Twins put £100,000-plus into five-stage festival in a field
Wednesday 23rd March 2011, 11:30AM GMT.
Paul, left, and John Stephen at the festival venue. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 1113236)
TWO brothers are hoping Guernsey gets behind their festival this summer after jointly investing more than £100,000 in the project.
Jon Stephen, who runs his own accountancy business and twin brother Paul, 38, from Credit Suisse, have put everything into the Guernsey Festival of Performing Arts which will take place on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July.
‘We need to come out at the other end without a loss or we won’t be able to do it again,’ said Jon.
While the pair have organised events before – this one has grown beyond all expectations.
- Tickets are on sale now. An adult weekend pass is £84, camping is an additional £24, with day tickets available and concessions for children and under 15s. For more information and a full list of all the acts go to www.guernseyfestival.gg.
- Read the full story in the Guernsey Press. See below for subscription details.
- To read Guernsey Press stories in full click here for subscription details. Individual editions are now available online.
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
Having found out that one of the organisers is an accountant, it beggars belief. Has he done his sums right?
Have they considered the demographic, the poor line up, the ridiculous entry costs? Basic economics.
The line up is in my opinion worse than the Vale Earth Fair but 5 times the cost.
These things don’t work in Guernsey.
In sum, give up now chaps. This is going to FAIL and you WILL lose money.
Report abuse
Ah, the typical Guernsey response.
It’s never going to work, i thnk the bands are rubbish and it’s too expensive.
I’m guessing sceptical is also one of the first to moan that theres nothing to do in guernsey.
I think for a first time festival in a location as out of the way as guernsey the guys have done a fantastic job to get together the line up they have. I’m not saying that they would all be my first choice for my dream festival but theres a good range of acts covering a wide range of the musical spectrum (and who doesn’t love Gaslight anthemn and Couragehavecourage)
I was a tad shocked when i found out the ticket prices, but that’s what it costs to get acts of this level to Guernsey and put on this kind of show. It’s no different to what you would pay to go to jersey live and the line up is at least as good if not better.
I really hope the guy’s at least break even on this and that everyone who’s ever moaned that nothing good ever happens will support they’re attempt to change things.
Report abuse
Mmmm…Same weekend as the Sark Folk Festival…doesn’t seem like good planning to me..!!
Report abuse
They also scheduled it the same weekend as the Sark FF – whoops! Can Guernsey support two music events in one weekend? Given the good things we heard about Sark last year we booked our tickets months ago. The two events may attract different audiences but why compete?
Report abuse
Sceptical, have you considered that if an islander wanted to see even one of those bands in the UK it would collectively cost them more than £84 plus camping(flights, hotel, etc.)? Maybe when you consider that some of those acts are pretty popular – Ocean Colour Scene, Frank Turner, Example… to have them play on your home turf is brilliant and it gives local people who may not be able to afford to go to the UK to see multiple bands a chance to see some good live music on their door step. Plus there’s a variety of stages to suit different tastes. I think the price is a bargain for what you get.
Good on you Stephen brothers – ignore the sceptics!
Report abuse
Totally agree with Sceptical.
Don’t see the point in this when Jersey Live and UK festivals have a much better lineup.
I do not see a profit will be made from this when others haven’t been able to do so until now.
Saying that, Ocean Colour Scene are very good – I saw them live in London a few years ago, but worth £64 for the one day adult pass….. no.
CourageHaveCourage are worth a listen too!
Report abuse
Fair play to Jon and his brother! This must be very daunting and I hope it gets supported enough so that it may become an annual event.
I’m sure the demographic HAS been greatly considered – hence the huge variation in acts and stages.
IMO the line-up is fantastic and varied and it is great to see certain acts billed that have already done most major festivals in the past, such as Glastonbury, to name but one.
The admission costs are evidently going to be greater than Vale Earth Fair, due to the scale of this 2 day event and the quality of acts it has secured on our own doorstep. I personally cannot grumble at the price and it is in-keeping with Jersey Live costs, which also had to start somewhere. Fingers crossed this DOES work in Guernsey – I think that it will!
In sum, DON’T give-up (not that you will), this WON’T fail, as the acts will be at least be playing on these shores, and, I sincerely hope you break even/make a gain.
Roll-on: OCS, The Go Team! :D
Report abuse
Sceptical
Poor line up? Ridiculous entry costs? What a strange post, the line up is excellent and £84 for 2 whole days’ entertainment seems more than fair to me. The Earth Fair will cost about £15 for one day and there are no confirmed acts, so your post doesn’t make much sense I’m afraid.
Report abuse
My points were merely as follows:
1. Main stage line up is dreadful (Ocean Colour Scene and X factor rejects.
2. Smaller tent line ups are reasonably good, but not worth the money.
3. Ticket price is not going to attract the right mix of people. Economically unsound pricing model.
4. Victoria Avenue. Enough said.
And I am the last to moan about the fact there is nothing to do in Guernsey. I’d save my £84 and go to a proper festival in UK/Europe.
I wish these guys luck, but I can guarantee they will LOSE money on this venture.
Report abuse
DA66 I don’t think the people who go to a folk festival would necessarily go to a rock festival also hear Sark not that cheap either. Good luck Jon & Paul
Report abuse
I think hearing Hayseed Dixie’s rendition of Motorhead’s “The Ace of Spades” is worth the entrance fee alone!
Report abuse
@ sceptical
4. victoria avenue – enough said – what is that supposed to mean ? the festival is in 7 acres of fields (not the same venue as Guernsey live).
as for your points on the main stage, i’ve heard who the sunday night headliners are and they’re worth the £84 alone i think they are being announced in the next few weeks.
agreed, i wouldnt have gone for any britain’s got talent acts but i think they’re trying to attract familys. Example, Gaslight Anthem, OCS, Frank Turner are very credible. The other stages all look very impressive too.
i hope everyone supports it so it can be an annual event in our calendars, i’ve got my ticket sorted
Report abuse
KL – Everybody has heard who the headliners are, worst kept secret in Guernsey!
I’ll be at the Folk Festival.
Report abuse
Sometimes you could just bang your head against a brick wall with the attitude of some of this islands population. “It’s too expensive” “the bands aren’t big enough” “the venue is rubbish”!!! For goodness sake, this could become a fantastic annual event for Guernsey if just given the chance by the locals! Some of the rumours running around this island makes me laugh…people were honestly expecting the likes of Green Day or Aerosmith to find time/actually want to visit our little island!! So basically, if I am to understand correctly, what it will take to get the skeptics to an event like this is for Jon and Paul to get Mainstream acts over and charge half the price! Is that right??
Come on…
I think this is going to be such a fantastic event, and if locals could just look slightly beyond their own opinionated reasons for not quite thinking it’s good enough, it could be huge! I for one can’t wait, as an earlier poster said “its our own local festival, right on our doorstep…no need to spend hundreds of pounds to travel to a UK event, it’s right here, and will be just as good as anything else on offer this year!! Plus, the interest from people in the UK seems to be growing (if you take a look at their facebook page) so clearly people are keen, even if you aren’t!
Report abuse
Such a rip off. i like my festivals but this will not be on my list.
2 years ago i got to see skindred at vale earth fair all for the price of 15 pounds.
you might aswell go the whole hog and buy a download ticket instead of going to this
Report abuse
Sceptical = £84 will be well under your travel coasrs to UK/Europe, even if better line up involved (individual taste here).
Vic Ave – at least most event goers could walk to this venue.
H – many things clash locally : choose your desire, plus Folk may not attract same people.
Cost of boat to Sark also!!!
To all – whether it makes money/is a success etc
at least they are giving it a go!
Report abuse
i cant wait for this, i hope people actually turn up, and not let it be like guernsey live where those who moaned about the money and didnt go ended up regretting after hearing from those who bothered to go spoke so highly of it. i personally think its a great line up, having seen both example and frank turner at festivals and thier own shows and both are excellent. i cant wait to gaslight and i think the “x factor rejects” which i believe are more britains got talent rejects, add a nice element of entertainment, and something for younger audiences, providing a family day out.
also looking forward to finally seeing couragehavecourage, which seeing as theyre guernsey boys in my opinion we should be supporting anyways (plus theyre pretty good)
but i think the 5 stages and the range of line up is a good way of appealing to as many as possible, i hope it pays off for the guys and i hope its something that will stick around, im personally looking forward to it more than jersey live as at least i can sleep in my own bed, and its not in jersey!! :)
Report abuse
I think the price is reasonable (SFF will cost the same £50 ticket, £25 boat and £15 camping) and everyone’s who’s complaining remember what Jersey Live was like in it’s first year (or maybe not if you didn’t go) no really big names. It had to make money and gain a following in order to bring over the big acts. If this is supported and there’s a good turn out then this could be an awesome festival in years to come with some big name acts.
If this festival fails it will be because of the clash of events on this weekend (it’s not just Folk folk that enjoy SFF, I’m rock through and through and had a great time last year). One point though, I think you’ve missed a trick by charging 16-18 year olds full price or no discount for students or something. £84 is a lot of money especially for someone who is still at school. In order for your festival to be supported you need to offer support too.
Has Frank Turner been confirmed? He doesn’t have this on his tour dates on his website?
Report abuse
I just priced up going to a festival in the UK which is taking place in London 2 weeks before the Guernsey one.
Flights £101
Trains £30
Hotel £80
Festival ticket £120
So that’s a grand total of £331, which just goes to show what utter rubbish people like Gsy Girl are talking. Download is £145 for the ticket alone, add travel and accommodation costs and it’ll be close to £400, wise up and support a LOCAL event.
Report abuse
They’d better pray for some dry weather as them fields down there get bloney boggy! Pack your waders party people.
Report abuse
The Truth – that will add to the festival atmosphere….will be just like Glastonbury!
Report abuse
DD
Jersey live was awesome the first year.
Razorlight and The Scratch Perverts we’re worth the trip by themselves.
They were however woefully under stocked on cider and had run out by 12.15. Stephen’s boys, let that be a lesson to you.
Also the bus situation on the way back to St Helier was a farce.
Report abuse
The line up is amazing!
I’m coming from Jersey and the cost aren’t that bad at all compared to Latitude, which I went to last year and one of the main reasons was Frank Turner, that ticket price alone was £150ish!
JL so far is pretty poor, Madness will be amazing but nothing else interests me.
and Sunday headliner? Please share the secret!!
Report abuse
Not only is the Sark FF on that weekend but also the Dance World Cup in Paris!!! Guernsey is sending many of its best dancers and performers to Paris that weekend.
Geez I really support the initiative shown by these brothers but they should have really consulted the industry and looked at their calender when scheduling this event.
Report abuse
i would love to go an see this, but 2 adults+5 kids, my wages i earn wouldn’t allow this treat, ahhhh really it should be cheaper, i know a lot that would, but just cannot afford to go. hope it all goes well though, an well done for these guys to come up with this for the island
Report abuse
I am actually performing at this event, not on the main stage but one of the other stages, and my understanding is that the outside stages are free. Me and the rest of the boys are really looking forward to it.
I think its been a bit of a whoopsie on the same weekend as sark folk festival but still. Frank Turner is playing this and to be honest he is awesome.
But 80 quid for a ticket to watch something in your own back yard, may at first seem steep. But when you actually think of the logistics it is entirely reasonable. Say I wanted to go and see Frank Turner on his UK tour in May. I would pay 20 quid for a ticket for the gig itself. Then near enough £100 to get off the island and will probably need accomodation some where so the whole weekend to watch one act would cost me £200. Where as now we have been presented with an opportunity to watch many bands and acts perform for £80 and you get to sleep in your own bed. That seems great value to me.
I hope people do support this and come along, the majority of people who are complaining of the costs are the ones who sit at home and complain there is nothing to do here then when there is something, complain about it as its the plague.
Sceptical, i will see you at the front then for our set! ;-)
Report abuse
@ will
i know the brothers and they were told by the states there was nothing on this weekend. by the time they found out about the sark folk festival dates it was too late as contracts had been signed and deposits paid on the stages and a few bands. had they known they wouldnt have clashed with the sark folk festival. no promoter would do that.
Report abuse
@kl – “they were told by the states there was nothing on this weekend.”
hmmmmmmmm ‘The States’ as an entity hardly have their finger on the pulse of local music do they? Amongst other things I don’t trust them to sort out our pensions, electricity supply, sewage or postal service so as for advising on a music festival well good luck!
The SFF is on the same weekend as last year, so not too difficult to work out the clash and they made public their intention to go ahead for another year pretty soon after the successful (understatement) first event. A few phonecalls to those involved with the bigger Guernsey events would have solved this whole problem.
Why not reschedule for the Sunday of the August bank holiday? I don’t think there’s anything else going on.
Report abuse
£84, and it’s from midday-11.30pm both days yeah ? so 23 hours of entertainment and festival fun, so about £3.65 per hour of entertainment, not bad value at all ! come on guernsey let’s support this
Report abuse
appreciate the effort boys but i can’t see the festival experience being achieved for me at this event. for that amount of money i know where i’ll be that weekend. ocean, colour, scene will be in mind but it’ll be whilst looking back at the sunset from about nine miles away with a nice ale and that genuine festival encounter. good try
Report abuse
I am the promoter of this event, and I am happy to put the record straight on a few matters. Its very easy for people to post anonymous comments on a forum such as this, with little knowledge of the facts, ulterior motives, or regard for others.
The (full) line up that we have is of the highest profile that this island has ever seen and, personal tastes aside, is on a par to that of previous Jersey Live Festivals. We will never be able to please everyone, but the huge variety of acts on offer will undoubtedly please the vast majority of the general public. We cannot pander to the needs of a small minority.
With regard to ticket prices, they are reflective of the huge costs required to bring over the infrastructure needed to stage an event of this nature, and the many acts who will be appearing in Guernsey. Irrespective of the additional costs required to bring artists and infrastructure to the island, the ticket prices are in fact around 20% lower than that of an equivalent UK festival of a similar scale, with similar acts, Example, Lissie, Ocean Colour Scene, The Gaslight Anthem etc. Of course, the festival presents an opportunity for many people to see a vast array of famous bands and artists without incurring any travel costs whatsoever. We appreciate that not everyone will be able to afford a ticket, which is why we are providing a large amount of free content, and at our own personal cost. There is no reason why the whole community cannot participate in this event.
The festival will generate tax revenue for the States of Guernsey (e.g tax on non-resident entertainers), regardless of whether we, the promoters, make or lose money, and will benefit many local charities and business. No charity will walk away from this festival empty handed, and many have signed up already.
With regard to the clash with the SFF, it is unfortunate and cannot be helped. The States are in no way to blame for the clash, it is not the result of bad planning, it is a simple matter of logistics. Up to around 10 of our acts are also appearing at many of the major UK festivals including Glastonbury, Reading, Isle of Wight, V-Festival, T-In The Park, Blissfields, Wireless, to name a few. The vast majority of the infrastructure that we are utilizing, including big top marquees, staging, sound production, stewarding etc., is also used by the major UK festivals, leaving the Guernsey Festival with a very limited choice on dates, so much so that we literally had no choice whatsoever with regard to the dates of the festival (have you ever wondered why Guernsey Live was held in May!!). Our only options were to go ahead with the festival on 2/3 July 2011 or not at all. We chose to go ahead, and do not answer to any other promoters on the island. The SFF committee were in fact aware of our plans several months in advance of announcing the 2011 SFF, and that we had no option with regard to dates, but felt that the events were sufficiently different to cause any significant problems. In reality, even if the events were a week apart, it is unlikely that any more than a few hundred people from Guernsey would likely attend both festivals, and I am afraid that we cannot let a very small minority dictate the fate of such a costly event.
It is of course unrealistic of anyone to expect us to try and work around the Paris Dance World Cup!!
Not only are we marketing this festival to the entire Channel Islands, comprising a demographic of at least 100,000 in the age range of 5 to 65, we are also utilizing a London based PR firm, entirely at our own cost, to help raise the profile of the festival across the entire UK. We have already received interest from many high profile publications, who will be running features on the Guernsey Festival, which will be read by millions, and can only benefit the island of Guernsey.
Individuals are of course free to comment as they wish, as indeed we are, however should anyone have any particular concerns regarding the Guernsey Festival, I will be happy to address these personally.
Jon Stephen (Guernsey Festivals Limited)
Report abuse
If you want to go to Sark, then go. If you want to stay in Guernsey, then stay. Jeez, this clash sounds like it is the end of the world. Two music events in one weekend, get over it. Make a choice if you’re grown up enough to do that. Get your wallet out and buy a ticket to whichever one you prefer. Put a tenner away a week for the next nine weeks, don’t go out drinking for two weeks if you want to go. Stop your griping and support the community and its events. Sick of it.
Report abuse
Come on people, let’s support this eh.
I for one am doing BOTH :)
SFF Friday and Saturday then back Sunday morning to go and support the Guernsey Festival.
Some folk seriously need to chill and stop being so negative about stuff.
Lazing about drinking ice-cold beer whilst listening to some great bands…what on earth is there to complain about that?!?
Report abuse
saw OCS in concert a few years back – not impressed in the slightest – drunk and late.
Report abuse
Not surprised you weren’t impressed if you were both drunk AND late… ;-}
Report abuse
Jon Stephen,
I noticed that you stated that the target demographic is 5 years to 65 years. I looked on your website and under 5s go free… Does the same apply to over 65s? (just kidding!).
Apologies for the comment about Dance World Cup and SFF. I saw the title “Guernsey Festival of Performing Arts” and jumped to the conclusion that locals who are involved in the performing arts would be performing – so my bad. I’m personally looking forward to the event and I hope the Guernsey community at large gets behind this venture and gives it the support it deserves. Well done to both Paul and John.
Report abuse
It’s sad that people muck these two brothers for trying to do something for us Guernsey people.
I just hope it goes well and they make some money out of it. You never know if it goes ok then maybe next year it could be bigger and better who knows?? Good luck anyway.
Report abuse
Wil,
We are looking to involve local performing artists, so if anyone wants to be involved, please feel free to contact us (info@guernseyfestival.gg), and tell us a bit about what you can do. This also extends to the many visual arts.
We have already sourced several performing artists from the UK, outside the genre of music, who will be appearing in the ‘Art Arena’, details will be on our website soon (www.guernseyfestival.gg), but our budget for this content is quite tight (we receive no States funding or significant sponsorship), so it would be great to have some local acts in this arena also, world cup contestants aside of course.
Jon Stephen (Guernsey Festivals Limited)
Report abuse
Good on you Bros.
Well articulated comment above Jon. I’m sure the task itself is daunting enough without unfounded cutting comments.
It may not satisfy the taste of all in Guernsey, or be within the pocket range of every Guern, but I have to put my hand up and say; ‘I cannot for the life of me see how this offends people enough to compel them to post negative comments’. GGgrrrrrr! Save up and plan for it people. It will be awesome.
Good luck with everything and thank you for all your hard work so that I can pay a fair price for two days of entertainment that Guernsey should be proud of!
Report abuse
I d just like to say well done, what a refreshing change to see something different and well needed in Guernsey…..I really hope it all goes well I would definately be going if I still lived there…as for the price I used to easily spend £60-£90 on a night out in town and that was over 6 yrs ago!!! Come on people stop moaning and support this!!
Report abuse
I have only read a few comments and i think is such a good idea. People in Guernsey should be grateful you have people who are willing to put time and money into something that could be a good weekend. If you didnt go to this what would you be doing instead, out in the town at night spending yet more money?
If i lived in Guernsey i would go just for something different and something you could have a laugh at. Maybe some of you who say its a waste of time should live here and maybe you would appreciate what you have over there!
for all who are going, have a good time.
Report abuse