We've listened to the feedback, had a bit of a think about things, and rung a few changes.  This year we have a new venue, new workshop leaders, the likelihood of proper salad and puddings, and the same GREAT time singing with loads of blokes!

BlokeFest 2014 is here!!  
Hoping we have a GREAT weekend of 
Men.Singing.And Stuff
About BlokeFest
For the THIRD year running on one weekend in June we’re going to sing like blokes, act like men and get to be one of the guys.  Our guiding philosophy is that singing is a truly manly activity as long as you sing the right stuff, in the right way, with the right men:

think Shanties not shandies
Lumberjack not Timberlake
DiY not R’n'B.

The plan is simple. 

We're going to  meet at a pub in middle Wiltshire with its own Campsite and the weekend unfolds like this . . .
What? 
Friday Evening - We're organising a visit to The Crofton Beam Engines, part of Wiltshire’s industrial heritage and one of the oldest working steam engines in the world.  Here, we’ll enjoy the sight, sounds and smells of the engines as well as the taste of some suitably solid sustenance and Kennet & Avon ales to keep us going.

We're hiring a coach for those who wish to fully partake of their wares.  (FYI This might be a few quid extra for partakers). 

Then it is back to the pub for some singing, some darts matches, some drinks and bed (at a reasonable time - it's a busy day ahead!).
Saturday - we'll be having numerous singing workshops and learning blokey songs from some well-known singing men (see below) in our BlokeFest Big Top!

We'll be hosting a communal evening meal, not forgetting our veggie and gluten-free brethren, and this year there will be proper salad and maybe even puddings!

We will then head back to the Big Top where the various men's groups - and anyone else who fancies entertaining us - will entertain the gathered throng with the world famous "BlokeFest Cabaret".
Sunday - We'll have another short Sunday Morning Workshop and then we'll be hiking a couple of miles to have a bit of exercise before returning to the Bruce Arms for a Father's Day lunch where family and friends will be encouraged to join us. 

On the way we will conduct sonic experiments at lower frequencies, singing songs as we go.  We'll return for a final sing and break camp during the afternoon.

More info on the BlokeFest 2014 Schedule page.
Ticket Prices 
We're not doing this to make a profit, just have fun and cover costs whilst trying to balance raising the standars of stuff, in particular the catering. This is the pricing structure we're working to:

Full Weekend Ticket £60, Youth £30
Two night's camping + Friday night activities (coach £5 on top) + all the workshops + the entertainment evening + Evening Meal + then Sunday events

Saturday Day Only Ticket £40, Youth £20
All the Saturday workshops + the evening entertainment + Evening Meal

Registration is now closed as we are up to our limited capacity.
Where? 
This year we are moving to darkest mid Wiltshire and we will be camping at and drinking in The Bruce Arms near Pewsey in the heart of Wiltshire. 

The Bruce Arms
Easton Road
Easton Royal
Pewsey
Wiltshire
SN9 5LR

It’s got a campsite next door and does great food and the beers are not bad either!

Pewsey has a rail station only a couple of miles from the pub.

Phone: 01672 810216 
Mobile: 07968 580804
Email:   thebrucearms@btconnect.com
The Bruce Arms, nicknamed the Gammon, is situated between the villages of Easton Royal and Milton Lilbourne near Pewsey in Wiltshire. Built between 1848 and 1855 by the Salmonach Estate, which owned many pubs. It came about after the original Coaching Inn, The Gammon of Bacon, situated opposite, burnt down. The only part of the Inn remaining is the water pump - which still works! 

There is access via foot or cycle to the the glorious Pewsey Vale - Crofton Beam Engines, Wilton Windmill and the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The Games Room offers Darts, Pool, Table Tennis, Skittles and even Short Mat Bowls plus of course the space for whatever we want to do and we will have our very own BlokeFest Big Top ! for the workshops and Cabaret.

Why?
BlokeFest is the deranged brainchild of The Magnificent AK47, (depicted in all their manly glory below) - they're the Singing Blokes of Ashton Keynes.

They’ve been singing and performing their own brand of testosterone stoked tomfoolery since 2008 and want to share the adventure with other men.
Who?
Your workshop leaders for the weekend will include:

Chris Samuel

A singing bloke if ever there was one. He leads five community choirs including The Magnificent AK47 and performs with the awesome Spooky Men's Chorale when they tour the UK and Europe. 

Find out more from http://www.singingwithattitude.com/ and he currently gigs with vocal trio The Croutons.

James Sills

Community Singer, Instrumentalist, Composer, Choir Leader and Music Teacher, James is the newest UK based recruit to the ranks of the Spooky Men’s Chorale (now becoming a global franchise).

When not guiding some of Liverpool’s finest through their GCSEs and A levels, he directs The Creative Community Choir in the Wirral and his very own Blokes group - The Bebington Bitter Men.

He performs with Liverpool’s award winning Sense of Sound as well as The Rough Island Band (he lives in Liverpool, they’re based in the Scilly Isles - makes sense!) and also writes and performs as a solo artist. It’s a wonder he’s got time to fit us in!

More info at http://www.jamessillsmusic.co.uk

Sam Burns


Proud Bristolian Sam spent 7 years touring with brilliant and famously unsuccessful 'The Moonflowers', best known for playing naked at Ashton Court Festival, setting fire to their trousers, & harassing Avon & Somerset Constabulary in large cardboard fish costumes.

After and eventful musical career including seven years in rural Normandy, he returned to Bristol and started the Gurt Lush Choir in October 2009, which swiftly grew to the (approx) 300  members it has today and would like to thank Bristol for being an extraordinarily hospitable singing city, that loves to say 'Yes!' to energetic music making.

He still claims to be the most useful wheel-barrow labourer of all Bristol's choir leaders. Check out Gurt Lush here: http://www.gurtlushchoir.com/
The UK Spooks (aka A Fistful of Spookies)

Each time The Spooky Men’s Chorale tour the UK they seem to pick up another Brit or two. Chris Samuel in ‘07, Adrian Mealing in ‘09, Philip Read and Michael Carlyon in ‘11 and James Sills (you already know about him) in ’13. This last means that we now have all the parts covered and have started performing the odd gig together (some very odd!) as ‘A Fistful of Spookies’.

We’ll also be leading a session at this year’s Blokefest and as we’re hoping for 80 or more singers this year, we’ll be teaching a Georgian song for two choirs so we can have a Massed Blokefest Sing-off.

If you’ve never come across the Spooks – take a look here: http://www.spookymen.com
Too late to book your place now - we are FULL!
Better luck next time