BY Neil Harvey

LAST year they said it would never work, but it did.

The second Jurassic Fields Music Festival, held last Saturday on Askers Meadow in Bridport, was crowded, good natured and entertaining.

Two stages either side of the field with a large tent in the middle, serving drinks, with a variety of food outlets and entertainments around the outside.

Ticket sales were probably at least double that of last year – a real bonus for Bridport, as the organisers – Dan Broom and Scott Morris – have pledged to put any profits into creating music facilities in the town.

The line-up of bands on show had no ‘national’ headliners but included a range of largely south-western talent in the total of 23 acts – or around £1 per act for the cost of an all-day ticket.

The first three full acts were all stalwarts of Glastonbury, and have played thousands of gigs between them. Hobbo Jones, Funke and the Two-Tone Baby and Gaz Brookfield entertained the post-lunch crowd, but the first group to get people on their feet and getting involved was Weymouth’s The Mother Ukers.

The three-piece band thrashed their ukuleles through a range of covers, with the odd self-penned song thrown in for good measure.

One of last year’s success stories, Shelby’s Elbows, moved up to the main stage this year, and drew a large and appreciative audience, as those with night-tickets arrived and added to the atmosphere and the beer continued to flow.

Bridport’s Gravity Drive were on fine form as headliners of the second stage. The power and energy of the performance, coupled with the creativity of the songwriting created great interest, although the fact that all the songs were original compositions, some very new rather than favourite ‘covers’ kept the dancing to a minimum.

No matter, for next up were Orange Street, a 2-Tone/Ska band, with almost 20 years’ experience, who for nearly 90 minutes kept a large and enthusiastic crowd bouncing and singing – the perfect end to a perfect day.

So the question to Dan and Tom is 'what next?' The selection of bands, the quality of the sound, the all-round entertainment, the food and drink and the stewarding were all excellent. I look forward to seeing it bettered next year.