website
	Steve Young is a globe trotting session guitarist, teacher & entertainer turned Singer/Songwriter from the Isle of Wight. Early TV appearances with Lionel Richie & Peter Andre soon led to full time touring duties with world famous artists - most notably Savage Garden front man Darren Hayes which took Steve on trips around the world performing at the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, Brisbane QPAC, LA Roxy and many more concluding as co-writer on Darren's last album in 2012. Music Styles include Alt Country, Rock, Pop and Blues
15:40		Rafael Monteiro - Facebook page
	Rafael is the singer/songwriter and guitarist for the band Almamor. Almamor is a group of musicians who crossed paths on the London music circuit. With their debut album out now, this alternative Rock Band with influences from all over the world create music beyond trends and styles. Originally from the UK, Portugal and Greece, these 3 musicians were brought together by their love of music, which is reflected in the band’s strong chemistry.
16:00		The Bengeo Blues Band - Facebook page - YouTube
	Good solid Blues Rock.
16:40		Mike Norman Facebook page
17:00		Feral Dogs - Facebook page - YouTube - Spotify
	Feral Dogs are a four piece Alternative rock band from Bedfordshire / Northamptonshire. Their original material blends the old & the new; awash with Classic Rock & Blues influence and mixed in with genres as diverse as Reggae, Jazz, Country, Pop & Metal - the band seeks to carve their own path musically, leaving you longing for the past but looking to the future With their EP and Music Videos out and some great shows booked, they have everything in place to start revealing themselves as the next big Indie Band.
17:40		DrewJam - Facebook - Twitter - Website - Spotify (Single) - Instagram
	DrewJam writes and performs rhythmic, catchy tunes with powerful, reflective lyrics. His musical heritage is rooted in an Irish ancestry and a northern English upbringing; he is a strong vocalist, classically trained since childhood in piano and guitar. His stage presence, style and technique is very much his own, though he has many musical influences inspiring his musical technique and songwriting, including Eric Clapton, Sting, Mark Knopfler, Neil and Tim Finn, U2, Paul Weller, Roddy Frame, Tom McRae, George Michael, Deacon Blue and many others.
18:00		Fabulous Feedback Band - Facebook - Twitter - Website
	The Fabulous Feedback Band perform hit after hit from their huge repertoire to appeal to all ages and tastes. We can play everything: Pop, Rock, Soul, Motown, Indie, Funk, Punk - we've got it all covered! From the swinging 60's: Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Small Faces, through the 70's: James Brown, Elvis, Queen, through the 80's: Joan Jett, Bryan Adams, Cameo, through the 90's: Blur, Oasis, Britney and into this century with modern day classics from the likes of Amy Winehouse, CeeLo Green, Bruno Mars and The Killers.

If you want to view the 2019 set of performers then look here.

Of course these sort of events take lots of planning and organisation and special thanks go to .... Kriss Lawrence at The Practice Roomz and Geoff Caine at Stevenage Borough Council.