There’s something to be said about walking around a field in the heart of Cornwall, the gentle Spring air blowing through your hair and the sound of live music in the background. This was what I was greeted with when I arrived at Rattlerfest, a festival that takes place on Healeys Cider Farm which is a nestled nicely in Penhallow, a small village between Truro and Newquay. The only thing I was keeping everything crossed for was the weather, would it behave? Hey, this is Cornwall, it’s ALWAYS sunny in Cornwall they told me, read on to find out if it did indeed behave itself and to learn more about how my weekend went.
I arrived late afternoon on the Friday, I would have been there earlier but owing to prior commitments, I was only able to leave around 4pm. I trundled down the A38 and before I knew it, I was on the A30 leading into the site. Upon arrival, I was directed to the camping field which was just beside the main stage, ideal for lugging my gear about!
After a quick look around to get my bearings, I headed off to the main stage to catch a Plymouth based act called The Busketeers, I knew Mathew Gordon Price from his solo days and was really happy that the full band were on the bill as I’d heard so much about them. They didn’t disappoint with their set which was a great blend of covers and self penned material. Highlights for me included their covers of ‘Tainted Love’, ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ and their closing track, AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ which went down really well with the heathy crowd that had come to see them. From humble beginnings (busking outside Tesco Metro in Plymouth) these guys have really carved out a name for themselves on the live scene and seeing them swap instruments like normal folk change their underwear was really impressive. If you’re looking for a band for a function or just fancy hiring them to play for your pleasure, The Busketeers will deliver the goods every time.
I took a walk around the site, I finally found the acoustic stage, it was just over the road and in a slightly wooded area, I was slightly gutted to see that I had missed the legend that is Josh Bessant who had literally just come off stage as I entered the area. I did get to chat to him after his set though and he said that he had a couple fo minor technical issues but playing an acoustic punk fuelled set, you had to expect some issues along the way! I asked if he was stopping around so we could grab a beer and have a proper catchup but owing to him being in the studio the next day, he hung up his guitar and decided to leave the site early so he could get some much needed rest ahead of what I imagine would be a full on day.
It was back to the main stage to catch The Mighty Offbeats who bought a full on ska/2Tone party to Rattlerfest, by the time these guys were up and running, the entire tent was skanking away, loving every second of what was being thrown at them. The 3 piece brass section was a joy to behold, tight as a gnats chuff, they really added something to the show and made me glad that festivals were, once again happening. I particularly enjoyed the covers they performed (The Specials/Madness) but a highlight from the set for me was definitely their self penned number ‘Rudie’ which sounded like it could have ben lifted from the late 70’s/early 80’s, the structure was immense and with the tight rhythm section doing their thing, it was held together perfectly throughout.
Antimatador are a Plymouth based band that I should be more familiar with, granted, I’ve seen them a couple of times over the years but as they are literally on my doorstep, I should really make the effort to get out and see them a little bit more regularly in the future. I was turned onto the band by Andy Quick a couple of years back and seeing them at Rattlerfest bought back so many memories form the earlier shows I was fortunate to catch. Their set was a medley of styles including hip hop, rap, fusion, electronic and jazz. Their horn section was immense and there he is, the sax player who was seen on stage with no less than 3 acts on Friday and Saturday, I’m not sure if he managed to provide his services on Sunday as I had left by then but either way, clearly the hardest working musician over the entire festival! The band took the main stage to another level, the energy kept on coming and was being thrown back to the stage by the capacity crowd that had congregated to see the Antimatador crew in action. I’m glad I managed to see them at the festival and I look forward to catching them again in the near future.
I was called to the press tent as there were two people waiting to chat to me, upon arrival, I saw it was none other than Barry Ashworth and Seanie T from Dub Pistols. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve covered this phenomenal band live now, must be in the mid teens at least and to catch up with them on home soil was brilliant. We chatted about their very own festival ‘Mucky Weekend’ and about the recent ‘wing walking’ that Barry (joined by BEZ from The Happy Mondays) indulged in to raise money for Tonic Music, a charity very close to Barry’s heart. You will be able to read the full interview feature on musomuso.com in the very near future.
Soon after we chatted, they took to the stage and performed a killer set which had the whole place bouncing along to every beat, it was as if Rattlerfest had saved all of its energy just for this show and what a show it was. Barry and Seanie T did a wonderful double act of keeping everyone on form with their killer vocals whilst the rest of the band did their thing and held it all together. It was great to see and photograph the guitarist (Jean), in my eyes, he is still the most photogenic person on stage in the whole world (sorry Barry!) Dub Pistols are a very busy band and are playing pretty much all over the country this year, no matter where you are, I guarantee that if you stick a pin in a map, they will either be playing or have played in a venue not 10 miles away from it! Great to see them on top form and doing what they love to do, entertain the masses!
Midway through the Dub Pistols set, I had to leave as I had another appointment in the press tent, this time to interview Tim Garrett and Jez Willis from Utah Saints, I recall these guys from the early 90’s but was never really a massive fan of their work so I was struggling to locate any decent conversational matter to engage them in but after a look through their socials, it was apparent that they were still active on the live music scene as DJ’s so I delved deeper and we had a great chat about their career to date, supporting U2 on tour and other highlights throughout the past 31 years! The interview overran as we got talking about retro gaming and given that they only had 10 minutes to go and set up and kick off their set, I thought I’d best let them go and get sorted out!
Their set was immense, we had chatted about how they decide on the ‘setlist’ for the show as I imagined it would consist mainly of classic early 90’s rave bangers but as they explained, their audience is really mixed so it’s important to them that they do their utmost to please as many people as possible and they weren’t lying! As I stood in the pit taking some photographs, they were pumping out tunes such as ‘Charlie Says’ which was about as old stool rave as you want to be, followed by classic disco bangers backed with a tremendous drum n’ bass beat which added a new dimension to the track. Towards the end of the set, they dropped ‘Give it Away’ by The Red Hot Chili Peppers which was mixed with Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here Right now’ and bled seamlessly into ‘Everybody’s Free’ by Rozalla, a total floor filler and a classic track that pretty much drew things to a close for the evening.
As I wandered back to my lovely camper van, I was glad that I had the foresight to attach the window blinds before I indulged in a few drinks (damn those Dub Pistols boys), I fell into my bed, pulled the duvet up around my neck and slept solidly until 8am the next morning, a perfect day? I guess you could say it was!
I woke at 7:45am, refreshed and raring to go…..well, my legs were a little stiff, my feet ached and I needed a shower but I was as ready as a man’s gonna be at a Cornish Cyder festival! After a hearty breakfast consisting of some milk based drink with oats and vitamins (mmmm), I was in the press tent writing up my notes from yesterday and editing photos ready for the feature. Rosalia and a nice lady from the production team arrived and asked if I’d like to visit the Healey’s Cider Farm, with the promise of free samples and a tractor ride around the orchards, who was I to decline such an offer! We wandered around the site, saw some horses, pygmy goats, pigs and a wonderful peacock who even got his feathers out for us to see. We boarded the tractor ride for a tour of the two main orchards, fascinating to see just how many trees there were in each field (circa 200) and to hear that they make two trips a year to collect apples, the first being the windfalls which is the ‘traditional’ way to do so and then again a few weeks later to shake the trees in order to give them a helping hand. I also didn’t know that the Healey family was linked to the Austin Healey motor car, there were even a couple of them inside the Rattler shop and an interesting board with key dates and facts to educate you whilst your brain was being addled by the Cornish nectar!
After the farm tour, we were whisked back to the festival site to see who was performing next and I was delighted to see that it was Ben Carr (aka Benny Guitar Carr). Ben is a Plymouth based one man bad, armed with a strange looking guitar that looked like it was fashioned from a cigar case and a cajon which he used to create the beat, as soon as he saw me in the pit, he took the guitar round the back of his head and continued to play which was pretty impressive. Playing some incredible blues influenced songs, the midday crowd grew as they heard the sound coming from the tent and come the end of his set, the place was looking rather fullI guess you could liken Ben to Seasick Steve other than the fact that Ben doesn’t live in a car and travel like a hobo from place to place, playing gigs for food and gasoline, oh hang on a minute, neither does Seasick Steve….. Keep your eyes on Ben’s social media for news of forthcoming live shows around Plymouth and beyond.
Vintage rockabilly quartet Red Hot Riot took to the stage and blew the crowd away with a seamless blend of rockabilly/Psychobilly tracks. It’s not every day that you see a proper stand up double bass on stage but today was the day when I did and it was beautiful. Just watching the way that the instrument is played takes my breath away, not so much plucking the strings but more hitting them in order to create the tones required to keep the backline in order. Add into the mix a killer frontman/guitarist and a standalone guitarist and awesome drummer and you have yourself a band that can carry the job off effortlessly, almost making it look too easy! I saw on the socials that they had recently played in the US at the largest Rockabilly festival in the world which is some feat and must have been an incredible experience for them. Their newest offering ‘Up The Riot’ will be available on 10” green vinyl this summer.
Rue took to stage and performed an hour of super soulful noodling which put a massive smile on everyone’s faces. Her set was cool, laid back and exactly what people wanted after imbibing a few too many Rattlers last night. Rattlerfest was the first festival of 2022 for Rue and judging by her and the band’s performance, they really need not worry about future shows as they are bound to be pitch perfect and polished to a high degree. I couldn’t help likening Rue to another Cornish powerhouse who goes by the name Bailey Tomkinson who is also killing it across the Westcountry, maybe they should do a double-header tour throughout Devon and Cornwall which I know will be a guaranteed sell out every night! Rattlerfest marked the end of Rue’s April tour of Devon and Cornwall but mark my words, she’ll be announcing more shows on her socials very soon, this is one act NOT to be missed.
After hearing the opening tones to Roguey Roads’ set at Rattlerfest, I was up and in the pit in record time. Their Facebook profile advertises them as ‘Refreshing, charismatic & groovy! This loveable brother band radiates these qualities and more while putting a twist on contemporary music, blurring the lines between, pop, funk and soft rock - That’s it, that’s my review right there! Only kidding…. From the off this band meant business, from the funk fuelled rock n’ roll with a hint of indie pop that I was fortunate to hear whilst I took a few pics in the pit, they kept the audience engaged throughout their set which was really well received. This bunch of handsome young bucks will go a long way but not solely owing to their looks, their style and proficiency on the instruments they were playing was absolutely world class (though their looks may well open a few doors as well).
Jessica & the Rabbits are a 14 legged soul/funk/blues band from Plymouth who belted out some absolute classics to keep the main stage rocking. Songs including ‘Knock on Wood’ ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ and ‘Hard to Handle’ really set the bar high and from here the band effortlessly raised it even higher with an eclectic crowd pleasing set that was well received by everyone in the tent. It was great to see the brass section working so tightly to produce the goods, backed by a tight rhythm section and Jessica’s fine vocals really were the cherry on top of the Sundae. This truly was a party band and the audience were lapping it up, just what you needed to help get people back into the spirit after a heavy night, keep an eye on their socials for more gigs in the Plymouth area in the future. Did I mention that the Sax player from Antimatador plays in the band too? Goodness, this guy gets around, I think I saw him on stage with 3 acts over the weekend and there may have been more, talk about being in demand!
I’m not familiar with the band Black Friday at all, never heard of them, never seen them so I had no expectations whatsoever when I entered the main stage to photograph them. I know that ‘Black Friday’ (aka Mad Friday) is a term given to the last Friday before Christmas which normally sees trades people and other revellers out and about, drinking their Christmas bonuses on as many beers as they can manage before it all goes tits up and they get embroiled in a massive punch up, ending up with them taking a trip to A&E with a pint mug embedded in the head. Luckily for me, there were no airborne pint mugs in the tent so I entered the pit armed with my camera to see what was afoot. What I witnessed was a 6 piece Celtic punk rock band from Plymouth piling on the Irish themed songs as the place went mental, that pretty much sums it up in just one sentence! The band were immense, the tempo was set to high and the room just took off! Highlights of the set for me included their cover of The Pogues’ ‘Sally MacLennane’ which actually sounded far tighter than I’ve ever heard The Pogues play it in the past and of course, the classic, ‘Dirty Old Town’ which conjured the biggest song-a-long that the weekend saw. It was no surprise to see this band working so well together as they’ve been hard at it since 2005 and this was clear in the delivery of their songs and the way that they engaged constantly with the lively but loveable Cornish audience!
I was invited to met and chat to Sam from Sam and the Womp ahead of their show and having never heard of them before, I jumped at the opportunity. Sam is a real character, a super talented trumpet player and someone who just has the knack of knocking together a great tune that people instantly fall in love with. I read that he mixes traditional Balkan music with dubstep and drum n’ bass beats to create a whole new genre of music and when I met with him, I asked him where this idea came from and he explained that he was at a music festival in Europe years back and on one stage there was a traditional Balkan band, performing music from their neck of the woods and in a tent on the other side of the field, there were drum n’ bass infused beats leaking out of the tent and from where he was stood, the sound just fused together seamlessly and he immediately knew that this would be his calling! As we were chatting, we were ambushed by the other two members of his band, his MC and his DJ jumped onto the interview settee and chipped in with the conversation before dashing off to setup on the mains stage. Their set was energetic, fast paced and allowed the audience to engage with them as the songs were being launched at them from the stage. The sax played from Antimatador joined them on stage to add a little extra to the set, not that it needed it but to have him up there doing his thing only added to the appeal.
Having met Dan (vocals/guitar) from The Feeling earlier in the day for a chat, I asked him what the setlist would look like for tonight’s performance, would it be filled with their bangers or would they be looking to play a few newer tracks and maybe even a couple from their forthcoming album, ‘Loss Love Hope’ which is due to land in early May? He responded with the former and explained that a festival audience was different to a regular show in as much as not everyone would be a fan of the band and therefore, it was time to pull to the hits rather than the obscure B-sides which many folk would not be familiar with. I am glad to say that this approach paid off and the main stage was rocking along nicely to the tones of ‘Never Be Lonely’, ‘Fill My Little World and ‘Love it When You Call’ which were all lifted from their 2006 debut album. I do recall him introducing a track from the forthcoming long player but as I was making my way out of the pit at the time, I have forgotten the name of it….doh! All in all, it was a crowd-pleasing set by one of the UK’s finest long standing bands which have proven that after 5 studio albums (and one on the way), they still have plenty more creativity in the tank to wow their existing fans and hopefully win a few new ones along the way as well!
I was summoned to the press tent at 11pm to chat to the radio legend Scott Mills, he hadn’t been there long and after a quick introduction we sat down to talk about Rattlerfest, his love of smaller boutique style events as opposed to massive corporate gatherings and of course, I wowed him with 3 mind blowing facts about the great Cornish pasty. Once our time was up, he and his manager rushed off to get setup and the next thing I knew, he was on stage, pulling out banger after banger for the eager crowd that had filled the main stage to catch his set. It really was classic after classic, ‘all thriller and no filler’ I think they refer to it in the industry and that’s exactly what he had for us tonight. I joked with him ahead of his set and asked what he would do if he got the feeling that the audience weren’t having a great time and he said that he has a special folder on his USB stick which has around a dozen guaranteed floor fillers that he can call up if required, I suggested he called the folder his ‘Get out of Jail Free Card’ as that is exactly what it would do. Fortunately for him, it looked like he didn’t have to smash the glass as the audience were loving every second of what he was playing. Boney M’s ‘Ra Ra Rasputin’ bled into Madonna’s ‘Hung Up’ (with the ABBA sample) which effortlessly segued into Tori Amos’s ‘Professional Widow’, to say it was an upfront set would be somewhat of an understatement! I had to leave early as I had a 2 hour drive home and was keen to get back before the need for Red Bull and other stimulants were required to keep me alert but as I drove away from the field, the party was just starting!
Rattlerfest for me was a joy to attend, the lineup, the layout of the site, the food, the bar, the drinks, the entertainment and the people were what made it so special and seeing as we have all been starved of this over the last couple of years, it was great to see so many people letting their hair down and partying hard into the night, I hope that 2023 is as successful and dare I say busier as I feel people will be feeling a lot more comfortable about mixing in crowds once again.
I raise my Rattler pint pot to the organisers, the security team who kept us all safe and sound, the bands and artists that performed and for everyone who attended, we will see you in 2023!
I wanted to add that the festival also took place on the Sunday but owing to family commitments, I wasn’t able to cover it so my journey ended at 1am on Sunday morning, just after Scott Mills was getting packed up to head back to London.
Words and Pictures by Steve Muscutt
