Star comment: Thanks for the music memories
The disappearance of V Festival from Shropshire’s events calendar is a source of sorrow.
Though the event did at times attract unsavoury headlines – loud revellers, too much litter, traffic chaos and the like – the organisers worked hard to be good neighbours and were largely successful.
By the end of its tenure, V had rooted out most of those troubles and was a welcome addition to the county, providing revenue streams to local businesses and making donations to good causes.
It was also a marque event in the county’s cultural schedule, bringing truly international A-Listers to a quiet field on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border. It’s unlikely that the county will again welcome the likes of Beyonce, Oasis, Coldplay, Amy Winehouse and Stormzy.
Festivals have flooded the spring and summer market in recent years and there are hundreds of events around the UK. The beauty of V was that it was unashamedly mainstream. While some events focus on the esoteric and left field, V pinned its colours to the mast by attracting the biggest names from around the world.
It might not be the end of the road, of course. Weston Park has proved its ability to host large scale festivals and is in talks with promoters to bring other activities to its site. With an established track record, it has every chance of fulfilling that brief.
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For the locals who live near to Weston Park, the loss of great music won’t be their chief concern. They will be more disappointed that the money generated by the event will be lost. It helped to fund deserving organisations in Weston Park’s hinterland and that opportunity, for now, is gone. All that we have left is precious memories of an event that grew and grew as organisers worked hard to get it right.
And what memories they are. V started at the time of Britpop and attracted some of the biggest names in Britain to a humble corner of the region. Over the years, it increased its appeal as it gradually shifted towards the mainstream and embraced pop.
There were moments that will live long in the memory; Amy Winehouses’s out-of-it appearance in 2008 and the final appearance by Oasis in 2009 are chief among them.
And now the party’s over and it’s time to bid V goodnight. We enjoyed it while it lasted. So, for now, so long, V, and thanks for the music.
