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Standon Calling Day 1 in pictures: Madness, Gabrielle, The Subways, The Skints, Nadia Rose, The Cuban Brothers, Craig Charles, Uncle Funk's Disco Inferno and Lucy Blue




The four-day Standon Calling music festival got under way on Thursday (July 21) – and although there was Madness, the recent heatwave meant it was mud-less, with no repeat of last year's final-day washout.

For the first time in the event's 21-year history – which began as a birthday barbecue for founder Alex Trenchard in the grounds of his family's country house, Standon Lordship – there was a main-stage headliner on the Thursday night.

That inaugural honour fell to north London nutty boys Madness, one of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early '80s two-tone ska revival, who are still going strong after 46 years and who perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up.

Madness frontman Suggs. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163819)
Madness frontman Suggs. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163819)

They turned the Lordship estate into a country house of fun by performing a 90-minute set peppered with most of their 15 UK top ten singles, including Baggy Trousers, It Must Be Love and House of Fun.

They were supported on the main stage by Gabrielle, the Dreams and Rise chart-topper who turned 53 on Tuesday, Welwyn Garden City-based rock trio The Subways – featuring Stortford's Billy Lunn – playing their home festival, reggae punk band The Skints, rapper Nadia Rose and The Cuban Brothers.

Meanwhile, the Laundry Meadows second stage played host to Lucy Blue, Uncle Funk's Disco Inferno – fronted by Stortford boat-dweller Simon Baker – and headliner The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, with the former TV Red Dwarf star doing a DJ set.

Bishop's Stortford's Simon Baker, frontman of Uncle Funk's Disco Inferno. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163821)
Bishop's Stortford's Simon Baker, frontman of Uncle Funk's Disco Inferno. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163821)

Thorley Park's Kelly Rose – aka DJ Digital Pocahontas – is making her Standon Calling debut.

She told the Indie that it was a "dream come true", adding: "I've been working towards this goal for a while and to finally achieve it is so amazing."

She will be at festival chill-out space Beefy Melons all weekend, including 8pm on Friday (July 22).

READ ALSO Standon Calling Day 2 in pictures: Anne-Marie, Space Man Sam and a rainbow

A dream come true... local DJ Kelly Rose, aka DJ Digital Pocahontas, playing her first ever Standon Calling set (58160558)
A dream come true... local DJ Kelly Rose, aka DJ Digital Pocahontas, playing her first ever Standon Calling set (58160558)
Gabrielle, who had No 1 hits with Dreams and Rise. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163809)
Gabrielle, who had No 1 hits with Dreams and Rise. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163809)
Gill Macdonald, Isabel Hospice's communications and marketing manager, with husband Paul and friend Valerie Neagus (58160518)
Gill Macdonald, Isabel Hospice's communications and marketing manager, with husband Paul and friend Valerie Neagus (58160518)
Billy Lunn of The Subways. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163807)
Billy Lunn of The Subways. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163807)
Cheers! Andrea Thorpe with husband Rob (58160520)
Cheers! Andrea Thorpe with husband Rob (58160520)
Marcia Richards of The Skints. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163813)
Marcia Richards of The Skints. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163813)
Of mice and men. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160544)
Of mice and men. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160544)
Mike Keat of The Cuban Brothers. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163815)
Mike Keat of The Cuban Brothers. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163815)
A tall toy story. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160522)
A tall toy story. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160522)
Nadia Rose. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163817)
Nadia Rose. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163817)
The can-can man... "This guy made his outfit and says he drank all the cans himself!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160532)
The can-can man... "This guy made his outfit and says he drank all the cans himself!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160532)
Lucy Blue. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163811)
Lucy Blue. Picture: Gerred Gilronan (58163811)
Mega-fun. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160526)
Mega-fun. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160526)
Silver wear. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160524)
Silver wear. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160524)
Snakes and ladders. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160530)
Snakes and ladders. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160530)
The Subways - frontman Billy Lunn and bassist Charlotte Cooper – playing their home festival. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160534)
The Subways - frontman Billy Lunn and bassist Charlotte Cooper – playing their home festival. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160534)
Laundry Meadows is home to the second stage. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160528)
Laundry Meadows is home to the second stage. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160528)
Cheesy chips. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160536)
Cheesy chips. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160536)
After the cheesy chips... pees! "These were BRILLIANT!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160538)
After the cheesy chips... pees! "These were BRILLIANT!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160538)
Monkey rocks. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160540)
Monkey rocks. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160540)
Festival field. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160542)
Festival field. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160542)
Madness were the Thursday night headliners. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160548)
Madness were the Thursday night headliners. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160548)
Dave Bromage with 11-year-old son Toby: "I carried this deceptively heavy scamp on my shoulders for the majority of Madness' brilliant 90-minute set... it must be love, love, love." (58160201)
Dave Bromage with 11-year-old son Toby: "I carried this deceptively heavy scamp on my shoulders for the majority of Madness' brilliant 90-minute set... it must be love, love, love." (58160201)
Madness singer Suggs looming large. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160546)
Madness singer Suggs looming large. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160546)
Former Red Dwarf star Craig Charles with his Funk & Soul DJ set (58160550)
Former Red Dwarf star Craig Charles with his Funk & Soul DJ set (58160550)
Fair play. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160552)
Fair play. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160552)
Seat of learning..."This was soooo comfy!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160556)
Seat of learning..."This was soooo comfy!". Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160556)
A cocktail vendor playing it cagey. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160554)
A cocktail vendor playing it cagey. Picture: Andrea Thorpe (58160554)

* Feel free to send us your Standon Calling photos. Email them to photos@stortfordindie.co.uk with the subject line 'Standon Calling'. Please add an explanatory caption. Alternatively, you can send them via WhatsApp to 07840 739650.



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