Lambeth Country Show Sunday 2012

October 9, 2012

The Lambeth Country Show has a 38 year history of allowing the London Borough of Lambeth’s inhabitants to see marquee live music acts perform without charge. Ostensibly a traditional country fete in an urban setting, the show takes place in Brockwell Park which lies between Brixton, Tulse Hill and Herne Hill and is one of the few remaining free London festivals with a reggae element (the advent of the internet has made local councils less willing to spend their budget cleaning up after a party the whole of the capital is able to attend). This February Lambeth Borough Council announced that the Country Show would be cancelled due to a lack of resources diverted to the 2012 Olympics. Just like their ill fated 2008 attempt to reduce the live element (and relinquish the services of Culture Promotions Nicky Ezer who books the reggae acts), the decision proved unpopular with residents. So, following a petition, the council agreed to “a scaled down event” moved from its usual calendar date of late July to 15th and 16th September.

Lambeth Country Show - Hollie Cook

Despite the promised restrictions in size, Ezer put together a solid and impressive lineup of homegrown and Jamaican talent, topped by the fiery Trelawny deejay Anthony B, to rival the appearances of Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke and Luciano in 2011. With London in the final gasps of an “Indian Summer”, the weather on the Sunday – traditionally the roots reggae day – was actually better than it had been in July the year before!

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