By Graham Hiley.
It was well worth the wait as The Proclaimers closed the Wickham Festival in style.
The Scottish twins were due to headline here in August 2023 but were forced to pull out when Charlie Reid lost his voice due to a perforated ear drum.
But they made up for lost time with a slick 70-minute set which included all the crowd-pleaser favourites to set the Big Top bouncing.
They played half of their biggest album Sunshine on Leith including the title track which kicked off a four-pack finale followed by Then I Met You, I’m On My Way and of course I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) to finish.
That massive anthem had the crowd crying out for more as the curtain came down on another hugely successful event.
If Saturday night was party time courtesy of the Saw Doctors and Ferocious Dog, Sunday was a much calmer day, a chance to take it easy with some smooth sounds.
None more so than the easy-on-the ear set from legendary American singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers who wowed Wickham two years ago and returned to take it up another level.
With his warm crowd banter and a well-chosen selection of songs, this polished professional delighted the audience with a set which fitted right in with the chilled mood of the day.
While it has always been hard to give an exact label to his style, it was even more difficult to pigeonhole the Penguin Café who blended classical folk with jazz.
Similarly on Stage Two, Jack Broadbent mixed jazz and blues with folk and rock to win a host of new admirers before Project Smok closed the Little Top with a deft set on their Wickham debut.
Hundreds of fans have already booked for next year even before a single artist is announced, saving up to £100 on an adult weekend season ticket details at www.wickhamfestival.co.uk
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