Guitars make their return to play Monkees' hit

No sooner have the guitars dried off and been put back into their cases, musicians will start to practice the big number that will echo around the town at next year’s event.

It will be held over the weekend of September 6 and 7, and on the Saturday bands will perform on the main stage on Town Beach until 11pm at night.

Geoff Baker, who organised last year’s event, said: “It’s going to be bigger and better. This year it is going to be held over the whole weekend rather than just the Saturday and it is all going to take place on the beach where the stage was last year.

“It was a bit too spread out last year, so we want to concentrate it all in one place. It was such a success for Lyme Regis, with businesses and pubs happy because it brought more money in, so we thought we would do it again and we are hoping to make it an annual event.”

Organisers are again hoping to break the record for Britain’s biggest band, and will be inviting each of the 2,267 guitarists who attended this year to come down to Lyme again.

The song that has been chosen will be the Shrek version of the Monkee’s smash hit ‘I’m A Believer’.

Mr Baker said: “We have chosen that song because it is a bit more funkier, and it is a bit more fun to play. We will also play ‘Rave On’ again, but ‘I’m A Believer’ will be the main song.

“We are also hoping more local musicians, whether it be a band or an individual, will want to play and we want to give the aspiring musicians time and experience on the stage.”

It will again be held in conjunction with Food Rocks, which also proved very popular last year, with celebrity chef Mark Hix currently recruiting more chefs to visit Lyme for the festival.

There will be more food stalls in Langmoor Gardens and Lister Gardens, with buskers planned to be at strategic spots so the air is constantly filled with music.

For more information, to volunteer or to register, contact Geoff Baker by emailing geoffbaker12@btinternet.com