The Anonymous festival will take place on Saturday the 23rd August between noon and 7pm and is being held in Maumbury Rings in Dorchester.
The event is open to anyone and is FREE to attend!
This year there are more acts than ever packed onto the main stage promoting some of the most talented and interesting young bands and musicians from across the South West.
Kicking off the event are Dorchester’s own Pop Club who are a music collective that meet every week at Dorchester Arts Centre. Mentored by local musician and promoter, Mickey Wills, the group get together to jam, perform and learn about the music industry. Pop Club recently celebrated it’s twelfth birthday so it must be doing something right!
Following Pop Club music fans can enjoy the upbeat fun tempo of WHAT! who you may have spotted recently busking in town to help promote the event.
Also performing this year on the main stage are Willowen, a trio from Bournemouth who have pioneered the exciting genre of Indie-Quirk Folk! Fusing three part harmonies, indie rock ethics and a folky twist, the band has been described as a quirky mixture of folk and Fleetwood Mac and have performed at Isle of Wight Festival, Larmer Tree Festival and Purbeck Folk Festival amongst other events.
Hot on the heels of Willowen are Son of Richard who is described poetically as producing “Songs to anger your heart and cleanse your soul” with “infectious guitar rhythms and beguiling, yet gritty lyrics”.
Later on in the afternoon festival goers will be able to chill out to the electronic soundscape that is Lyme Regis based Sahara Head or get lively to alternative-rock outfit Cracker Lion.
Then there is a change of pace again as the festival introduces ‘Just Millie’ who isthe creation of South Coast artist Mille Claxton. Millie has made a name for herself with her uniquely enchanting vocals that are accompanied by acoustic guitar. The result is a wonderfully quirky voice that infectiously carries you away.
Headlining this year are Jonah Hitchens Music who are based in Exeter. Jonah is a musician who enjoys the interchange between new school and old school. ‘A vintage vibe with a modern twist’. When listening to a set of his it can vary from heavy blues licks to funk rock, but is always played with talent, commitment and with pure entertainment in mind.
Emma Scott, who coordinates the festival says “Anonymous is a special event as it showcases younger musicians who you might not normally get to hear. The talent that these performers have is extraordinary and they are likely to go far in the music business – so this is a good chance to catch them before they get famous and be able to say you saw them at the start of their careers!”
The festival this year has been greatly enhanced by having it’s very own website. Emma says “after last years event I was approached by Ross Cleaver from Revolting design and creative agency who really enjoyed his day there. Ross and his team were incredibly supportive and built the event it’s own fantastic website. This is a really great development as it allows us to really promote the day – already we have had hundreds of people visiting it. It also provides a platform for bands who are performing to create their own webpage which in turn helps them to promote themselves to a wider audience. Why not check it out yourselves! And there is a form you can submit to contact us directly from it too.
As ever the day is about more than great music. There are a whole host of activities and performances that have been put together to give Dorchester a day to remember.
There will be the opportunity to try out free running with ‘Train Hard Parkour’ and slack lining with the amazing‘Maverick Slacklines’ team.There will be a bouncy castle and inflatable bungee run as well as a chance to get crafty with graffiti art and craft workshops. In fact everything you need for a great day out with the family – as well food stalls and delicious locally roasted fresh coffee.
Kieran Baker, senior mentor of Dorchester Youth Extra, said “I have seen first hand the organisation and commitment that goes into this festival since its beginning and it has always been a success no matter what the English weather throws at us!”
This year the Open Mic area will return, sponsored by Keep Love Sweet, with a second stage of live music all day, a chill out area, and even a rap workshop!
There will also be some hilarious performance shows from the hugely talented Geraghty and Thom who are 2 members of the anarchic circus act Slightly Fat Features. And you may even spot Percy the giant seahorse parading around the site – or even be part of the parade yourself!
The organisers of Anonymous have had great support from many organisations and would like to thank Revolting Creative Agency, Dorchester Town Council, Magna Housing Association, Keep Love Sweet and West Dorset District Council.
So come along to this wonderful free event on the 23rdAugust – rain or shine – and support a local community festival that is sure to bring entertainment and talent to Dorchester year after year.
You can find out more about the Anonymous Festival by contacting:
Email [email protected]
Telephone: 01305 252204 / 07971 220067
Facebook: Anonymous festival
Website: www.anonymousfestival.co.uk
Emma Scott
