The Colony: you danced, you drank and you didn’t disappoint
Amble – what do we want!? “A music festival with no wind and plenty of sun to dance the night away!” When do we want it!? “Now!” Well, Saturday 4 July 2026, to be precise. As history has borne out, we know we can’t have it all, so as Steinman would say, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”
📷 Crowds enjoying the Colony 2026
With the stage set, the bar flowing, and the DJ — I mean THEE DJ Mac — pumping out the tunes, the festival began. As the music flowed on the wind (the considerable wind), the masses heeded the call and descended in their hundreds.
Master of ceremonies Will Westwood lit up the stage and fired up the crowd enough to tune them into party mode and introduce the first act. Jonathan May made a welcome return to the Colony and showed the crowd what they had been missing with his rhythmic guitar playing and rasping voice. “Dakota” got the crowd engaged. With the crowd hooked and swelling, we can safely say that by the time Jonathan sang “Blame It on Me”, the buzz and joy could definitely be blamed on him.
📷 Britpop Union feat Libby
Will Westwood returned to the stage to check on the crowd, keep them pumped, and introduce a new act, Scapula and Bones. But this was no new act, just a new name rising out of the ashes of Corporal Bones… Bringing old-school rockabilly back to the masses with the “Ace of Spades”, but not as you know it. By the time they sang “Folsom Prison Blues”, the crowd were firmly under lock and key and going nowhere.
DJ Mac, firing banger after banger into the crowd, got them up and increased the intensity with “Get Out of My Dreams”— a timely reminder we were in dreamland with the sensational atmosphere. The very atmosphere missed this year for the first time by a festival stalwart; but nobody misses out at the Colony and, in dedication, the DJ Booth will forever bring him to the party. Party hard, Nathan!
📷 Scapula and Bones
It was now time to introduce a new band to the Colony, and this time it was a debut for Vinilo Velvet. Jason Marshall, Amble born and bred, fulfilled a lifetime dream to bring his music to the port he belongs to. “Valerie” was met with a raucous sing-along to the delight of the increasing crowd. With sing-along rock classics aplenty, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” proved a serious hit, cementing Jason as a sweet child of Amble!
Whole Yiota Love bounded onto the stage and punked (well, perked) up the crowd with “Basket Case”. Proving to be the pearl of the Colony, they reminded us to be “Alive”, making sure the only “Zombie” around was the song.
Taking us back to the 90s (although I suspect most never left there musically) the ever-impeccable Britpop Union summoned the “Common People” and dancing numbers swelled to bursting, living their best “Parklife”. Proving that the music didn’t die in the 90s, they hit the youth with quick maths: “17 Going Under” and “Not 19 Forever”. With the weather holding out and the SHEDMAN Jeff expectant, the Britpop Union went “Chasing Rainbows”, tempting the rain to make its usual appearance. The rain declined and the temperature heated up, ready for the headliners.
📷 Whole Yiotta Love
Will Westwood, in his penultimate presentation, grasped the crowd and tuned their levels to oblivion. He managed to do the impossible: introduce the band that needs no introduction, The Range. Showing their commitments (I know, but it’s needed for the poor pun) to an unadulterated rock rampage, “Hard to Handle” was the song; but proving otherwise, they complied with FIFA regs and had their hydration break. Fully refreshed and in the only way they know how, they paid tribute to Shakey and Fairy by rocking the socks off the crowd. Ian (Fairy) was a performer at the very first, and will keep on performing in our souls till the last.
The Colony 2026 was amazing for three reasons:
The Sponsors: Castle North Plumbing and Heating, Coquet Island Shellfish, The Radcliffe Club, The Harbour Inn Bar and Grill, PWG Connections, Warkworth Harbour Commissioners, and Amble Town Council, who provide support financially and practically to make this event happen.
The Committee: To whom we are truly thankful for putting together this amazing festival. Time was spent crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s to allow the event to happen, and then on the day, making sure things were as smooth as “Wobbly Fingers” beard.
And finally, the crowd: You danced, you drank, and you didn’t disappoint. From the amazing, friendly atmosphere to the assistance in cleaning up, you are truly special and deserving of the “Friendliest Port”.
Unfortunately, next year is a fallow year so no Colony……….NOT!!!
See you July 3rd 2027… We have booked them, so you better come!!!
Aaron Armstrong
Photos: Wobbly Fingers
