AUTHOR: JENNIFER KIRSCH

Maverick Festival of Americana Music

EASTON FARM PARK NEAR SUFFOLK, ENGLAND

In a small village of no more than 300 people, the Maverick Festival of Americana Music finds its home every year for 3 days around the 4th of July. It takes place in Suffolk in the southeastern part of England, known for milder weather, cute thatched cottages, home cured pork and asparagus!

The Maverick Festival is the brain child of Paul Spencer who in 2008, having worked as a music and video producer in Los Angeles and London, wanted to live in his native Suffolk and bring Americana music to the Brits. 

The festival scene has come a long way since Woodstock and avid festival goers can now punctuate their summer months with a festival held outdoors every weekend if they wish.

 AMERICAN MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE

Americana, with its roots in the American deep south, draws its musicians from Nashville, Memphis and as far away as New Orleans and Muscle Shoals. Roots music with its jazz, country, folk and blues derivations has garnered a fast growing audience outside the United States in Europe, Canada and Great Britain.

BANDS DROP IN DURING THEIR EUROPEAN TOURS

Many of the bands performing at Maverick stop by during their more extensive European tours and camp in the fields around the festival grounds. During the rest of the year it is home to a petting zoo and children’s play farm with ducks, horses, llamas and peacocks giving local kids a chance to experience life down on the farm.

The Festival was hard to get under way, many locals feared an influx of undesirables and were wary of the noise level and unwanted crowds in their pristine, hundreds of years old village.

TWELVE YEARS LATER THE FESTIVAL IS A HIT!

Twelve years later the festival is an unmitigated success. The organizer has restricted it’s growth to around 2.5 thousand tickets and the surrounding B&B’s and Airbnb’s absorb those not wanting to camp.

Camping or “glamping” takes place in either the Teepee village, the Bell tent field or in another large field where your own RV, 5th Wheel or pup tent can be accommodated.

There are vendors selling western gear both new and vintage, with genuine western boots and hats. Even traditional moonshine has been created and sold in authentic Mason Jars and the attendees really enjoy picking up their gear with a little ‘shine to sip on around the campfire.

VENDORS OFFER COWBOY GEAR, MOONSHINE & FOOD

There are about 20  stalls and most vendors are local, serving home produced goods while. delicious food trucks sell many different foods from vegan and Thai to fish finger sandwiches and pizzas.  The Farm Park provides the popular traditional hog roast with pulled pork sandwiches, sweet corn and beans! 

Coffees and beer are always on hand.

 MAVERICK FESTIVAL ATTRACTS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

The festival attracts families and people of all age groups and was voted the most dog friendly festival by a leading English newspaper three years running. Indeed many of the dogs are as familiar as the faces of their owners, for some it is their 10th or 11th festival.

In fact the only problem the security team has had in all the years was when a gal cooking supper on the camp fire had her entire string of sausages stolen off the grill by an enthusiastic dog passing through just as they were perfectly cooked! Irate cook and dog owner were eventually placated with some stern words and pizza vouchers for the starving youngsters!

FESTIVAL OFFERS FIVE PERFORMANCE STAGES

There are five stages. The Barn, open on one side has music scheduled from 5pm on Friday evening until 11 and all day Saturday from 11 until midnight again on Sunday from 11 am until 2pm when everything starts to wind down.

The Moonshine Bar is a more intimate music space better suited to the duo or solo musician and has more of a club feel, hours are similar. This bar serves cocktails and has its own food trucks. My favorite is a taco and quesadilla cafe which is delicious!

The Peacock Stage is another large barn space and operates the same times. On Saturday afternoon there is a large outdoor stage which is sponsored historically by the Alabama Tourist Board or currently Southern Comfort.

This stage only operates on a Saturday during the day so as to respect the local community and to restrict sound decibels and its effects on nearby livestock and home owners. The pop-up stage allows unknown bands to make a debut and is programmed in twenty minutes slots.

The festival kicks off with a pre-festival gig at the local pub on Thursday night and finishes with a wrap gig also at a nearby pub. Here the festival organizers and workforce can unwind and enjoy some of the bands they may have missed during the festival.

ORGANIZING FESTIVAL SINCE 2008 

I have known Paul, the organizer, for many years during our television careers and was happy to volunteer to help in the first few years of the festival. it is part of the deal with the bands that they can sell their merchandise from the company store right in the center of all the action.

Many brought suitcases full of cleverly designed tee shirts, key rings, shot glasses and of course CDs and vinyl records. We accept all the “merch” and loyal fans of the bands crowd our little shop to buy things and get their CD’s  signed by their favorites.

Usually when a band has played  their set of numbers the musicians come to the store and sign their albums. It is a definite sign of audience appreciation when the the crowd is huge and CDs are flying off the racks.

TRANSFORMING EASTON FARM PARK INTO FESTIVAL VENUE

Before the festival, a whole team of folk come down to  transform the Farm Park into a concert venue. Artists paint the signs and carpenters build the bars and erect the fancy lighting. It takes about five days and local carpenters and farm hands lend their skills willingly and effectively.

The farm animals are sequestered at a nearby farm leaving only the small horse born during the last years of the festival and named Maverick; he stays behind with his mum in the field!

Every year the graphic designer details a tee shirt for Maverick devotees, some folk collect one every year along with the poster designed especially for the year in question.

CONCLUSION

Our audience are mostly regulars and all ages. We have folk in wheelchairs and babies in strollers, teenagers with their friends and entire families. Our bands are different every year but there are some definite favorites. The one thing everyone agrees upon is that Maverick is the best festival!

I leave you with a beautiful video of one of the bands that have performed at Maverick Festival. I think you will agree that we offer top notch entertainment and you and your family would really enjoy it!

I’d love your feedback! Let me know in the comments if you have ever been to Maverick or you are planning on it especially after reading the blog. Come back here to read more about my various adventures across Europe this year. Until then…

Best,

Jenny

Jenny Kirsch is an expat living in Palm Desert. She travels extensively each year when she returns to the UK and guest blogs about her experiences and tips. You might also enjoy other blogs by Jenny. Follow her on Instagram.

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