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Review: Eggs-cellent quirky Chickenstock music festival at Stockbury near Sittingbourne

The eggs-traordinary thing about Kent's quirkiest outdoor music event is that every act is a cracker.

Chickenstock, the brainchild of Beth and Moya Taylor, has grown from a birthday bash in their back garden to a fully-fledged four-day festival in a field in the heart of the Garden of England.

Chickenstock organisers Beth, left, and Moya Taylor
Chickenstock organisers Beth, left, and Moya Taylor
Entrance to Chickenstock music festival at Stockbury near Sittingbourne on Saturday
Entrance to Chickenstock music festival at Stockbury near Sittingbourne on Saturday
The crowd at the Chickenstock music festival
The crowd at the Chickenstock music festival

It's primarily for folkies but there are lots of cross-over performers to appeal to all age groups .

Hidden away off the beaten track, in the back lanes of Stockbury, it now draws fans from all over the country eager to experience the eclectic entertainment it has become famous for.

Saturday was a case in point. One of the first to clamber onto the main stage was Lekiddo, self-proclaimed Lord of the Lobsters and one of Britain's most endearing and enduring eccentrics, fresh from performing at Glastonbury.

He mesmerised the crowd with his pinchy-pinchy kiss-kiss euro disco music and then, in the middle of summer, performed It's Christmas (I bet you don't know what I'll get you). It turns out he was born and bred on Sheppey.

"It's so nice to be back in the area," he said afterwards.

Lekiddo, Lord of the Lobsters, from Sheppey, entertaining the crowd at Chickenstock
Lekiddo, Lord of the Lobsters, from Sheppey, entertaining the crowd at Chickenstock
Lekiddo fans in Christmas hats at the Chickenstock music festival at Stockbury
Lekiddo fans in Christmas hats at the Chickenstock music festival at Stockbury
The Zac Schulze Gang at Chickenstock music festival, Stockbury, on Saturday
The Zac Schulze Gang at Chickenstock music festival, Stockbury, on Saturday
Anthony John Clarke and his wife Julia at Chickenstock, Stockbury
Anthony John Clarke and his wife Julia at Chickenstock, Stockbury
Jim Knowler and Serena Sykes of Bamboozle at Chickenstock, Stockbury, on Saturday
Jim Knowler and Serena Sykes of Bamboozle at Chickenstock, Stockbury, on Saturday
Mr Tea and the Minions at Chickenstock. Stockbury, on Saturday
Mr Tea and the Minions at Chickenstock. Stockbury, on Saturday

He was followed by the raucous three-piece Zac Schulze Gang from Gillingham who cheekily opened their set with a cover of Good Morning Judge by 10cc, burst into a rousing version of Bully Bully and ended with Freebird as guitarist Zac, 21, writhed on the floor watched by his brother Ben, 24, on drums and the bearded Ant Greenwell, 23, on bass.

The 10cc track was not lost on festival-goers. That band had been due to play on Sunday but was replaced by The Undercover Hippy because of "contractual issues". It says a lot for Chickenstock's reputation on the festival circuit that most seemed unconcerned.

Steve and Jane Brazier from Dorking were typical. They shrugged. "These things happen."

Other highlights included the gentle humour of Irish folk singer Anthony John Clarke accompanied by his wife Julia on keyboards; rockabilly favourites Bamboozle with Thanet's Jim Knowler on guitar and Serena Sykes on double-bass and the indescribable Mr Tea and the Minions bouncing about the stage until Skinny Lister closed the show.

All in all, an eggs-cellent event.

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