We’re back in Nuneaton for the tenth edition of Ragged Bear – the festival that always delivers.

It’s that autumnal time of year again when we head down the M6 to Nuneaton for Ragged Bear, the increasingly essential fixture in the late-season festival calendar. And this year there’s an added excuse to celebrate, as Ragged Bear reaches its tenth anniversary, bringing together another eclectic collection of folk, alternative, border morris, a new craft fair and some good old-fashioned folk-rock.

Halloween might have provided the theme for this year’s festivities, but there was certainly nothing remotely frightening about the prospect of twelve hours of live music, decent beer and a friendly crowd, all for a remarkably reasonable ticket price, seriously how do they put book so many top drawer acts for a bargain basement £40?

The festival has developed considerably since its early days, but the original ethos remains firmly intact. The brainchild of Greenman Rising’s Steve Bentley, Ragged Bear continues to demonstrate what can be achieved through enthusiasm, hard work and a deeply genuine passion for live music. It’s a festival that punches well above its weight, without losing the welcoming, slightly chaotic charm that makes it so appealing. The free Friday night in The Crew Bar remains part of the wider festival offering, while the ground-floor bar also hosts a programme of free performances throughout Saturday. My own festival experience, however, is concentrated on the main Queen’s Hall stage. With a full day’s photography and reviewing to contend with, there’s only so much one person can reasonably cover, and attempting to do justice to all acts on both stages would be something of a logistical challenge!

OVER TWELVE HOURS OF LIVE MUSIC

Saturday’s programme got underway at midday, with The Lauren South Trio setting the wheels in motion with a lovely set that would easily be scheduled later in the day at other events, from there, the schedule delivered a succession of established favourites, returning Ragged regulars and some welcome variety, building towards a headline appearance from Skinny Lister.

Liam Vincent and the Odd Foxes were among the early contributors to the day, it was a great set that really set the direction and vibe for the festival, their music is as entertaining as their performance which is fantastically athletic .

True Foxes followed, and would have been excused for being a tad jaded following a large series of gigs – including a couple in my favorite haunts on the Isles of Scilly! – but clearly the invigorating sea air had done the trick and there were no signs of weariness in their beatuful set which combined their own tunes with some cleverly reimagined covers. True Foxes added another dimension to a programme that continues to demonstrate just how broad the modern folk scene has become.

One of the great pleasures of Ragged Bear is the opportunity to catch up with bands that have become familiar faces over the years. Man The Lifeboats certainly fall into that category, and their inclusion was another welcome and lively addition to the day.

There was also an opportunity to catch Nick Parker and Ben Wain, whose appearances together have become something of a festival attraction in their own right, their combination of songwriting, musicianship and entertaining stagecraft makes for a particularly enjoyable proposition, and they’re a duo who understand the importance of connecting with an audience.

RAGGED REGULARS AND NEW DISCOVERIES

It wouldn’t be Ragged Bear without Steve Bentley’s Greenman Rising making an appearance. Having followed the band over several years, it’s always interesting to see how they develop, and their presence on the bill is always a welcome reminder of the festival’s roots, and the considerable amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen.

Britains Got Talent semi-finalist RuMac entertained the festival with his incredibly energetic and highly amusing set of accordion arranged covers, which had the whole crowd throwing shapes and huge beaming smiles emanating from the sound desk – big shout out to Willow on sound who did a fantastic job throughout the festival, while simultaneously sprinting between the sound desk and stage like a man possessed, without any dips in energy or good humour.

Onto Grammy-nominated The Haar, who brought further diversity to the day’s musical offerings. Their combination of traditional Irish music and contemporary interpretation has earned them considerable recognition, their set was undoubtedly the stand out performance of this, and arguably of all the Ragged Bear festivals. Their set was simply spellbinding, and the musicianship was unequalled with anything I have seen in years. The band not only brings together musicians of the highest calibre; but above all that, Adam Summerhayes talent on the violin borders on the unnatural.

How do you follow that? Well Skinny Lister were entrusted with bringing the tenth anniversary celebrations to a suitably raucous conclusion. A band whose reputation for energetic, folk-infused punk has taken them well beyond the traditional folk festival circuit, they were a fitting choice to headline an event that has always favoured the louder, more exuberant end of the genre.

TEN YEARS AND COUNTING

Ten years is a significant milestone for any independent festival, particularly one that has been built around the enthusiasm and hard work of a relatively small team. Ragged Bear has managed to establish itself as a regular fixture without losing its identity, and that’s no small achievement in an increasingly crowded festival market.

The combination of an accessible indoor venue, a varied musical programme, two stages, friendly surroundings and a ticket price that doesn’t require a second mortgage continues to make it a highly attractive proposition. There’s something rather refreshing about a festival where the emphasis remains firmly on the music and the people who come to enjoy it. The free Friday night and Crew Bar performances also ensure that there’s more to Ragged Bear than the main Saturday programme, providing opportunities for additional performers and giving festival-goers even more music to enjoy.

With the tenth anniversary now safely in the history books, attention has already turned to 2027. Tickets are already on sale, and the first announcements include the welcome return of Blackbeard’s Tea Party – whose previous appearances have certainly left their mark on the Queen’s Hall.

If those early announcements are anything to go by, there’s plenty more to look forward to.

Here’s to another ten years of Ragged Bear!

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