Live Review: Garristonbury @ The Garrison, Barnsley

Photo Credit: Alicia Woods

Quickly becoming a staple venue in South Yorkshire for indie rock gigs, The Garrison in Barnsley have taken it to the next level with their all-day event GARRISTONBURY which saw 7 acts perform on a Sunday afternoon in front of a sold out crowd. Newcastle rising star ANDREW CUSHIN topped the bill, whilst a range of local favourites and some of the UK’s best names joined the line-up.

Grimsby adolescent trio REVIVALRY have been making waves in the UK scene recently, from starring in The Reytons’ ‘A Date with the Reytons’ to a main stage opening performance at Kendal Calling this summer, the Lincolnshire outfit truly know how to put on a show despite being so young. The indie-rock trio left their imprint on the venue, drawing a packed house for their opening performance that promised to be successful enough to earn a return to Barnsley. Bassist Josh Courfield made sure to make the most of every space available, including the floor, balcony, and stage as he utilised every area of the venue possible. It wasn’t long until band mate Ben and Lewis joined him for an acoustic melody in the centre of the room, before returning to the stage for an explosive conclusion.

Local band CIVIC GREEN followed next, with an already lively audience in front of them, this was a walk in the park for the Barnsley lads. Vocalist/guitarist Danny Hall donned a Barnsley FC home shirt, and as a collective are clearly very patriotic about their hometown. ‘City Streets‘ became more relevant as the song progressed, with Hall belting out the lyrics with pride. The 5-piece certainly attracted a host of new fans on the night, with each song getting a well earned reception, and could quite easily pack out the venue should they return for a headline performance.

Taking a more sombre approach, North Shields’ LIAM FENDER has emerged as a mainstay in the indie rock scene since reviving his career. Accompanied by a band for a more mellow sound, his rendition of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart‘ had the entire room singing along and gave the song a new lease on life. ‘Love Will Conquer‘ remains a staple in his live performances, and is a stand out song amongst the rest, but that doesn’t dilute the sheer rawness of his catalogue.

Midlands act THE JACK FLETCHER BAND have been making waves in the scene for a few years now, attracting fans all over the country with their regular activity, the band from Birmingham really made their mark in Barnsley with their energetic indie rock anthems, and with fans already of theirs in attendance, they attracted plenty of new ones on the night too.

Wigan quartet THE LILACS attracted the most active crowd of the evening. The band have already made their mark in Sheffield, and with that, a huge following made the short trip to Barnsley in their t-shirts and bucket hats. Their loyal fanbase flooded to the floor to show their support as ‘Sally‘ served as the opening track. A signed flag was waved in the audience throughout their performance, with more and more people showing their appreciation for the North West band. The crowd erupted in cheers as one of their younger fans Jack was invited to perform a small segment of ‘Grace‘, before Dave returned to conclude the song in true fashion. Concluding their set with ‘Vicarage Road‘, THE LILACS received one of the loudest receptions Barnsley has seen this year.

Photo Credit: Alicia Woods

Dubbed one of their favourite spots to perform in, THE ROSADOCS returned to The Garrison in full force, and the ideal warm-up ahead of their enormous sold out event in Sheffield in November. ‘Towards the Sun’ launched their explosive show and the whole crowd was off their feet, with the sold out crowd covering all areas of the venue. Guitarist and keyboardist Myles Henderson leaped off one of the amps back onto the stage during ‘At Your Door‘, as the band’s energy reached a new level, whilst an acoustic rendition of ‘Cross to Bear’ created a more relaxed atmosphere as the crowd lit up the venue with their phone touches to create a beautiful scene. Frontman Keelan Graney made his way into the crowd for ‘Run Away Instead‘, and once the chorus kicked in, it was lift off, before finally concluding their electrifying show with ‘Concrete‘.

Finally it was time for the main event, Geordie boy ANDREW CUSHIN and his band made their way on to the stage to round out the evening in style. The songs from his debut album were kept alive by ‘Let Me Give It to You‘ and ‘Comedown‘, but with a new album on its way, it’s possible that some of these won’t feature again, so this served as a great opportunity for fans of ANDREW to get their fix before new material is revealed. Throwback track ‘Catch Me If You Can‘ harkened back to CUSHIN‘s EP, and ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah‘ also featured early in the set. Fan favourites soon came flooding in, with ‘It’s Coming Round Again‘ alongside ‘You Don’t Belong‘ keeping up the energy levels both on stage and in the crowd, but it was the sets climax of ‘Wor Flags‘ that sealed the Geordie’s triumphant return to Barnsley, and with a packed crowd still sticking around late into the evening, it is clear that this will not be his last.

The Garrison put on yet another stellar event, and with a sold out crowd flocking to the intimate venue in Barnsley for the first ever ‘Garristonbury‘, it is clear the demand for a 2025 edition will be very high.

Photo Credit: Alicia Woods