Friday 07 August 2026.

Wishing my punk rock chums a fab time at Rebellion Festival , Blackpool , but this year I will be at LAKEFEST . Wednesday 05 August to Sunday 09 August 2026. LAKEFEST is held near Ledbury , Hertfordshire. RAYSGIGS exclusive discount code for 25% off Lakefest tickets is: RGLF25 With the scenic backdrop of Eastnor Castle, Lakefest blends performances from world-class music artists, award-winning cuisine, and a vibrant mix of family-friendly activities. Set in the beautiful Eastnor Deer Park, the festival delivers an unforgettable weekend packed with live entertainment, delicious food, and fun for all ages. Nearest town and train station is Ledbury, lying east of Hereford, and west of the Malvern Hills. Easy to get there by train from Paddington ( with changes around 3 hours). In total, there would be more than 300 acts performing on 12 stages across the four days, including comedy , BMX displays and djs...and a full size funfair . Over 20 top quality food vendors will be there , along with many bars. It will be my first time camping since Wilderness Festival (2021) . Early arrivals evening warm up ...Wednesday 05th = Flash : A tribute to Queen + The Jam UK. Thursday 06th = Charlatans + EMF + Utah Saints + Bluetones and many more. Friday 07th = Example + Soul II Soul + Undertones + David Rodigan plus many more. Saturday 08th = Madness + Scouting For Girls + Reef plus many more. Friday 09th = Bananarama + Lightning Seeds + Elvana + East 17 + Chesney Hawkes plus many more. www.lakefest.co.uk - Visit their website here for the full line-up and to buy tickets. ---------- THURSDAY... Really nice to be in proper countryside. A hilly location , but that makes for great views. Very family orientated , as lots of children and dogs are here inside. Lovely sunny weather, but thankfully not that scorching heat, we recently had. All the bands had use of the big screens , and a very nice light show. BLUETONES ..I catch 30 mins of their 60 mins set . They had 13 x Top 40 hits in the UK. Good to hear ' Slight Return' and ' Marblehead Johnson' again. FEROCIOUS DOG on stage at 7pm for their 60 mins set. Very lively set with , with obvious hints of The Pogues. The singer said this is their last year as a band after 33 years . EMF on stage at 8.35pm for their 60 mins set. They played a lively dance based set featuring hits ' I Believe' and ' Children' and the entire crowd are singing their mega hit ' Unbelievable' which hit number 3 in the UK , but actually made number 1 in USA. CHARLATANS on stage at 10.10pm for their 75 mins set . The Charlatans have had 22 Top 40 hits singles and three number one albums in the UK. Tim Burgess is all in white as they play their signature swirling, psychedelic organ and keyboard sounds. The hits included. 'North Country Boy', 'Oh So Pretty,' 'One to Another', and 'The Only One I Know'. Always good to see The Charlatans live. UTAH SAINTS on stage at 11.30pm and I catch their first 45 mins. The Mixmasters duo had 9 Top 40 hits and played a lively dance set in the big tent. FRIDAY .... Noon to 1.30pm was a reception backstage for the media at press HQ . Country artist VINCE FREEMAN performed a couple of good acoustic songs. Had a nice chat with him , and his love of performing live was obvious to see. Also good to see one of The Chuckle Brothers for a chat. Had a nice chat with a couple from Swindon Radio 105.5 who were here. Have a listen to their Saturday night radio show , that is Reggae based. Complimentary alcoholic drinks , coffee and snacks and a goodie bag with Xerjoff fragrance samples and the book by Lakefest festival organiser Lee Martin book ' Festival of Love and Pain'. LAKEFEST organiser LEE MARTIN is here. Special mention to JAM SHED WINES who supplied here. The cola and wine mix was nicer than expected. Also handy wi-fi here to update bits for my website and emails, each day . From 3.15pm to 5pm I was at the Jam Shed Wines area, enjoying their wines , as I sat on a very comfy bean bag, reading the great book i got earlier, and listening to the music in the background . A brutally honest read of the ups and downs of taking over venues , including Lakefest , while surviving robberies , bankruptcy and COVID. HARLEY MOON KEMP on stage at 5pm. I saw 45 mins of her planned 60 mins set. Harley is the daughter of Matin Kemp and wife Shirlie . Plenty of nice country tracks played, and a couple of covers. THE UNDERTONES on stage at 6.30pm for their 55 mins set . Feargal of course is not here on vocals, but they have four original members on stage. They whizz through their many gems including ' Jimmy Jimmy', ' Here Comes The Summer', ' Get Over You' , ' My Perfect Cousin' and their perfect single ' Teenage Kicks'. Then a quick nip across to see the legend that is DAVID RODIGAN in one of the tents . He is now aged 75, and still as enthusiastic as ever of the music he loves. I saw 45 mins of his planned 60 mins set. His DJ set included ska , reggae , jungle and dancehall. SOUL II SOUL on stage at 8.15pm for their 75 mins set. They bring the full big band with female singers sharing vocals with Jazzie B. Highlights as usual were ' Keep On Movin' and 'Back to Life'. EXAMPLE on stage at 10.15pm for his 75 mins set . Just him and his DJ mate looking after the turntable . A rowdy mixture of his own hits and cover versions . He hyped the crowd up continuously by asking them to ' scream and bounce'. SATURDAY... A couple of hours checking emails and updating reviews at lunchtime , then a wander around the festival site. At 4pm I came across the OUTDOOR FOAM PARTY which was in full swing , and the kids were loving it. There was a cutely named ' Busk Stop' cabin. DUB CATALYST on stage at 4.30pm for their 60 mins set. Dub Catalyst are an eleven piece Reggae/Hip Hop band from the South West of England. They include a three person brass section. Three different male singers, with their own style. Never heard of them before ,but they were superb. Hints of UB40 but with more diverse and great lyrics . Someone should get them on the Jools Holland TV show. THE ENTITLED SONS on at 6.15pm for their 55 mins set I saw this band headline at Shepherds Bush Empire in April 2026. The Entitled Sons are rapidly carving out their place in the alternative rock scene. The group is made up of four brothers Billy, Charlie, Raffey, and Laurie are joined by Graham Swift on the bass. It is a family affair as the band are all the family of tv property presenter Sarah Beeny who is looking after their merch stand. Her husband on bass and their FOUR sons...amazing. Their set featured tracks from their debut album , which was released November 2025. The four brothers in the band look very young. Frontman, Charlie, had the young female fans swooning , and Rafferty on guitar was pulling every rock guitar pose going – he was clearly ‘at one’ with his guitar and loved being in the limelight during his many solos. He seemed comfortable owning the stage when it was his turn, and for the entire show he was a bundle of energy. Every afternoon I would catch a couple of the artists in the unsigned Yamaha tent. Easily the best were a band called THE FIGURINES . Top notch songs of their own , and a nifty covers medley encore . Someone needs to sign them up soon. SCOUTING FOR GIRLS on at 8pm for their 60 mins set. They played a really good set , as the singer knew how to work a festival crowd. Roy Stride, frontman of Scouting for Girls, is a high-energy, remarkably humble, and engaging live performer. His infectious boyish charm, strong piano and guitar skills. Catchy pop hits included 'Heartbeat ', 'This Ain't A Love Song' , 'Elvis Ain't Dead' and 'She's So Lovely'. Then a dash over to the big tent to see REEF play 45 mins of their planned 60 mins set. Some great vocals and some hits including ' Higher Vibration ' , ' Come Back Brighter' and their anthem ' Place Your Hands '...a really good set. I caught 10 mins of the Mountain / BMX bikes display which was good . MADNESS on stage at 10.05pm for their 85 mins set. Easily the biggest draw of the weekend, and they pull a huge crowd. I have seen Madness over 20 times since 1979, when their debut album came out. Around 30 years ago I won a competition on Virgin Radio, a dinner for four in Soho with Suggs. They have a three man brass with them, and it's a fantastic show by them as usual. Suggs and his dry stage banter was very entertaining. Those great hits got everyone singing and dancing. Full MADNESS setlist tonight... One Step Beyond (Prince Buster cover) Embarrassment The Prince NW5 My Girl The Sun and the Rain Return of the Los Palmas 7 Wings of a Dove Grey Day Lovestruck Shut Up Mr. Apples Bed and Breakfast Man House of Fun Baggy Trousers Our House It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre cover) Encore: Madness ( Prince Buster cover) Night Boat to Cairo Then i watched DJ legend TODD TERRY for 30 mins in the DJ tent. He had loads of lights and lasers . SUNDAY... I - SING CHOIRS on at noon for 35 mins . This 50 + strong all female rock choir were really good . Covers sung included David Bowie's ' Lets Dance' and an incredible version of Elbow's ' One Day Like This' . Like the stage MC said "What a beautiful way to start the day". i-Sing Choirs are all about singing in a safe and friendly environment. No experience is necessary or the ability to read music. We believe that everyone has a voice and should have the opportunity to find it and use it. Whether you’ve been in choirs before, or only ever sung in the car; i-Sing Choirs allow you to embrace your voice and have lots of fun singing a variety of feel-good songs. CHESNEY HAWKES on stage 3.30pm for his 60 mins set. I saw him headline Hammersmith Odeon in 1991 with THAT song . He still.looks so youthful. Lots of crowd pleasing covers to pad out his set. ' The One and Only' hit was played second to last , and the crowd sang along loudly to it. Over to the big tent second stage for EAST 17 who were on at 5.05pm for 55 mins. Only Terry Coldwell remains from the original lineup of East 17, who is still performing their 90s hits alongside new members Robbie Craig and Joe Livermore, to backing tapes. There was some nifty dance moves from a couple of them. East 17 scored 12 x Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart during the 1990s, led by their 1994 Christmas number-one single "Stay Another Day", alongside major fan favorites like "House of Love", "It's Alright". ' Stay Another Day' is such a great song that has everyone singing loudly. In the original video they were wearing huge white furry coats, but tonight they make do with putting three white towels over their shoulders LIGHTNING SEEDS on stage at 6.45pm for their 60 mins Lightning Seeds are another band here at this festival with loads of hits . Highlight was ' Three Lions' with everyone singing along loudly. Full LIGHTNING SEEDS setlist played tonight... Life's Too Short Change Sense Ready or Not What If... Sugar Coated Iceberg Marvellous Feeling Lazy Perfect Waiting for Today to Happen You Showed Me (The Byrds cover) Lucky You Three Lions ( Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds song) Pure The Life of Riley BANANARAMA on stage at 8.45pm for their 65 mins set . The two best friends who had loads of hits back in the 1980s, and tonight we got ' I Heard A Rumour', 'Really Saying Something', ' Robert De Niro's Waiting ', ' Love in the First Degree' , a cover of ' You Spin Me Round', ' Venus' and ' Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'.....very enjoyable . The main stage finished early as it was Sunday , but loads of folks stayed behind dancing all around the site with headphones on for the silent disco. LakeFest was really enjoyable , with a stunning location, perfect weather , a well behaved crowd, great security and plenty of fab acts from different genres to suit everyone . The use of the reusable £2.50 event plastic pint mug was a great move as at the end of the night there was not much rubbish left, by this responsible crowd. See my Facebook page for some photos and videos of LakeFest . Also visit their website now for early bird discount tickets for August 2027.

Posted 5th August 2026