Live and direct: Paul

Our resident music guru Paul Dunton celebrates the long-awaited return of live music starting with Black Deer Festival

Photograph: Ania Shrimpton A t the time of writing this article the government was still preparing to take the country out of lockdown by June 21.

And as long as infection rates from Covid stay very low then we can hopefully look forward to a summer spent with friends and family listening to some great live music.

One of the events I am super excited about is the return of the Black Deer Music Festival.

Established in 2018 by music pros Gill Tee and Deborah Shilling it has one a slew of industry awards including The Guardian’s best new small festival in 2019 thanks to the fact it attracts a wealth of wellknown musicians. The likes of Kris Kristofferson, Kiefer Sutherland, Band of Horses, Billy Bragg and The Staves have all performed on its numerous stages over the past couple of years.

After being cancelled last year due to the pandemic, this impressive music extravaganza which celebrates all things Americana is, all being well, going ahead on the weekend of June 25 to 27.

So what can festival goers expect this time round? The answer to that question is undoubtedly something very special. The artistic line up is nothing short of astonishing, with headliners Van Morrison, Robert Plant & Suzi Dian, and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls all topping the bill.

In fact, the entire programme is brimming with world class artists featuring the likes of Jake Bugg, Imelda May, Jade Bird, Foy Vance, Band of Skulls, John Smith, Ben Ottewell, Wildwood Kin, Declan O’Rourke, William The Conqueror, Bess Atwell, Elephant Tree, Stubb, Psychlona, Judy Blank, Mountain Caller, Black Orchids, Dunes and Lead Desert Blues - just to name a few!

A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY Black Deer is known for its country and Americana vibes but there is also a healthy dose of superb Desert Rock on offer.

Not heard of it? Then let me explain. Desert Rock is a subgenre of hard rock that started life in the early 1990s and is known for its atmospheric sound that’s coupled with sludgy grooves, blues and psychedelia.

One of the champions of this genre is Desertscene and they return to Black Deer in order to present a celebration of the best of British heavy desert rock, psychedelia and stoner. On the Saturday the headliners will be none

Photograph: Ania Shrimpton Photograph: Carolina Faruolo

This really is a unique experience that will inspire and captivate...

GOOD GROOVES AND GREAT FOOD Alongside the musical programme, Black Deer Festival have built a strong allegiance with quality food and are once again cooking up a storm in their Live Fire Arena. Grillstock, founders John Finch and Ben Merrington will be curating an outdoor kitchen with an unmatched line-up of chefs, masters of the pit, butchers and charcoal specialists.

There’s also plenty on offer for kids with The Young Folk Area. Activities include tree-climbing, craft workshops, music lessons and more.

Showcasing music of an independent spirit across multiple stages, impressive live fire cooking, layers of custom motorcycle culture and a curated marketplace of artisans and makers, Black Deer really is a family staycation destination with a community ethos. We are very fortunate to have this wonderful event on our doorstep, so please support it if you can.

All information and tickets can be found at www.blackdeerfestival.com

other than the epitome of British rock’n’roll, Orange Goblin.

Carving out a space celebrating the very best in Americana counterculture, The Roadhouse stage is one of the most popular destinations at Black Deer. It’s a celebration of underground music and all that comes with it: custom bike builders, vintage vehicles, exclusive merchandise and the most talked about bar of the weekend.

SUPPORTING THE MUSICIANS OF THE FUTURE Black Deer is very supportive of grass roots music and since the festival's inception in 2018. Numerous emerging artists have been given the coveted opportunity to showcase their talents at the festival. Each year the festival receives thousands of applications via their website from acts across the globe and every submission is keenly listened to and evaluated.

Jinda Biant, Simeon Hammond Dallas, Chris Fox, The Mountain Firework Company and Eddy Smith & the 507 have been chosen to grace the stages at this year's festival. Black Deer artistic booker Bev Burton told me: “I’m overwhelmed by the quality of the music again, we are truly proud to be showcasing these wonderful up and coming artists."

Right from the off, Black Deer forged a strong relationship with Supajam. For those who don’t know the rock school it has two specialist colleges designed to help disadvantaged and vulnerable young adults get into the music business.

The colleges have had an amazing history with Black Deer in its first two years and this year is thrilled to be joining forces with the local music charity I run - Local and Live - to man the Supajam Stage at the festival. Throughout the year the students have enjoyed workshops with some of top industry professionals and during the festival the students will be split into small groups to gain invaluable work experience at the festival carrying out such jobs as Artist Liaison, Stage Management, Sound and Lighting, Photography and Journalism.

This really is a unique experience that will inspire and captivate all the students involved and I for one think it is a brilliant initiative that Black Deer has orchestrated with Supajam. It’s fabulous to have Local and Live involved too which brings more local musicians, producers and technicians into the process.

Photograph: Carolina Faruolo

Photograph: Ania Shrimpton

Paul Dunton

Music Editor

Follow Paul @PaulDuntonmusic