GuilFest 2006. The 3 Day Guildford Music Festival on 14th, 15th and 16th July 2006

Interview:

Artist: Tony Scott
By: Caroline Harrap
Surrey Mirror [http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk ]

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Now firmly established as one of the major players on the festival circuit, this year's GuilFest boasts a bigger and more eclectic line-up than ever before. Caroline Harrap spoke to organiser Tony Scott to find out what's in store.

It's the only time of year when the country's most famous pop and rock bands start descending on Surrey; it can mean only one thing? the annual GuilFest is upon us!

Better known for our beautiful countryside and commuter belt homes than our thriving rock scene, we can, however, lay claim to what is now the most up-and-coming music festival in the country. Over the last few years, with very little fanfare, GuilFest has quietly established itself as one of the major players on the festival circuit and is now one of the main rivals of Reading and Womad.

What is more, this summer's festival, which will take place in Stoke Park, Guildford, from Friday July 15 to Sunday July 17, will be the biggest one yet, with more stages, more attractions and an even larger beer tent.” This year, with 150 acts, we have more bands than ever before," says a proud Tony Scott, who founded the festival back in 1992 and has organised it every year since.” In fact, with the exception of Glastonbury, we have more bands now than any other festival in the country. "At this year's event, there really will be something for everyone..."

That's the thing about GuilFest; somehow or other, it has managed to find its own special niche in the festival market by providing a particularly diverse mix of artists. It's the one place where the biggest names of pop sit perfectly happily alongside cutting edge dance and the legends of rock, and not just on separate stages. Even on the main BBC Radio 2 Stage, you'll find a real cross section of genres, with this year's line-up perhaps the most eclectic yet. "This time, we decided to go for a bit of a theme each day," says Scott,43, who lives half a mile away from the GuilFest site. "On the Friday night, because there's no Fleadh Festival in London's Finsbury Park this year, we chose to go for an Irish theme... "Headlining the main stage are The Pogues and the legendary Shane MacGowan, and we also have The Hothouse Flowers on the Uncut Magazine Stage.”Back on the main stage, we also have The Proclaimers. "On the Saturday night, there will be more of a contemporary feel with Paul Weller, a local boy from Woking, plus Echo & The Bunnymen, The Others and The Subways.”The Sunday event will have more of a good fun, party atmosphere with headliners Status Quo and Daniel Bedingfield, plus acts such as Lulu and Chas 'n' Dave."

Pitching itself primarily at a family audience, the festival aims to combine the best elements of, say, Glastonbury and Reading, and put them in a safe, leafy and accessible context. And though the event has grown larger every year, to reflect the top names it is now attracting, they have also managed to maintain a very intimate feel. "What makes GuilFest so special is that we're not too big and we're not too small," says Scott. "I mean, Glastonbury has a capacity of 120,000 people per day, whereas we have a capacity of 17,500 per day.”But that's the great thing about it, it's the sort of festival where you can easily meet up with your friends or even bump into people you met the day before."

As well as attracting the top names from the world of rock 'n' roll ? last year, for instance, Blondie, Simple Minds and Katie Melua all took to the stage. The festival has also garnered a reputation for being a launch pad for up-and-coming bands too. Among the acts they have previously 'discovered' are The Darkness, David Grey and Jamie Cullum, all of whom played GuilFest just before their careers went into the stratosphere. So who does he tip as this year's 'ones to watch out for'? "I think The Subways and The Black Velvets, who are both playing on the Saturday, are going to be pretty huge," says Scott. "There's also, Tom Baxter, another one in the Saturday line-up, who I reckon will be the new Jamie Cullum."

Celebrating its 15th anniversary next year, the festival has certainly come an awful long way from its humble beginnings. Started by a bunch of people who ran a marquee firm; the same group of people who still run it today. It began as a one-day affair (headlined, incidentally, by Peter Sarstedt) with a tiny crowd of 1,500 people. "We were all working for the marquee firm but all involved with various bands as well," says Scott. "Anyway, one year, we had all come back from Glastonbury and we thought we'd put on a festival in our own town, where there wasn't really much happening. "Over the years, it just grew and grew.”Oh, and by the way, we all spend the rest of the year still working for the marquee firm!" Nowadays, the festival takes place over three days, and has all the elements of any self-respecting rock festival. As well as the main BBC Radio 2 stage, there are five other stages altogether, each showcasing the best in alternative, indie and unsigned bands.

New for this year is the Rock Sound Cave, which as the name suggests will be dedicated purely to rock bands and live rock DJs. And, for those who prefer their beats a little more chilled, there'll be The Funky End Tent, bringing you the grooviest and funkiest of DJs. There's also the hugely popular eFestivals Cosmic Comedy Tent, a massive Kidzone to cater for the younger generation and more than 100 stalls featuring arts and crafts from around the world "Another thing that makes our festival a must is the Guildford Lido," continues Scott. "You have this 50m pool, set in beautiful grounds, which is right next door to the site.”People wake up in the morning, crawl out their tents with a hangover, and go and have a swim in the beautiful, cool water! "Then, of course, they're straight back to the beer tent! "We've also got the nearby Guildford Spectrum, with its indoor pool and showers, so there’s loads of a facility available."

All in all then, GuilFest looks set to provide another fantastic festival experience and, as always, it promises to be completely different to any other. "GuilFest is never going to be the size of Glastonbury, but that's no bad thing," adds Scott. "I like to think of us as one of the best kept festival secrets."

- GuilFest is held in Stoke Park, Guildford on Friday July 15, Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17, 2005.

- For further information, visit the website at www.guilfest.co.uk

- Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling 01483 454159.

- Ticket prices are as follows: Adult Weekend: £75 Adult Weekend with Camping: £85 Adult Day: £35 Concessions are available for children under 16.