Saturday 5th September | The Sunbeam Hotel, Newton-le-Willows
Originally intended as a one-off event back in June 2024, Jan-fest proves such a success that, two years on and by popular demand, North West music journalist Janet Harding brings her lively and wonderfully eclectic festival back to Newton-le-Willows and Jan-fest… The Return certainly lives up to its name.
With doors opening at midday and music continuing well into the night, the Sunbeam Hotel transforms into a bustling little festival site. A main stage and smaller acoustic stage host a 14-strong line-up, while artisan stalls, an outdoor bar, pizza and live DJ sets add to the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.
At the heart of it all is Harding’s enthusiasm for bringing accomplished, original local music to a wider audience. Every artist appearing today has crossed her path through the articles, interviews and reviews she writes, and the resulting line-up covers an impressively broad range of styles.
Harding hosts proceedings alongside musician Sian Lewis and, with free entry and a 500-capacity venue, there’s a genuine community festival feel from the outset.
Why Me? Why Not? kick things off well with songs born from the local Men’s Songwriting Group, a free weekly wellbeing session held at Crownway Community Centre. They give such a great performance and treat the eager crowd to some recognisable favourites, including Mony Mony and Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer, getting the day off to a suitably lively start.
Over on the acoustic stage, John Bostock showcases new material from Echoes, inspired by growing up amongst the new-town developments of Runcorn. Following his first album, It’s Not Going To Plan, Bostock continues to demonstrate a genuine gift for carefully crafted original songs. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, his engaging lyrics and attractive melodies make for an intimate and absorbing performance, with gem Heartbreak Hotel also finding its way into the set.
Lucy Bell brings something altogether more delicate to the acoustic stage. Her wistful original songs are carried by a strikingly beautiful and distinctive voice, complemented by some skilful guitar playing. Daydreams is a particular highlight, while her rendition of the late Dolly Parton’s Jolene provides a fitting tribute to one of music’s great songwriters.
Then comes Joe Kavaney, and the energy immediately rises. Magnetic, buoyant and blessed with an excellent vocal, Kavaney combines extremely impressive acoustic guitar playing with his own sharp take on classic rock ’n’ roll.
Formerly of Standin’ Man and accustomed to wielding a guitar on enormous stages across the UK and Europe, he proves equally compelling stripped back. Led Zeppelin feature heavily amongst the rock influences, while Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is another highlight in his set. An original instrumental gives him the opportunity to really showcase his musicianship. Full-force delivery, impressive guitarmanship and a rich, commanding vocal make this a memorable return to Jan-fest.
Runcorn-based Childe of Hale take things in another direction, fusing guitar-driven pop, alternative rock and new wave. American lead singer Jamie brings a recognisable Southern quality to the vocals, while the shimmering resonance of 12-string guitar runs elegantly through the band’s original material.
Bass lines soar, beats fire out with precision and intense punky energy is very much the order of the day. There are shades of Blondie, but Childe of Hale pull their influences together into a sound that feels distinctly their own.
Next up are Warrington funksters Phears who simply make the finest kind of musical noise.
Invigorating, stimulating and pleasingly different, they burst onto the stage and maintain the momentum throughout their set. Soul, jazz, alternative rock prog and even touches of psychedelia all find their way into the mix, but funk remains firmly at its heart.
Add some superb, almost eccentric New York-style flute playing and the result is impossible to ignore. This is music that makes you want to dance, smile and simply enjoy yourself. It’s individual, buoyant and a splendid addition to Jan-fest.
The Lower Angel Band bring richly textured, layered sounds, weaving compelling themes and storytelling through their songs. The musicianship is outstanding, with a remarkable, wide-ranging lead vocal complemented by pleasing harmonies.
There’s an optimistic quality to their folk-rock sound, but enough oddness and edge to keep things interesting. The original songs are performed with genuine heart and obvious pleasure, while the classic Meet Me on the Corner, made famous by Lindisfarne, has everyone clapping along.
Next onto the main stage are Martha’s Vineyard.
Made up of three local musicians, Martha’s Vineyard take things back to a time when songs are built around strong melodies, harmonies and musicianship.
Breaking up the day’s wealth of excellent original material, the piano based trio put their own spin on a wonderfully relaxed selection of familiar favourites, the sort of songs that creep up on you before you suddenly realise you know every word. It makes for a warm, tuneful change of pace and fits perfectly into the varied spirit of Jan-fest.
Fronted by Runcorn and Halton favourite Junior Dayvis, making a welcome return to Jan-fest, Jumada bring foot-tapping, explosively cheerful reggae-rock-pop to the main stage.
This is a band made for live performance. Crisp, funky originals are wrapped in charm and infectious rhythms, creating the sort of music that makes standing still almost impossible. Carefree, vivid and bursting with late-summer vitality, Jumada deliver pure festival music.
Matt Barber from Wigan’s Sunday TV followed with another eruption of energy. Performing an acoustic set with a guest appearance from a talented member of casino club. With incisive lyricism, brisk beats and sun-drenched rhythms combine with a wonderfully full, velvety vocal.
There’s assurance and refinement here, but plenty of vigour too. Inspired by artists including The Smiths, Sunday TV member Matt, crafts original songs packed with memorable hooks, balancing nostalgia with something fresh and delivering it all with infectious exuberance.
Clouds For Cover crank things up considerably with a high-intensity, forceful set.
Guitar-driven melodies, pounding beats, crunching bass and fuzzing lead guitar collide in a shoegaze-meets-grunge-meets-indie-rock eruption. It’s driving, punky and impressively energetic, yet the performance remains tight throughout.
Original songwriting and sheer live power go hand in hand, making them another inspired addition to the day.
Things strip back again as UNO MAS arrive on the stage. Frontman Olli and bassist Tom present an unusually unvarnished version of the band, offering the audience a chance to experience the essence of “the Mas” in its purest form.
Known for sparkling, lively indie rock, indie pop, alternative and synth-pop sounds, their songs retain their compelling hooks even without the full-band treatment. The stripped-back format reveals just how strong the songwriting beneath those gripping riffs and earworms really is.
The result is a lovely vibe and a collection of beautiful original songs.
Then The Seminals hit the main stage and they certainly don’t show any mercy.
The Runcorn band conjure up the spirit of ’90s indie with fast, varied sounds and high-intensity original songs delivered with energy and precision. These are excellent, forceful songs, and it doesn’t take long before people are up and dancing.
There’s something shadowy, winding and intoxicating about The Seminals, yet at the same time their sound feels strangely uplifting. Live, the band generate the kind of energy that reminds you exactly why experiencing music in a crowd can never quite be replicated anywhere else.
And finally, the mighty Zen Baseballbat bring Jan-fest… The Return home in dramatic fashion.
Their explosive collision of ska, punk and reggae sends a fresh rush of energy through the festival, with the crowd bouncing as the band unleash their individual, gloriously unruly sound.
Angry Man is a particular highlight in an excellent set that provides exactly the kind of energetic finale this festival deserves.
Also playing his part is Liverpool-based street artist Jay Wheeler, known for his distinctive “LOVE” artwork and his British bulldog, Dolly. Jay has built a huge following nationally and gives his time voluntarily to use his art to raise awareness around mental health. His support for the songwriting group goes beyond words too, creating the artwork for the stage and T-shirts to help raise funds, another example of creativity, community and mental wellbeing coming together.
What begins as a one-off event in 2024 now feels very much like something that deserves to continue. Jan-fest celebrates grassroots music exactly as it should be celebrated. With original artists, wildly differing genres, a sprinkling of covers, a welcoming crowd and live music at the centre of everything.
From delicate acoustic performances to funk, reggae, indie, folk rock, grunge, ska and punk, Janet Harding brings together a diverse line-up that somehow fits together beautifully.
Jan-fest is back and judging by the atmosphere at the Sunbeam Hotel, there are plenty of people hoping it won’t be another two years before it returns.
The event organisers would also like to say massive thank you to everyone who made it happen particularly the artists, Egils Zandbergs as the superb sound engineer, Dean Hill dynamic MC, stage / event managers, photographers Lucy Bell, Edie Footit, Ash Meenaghan and Jeff Jolly. Not forgetting all the stallholders, volunteers, the Sunbeam Hotel team and everyone else working behind the scenes.
To every artist that delivered top tunes, thank you for bringing the superb music. And to everyone who came and supported, thank you for making it all worthwhile.
Even the weather plays its part. After rain seemingly every other day, Saturday stays dry for us. It takes a lot of skill and people to put something like this together. The team certainly pulled it off and it was an absolutely brilliant experience for all.
Words – Claire Glover
Twitter @ClaireG1965
