25th June 2011 – Ferryside Sports and Social Club
Like most good ideas, the origins of GlastonFerry are linked to a conversation amongst friends in a pub.
The occasion was the spring of 2008 when crew members of the Ferryside Lifeboat, after an evening’s training, met up with some of the Ferryside Lifeboat Association – or FLA for short – for a quick pint in the local pub. The role of the FLA is to support the crew in matters of fundraising etc. and naturally this entails frequent meetings in convenient places where strategies can be talked over in a friendly and relaxed environment – hence the pub.
Conversation that evening soon switched to music. Amongst those present was local band leader and general musical maestro, Rob Gillespie, who casually announced that he had always wanted to put on a gig in the village and call it GlastonFerry. To this Jon Latimer replied with typical dry wit: ‘well, why not? we’ve already got the muddy field’. Rob shrugged, but Jon was on a mission. We did indeed have a muddy field and now we also had a catchy name. Within months, assisted by Andy Morgan, Jon had things arranged and the first ever GlastonFerry was staged in August 2008. Topping the bill that night was Acoustic Zeppelin whose Led Zeppelin tribute was an enormous hit with the substantial crowd present.
Also appearing that evening was the Llanelli based band The Lie-Ins who came equipped with a song – specially written by lead man Jon Tregenna – that perfectly summed up the event. ‘Pay the FLA’ was instantly synonymous with GlastonFerry. The anthemic chorus linked para-military funding with fund-raising for the independent lifeboat in a tongue in cheek way that typifies Jon Tregenna’s songs. We had a catchy name, a muddy field and now an anthem. In short, we had a real gig.
Sadly, Jon Latimer, the man most responsible for getting the gig off the ground died suddenly just months later. It was a shock to everyone, especially the FLA. At his wake, The Lie-Ins – who in typical rock and roll fashion had disbanded – reformed for a special performance, culminating in two encores of ‘Pay the FLA’. In many ways, that performance was GlastonFerry 2009. We just didn’t realise it at the time.
2010 saw the gig return in full glory. Local band Snakebite, featuring Jason ‘H2O’ Duxberry and former Dublin new wave star Tony Coughlin, kicked off the event in style. Next up with a new streamlined line up was The Lie-Ins and, yes, they did that song. The Swansea-based blues band The Good Burghers then took the crowds into the early hours with a stunning set that will be talked about for years to come. The highlight of the evening was an ensemble performance by The Good Burghers, The Lies-Ins, the Ferryside Lifeboat Crew and the FLA all belting out ‘Pay the FLA’.
So, what for 2011? We’re playing to our strengths and building from there. The Good Burghers are coming back, The Lie-Ins will return, and they will be joined by local supergroup Supergene. Other acts will be added as appropriate, but 2011 promises to be the best GlastonFerry yet.
