We recently interviewed Steve Williams, festival director of the highly regarded Willowman Festival.

Like many festival organisers, Steve’s background and day job is in the music business. Steve is a professional musician and promoter, and currently runs the successful Viking Light & Sound company providing staging services for some of the biggest events & artists around.  He was heavily involved in the Wickerman Festival amongst others for a number of years. We were keen to know why he decided to launch the Willowman festival, which was shortlisted for best new festival last year. “strong musical eleI’d had a lot of success running the established Viking  Volks Festival, which although focussed on everything VW, has ament” he said. “I looked around the splendid location we had, witnessed the crowds enjoying the music, and thought it would be great to hold a dedicated music festival on the same site – hence the Willowman Festival was born. It also allowed me to organise a smaller festival more suited to my ethos of what a good festival is all about” he added. This centres on quality music, food, and facilities, provided in a safe, friendly, low key environment, but with the absence of any ‘corporate’ feel and recapturing the old school festival vibe which many of the larger events seem to have lost.

 “You can never stand still and this year we’ll be building on last year’s success with improved children’s facilities and adding healing tents and other attractions.” As a local North Yorkshire businessman himself, Steve is extremely keen to promote the local element with all the community, green, & sustainability benefits that brings to the party. You can expect some excellent local food and drink for instance. “We have a specially brewed range of real ales sourced locally from Wall's County Town Brewery in Northallerton at the Real Ale Bar this year – so look out for the Willow Wobbly ale, and I’m also planning a 4.6% Willow Wipeout  too – so be careful” he joked. 

And the music? “We’ve pulled in some big acts again this year such as Alabama 3, Toploader, System7, and Ade Edmondson, but there is also real quality throughout the line-up.  My special tips for the future are Subsource and Goldheart Assembly. We’ve also some superb local talent like White Negroes, Mercedes, and NEEB.  As the festival is held around the summer solstice and the festival site has a strong pagan history with its own Sentry Circle I was keen to have bands like Easy Star All-Stars playing elements of Dub Side Of The Moon & the rejuvenated Toploader playing Dancing In The Moonlight on balmy solstice evenings to add that special vibe.  I’m thrilled to be able to offer acts of this calibre within a cost package of £70 for the weekend including parking and the like” he said with some pride.  And rightly  so. 

Any surprises we asked? “I’m close to finalising a couple of very special guests from the USA – I think any Jazz & Blues lovers will be impressed.” He said mysteriously. Watch this space.

On the run up to the festival you can expect to see a number of Willowman warm up gigs. A great way to see some of the depth of talent Steve is able to source for the event. Details when we have it.

And  the future? “The Willowman will go from strength to strength as we’ve got the balance right. This is a business and we’ve a very attractive offering of quality and price whilst not compromising on maintaining the original festival ethos. The Arts is general is under threat and I can see a number of state / local council funded events really struggling to survive on a commercial basis once funding dries up.” So There You Have It.

The Willowman Festival is held 16-19 June 2011 in the heart of North Yorkshire. Full details here:

http://www.festivalsforall.com/festival/willowman-festival-2011