Rock and Bowl on course for record crowd
Market Drayton's own rock festival is set to hit its highest ever attendance in its milestone 10th year.
Ticket sales for the independent Rock and Bowl festival, due to be held this weekend, are approaching last year's total of 5,200, and organisers are hopeful of selling out all 6,000 tickets.
The festival has grown year on year since its inception in 2009 at a bowling green outside a pub in the town. It has grown into a three day musical spectacular at the Market Drayton picnic area, with each day of the festival raising money for a chosen group.
Organiser Laurence Payne reflected on the 10 years of bringing live music for good causes to the town, and spoke of his excitement for the event's return.
Laurence said: "It’s amazing and hard to believe that this is our tenth year, with every previous year outselling the one before it. What started off as something of an accident, through great community support with volunteers, attendees and sponsorship, has developed into an event that is both loved and surprises people with its incredibly high standards of production, musicianship and friendliness.
"We are extremely proud of having achieved this and you can sense a buzz about town as people look forward to a special weekend in the local calendar. That said the event now sees people travel from all over the country as its reputation grows which is an added bonus.
"Ticket sales are up 30 per cent on all previous years at this time, which we are naturally thrilled about. Last year we sold 5,200 tickets over the weekend so we’re hopeful to top that, or maybe even sell out the 6,000 we have as the weather forecast is very promising."
Rock and Bowl's lineup this weekend includes previous festival favourites Dr and the Medics, successful tribute acts Think Floyd and the Clone Roses, and home-grown Shrewsbury talent Dan Owen.
Dan has performed in Market Drayton many times before including at the 2013 Rock and Bowl. He has since hit new heights of stardom with airplay on BBC Radio 2, and his debut album Stay Awake With Me will be released in August.
Laurence spoke of his pride: "One of this year's highlights, musically, will be the return of Shropshire lad Dan Owen who played many years ago for us as a teenager.
"An outstanding young man and performer, we are thrilled to have him return from his professional musical residence in London in the year that has seen all his hard work and talent pay off.
"Watching Dan’s career grow from when we first saw him as a teenager has been a great experience, although anyone who’s seen Dan play and knows him will not be surprised by this."
The Rock and Bowl will also see the launch of a real ale produced in Dan’s honour, brewed at the Joule's Market Drayton brewery. The blonde ale is to be named Icarus, after one of the 25 year old's most successful singles.
The three groups that will benefit from the festival this year are the MS Society, the breast cancer and prostate cancer units at the Princess Royal Hospital, and Beating Bowel Cancer.
Ticket sales for Rock and Bowl are online only, with under 12s going free and an adult weekend ticket costing £55. To book visit rockandbowlfestival.com/tickets.html
