Virtual Bodfest goes live Saturday at midday

11/07/2020

Organisers pull out all the stops to ensure festival’s 20th anniversary still goes ahead online

The popular local music festival Bodfest moves online today (Saturday 11th July) after the live event in Bodicote’s Kingsfield had to be cancelled earlier this year due to coronavirus.   From midday a wealth of local musicians will be performing tracks specially recorded for today’s Virtual Bodfest.

It was very important for Bodfest to go ahead this year as the event is celebrating an important milestone.   Steve Cracco, the Bodfest Secretary and Music Co-ordinator told Banbury FM, “We were so looking forward to putting on a fantastic festival for all to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Bodfest . As the planning and organising of such a popular event is an all year round job, in January this year, everything was in place.

“Obviously then a massive curved ball was delivered when we realised that, because of the pandemic, all our hard work had been in vain and were unable to see it all come to fruition”.

Rather than simply abandon the plans for this year the Bodfest committee decided to find a solution.    Their idea followed on from the success of “The Banbury Quarantine Collective” project organised by musician Tom Bodfish.  

Steve said, “I believed we could salvage something to hopefully provide some family entertainment for this year.  All those artists that were due to play this year were asked to provide material we could use as a recording for Virtual Bodfest”.

The show runs in two parts with the first available from midday.   Part one includes Rufus Goodlove featuring Candice Keefe, The Coopers, Katie Wickham, Mojo Mules, Ralph Samuel Mortimer and Maria Mortimer and Velvet Sky.   A joint project by Bloxham and Cropredy School Choir will also be featured together with the Warriner School Battle Of The Band joint winners Skeme.

Part two of virtual Bodfest will then be available from 7pm.   The bill includes The Fuss, Keyboard Warriors, Uninvited, Seven O’clock Junkies, Catfish Creek, Shapes Oxford, Jolina Blues, Bushfieldsmith, Til Dawn and Tess of the Circle.

Steve Cracco said, “We are a small, very friendly Committee, that are all volunteers and we try and support as many local groups and charities as we can. The History of Bodfest and its’ core objectives can all be witnessed in Virtual Bodfest”.

Local musician Rufus Goodlove is pleased to be involved.   He said, “Having played the festival many times I believe it has become an important part of our local summer time calendar, an established institution that everyone looks forward to in July. This is an event that brings the whole of North Oxfordshire together as an audience, but also demonstrates the amazing musical talent that exists in the area.

“The determination to go ahead as a virtual event has yet again shown how much talent there is in front of and behind the camera with organisers and artists having to learn new skills with the video medium, song writers, musicians and performers all brought together by Bodfest”.

The show will culminate with The Banbury Quarantine Collective’s version of “With a little help from my friends”.    Virtual Bodfest organisers are hoping people will donate money as they enjoy the online event to add to the funds already raised by the Banbury Quarantine Collective project for The Horton General Hospital Charity.

Virtual Bodfest can be accessed from midday via bodfest.co.uk.


Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam

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