Mayfest 2012 came to a rousing musical conclusion yesterday evening after a fortnight of theatrical fun and frolics. Goose Party, from Little Bulb Theatre, played a set of musical mayhem in the spit and sawdust surroundings of the Bristol County Sports Club just up Colston Street from the Colston Hall.
Despite walking by the social club hundreds of times, I had never been in before last night. But the surroundings looked familiar, and it was only when returning back home that I realised why: this was the bar that the teachers from Teachers used to drink in.
The band put on a fun and frenetic show, with one of their number blessed with a belting voice and a sarong that she gladly told us was threatening to fall off to reveal her “love potions”.
Away from the band, the room contained a veritable feast of Mayfest-ers. There were artistic directors Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin from MAYK; Tom Marshman, star of Legs 11; the Garage Band boys; and Claire Reddington, director of the Pervasive Media Studio in the Watershed, who helped with the creation of Magna Mysteria.
With a variety of instruments including a kazoo, harmonica and double bass, Goose Party put on quite a party to end this year’s Mayfest. They will hopefully be back next year as part of a festival that constantly amazes with its diversity and talent, and has become a real highlight among Bristol’s myriad of artistic offerings.
