Baiter Park Poole (26/27.7.2025)
The shortest walk to see a band from my house seems to be becoming an obvious annual event to take in. Steadily growing (10-15000 capacity), Poole Harbour Festival is still a very local event – there are so many of these around the country and bands like Toploader and Razorlight play them, supported by a host of tribute acts, local bands and in this case some ‘boop boop’ DJ stuff. I never get sucked into that tent.
This one is in a lovely spot on the open park next to Poole Harbour. Usual but inevitable gripes about drinks prices but the site gets better organised every year. I can always pop home for lunch – but no need.
I just got the tickets for the Saturday and Sunday with Friday more of a warm up and no name acts to catch my eye.
Saturday
I had a lovely big camping chair with me for a few hours to ease my post-Oasis knee problem. I broke this trying to get out of it a bit later but I was armed with a knee brace and nabbed wife Sally’s chair until a reinforcement was obtained. A few £25 bottles of wine eased my bones. I don’t know how much longer I can do festivals for, but this Poole one will always be an easy option… relatively. Could be in a wheelbarrow next year at this rate.
Saturday was a scorcher – lovely day. I started by staggering to the ‘Smugglers Inn’ on the far side of this quite tight harbourside park (Baiter Park) plot. A marquee with some historic seafaring decoration and protection from searing sunshine and showers alike – camping chairs permitted.
We headed here for Carley Varley. A local singer songwriter, pop/rock, who does some covers as well – we catch a Paramore one. She plays solo but also with a band as she has to kick off this stage today. Yes, it’s her real name. Never disappoints and a good start.
Having seen The Killers numerous times, we skipped the last part and went over to catch tribute act, The Fillers. They were decent when playing former legendary local gig venue, Mr Kyps, about ten years back but they seem to have blossomed further. I parked myself outside the open doors of the Big Top stage in my camping chair, still in one piece at this point.
This takes me back to seeing the real Killers’ ‘surprise’ slot at the John Peel stage, Glastonbury 2017. Again, I was outside the tent, with an occasional glimpse of the band, but I could hear them ok. And so it is today, but this time injury induced on my part. The Fillers were great, despite my guilt at listening to a tribute band over the end of Carley Varley or the start of Lady Winwoods Maggot, where I headed next.
They say they can’t be pigeonholed. Heavy folk with a goth feel – dirty rock’n’roll – whatever, it grips and they are always an intriguing draw.
We don’t see the whole set. Decisions decisions. We head back and take a seat in the Big Top for Gaz Brookfield, having been alerted to his appeal by friends.
This guy has released nine studio albums and appears with a band (Company of Thieves) as well as solo. With over 15 years of successful performances, it should be no surprise that he’s well worth seeing. Folk/ rock mix and that is so good for a warm afternoon festival.
After Gaz, and taking on more pain relieving wine supplies, we set up camp in our chairs a fair way back on the right of the main stage. The Hoosiers provide the late afternoon entertainment. Seen them several times, including in the difficult Covid limited capacity period, so there’s an affinity there, especially to their Trick to Life LP (2007).
Front man, Irvin Sparkes, is the main force and original band member, along with the drummer Alan Sharland. Goodbye Mr A is one of their songs that you forgot you knew and is the set winner. Worried About Ray and Cops and Robbers are other memorable ones today from, that 2007 album.
The crowd is a real family one. Surprised shrieks of “ooo I know this one” and some music, sun and smiles seem all that most are here for. Not your average gig-goers and only the occasional band t-shirt of anyone who’s playing. Have I ever seen anyone in a Hoosiers t-shirt I wonder? Maybe a few Feeder ones here…just a few.
And so to the Saturday headliner: Feeder on the main stage. The band are based on two originals: main man Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose on bass. I don’t know what I was listening to in their glory years around 2000 but it wasn’t Feeder. I’ve seen them at several festivals over the years but not bought anything by them or seen them on their own tour.
13 top 40 albums and 20 top 40 singles. That is going it a bit but yet I am strangely unfamiliar with their material. They sound good but I have just missed their boat, I think.
They start with Buck Rogers – I know that one and near the end they play Kyoto and there was another for me. While I recognise a few other presumed singles, I couldn’t name them. A good end to a full day anyway and it is time for the short shuffle home.
Sunday
A slower start to our day two. We made it down to see local rocky favourite Chris Payne to play the Big Top. Today he is joined by his band, The Parade.
A mix of his own songs and rock covers. Purple Rain; Bat Out of Hell; Sweet Child of Mine. Not just any covers but imaginative rearranged versions with full on guitar.
Quite often I see these tunes blasted out in the confines of a pub so it’s good to see a full sized stage performance, with backing. Only a few days ago Chris mentions he was in hospital (being treated for pleurisy he says on Facebook) so good effort to play through the pain today.
I’m surprised not more are in the Big Top at this point but I think The Vengaboys are on the main stage. I’m safe in here.
We went out to establish a camping chair base at the main stage. Right side and a bit closer in than yesterday. Next was The Happy Mondays.
No photos but I listened, drank some cider and gazed at the increasingly grey skies above. The band were a decent backdrop to an afternoon in the park. Bez waved his maracas and stomped about pointing and keeping the crowd alive. Shaun Ryder geezered about in cartoon style and it was all a bit of a relaxed afternoon party.
Lastly and my main reason for coming today it’s UB40. I say UB40 but it’s all got unpleasantly complicated.
In 2008, the original main lead singer, Ali Campbell, went off to play with the now deceased Astro and the original keyboardist, Mickey Virtue. The split in the band and notably between Ali and his brother Robin has never looked close to being healed.
The UB40 playing here this evening are the ones legally trading as UB40, as opposed to ‘UB40 with Ali Campbell’. There are four originals left in this one, since the success started in 1978, including Robin Campbell along with Earl Falconer (bass); Jimmy Brown (drums), and Norman Hassan (percussion and vocals). The lead vocalist is Matt Doyle – fronting the band for the last four years, as Robin introduced him.
All this upheaval is a bit of a tragedy but this is where they are and here they are in Poole, which as an 80s resident of Moseley, Birmingham – UB40 country – is something of a special treat.
UB40 were something for Brum to be proud of. I saw them at the NEC Birmingham in the late 80s in what was the height of their popularity. I was right down the front thanks to some help from ‘an insider’. I didn’t follow their releases beyond the early albums and the singles but the tunes were belters.
The songs, this band, even in its hacked up form, are perfect for today’s family feel crowd. Everyone is bobbing about – couples in arms, babies in headphones and a big crowd all now focused on the main stage.
The hits rolled out. Red Red Wine (I even bought a few glasses as the bar had run out of cider). I seem to be on something of an emotional booze up to mark the visit of these sons of Brum to my now local park. Kingston Town, a personal favourite made the set. (Link to YouTube Chinnersrocks vid).
The rain didn’t quite keep off – Michael Fish may have been dabbling with the weather forecasts again – but most ignore the bit of moisture as it remains warm.
Down the front are dads and mum and lads and daughters. All ages singing along with the greatest hits.
Not sure how many are in the band but there are at least nine on stage so the depth of sound and subtlety of the percussion is evident. The band look to be having a good night out as well.
It’s that early classic Food for Thought which I catch on video for my YouTube channel. It catches the mood and the crowd just having a lovely time. I did as well. Thank you boys.
Hopefully I will catch up with Ali Campbell sometime as well but I saw something that indicated he was packing up touring.
Hopefully I will be back here next year – I expect I will buy some early bird bargain tickets without knowing who’s coming. It’ll be fine.
Gigs with Ivan 