Beer and bands at The Cornerstone

By Barney Goodall

Beer. Music. Two simple entities that have proven over centuries to be the winning formula for having a good time. And why should Didcot's Cornerstone Beer festival be any exception?

From Friday July 17th to Sunday July 19th, there will be a fantastic array of local artists, local cuisine, and local beverages courtesy of the Abingdon Bridge Brewery who will be supplying an even wider range of ales than ever before with brews from across the UK.

Buy a token from the bar for just £7 and this will give you 4 x half pints to sample. You can use the token at any point over the weekend.

Cornerstone Arts will also be firing the barbeque up whatever the weather and be offering freshly scooped Purbeck ice cream from their outside cart.

Friday kicks off with Funkinsteins who are as funky as Mary Shelly was gothic. They'll get you in the groove for staying up late, and late you shall stay, with Sound Advice and their brilliantly limb twitching DJ set.

Moogie Man brings on Saturday with some excellent 'quirky acoustic punk-pop', as he describes it. You'll hear good tunes with highly amusing lyrics – cerebral, deftly delivered. Next up, Flipron will sing some catchy, crunchy pop tunes faintly reminiscent of the Cardiacs or Sparks within a lively, candy-floss veneer. Drew and the Invisible Few, a folky bunch likeable to a fusion of The Kinks and some Oasis, will then appear.

What more could you want...? Well, Gren Bartley. Yes, a country folk infusion from both sides of the pond. He's pretty good really so don't miss that man.

Sunday sees the cream of Oxfordshire grace the stage. You'll hear the beautifully refined voice of Will Lawson, previously from The Mojo Pins. Some meticulous country creations from Band of Hope will meet your ears in both country ballads and upbeat dances. Blind Dog Blues play some 'foot stomping rousing blues' with penultimate-set zeal before Very Nice Harry round off the festival with what they describe as 'Indie-prog-pop' and an enthusiastic beat filled finish.

All in all, what's not to like? Exactly, you know you want to be there! http://www.cornerstone-arts.org