Salisbury Festival 2011

Salisbury Festival Party in the Close

Caught in the Crossfire drummer Ian Grinter

Caught in the Crossfire drummer Ian Grinter

Salisbury Festival came to a close with a lively evening in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral. With a packed Cathedral Close, the evening got off to a start with Salisbury-based 5 piece band Caught in the Crossfire. Vocalist Sadie-Lee Cooper, guitarist Josh Mobaraki, guitarist Sam Pearcey, bassist Luke Bennett and drummer Ian Grinter got the crowds going and Ian put in a particularly energetic performance.

Next on stage came the infectious groves of the Kanda Bongo Man. The Congolese Soukous music is extremely popular in Africa and it was no less of a hit with the Salisbury Festival partygoers.

The headline act was The Soothsayers and the Red Earth Collective with their mix of reggae, funk, afrobeat and jazz. They had the crowd dancing until the finale of the show – the firework display by SMArt Pyrotechnics who painted the sky with beautiful colours and some pretty impressive explosions, all against the elegant backdrop of Salisbury Cathedral.

All in all, the closing party was a great success, leaving people of all ages in high spirits – something that even the onset of rain couldn’t dampen.

The Soothsayers and the Red Earth Collective

The Soothsayers and the Red Earth Collective. Photo by Lara Ball

Fireworks with a backdrop of Salisbury Cathedral

Fireworks with a backdrop of Salisbury Cathedral.