Eyes on a small festival with a big heart and a bumper line-up of 25 acts led by Odyssey and D:Ream
Derbyshire’s ‘mini Glastonbury’ welcomed a fabulous selection of 25 acts to perform at The Eyes Have It Music Festival.
Festival organiser Simon Clark ensured that the four-day event was an unforgettable occasion with a variety of live enertainment to appeal to all tastes.
The festival at Duffield’s Eyes Meadow kicked off with a sell-out evening of acoustic music, opened by singer-songwriter Sam Law and closed by Doublecross whose set featured amazing harmonica playing.
Headliners Odyssey and D:Ream ensured things could only get better with people upfront enjoying themselves dancing the night away on Friday and Saturday, followed by The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican topping the bill on Sunday with their humorous take on many popular songs.
Those who like to dance were well catered for with local favourites Skarantinos livening things up from the word go on Friday and setting the scene for Odyssey. Fans of rock and blues weren’t disappointed either when These Wicked Rivers, The Alex Hamilton Band, and BB BlackDog all played stunning sets. There were folky punky vibes from Headsticks and Newcranes as well as The Endings who made the trip up from Telford.
Surianne had travelled all the way from the mighty Rock of Gibraltar to play at The Eyes Have It for the third time in just four years, after impressing Simon Clark so much with her first appearance that he had no hesitation in inviting her back.
I never fail to be pleasantly surprised by some of the acts that I’d not seen before, and this year was no exception, with the festival’s production manager Liam Barkley-Smith and his brother Gareth fronting their band Redwing who impressed me with some awesome guitar skills
A very modest lady by the name of Robyn Wallis-Johnson who held the packed audience in the marquee spellbound with a truly wonderful performance was the other pleasant surprise.
The hard-working sound crew, comprising Jim Rolley (front of house engineer, Meadow Stage), James Bennett (monitor engineer, Meadow Stage), Becky Carr (patch engineer) and Alan Humphrey (main engineer, Eyes Marquee), ensured the live music kept flowing on a hot weekend.
Children enjoyed art and circus workshops throughout the weekend and there were yoga classes for adults and children, all free. Just like the bigger festivals, there was a selection of yummy food outlets as well as some bespoke craft stalls.
Camping spots sold out and many vans were adorned with different flags which fluttered in the breeze.
The Eyes Have It Music Festival may be small, but it sure has a big heart, with many people returning every year to the friendly event where everyone can feel 100% safe.