Lapstock to celebrate 10 years of Music at the Mill

The mid Devon village of Lapford will come alive at the end of July when local residents stage the 10th Music at the Mill Festival known to everyone as Lapstock.

The two day festival features bands from all over the country and is highly regarded amongst musicians for its professional staging and equipment.

It features a free Friday night programme showcasing young South West based talent before the main show on Saturday 30th July which will attract some 1200 people for 12 hours of music spread over three stages. In total 22 acts will perform over the two day festival.

Festival Director, Steve Keable said: “It’s amazing that we have managed a decade of Lapstocks. It’s a not-for-profit enterprise where any surplus goes to fund next year’s festival. “In 2012, Lapstock was the ‘last event standing’ – the only music festival not to be cancelled because of the awful weather that year. We invested in a rubber road which saved us but had we cancelled we wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to fund subsequent events. Nevertheless, we’re still standing and have a waiting list of at least 40 bands.

” Lapstock was conceived by ‘The Bill’ actor Peter Ellis (Superintendent Brownlow) and his wife Anita while they were living at the Mill in Lapford. It provides new bands with the experience of playing live at an open air festival and it attracts both festival junkies and family groups many of whom camp on site.

Steve Keable added: “Our aim is to celebrate local skills and talents at a music festival that is accessible to all and affordable. To keep costs low, musicians and bands play for expenses, not profit but they do benefit from the attention the event attracts from bookers and agents.

“We have a minor army of 100 volunteers which makes Lapstock very much a community event and everything from beer to bread and hay bales is sourced very locally.

” Featured bands for Lapstock 2016 include Echo Town, an acoustic folk/rock duo from Leeds who played Glastonbury this year; reggae/rock bad Lionstar; White Station, a blues influenced rock and roll band from Yeovil; and teenage band Ten Zero One who hail from Tavistock and first played Lapstock five years ago as 13 year-old before going on to play the O2 Arena as finalists in the national Live and Unsigned competition

Solo acts include the influential blues guitarist Jim Crawford and singer, song writer and multi-instrumentalist Adam Scriven.

Lapstock takes place over the weekend of July 29/30 and includes trade stalls, workshops and locally produced food and drink. The event supports Devon Air Ambulance. The Friday night young talent showcase is free. Tickets for the main festival day cost £20 on the door and £15 in advance and are available by visiting www.lapstock.org.uk

Photo: The Lapstock Crew